Viread 123 mg film-coated tablets

Package leaflet: Information for the user

Introduction

Package leaflet: information for the user

Viread 123 mg film-coated tablets

Tenofovir disoproxil

Read this entire leaflet carefully before the child starts taking this medicine, because it contains important information for you.

• Keep this leaflet, as you may need to read it again.
• If you have any questions, consult the child's doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for the child only; do not give it to others, even if they have the same symptoms as the child, as it could harm them.
• If the child experiences any adverse effects, consult the child's doctor or pharmacist, even if they are adverse effects not listed in this leaflet. See section 4.

Leaflet contents

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

1. What Viread is and what it is used for

Viread contains the active substance tenofovir disoproxil. This active substance is an antiretroviral or antiviral medicine used to treat HIV or HBV infection, or both. Tenofovir is a nucleotide analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI), commonly known as NRTI, which works by interfering with the normal function of an enzyme (in HIV, reverse transcriptase; in hepatitis B, DNA polymerase) that is essential for the viruses to replicate. For the treatment of HIV infection, Viread must always be used in combination with other antiviral medicines.

Viread 123 mg tablets are a medicine used to treat HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection.

Viread 123 mg tablets are for use in children. They are only suitable for:

• children aged 6 to less than 12 years
• weighing between 17 kg and less than 22 kg
  • who have previously been treated with other HIV medicines that are no longer fully effective due to the development of resistance, or that have caused adverse effects.

Viread 123 mg tablets are also a medicine used to treat chronic hepatitis B, an infection caused by HBV (hepatitis B virus).

Viread 123 mg tablets are for use in children. They are only suitable for:

• children aged 6 to less than 12 years
• weighing between 17 kg and less than 22 kg

The child does not need to have HIV infection to be treated with Viread for HBV.

This medicine is not a cure for HIV infection. While the child is taking Viread, they may still develop infections or other illnesses associated with HIV infection. The child may also continue to transmit HIV or HBV to others. Therefore, it is important to take precautions to avoid infecting other people.

2. What you need to know before the child starts taking Viread

Do not give Viread

• If the child is allergic to tenofovir, tenofovir disoproxil, or any of the other components of this medicine (included in section 6).

• If this applies to the child, inform your doctor immediately and do not give Viread.

Warnings and precautions

• In the case of HIV, Viread 123 mg tablets are only suitable for children who have previously been treated with other HIV medicines that are no longer fully effective due to the development of resistance, or that have caused adverse effects.

• Check the child's age and weight to determine whether Viread 123 mg tablets are appropriate; see Children and adolescents.

Consult the child’s doctor or pharmacist before starting to administer Viread.

• Take care not to transmit the infection to others. While taking this medicine, the child may still transmit HIV to others, although effective antiviral treatment reduces this risk. Viread does not reduce the risk of transmission of HBV to others through sexual contact or blood contamination. Consult the child’s doctor about which precautions are necessary to avoid infecting others.

• If the child has had kidney disease or if blood tests have shown kidney problems, consult the child’s doctor or pharmacist. Viread must not be given to children with existing kidney problems. Viread may affect the child’s kidneys during treatment. Before starting treatment, the child’s doctor may request blood tests to assess kidney function. The child’s doctor may also request periodic blood tests during treatment to monitor kidney function.

Viread is usually not taken together with other medicines that may damage the child’s kidneys (see Taking Viread with other medicines). If this is unavoidable, the child’s doctor will monitor kidney function once a week.

• Bone problems. Some adult HIV patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy may develop a bone disease called osteonecrosis (bone tissue death caused by reduced blood supply to the bone). Numerous risk factors for developing this condition include duration of combination antiretroviral therapy, use of corticosteroids, alcohol consumption, severe immunosuppression, and high body mass index. Symptoms of osteonecrosis include: joint stiffness, pain, and discomfort (particularly in the hip, knee, and shoulder), and difficulty moving. If you notice any of these symptoms, inform the child’s doctor.

Bone problems (sometimes leading to fractures) may also occur due to damage to renal tubular cells (see section 4, Possible side effects).

• Talk to the child’s doctor if the child has a history of liver disease, including hepatitis. Patients with liver disease, including chronic hepatitis B or C, treated with antiretrovirals, have an increased risk of serious and potentially fatal liver complications. If the child has hepatitis B infection, the child’s doctor will carefully consider the best treatment for them. If the child has a history of liver disease or chronic hepatitis B infection, the child’s doctor may perform blood tests to monitor liver function.

• Infections. If the child has advanced HIV infection (AIDS) and has another type of infection, they may develop symptoms of infection and inflammation or worsening of symptoms from an existing infection when starting treatment with Viread. These symptoms may indicate that the child’s improved immune system is fighting the infection. Be alert for signs of inflammation or infection shortly after the child starts taking Viread. If you notice signs of inflammation or infection, inform the child’s doctor immediately.

In addition to opportunistic infections, autoimmune disorders (a condition that occurs when the immune system attacks healthy body tissue) may also occur after the child has started taking medicines for the treatment of HIV infection.

Autoimmune disorders may appear many months after starting treatment. If you notice that the child develops any symptoms of infection or other symptoms such as muscle weakness, weakness starting in the hands and feet and moving upward toward the trunk, palpitations, tremors, or hyperactivity, inform the child’s doctor immediately to receive necessary treatment.

Children and adolescents

Viread 123 mg tablets are only suitable for:

• HIV-1 infected children aged 6 to less than 12 years who weigh between 17 kg and less than 22 kg and who have been treated with other HIV medicines that are no longer fully effective due to the development of resistance, or that have caused adverse effects.
  • HBV-infected children aged 6 to less than 12 years who weigh between 17 kg and less than 22 kg.

Viread 123 mg tablets are not suitable for the following groups:

• Not for children weighing less than 17 kg or 22 kg or more. Consult the child’s doctor if the child is outside the permitted weight range.
• Not for children and adolescents under 6 years of age or 12 years of age or older.

For dosage information, see section 3, How to take Viread.

Other medicines and Viread

Inform the child’s doctor or pharmacist if the child is taking, has recently taken, or might need to take any other medicines.

• Do not stop treatment with any anti-HIV medicines prescribed by the child’s doctor when starting treatment with Viread if the child has both HBV and HIV.

• Do not give Viread if the child is already taking medicines that contain tenofovir disoproxil or tenofovir alafenamide. Do not give Viread together with medicines containing adefovir dipivoxil (a medicine used to treat chronic hepatitis B).

• It is very important that you tell the child’s doctor if the child is taking other medicines that may damage their kidneys.

These medicines include:

• aminoglycosides, pentamidine, or vancomycin (used to treat bacterial infections),

• amphotericin B (used to treat fungal infections),

• foscarnet, ganciclovir, or cidofovir (used to treat viral infections),

• interleukin-2 (used to treat cancer),

• adefovir dipivoxil (used to treat HBV infection),

• tacrolimus (used to induce immune system suppression),

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, for relief of bone or muscle pain).

• Other medicines containing didanosine (for HIV infection): Taking Viread with other antiviral medicines containing didanosine may increase didanosine levels in the blood and may reduce CD4 cell count. Rare cases of pancreatitis and lactic acidosis (excess lactic acid in the blood), sometimes fatal, have been reported when medicines containing tenofovir disoproxil and didanosine are taken together. The child’s doctor will carefully consider whether treatment with combinations of tenofovir and didanosine is appropriate.

• It is also important to inform your doctor if your child is taking ledipasvir/sofosbuvir, sofosbuvir/velpatasvir, or sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir to treat hepatitis C virus infection.

Taking Viread with food and drink

Administer Viread with food (e.g., a meal or snack).

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

If the girl is pregnant or breastfeeding, or thinks she may be pregnant, consult the doctor or pharmacist before taking this medicine.

• The girl must not take Viread during pregnancy unless specifically discussed with her doctor. Although there is limited clinical data on the use of Viread in pregnant women, it is generally not used unless absolutely necessary.

• If the girl becomes pregnant, ask the doctor about the potential risks and benefits of antiretroviral therapy for her and her child.

• If the girl has taken Viread during her pregnancy, the doctor may request periodic blood tests and other diagnostic tests to monitor the baby’s development. In children whose mothers took medicines like Viread (ITIAN) during pregnancy, the benefit of protection against the virus was greater than the risk of adverse effects occurring.

• The girl must not breastfeed during treatment with Viread. This is because the active substance of this medicine passes into breast milk.

• The girl must not breastfeed to avoid transmitting the virus to the child through breast milk.

Driving and using machines

Viread may cause dizziness. If the child experiences dizziness during treatment with Viread, they must not drive or ride a bicycle, or operate tools or machinery.

Viread contains lactose

Inform the child’s doctor before administering Viread. If the child’s doctor has informed you that the child has an intolerance to certain sugars, consult with them before taking this medicine.

3. How to take Viread

The child must follow exactly the administration instructions for this medicine as indicated by their doctor or pharmacist. If in doubt, consult the child's doctor or pharmacist again.

The recommended dose is:

• Children aged 6 to less than 12 years weighing between 17 kg and less than 22 kg:

1 tablet per day with food (for example, a meal or a snack).

The child's doctor will monitor their weight.

The child must always take the dose recommended by their doctor. This is to ensure that the medicine is fully effective and to reduce the risk of developing treatment resistance. Do not change the dose unless the child's doctor tells you to do so.

In the case of HIV, the child's doctor will prescribe Viread together with other antiretroviral medicines.

Refer to the package leaflets of the other antiretrovirals to find out how to take those medicines.

If the child takes more Viread than they should

If the child has accidentally taken too many Viread tablets, they may be at increased risk of experiencing possible adverse effects with this medicine (see section 4, Possible adverse effects). Contact the child's doctor or go to the nearest emergency department. Take the bottle of tablets with you so you can easily describe what the child has taken.

If the child forgets to take Viread

It is important that the child does not miss a dose of Viread. If the child misses a dose, determine how long it has been since the dose should have been taken.

• If it is less than 12 hours after the usual time, the child should take the dose as soon as possible, and then take the next dose at the usual time.

• If it is more than 12 hours since the child should have taken the dose, the missed dose should not be taken. Wait and take the next dose at the usual time. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose.

If the child vomits within 1 hour after taking Viread, give the child another tablet. The child does not need to take another tablet if they vomit more than one hour after taking Viread.

If the child stops taking Viread

The child must not stop taking Viread unless instructed by their doctor. Stopping treatment with Viread may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment recommended by the child's doctor.

If the child has hepatitis B or both HIV and hepatitis B (coinfection), it is very important that they do not stop treatment with Viread without first talking to their doctor. After stopping treatment with Viread, some patients have had blood tests or symptoms indicating that their hepatitis has worsened. The child may need to have blood tests for several months after stopping treatment. In patients with advanced liver disease or cirrhosis, stopping treatment is not recommended, as this may lead to a worsening of the child's hepatitis.

• Talk to the child's doctor before the child stops taking Viread for any reason, particularly if they experience any adverse effects or have another illness.

• Contact the child's doctor immediately if the child experiences any new or unusual symptoms after stopping treatment, especially symptoms related to hepatitis B virus infection.

• Contact the child's doctor before the child restarts taking Viread tablets.

If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, ask the child's doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible adverse effects

During HIV treatment, there may be an increase in weight and in blood glucose and lipid levels. This may be partly related to improved health and lifestyle, and in the case of blood lipids, sometimes to the HIV medicines themselves. The child's doctor will monitor these changes.

Like all medicines, this medicine may cause adverse effects, although not everyone experiences them.

Possible serious adverse effects: inform the child's doctor immediately

• Lactic acidosis (excess lactic acid in the blood) is a rare adverse effect (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients) but serious, and can be life-threatening. The following adverse effects may be signs of lactic acidosis:

• deep, rapid breathing

• drowsiness

• nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain

• If you think the child may have lactic acidosis, contact the child's doctor immediately.

Other possible serious adverse effects

The following adverse effects are uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients):

• abdominal pain (stomach pain) caused by inflammation of the pancreas
• damage to cells of the renal tubule

The following adverse effects are rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients):

• inflammation of the kidney, increased urine volume and feeling thirsty

• changes in the child's urine and back pain due to kidney problems, including kidney failure

• weakening of the bones (with bone pain, and sometimes leading to fractures), which may occur due to damage to cells of the renal tubule

• fatty liver

• If you think the child may be experiencing any of these serious adverse effects, consult the child's doctor.

More frequent adverse effects

The following adverse effects are very common (may affect at least 10 in 100 patients):

• diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, rash, feeling weak

Blood tests may also show:

• decreased blood phosphate levels

Other possible adverse effects

The following adverse effects are common (may affect up to 10 in 100 patients):

• flatulence

Blood tests may also show:

• liver problems

The following adverse effects are uncommon (may affect up to 1 in 100 patients):

• muscle rupture, muscle pain, or muscle weakness

Blood tests may also show:

• decreased blood potassium levels
• increased blood creatinine
• pancreas problems

Muscle rupture, weakening of the bones (with bone pain and sometimes leading to fractures), muscle pain, muscle weakness, and decreased blood potassium or phosphate levels may occur due to damage to cells of the renal tubule.

The following adverse effects are rare (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 patients):

• abdominal pain (stomach pain) caused by inflammation of the liver
• swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat

Reporting of adverse effects

If the child experiences any type of adverse effect, consult the child's doctor or pharmacist, even if it is a possible adverse effect not listed in this leaflet. You may also report them directly through the national reporting system detailed in Appendix V. By reporting adverse effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. Storage of Viread

Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.

Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the bottle and the outer carton after EXP. The expiry date is the last day of the month indicated.

No special storage conditions are required.

Medicines must not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines and packaging you no longer need. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

Composition of Viread

• The active substance is tenofovir. Each Viread tablet contains 123 mg of tenofovir disoproxil (as fumarate).

• The other components are: microcrystalline cellulose (E460), pregelatinized starch, sodium croscarmellose, monohydrate lactose, and magnesium stearate (E572), which make up the tablet core; and monohydrate lactose, hypromellose (E464), titanium dioxide (E171), and glyceryl triacetate (E1518), which make up the film coating of the tablet.

See section 2, “Viread contains lactose”.

Appearance of the product and contents of the pack

Film-coated white triangular tablets, 8.5 mm in diameter, marked on one side with “GSI” and on the other with “150”. Viread 123 mg film-coated tablets are available in bottles containing 30 tablets. Each bottle contains a silica gel desiccant, which should remain inside the bottle to protect the tablets. The silica gel desiccant is contained in a separate sachet or container and must not be swallowed.

This medicine is available in packs containing either 1 bottle of 30 film-coated tablets or 3 bottles of 30 film-coated tablets. Only certain pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorization Holder and Manufacturer

Marketing Authorization Holder:

Gilead Sciences Ireland UC
Carrigtohill
County Cork, T45 DP77
Ireland

Manufacturer:

Gilead Sciences Ireland UC
IDA Business & Technology Park
Carrigtohill
County Cork
Ireland

For further information about this medicine, please contact the local representative of the Marketing Authorization Holder:

Date of the most recent review of this leaflet: {MM/YYYY}

Detailed information on this medicine is available on the European Medicines Agency website: http://www.ema.europa.eu.