Repatha SureClick

Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
• If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
• This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
• If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

What is in this leaflet

1. What Repatha is and what it is used for
2. What you need to know before you use Repatha
3. How to use Repatha
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Repatha
6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Repatha is and how it works

Repatha is a medicine that lowers levels of ’bad’ cholesterol, a type of fat, in the blood.

Repatha contains the active substance evolocumab, a monoclonal antibody (a type of specialised protein designed to attach to a target substance in the body). Evolocumab is designed to attach to a substance called PCSK9 that affects the liver’s ability to take in cholesterol. By attaching to, and mopping up PCSK9, the medicine increases the amount of cholesterol entering the liver and so lowers the level of cholesterol in the blood.

What Repatha is used for

Repatha is used in addition to your cholesterol lowering diet if you are:

• an adult with a high cholesterol level in your blood (primary hypercholesterolaemia [heterozygous familial and non-familial] or mixed dyslipidaemia). It is given:
  • together with a statin or other cholesterol lowering medication, if the maximum dose of a statin does not lower levels of cholesterol sufficiently.
  • alone or together with other cholesterol lowering medications when statins do not work well or cannot be used.

Repatha is used in patients who cannot control their cholesterol levels with a cholesterol lowering diet alone. You should stay on your cholesterol lowering diet while taking this medicine. Repatha can help prevent heart attack, stroke, and certain heart procedures to restore blood flow to the heart due to a build-up of fatty deposits in your arteries (also known as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease).

• 12 years and older with a high cholesterol level in your blood because of a condition that runs in your family (homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia or HoFH). It is given:
  • together with other cholesterol lowering treatments.
• an adult with a high cholesterol level in your blood and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (a history of heart attack, stroke or blood vessel problems). It is given:
  • together with a statin or other cholesterol lowering medication, if the maximum dose of a statin does not lower levels of cholesterol sufficiently.
  • alone or together with other cholesterol lowering medications when statins do not work well or cannot be used.

Warnings and precautions

Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using Repatha if you have liver disease.

The needle cover of the glass pre-filled pen is made from dry natural rubber (a derivative of latex), which may cause allergic reactions.

In order to improve the traceability of this medicine, your doctor or pharmacist should record the name and the lot number of the product you have been given in your patient file. You may also wish to make a note of these details in case you are asked for this information in the future.

Children and adolescents

The use of Repatha has not been studied in children under 18 years of age being treated for primary hypercholesterolaemia and mixed dyslipidaemia.

The use of Repatha has not been studied in children under 12 years of age being treated for homozygous familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Other medicines and Repatha

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before taking this medicine.

Repatha has not been tested in pregnant women. It is not known if Repatha will harm your unborn baby.

It is not known whether Repatha is found in breast milk.

It is important to tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding or plan to do so. Your doctor will then help you decide whether to stop breast-feeding, or whether to stop taking Repatha, considering the benefit of breast-feeding to the baby and the benefit of Repatha to the mother.

Driving and using machines

Repatha has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines.

Repatha contains sodium

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.

If you use more Repatha than you should

Contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.

If you forget to take Repatha

Take Repatha as soon as you can after the missed dose. Then, contact your doctor who will tell you when you should schedule your next dose, and follow the new schedule exactly as your doctor has told you.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. 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.

or search MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store

What Repatha contains

• The active substance is evolocumab. Each SureClick pre-filled pen contains 140 mg of evolocumab in 1 mL of solution.
• The other ingredients are proline, glacial acetic acid, polysorbate 80, sodium hydroxide, water for injections.

Manufacturer

Manufacturer

For any information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Important

Before you use the Repatha pre-filled pen, read this important information:

• Do not freeze or use the Repatha pre-filled pen if it has been frozen.
• Do not remove the orange cap from the Repatha pre-filled pen until you are ready to inject.
• Do not use the Repatha pre-filled pen if it has been dropped on a hard surface. Part of the Repatha pre-filled pen may be broken even if you cannot see the break.

Step 1: Prepare

A Remove one Repatha pre-filled pen from the package.

1. Carefully lift the pre-filled pen straight up out of the box.
2. Put the original package with any unused pre-filled pens back in the refrigerator.
3. Wait at least 30 minutes for the pre-filled pen to naturally reach room temperature before injecting.

• Do not try to warm the pre-filled pen by using a heat source such as hot water or microwave.
• Do not leave the pre-filled pen in direct sunlight.
• Do not shake the pre-filled pen.
• Do not remove the orange cap from the pre-filled pen yet.

B Inspect the Repatha pre-filled pen.

Make sure the medicine in the window is clear and colourless to slightly yellow.

Check the expiration date.

• Do not use the pre-filled pen if medicine is cloudy or discoloured or contains large lumps, flakes, or particles.
• Do not use the pre-filled pen if any part appears cracked or broken.
• Do not use if the pre-filled pen has been dropped.
• Do not use the pre-filled pen if the orange cap is missing or not securely attached.
• Do not use the pre-filled pen if the expiration date has passed.

In all cases, use a new pre-filled pen.

C Gather all materials needed for your injection.

Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

On a clean, well-lit work surface, place the:

• New pre-filled pen.
• Alcohol wipes.
• Cotton ball or gauze pad.
• Plaster.
• Sharps disposal container.

D Prepare and clean your injection site.

Only use these injection sites:

• Thigh.
• Stomach area (abdomen), except for a 2 inch (5 centimetres) area around your belly button.
• Outer area of upper arm (only if someone else is giving you the injection).

Clean the injection site with an alcohol wipe. Let your skin dry.

• Do not touch this area again before injecting.
• Choose a different site each time you give yourself an injection. If you need to use the same injection site, just make sure it is not the same spot on that site you used last time.
• Do not inject into areas where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard. Avoid injecting into areas with scars or stretch marks.

Step 2: Get ready

A Pull the orange cap straight off, only when you are ready to inject. Do not leave the orange cap off for more than 5 minutes. This can dry out the medicine.

It is normal to see a drop of liquid at the end of the needle or yellow safety guard.

• Do not twist, bend or wiggle the orange cap.
• Do not put the orange cap back onto the pre-filled pen.
• Do not put fingers into the yellow safety guard.

Important: Do not remove the orange cap from the pre-filled pen until you are ready to inject.

If you are unable to inject, please contact your healthcare provider.

B Create a firm surface at the selected injection site (thigh, stomach, or outer areas of the upper arm), by using either the stretch method or the pinch method.

Stretch method

Stretch the skin firmly by moving your thumb and fingers in the opposite direction, creating an area about 2 inches (5 centimetres) wide.

OR

Pinch method

Pinch the skin firmly between your thumb and fingers, creating an area about 2 inches (5 centimetres) wide.

Important: It is important to keep skin stretched or pinched while injecting.

Step 3: Inject

A Keep holding the stretched or pinched skin. With the orange cap off, put the yellow safety guard on your skin at 90 degrees. The needle is inside the yellow safety guard.

Do not touch the grey start button yet.

Yellow Safety Guard (needle inside)

B Firmly push down the pre-filled pen onto the skin until it stops moving.

Important: You must push all the way down but do not touch the grey start button until you are ready to inject.

C When you are ready to inject, press the grey start button. You will hear a click.

D Keep pushing down on the skin. Then lift your thumb while still holding the pre-filled pen on your skin. Your injection could take about 15 seconds.

Window turns from clear to yellow when the injection is done. You may hear a second click.

NOTE: After you remove the pre-filled pen from your skin, the needle will be automatically covered.

Step 4: Finish

A Discard the used pre-filled pen and orange needle cap.

Discard the used pre-filled pen and the orange cap in a sharps disposal container.

Talk with your healthcare provider about proper disposal. There may be local guidelines for disposal.

Keep the pre-filled pen and the sharps disposal container out of the sight and reach of children.

• Do not reuse the pre-filled pen.
• Do not recap the pre-filled pen or put fingers into the yellow safety guard.
• Do not recycle the pre-filled pen or sharps disposal container or throw them into household rubbish.

B Examine the injection site.

If there is blood, press a cotton ball or gauze pad on your injection site. Do not rub the injection site. Apply a plaster if needed.