FERRING PHARMACEUTICALS
FIRMAGON® 120mg
Powder and solvent for solution for injection
degarelix
- Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
- If you have any further questions, ask your doctor.
- If you get any of the side effects, talk to your doctor. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.
1. What FIRMAGON is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use FIRMAGON
3. How to use FIRMAGON
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store FIRMAGON
6. Contents of the pack and other information
FIRMAGON contains degarelix.
Degarelix is a synthetic hormone blocker used in the treatment of prostate cancer and for the treatment of high-risk prostate cancer prior to radiotherapy and in combination with radiotherapy in adult male patients. Degarelix mimics a natural hormone (gonadotrophin-relasing hormone, GnRH) and directly blocks its effects. By doing so, degarelix immediately reduces the level of the male hormone testosterone that stimulates the prostate cancer.
If you are allergic to degarelix or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
Please tell your doctor if you have any of the following:
- Any cardiovascular conditions or heart rhythm problems (arrythmia), or are being treated with medicines for this condition. The risk of heart rhythm problems may be increased when using FIRMAGON.
- Diabetes mellitus. Worsening or onset of diabetes may occur. If you have diabetes, you may have to measure blood glucose more frequently.
- Liver disease. Liver function may need to be monitored.
- Kidney disease. Use of FIRMAGON has not been investigated in patients with severe kidney disease.
- Osteoporosis or any condition that affects the strenght of your bones. Reduced level of testosterone may cause a reduction in bone calcium (thinning of bones).
- Severe hypersensitivity. Use of FIRMAGON has not been investigated in patients with severe hypersensitivity reactions.
Do not give this medicine to children or adolescents.
FIRMAGON might interfere with some medicines used to treat heart rhythm problems (e.g. quinidine, procainamide, amiodarone and sotalol) or other medicines which can have an effect on heart rhythm (e.g. methadone (used for pain relief and as part of drug addiction detoxification), moxifloxacin (an antibiotic), antipsychotics).
Tell your doctor if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Tiredness and dizziness are common side effects that may impair your ability to drive and use machines. These side effects may be due to the treatment or effects resulting from the underlying disease.
This medicine is usually injected by a nurse or a doctor.
The recommended starting dose is two consecutive injections of 120 mg. After that, you will receive a monthly 80 mg injection. The injected liquid forms a gel from which degarelix is released over a period of one month.
FIRMAGON must be injected under the skin (subcutaneously) ONLY. FIRMAGON must NOT be given into a blood vessel (intravenously). Precautions must be taken to avoid accidental injection into a vein. The site of injection is likely to vary within the abdominal region.
If you believe your monthly dose of FIRMAGON has been forgotten, please talk to your doctor.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor.
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
A very serious allergic reaction to this medicine is rare. Seek medical advice straight away if you develop a severe rash, itching or shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. These could be symptoms of a severe allergic reaction.
Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people)
Hot flushes, injection site pain and redness. Side effects at the injection site are most common with the starting dose and less common with the maintenance dose.
Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- injection site swelling, node and hardness
- chills, fever or influenza-like illness after the injection
- trouble sleeping, tiredness, dizziness, headache
- increased weight, nausea, diarrhoea, elevated levels of some liver enzymes
- excessive sweating (including night sweats), rash
- anaemia
- musculoskeletal pain and discomfort
- reduced size of testicles, breast swelling, impotence
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- loss of sexual desire, testicular pain, pelvic pain, ejaculation failure, genital irritation, breast pain
- depression, mental impairment
- skin redness, loss of hair, skin nodule, numbness
- allergic reactions, hives, itching
- decreased appetite, constipation, vomiting, dry mouth, abdominal pain and discomfort, increased blood sugar/diabetes mellitus, increased cholesterol, changes in blood calcium, decreased weight
- high blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm, changes in ECG (QT-prolongation), feeling of abnormal heart beat, dyspnoea, peripheral oedema
- muscular weakness, muscle spasms, joint swelling/stiffness, osteoporosis/osteopenia, pain in the joint
- frequent urination, urinary urgency (must hurry to pass urine), difficult or painful urination, urination at night, impaired renal function, incontinence
- blurred vision
- discomfort at injection including decreased blood pressure and heart rate (vasovagal reaction)
- malaise
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- febrile neutropenia (very low number of white blood cell in combination with fever), heart attack, heart failure
- unexplained muscular pain or cramps, tenderness, or weakness. The muscle problems can be serious, including muscle breakdown resulting in kidney damage.
Very rare (may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people)
injection site infection, abscess and necrosis
If you get any of the side effects, talk to your doctor. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly via (see details below). By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
United Kingdom
Yellow Card Scheme
Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard
Ireland
HPRA Pharmacovigilance
Website: www.hpra.ie
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the vials, syringes and outer packaging. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
After reconstitution:
This medicine is stable for 2 hours at 25°C.
Due to the risk of microbial contamination, this medicine should be used immediately. If not used immediately, the use of this medicine are the responsibility of the user.
Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help protect the environment.
- The active substance is degarelix. Each vial contains 120 mg degarelix (as acetate). After reconstitution 1 ml of the reconstituted solution contains 40 mg degarelix.
- The other ingredient of the powder is mannitol (E 421).
- The solvent is water for injections.
FIRMAGON is a powder and solvent for solution for injection. The powder is white to off-white. The solvent is a clear, colourless solution.
Pack-size of 2 trays containing:
2 vials with powder containing 120 mg of degarelix and 2 pre-filled syringes with 3 ml of solvent.
2 plunger rods, 2 vial adapters and 2 injection needles.
Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S
Amager Strandvej 405
2770 Kastrup
Denmark
Tel.: +45 8833 8834
EU/1/08/504/002
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Ltd
Drayton Hall
Church Road
West Drayton
UB7 7PS
United Kingdom
PLGB 03194/0128
Ferring GmbH
Wittland 11
D-24109 Kiel
Germany
For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder:
United Kingdom (Great Britain)
Ferring Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
Tel: +44 844 931 0050
United Kingdom (Northern Ireland)
Ferring Ireland Ltd.
Tel: +353 1 4637355
This leaflet was last revised in April 2022.
Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency web site: http://www.ema.europa.eu/.
FIRMAGON, FERRING and the FERRING Logo are trademarks of Ferring B.V. © 2022 Ferring B.V.