Concor 5

Package leaflet: Information for the patient

Warning! Keep this leaflet! Information on the immediate packaging in a foreign language.
Concor 5 (Concor 5 mg), 5 mg, film-coated tablets
Bisoprolol fumarate
Concor 5 and Concor 5 mg are different trade names of the same medicinal product.
Please read the following leaflet carefully before using this medicine, as it contains
important information for the patient.

• Keep this leaflet for future reference.
• If you have any doubts, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
• This medicine has been prescribed for a specific individual. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm someone else, even if their symptoms are similar.
• If you experience any adverse reactions, including those not listed in this leaflet, inform your doctor or pharmacist. See section 4.

Table of contents of the leaflet

1. What Concor 5 is and what it is used for
2. Important information before taking Concor 5
3. How to take Concor 5
4. Possible side effects
5. How to store Concor 5
6. Contents of the pack and other information

1. What Concor 5 is and what it is used for

The active substance in Concor 5 is bisoprolol fumarate. Bisoprolol belongs to a group of medicines called beta-blockers. These medicines affect the body's response to certain nerve impulses, particularly in the heart. As a result, bisoprolol slows down heart activity and thereby improves the heart's efficiency in pumping blood throughout the body. Bisoprolol at doses of 5 mg and 10 mg lowers high blood pressure.
Concor 5 is used in the treatment of hypertension or ischemic heart disease (chest pain caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the heart).

2. Important information before using Concor 5

When not to use Concor 5
Do not use Concor 5 in the following cases:

• if the patient is allergic to bisoprolol or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6),
• if the patient has severe asthma,
• if the patient has serious blood circulation disorders in the limbs (such as Raynaud's syndrome), which may cause tingling, paleness or blueness of the fingers or toes,
• if the patient has untreated phaeochromocytoma, a rare tumour of the adrenal gland,
• if the patient has metabolic acidosis, a condition in which the blood pH is abnormal,
• if the patient has acute heart failure,
• if the patient's heart failure worsens and intravenous administration of drugs that increase heart contractility is required,
• if the patient has symptoms of slow heart function,
• if the patient has symptoms of low blood pressure,
• if the patient has certain heart diseases causing very slow or irregular heartbeat (second- or third-degree atrioventricular block, sinoatrial block, sick sinus syndrome) in the absence of a pacemaker,
• if the patient has cardiogenic shock, an acute, life-threatening disorder of heart function leading to low blood pressure and circulatory failure.

Warnings and precautions
If any of the following conditions apply, talk to your doctor before starting treatment with Concor 5; your doctor may decide that special caution is needed (for example, additional medication or more frequent monitoring):

• diabetes;
• strict fasting;
• certain heart diseases (such as heart rhythm disorders or severe chest pain at rest – Prinzmetal's angina);
• mild disorders of blood circulation in the limbs;
• mild bronchial asthma or chronic lung disease;
• presence of scaly skin lesions (psoriasis), even in medical history;
• thyroid dysfunction;
• phaeochromocytoma of the adrenal medulla.

Additionally, inform your doctor if you are planning:

• allergen immunotherapy (e.g. to prevent hay fever), because Concor 5 may increase the likelihood of an allergic reaction or intensify such a reaction;
• surgery under general anaesthesia, because Concor 5 may alter the body's response to anaesthetic drugs.

Children and adolescents
Concor 5 is not recommended for use in children and adolescents.

Concor 5 and other medicines
Tell your doctor about all medicines you are currently taking or have recently taken, as well as any medicines you plan to take.
Do not use the following medicines together with Concor 5 without specific medical advice:

• certain medicines used to treat high blood pressure, coronary artery disease or heart rhythm disorders (calcium antagonists such as verapamil and diltiazem);
• certain medicines used to treat high blood pressure, such as clonidine, methyldopa, moxonidine, rilmenidine. However, do not stop taking these medicines without consulting your doctor.

Before taking any of the following medicines together with Concor 5, talk to your doctor; your doctor may recommend more frequent medical checks:

• certain medicines used to treat high blood pressure or coronary artery disease (dihydropyridine-type calcium antagonists such as felodipine and amlodipine);
• certain medicines used to treat heart rhythm disorders (class I antiarrhythmics such as quinidine, disopyramide, lidocaine, phenytoin, flecainide, propafenone);
• certain medicines used to treat heart rhythm disorders (class III antiarrhythmics such as amiodarone);
• locally applied beta-blockers (such as eye drops used to treat glaucoma);
• certain medicines used to treat, for example, Alzheimer's disease or glaucoma (parasympathomimetics);
• medicines used to treat acute heart disorders (adrenergic agonists such as isoprenaline and dobutamine);
• insulin and oral antidiabetic medicines;
• agents used in general anaesthesia (e.g. during surgery);
• cardiac glycosides used to treat heart failure;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used to treat joint inflammation, relieve pain and inflammation (e.g. ibuprofen and diclofenac);
• adrenaline, a medicine used to treat severe, life-threatening allergic reactions and cardiac arrest;
• any medicines that may lower blood pressure, either as a desired or adverse effect, such as antihypertensives, certain tricyclic antidepressants, certain antiepileptics or barbiturates used during general anaesthesia, and certain medicines used in psychiatric disorders characterised by loss of contact with reality (phenothiazine derivatives);
• mefloquine, used for prevention and treatment of malaria;
• medicines used to treat depression called monoamine oxidase inhibitors (except MAO-B inhibitors);
• rifampicin, an antibiotic used to treat infections;
• ergotamine derivatives, medicines used to treat dementia and migraine headaches.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding
There is a risk that using Concor 5 during pregnancy may harm the unborn child.
If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, think you may be pregnant, or are planning to have a baby, consult your doctor or pharmacist before using this medicine. Your doctor will decide whether Concor 5 can be taken during pregnancy.
It is not known whether bisoprolol passes into human milk; therefore, breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Concor 5.

Driving and operating machinery
This medicine may impair the ability to drive or operate machinery, depending on individual response. Exercise particular caution at the beginning of treatment, after dose increases, or when switching medications, as well as when combining this medicine with alcohol.

3. How to use Concor 5

This medicine should always be used exactly as prescribed by your doctor. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist.
Regular medical check-ups are necessary during treatment with Concor 5. This is particularly important at the beginning of treatment, when increasing the dose, and when stopping treatment.
The tablet should be taken in the morning, with or without food, and swallowed with water. Tablets must not be crushed or chewed.
The medicines Concor 5 (5 mg) and Concor 10 (10 mg) are available on the market.
Adults
For both indications, the usual dose is one tablet of Concor 5 or 1/2 tablet of Concor 10 (equivalent to 5 mg of bisoprolol fumarate) once daily.
If necessary, your doctor may increase the dose to one tablet of Concor 10 mg or two tablets of Concor 5 mg (corresponding to 10 mg of bisoprolol fumarate) once daily.
The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg once daily.
Liver or kidney function impairment
In patients with mild to moderate liver or kidney function impairment, dosage adjustment is usually not required. In patients with severe renal or hepatic impairment, doses greater than 10 mg of bisoprolol per day should not be used. Experience with bisoprolol in patients undergoing dialysis is limited; however, there is no evidence to suggest that dosage adjustment is necessary.
Elderly patients
Dosage adjustment is not required.
Use in children and adolescents
Concor 5 is not recommended for use in children and adolescents.
Duration of treatment
Treatment with Concor 5 is usually long-term.
If treatment needs to be discontinued, your doctor will usually recommend gradually reducing the dose. Otherwise, the condition may worsen.
Taking more than the recommended dose of Concor 5
If you take more Concor 5 than prescribed, contact your doctor immediately. The doctor will decide what actions are necessary.
Symptoms of overdose include: slowed heart rate, breathing difficulties, significant drop in blood pressure, dizziness, or seizures (caused by decreased blood sugar levels).
Missed dose of Concor 5
Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed dose. Take the next dose as scheduled the following morning.
Stopping Concor 5 treatment
Never stop taking Concor 5 unless instructed by your doctor. Otherwise, your condition may worsen.
If you have any further questions about the use of this medicine, consult your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Possible adverse effects

Like all medicines, this medicine can cause adverse effects, although they do not occur in everyone.
Common (occurring in fewer than 1 in 10 patients)

• fatigue*, dizziness*, headache*,
• sensation of coldness or numbness in hands or feet,
• low blood pressure,
• gastrointestinal disturbances such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation.

* These symptoms occur mainly at the beginning of treatment. They are usually mild and resolve within 1–2 weeks.
Uncommon (occurring in fewer than 1 in 100 patients)

• atrioventricular conduction disturbances, worsening of existing heart failure, bradycardia (slow heart rate),
• sleep disorders,
• depression,
• asthenia (weakness),
• bronchospasm (difficulty breathing) in patients with bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
• muscle weakness or muscle cramps.

Rare (occurring in fewer than 1 in 1,000 patients)

• hearing disturbances,
• allergic rhinitis,
• decreased tear production (should be considered if the patient wears contact lenses),
• hepatitis, which may cause yellowing of the skin or eyes,
• changes in results of certain blood tests related to liver function (increased AlAT and AspAT activity) or serum triglyceride levels,
• allergic reactions such as itching, facial flushing, rash. Immediate medical advice should be sought if more severe allergic reactions occur, which may include: swelling of the face, neck, tongue, mouth or throat, or difficulty breathing,
• erectile dysfunction,
• nightmares, hallucinations,
• fainting.

Very rare (occurring in fewer than 1 in 10,000 patients)

• conjunctivitis (eye irritation or redness),
• alopecia (hair loss),
• onset or worsening of scaly skin lesions (psoriasis), psoriasiform eruptions.

Reporting of adverse effects
If any adverse effects occur, including any not listed in this leaflet, inform your doctor or pharmacist. Adverse effects can be reported directly to the Department of Monitoring of Adverse Drug Reactions of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices and Biocidal Products, Al. Jerozolimskie 181C, 02-222 Warsaw, tel.: +48 22 49 21 301, fax: +48 22 49 21 309, website: https://smz.ezdrowie.gov.pl .
Reporting adverse effects helps to provide more information on the safety of the medicine.

5. How to store Concor 5

Keep this medicine out of sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date stated on the packaging. The expiry date refers to the last day of the stated month.
Store below 30°C.
Medicines must not be disposed of via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. This will help protect the environment.

6. Contents of the pack and other information

What Concor 5 contains

• The active substance is bisoprolol fumarate. Each coated tablet contains 5 mg of bisoprolol fumarate.
• Other ingredients are: tablet core: colloidal anhydrous silica, magnesium stearate, crospovidone, microcrystalline cellulose, maize starch, calcium hydrogen phosphate; tablet coating: yellow iron oxide (E 172), dimethicone 100, polyethylene glycol 400, titanium dioxide (E 171), hypromellose.

What Concor 5 looks like and contents of the pack
Concor 5 coated tablets are yellowish-white, heart-shaped, with a division line.
PVC/Al blisters in a cardboard box.
The pack contains 30, 60 or 90 coated tablets.
For more detailed information, please contact the responsible party or parallel importer.
Marketing Authorisation Holder in Latvia, country of export:
Merck Serono SIA
Duntes iela 23A
LV-1005, Riga
Latvia
Manufacturer:
Merck Healthcare KGaA
Frankfurter Strasse 250
64293 Darmstadt, Germany
Merck, S.L.
Polígono Merck
08100 Mollet del Vallès (Barcelona)
Spain
Parallel importer:
InPharm Sp. z o.o.
ul. Strumykowa 28/11
03-138 Warsaw
Repackaged in:
InPharm Sp. z o.o. Services sp. k.
ul. Chełmżyńska 249
04-458 Warsaw
Marketing Authorisation Number in Latvia, country of export: 99-0010
Parallel Import Licence Number: 98/23