Bosentan Sun 125 mg film-coated tablets EFG
Spain
Table of Contents
Patient Information Leaflet
Introduction
Patient Information Leaflet
Bosentan SUN 125 mg Film-coated Tablets EFG
Read the entire leaflet carefully before you start taking this medicine, as it contains important information for you.
- Keep this leaflet as you may need to read it again.
- If you have any questions, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
- This medicine has been prescribed for you only and must not be given to other people, even if they have the same symptoms as you, since it may harm them.
- If you experience any adverse effects, consult your doctor or pharmacist, even if they are adverse effects not listed in this leaflet.
Leaflet Contents
- What Bosentan SUN is and what it is used for
- What you need to know before taking Bosentan SUN
- How to take Bosentan SUN
- Possible adverse effects
- How to store Bosentan SUN
- Contents of the pack and other information
1. What Bosentan SUN is and what it is used for
Bosentan SUN tablets contain bosentan, which blocks a natural hormone called endothelin-1 (ET-1) that causes narrowing of blood vessels. Bosentan therefore causes blood vessels to dilate and belongs to a class of medicines known as “endothelin receptor antagonists”.
Bosentan SUN is used to treat:
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): PAH is a disease characterized by severe narrowing of the blood vessels in the lungs, resulting in increased blood pressure in the vessels (pulmonary arteries) that carry blood from the heart to the lungs. This pressure reduces the amount of oxygen that can enter the blood in the lungs, making physical activity more difficult. Bosentan widens the pulmonary arteries, making it easier for the heart to pump blood through them. This reduces blood pressure and relieves symptoms.
Bosentan SUN is used to treat patients with PAH class III to improve symptoms and exercise capacity (the ability to perform physical activity). The "class" reflects the severity of the disease: 'class III' indicates marked limitation in physical activity. Some improvements have been observed in patients with PAH class II. 'Class II' indicates slight limitation in physical activity. The PAH for which Bosentan SUN is indicated may be:
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primary (where no cause is identified or is hereditary),
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caused by scleroderma (also called systemic sclerosis, a disease in which there is abnormal growth of connective tissue supporting the skin and other organs),
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caused by congenital heart defects (present at birth) with shunts (abnormal communications) causing abnormal blood flow between the heart and lungs.
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Digital ulcers (ulcers on the fingers and toes) in adult patients with a disease called scleroderma. Bosentan SUN reduces the number of new digital ulcers (in hands and feet) that develop.
2. What you need to know before taking Bosentan SUN
Do not take Bosentan SUN:
- if you are allergic to bosentan or to any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6)
- if you have liver problems (consult your doctor)
- if you are pregnant, or might be pregnant because you are not using reliable contraceptive methods. Please read the information in the sections “Contraception” and “Other medicines and Bosentan SUN”
- if you are taking cyclosporine A (a medicine used after organ transplantation or to treat psoriasis)
If you have any of these conditions, inform your doctor.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before starting to take Bosentan SUN.
Tests your doctor will perform before starting treatment
- a blood test to assess liver function
- a blood test to check for anemia (low hemoglobin)
- a pregnancy test if you are a woman of childbearing potential
Abnormal liver function tests and anemia (low hemoglobin) have been observed in some patients taking Bosentan.
Blood tests your doctor will perform during treatment
During treatment with Bosentan SUN, your doctor will schedule regular blood tests to monitor changes in your liver function and hemoglobin levels.
For all these tests, please refer to the Patient Alert Card (included inside the Bosentan SUN tablet pack). It is important that you have regular blood tests while taking Bosentan SUN. We recommend that you write the date of your most recent test and your next scheduled test (ask your doctor for the date) on the Patient Alert Card to help you remember when your next visit is due.
Blood tests for liver function
These tests must be performed monthly throughout the entire duration of treatment with Bosentan SUN. After a dose increase, an additional test should be performed 2 weeks later.
Blood tests for anemia
These tests will be performed monthly during the first 4 months of treatment and then every 3 months thereafter, as patients taking Bosentan SUN may develop anemia.
If any of these tests show abnormal results, your doctor may decide to reduce the dose or stop treatment with Bosentan SUN and carry out additional tests to investigate the cause.
Children and adolescents
Bosentan SUN is not recommended in pediatric patients with systemic sclerosis and active digital ulceration. See also section 3. How to take Bosentan SUN.
Taking Bosentan SUN with other medicines
Inform your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken, or might need to take any other medicines, including those obtained without a prescription. It is especially important that you inform your doctor if you are taking:
- cyclosporine (a medicine used after transplantation and to treat psoriasis), which must not be taken together with Bosentan SUN.
- sirolimus or tacrolimus, medicines used after transplantation, which are not recommended to be taken together with Bosentan SUN.
•?glibenclamide (a medicine for diabetes), rifampicin (a medicine for tuberculosis), or fluconazole (an antifungal medicine), ketoconazole (a medicine used to treat Cushing's syndrome), or nevirapine (an HIV medicine), as these medicines are not recommended to be taken together with Bosentan SUN.
- other medicines for the treatment of HIV infection, which when taken with Bosentan SUN may require special monitoring.
- oral contraceptives, which are not effective as the sole method of contraception when taking Bosentan SUN. Inside the Bosentan SUN package, you will find a Patient Alert Card that you must read carefully. Your doctor and/or gynecologist will determine the appropriate contraceptive method for you.
- other medicines for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension: sildenafil and tadalafil;
- warfarin (an anticoagulant);
- simvastatin (used to treat hypercholesterolemia).
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and fertility
Women of childbearing potential
DO NOT take Bosentan SUN if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Pregnancy tests
Bosentan SUN may harm unborn children conceived before or during treatment. If you are a woman of childbearing potential, your doctor will require you to take a pregnancy test before starting treatment with bosentan, and regularly while taking bosentan.
Contraception
If you could become pregnant, use a reliable method of contraception (birth control) while taking Bosentan SUN. Your doctor or gynecologist will advise you on reliable contraceptive methods while taking Bosentan SUN. Since Bosentan SUN may reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraception (e.g., oral, injection, implant, or skin patches), this method alone is not reliable. Therefore, if you use hormonal contraceptives, you must also use a barrier method (e.g., female condom, diaphragm, contraceptive sponge, or your partner must use a male condom). Inside the Bosentan SUN tablet pack, you will find a Patient Alert Card. You must complete this card and bring it to your doctor at your next visit so that your doctor or gynecologist can determine whether you need an alternative or additional reliable contraceptive method. A monthly pregnancy test is recommended while taking Bosentan SUN if you are of childbearing age.
Inform your doctor immediately if you become pregnant while taking Bosentan SUN, or if you plan to become pregnant in the near future.
Breastfeeding
Bosentan passes into breast milk. You are advised to stop breastfeeding if you are prescribed Bosentan SUN, as it is unknown whether this medicine could harm your baby. Inform your doctor about this.
Fertility
If you are a man taking Bosentan SUN, this medicine may reduce your sperm count. It cannot be ruled out that it may affect your ability to father a child. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns about this.
Driving and use of machines
Bosentan SUN has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines. However, Bosentan SUN may cause hypotension (low blood pressure), which can lead to dizziness, blurred vision, and may affect your ability to drive or operate tools and machinery. Therefore, if you feel dizzy or experience blurred vision while being treated with Bosentan SUN, do not drive or operate tools or machinery.
Bosentan SUN contains sodium
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol of sodium (23 mg) per tablet; this is essentially “sodium-free”.
3. How to take Bosentan SUN
Treatment with Bosentan SUN should only be initiated and monitored by a physician experienced in the treatment of PAH or systemic sclerosis. Always follow your doctor's instructions for taking this medicine exactly. If you are unsure, consult your doctor or pharmacist again.
Bosentan SUN with food and drink
Bosentan SUN may be taken with or without food.
Recommended dose:
Adults
Treatment in adults is usually started at 62.5 mg twice daily (morning and evening) for the first 4 weeks. After this, your doctor will usually advise you to increase to one 125 mg tablet twice daily, depending on how you respond to Bosentan SUN.
Children and adolescents
The recommended dose for children is only for PAH. For children aged 1 year and older, treatment with Bosentan SUN is usually initiated at 2 mg per kg of body weight twice daily (morning and evening). However, certain bosentan doses are not available for children weighing less than 31 kg. For these patients, a bosentan tablet with a lower dose is required. Your doctor will advise you on the appropriate dose.
If you feel that the effect of Bosentan SUN is too strong or too weak, consult your doctor to determine whether a dose adjustment is needed.
How to take Bosentan SUN
Bosentan SUN tablets should be taken (morning and evening) with water. Tablets may be taken with or without food.
If you take more Bosentan SUN than you should
If you take more tablets than prescribed, contact your doctor immediately.
If you forget to take Bosentan SUN
If you forget to take Bosentan SUN, take the missed dose as soon as you remember, and then continue taking it according to your usual schedule. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.
If you stop taking Bosentan SUN
If you suddenly stop treatment with Bosentan SUN, your symptoms may worsen. Do not stop taking Bosentan SUN unless your doctor tells you to. Your doctor may instruct you to gradually reduce the dose over several days before stopping completely.
If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible adverse effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although not everyone will experience them.
The most serious adverse effects with Bosentan SUN are:
- Abnormal liver function, which may affect more than 1 in 10 people
- Anaemia (reduced blood count), which may affect more than 1 in 10 people. Anaemia may occasionally require blood transfusion.
Your liver and blood values will be monitored during treatment with Bosentan SUN
(see section 2). It is important that you have these tests performed as prescribed by your doctor.
Signs that your liver may not be functioning properly include:
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting
- fever (high temperature)
- stomach (abdominal) pain
- jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
- dark urine
- itching of the skin
- lethargy or fatigue (unusual tiredness or exhaustion)
- Pseudo-flu syndrome (joint and muscle pain with fever)
If you experience any of these symptoms**, consult your doctor immediately**
Other adverse effects:
Very common ( may affect more than 1 in 10 people):
- Headache
- Oedema (swelling of the legs and ankles or other signs of fluid retention)
Common ( may affect up to 1 in 10 people):
- Flushing (reddening of the skin)
- Hypersensitivity reactions (including skin inflammation, itching, and skin rash)
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux (acid reflux)
- Diarrhoea
- Syncope (fainting)
- Palpitations (fast or irregular heartbeats)
- Low blood pressure
- Nasal congestion
Uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 people):
- Thrombocytopenia (decreased number of platelets in the blood)
- Neutropenia/leucopenia (decreased number of white blood cells in the blood)
- Elevated liver function tests with hepatitis (liver inflammation), including possible worsening of hepatitis and/or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
Rare (may affect up to 1 in 1000 people):
- Anaphylaxis (generalised allergic reaction), angioedema (swelling, more frequently around the eyes, lips, tongue or throat)
- Liver cirrhosis (fibrosis), liver failure (serious impairment of liver function)
Frequency not known (cannot be estimated from available data):
- Blurred vision
Adverse effects in children and adolescents
The adverse effects observed in children treated with bosentan are the same as those in adults.
Reporting of adverse effects:
If you experience any adverse effect, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse, even if it is a possible adverse effect not listed in this leaflet. You can also report them directly via the Spanish Pharmacovigilance System for Human Medicines: https://www.notificaram.es . By reporting adverse effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. Storage of Bosentan SUN
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the carton and blister after "EXP". The expiry date refers to the last day of the month indicated.
Period of validity after first opening (for the bottle only): 50 days
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Dispose of unused containers and medicines at the SIGRE collection point at your pharmacy. If you are unsure, ask your pharmacist how to properly dispose of containers and medicines you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
Composition of Bosentan SUN 125 mg film-coated tablets
- The active substance is bosentan. Each tablet contains 125 mg of bosentan.
- The other components are corn starch, pregelatinized corn starch, sodium starch glycolate from potato, povidone K-30, glyceryl behenate, magnesium stearate.
The film coating (Opadry yellow 21K520019) contains: hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), triacetin, talc (E553b), ethylcellulose, yellow iron oxide (E172), red iron oxide (E172).
Appearance of the product and contents of the pack
Bosentan SUN 125 mg: film-coated tablets, oval, biconvex, light peach to peach in colour, marked with "125" on one side and plain on the other. The tablets measure 11.00 mm in length and 5.0 mm in width.
PVC/PE/PVdC/Al blisters containing 14 and 56 film-coated tablets.
Single-dose perforated PVC/PE/PVdC/Al blisters containing 14 x 1 and 56 x 1 film-coated tablets.
HDPE bottles containing 56 and 100 film-coated tablets.
The HDPE bottles are made of white, opaque high-density polyethylene, with an induction seal and child-resistant cap, and include a silica gel desiccant sachet. THE CONTENTS OF THE SACHET MUST NOT BE INGESTED.
Only some pack sizes may be marketed.
This medicinal product is authorised in the Member States of the European Economic Area under the following names:
DE: BOSENTAN SUN 125 mg Filmtabletten
FR: BOSENTAN SUN 125 mg, comprimé pelliculé
IT: Bosentan Sun
ES: Bosentan SUN 125 mg comprimidos recubiertos con película EFG
RO: Bosentan Terapia 125 mg comprimate filmate
PL: Bosentan Ranbaxy 125 mg
Marketing Authorisation Holder:
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe B.V.
Polarisavenue 87
Hoofddorp - 2132JH
The Netherlands
Manufacturer:
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Europe B.V.
Polarisavenue 87
Hoofddorp - 2132JH
The Netherlands
ALKALOIDA Chemical Company Zrt.
Kabay János u. 29
Tiszavasvári - H-4440
Hungary
Terapia SA
Str. Fabricii nr. 124
Cluj Napoca – 400632
Romania
Local representative:
Sun Pharma Laboratorios, S.L.
Rambla de Catalunya, 53-55
08007 Barcelona
Spain
Tel: +34 93 342 78 90
Date of the most recent revision of this leaflet: September 2024
Detailed information on this medicinal product is available on the website of the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Health Products: http://www.aemps.gob.es/.