ARICEPT Film-coated tablet Ref.[7231] Active ingredients: Donepezil

The use of ARICEPT in patients with severe Alzheimer’s dementia, other types of dementia or other types of memory impairment (e.g. age-related cognitive decline), has not been investigated.

Anaesthesia

ARICEPT as a cholinesterase inhibitor, is likely to exaggerate succinylcholine-type muscle relaxation during anaesthesia.

Cardiovascular Conditions

Because of their pharmacological action, cholinesterase inhibitors may have vagotonic effects on heart rate (e.g. bradycardia). The potential for this action may be particularly important to patients with “sick sinus syndrome” or other supraventricular cardiac conduction conditions, such as sinoatrial or atrioventricular block.

There have been reports of syncope and seizures. In investigating such patients the possibility of heart block or long sinusal pauses should be considered.

Gastrointestinal Conditions

Patients at increased risk for developing ulcers, e.g. those with a history of ulcer disease or those receiving concurrent nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), should be monitored for symptoms. However, the clinical studies with ARICEPT showed no increase, relative to placebo, in the incidence of either peptic ulcer disease or gastrointestinal bleeding.

Genitourinary

Although not observed in clinical trials of ARICEPT, cholinomimetics may cause bladder outflow obstruction.

Neurological Conditions

Seizures

Cholinomimetics are believed to have some potential to cause generalised convulsions. However, seizure activity may also be a manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease.

Cholinomimetics may have the potential to exacerbate or induce extrapyramidal symptoms.

Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)

NMS, a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by hyperthermia, muscle rigidity, autonomic instability, altered consciousness and elevated serum creatine phosphokinase levels, has been reported to occur very rarely in association with donepezil, particularly in patients also receiving concomitant antipsychotics. Additional signs may include myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis) and acute renal failure. If a patient develops signs and symptoms indicative of NMS, or presents with unexplained high fever without additional clinical manifestations of NMS, treatment should be discontinued.

Pulmonary Conditions

Because of their cholinomimetic actions, cholinesterase inhibitors should be prescribed with care to patients with a history of asthma or obstructive pulmonary disease.

The administration of ARICEPT concomitantly with other inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase, agonists or antagonists of the cholinergic system should be avoided.

Severe Hepatic Impairment

There are no data for patients with severe hepatic impairment.

Mortality in Vascular Dementia Clinical Trials

Three clinical trials of 6 months duration were conducted studying individuals meeting the NINDS-AIREN criteria for probable or possible vascular dementia (VaD). The NINDS-AIREN criteria are designed to identify patients whose dementia appears to be due solely to vascular causes and to exclude patients with Alzheimer’s disease. In the first study, the mortality rates were 2/198 (1.0%) on donepezil hydrochloride 5 mg, 5/206 (2.4%) on donepezil hydrochloride 10 mg and 7/199 (3.5%) on placebo. In the second study, the mortality rates were 4/208 (1.9%) on donepezil hydrochloride 5 mg, 3/215 (1.4%) on donepezil hydrochloride 10 mg and 1/193 (0.5%) on placebo. In the third study, the mortality rates were 11/648 (1.7%) on donepezil hydrochloride 5 mg and 0/326 (0%) on placebo. The mortality rate for the three VaD studies combined in the donepezil hydrochloride group (1.7%) was numerically higher than in the placebo group (1.1%), however, this difference was not statistically significant. The majority of deaths in patients taking either donepezil hydrochloride or placebo appear to result from various vascular related causes, which could be expected in this elderly population with underlying vascular disease. An analysis of all serious non-fatal and fatal vascular events showed no difference in the rate of occurrence in the donepezil hydrochloride group relative to placebo.

In pooled Alzheimer’s disease studies (n=4146), and when these Alzheimer’s disease studies were pooled with other dementia studies including the vascular dementia studies (total n=6888), the mortality rate in the placebo groups numerically exceeded that in the donepezil hydrochloride groups.

Excipients

This medicinal product contains lactose. Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.

Donepezil hydrochloride and/or any of its metabolites do not inhibit the metabolism of theophylline, warfarin, cimetidine or digoxin in humans. The metabolism of donepezil hydrochloride is not affected by concurrent administration of digoxin or cimetidine. In vitro studies have shown that the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes 3A4 and to a minor extent 2D6 are involved in the metabolism of donepezil. Drug interaction studies performed in vitro show that ketoconazole and quinidine, inhibitors of CYP3A4 and 2D6 respectively, inhibit donepezil metabolism. Therefore these and other CYP3A4 inhibitors, such as itraconazole and erythromycin, and CYP2D6 inhibitors, such as fluoxetine could inhibit the metabolism of donepezil. In a study in healthy volunteers, ketoconazole increased mean donepezil concentrations by about 30%.

Enzyme inducers, such as rifampicin, phenytoin, carbamazepine and alcohol may reduce the levels of donepezil. Since the magnitude of an inhibiting or inducing effect is unknown, such drug combinations should be used with care. Donepezil hydrochloride has the potential to interfere with medications having anticholinergic activity. There is also the potential for synergistic activity with concomitant treatment involving medications such as succinylcholine, other neuro-muscular blocking agents or cholinergic agonists or beta blocking agents that have effects on cardiac conduction.

Pregnancy

There are no adequate data from the use of donepezil in pregnant women.

Studies in animals have not shown teratogenic effect but have shown pre and post natal toxicity (see section 5.3 preclinical safety data). The potential risk for humans is unknown.

ARICEPT should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary.

Breastfeeding

Donepezil is excreted in the milk of rats. It is not known whether donepezil hydrochloride is excreted in human breast milk and there are no studies in lactating women. Therefore, women on donepezil should not breast feed.

Donepezil has minor or moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines.

Dementia may cause impairment of driving performance or compromise the ability to use machinery. Furthermore, donepezil can induce fatigue, dizziness and muscle cramps, mainly when initiating or increasing the dose. The treating physician should routinely evaluate the ability of patients on donepezil to continue driving or operating complex machines.

The most common adverse events are diarrhoea, muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and insomnia.

Adverse reactions reported as more than an isolated case are listed below, by system organ class and by frequency. Frequencies are defined as: very common (≥1/10) common (≥1/100 to <1/10), uncommon (≥1/1,000 to 1/100), rare (≥1/10,000 to 1/1,000); very rare (<1/10,000) and not known (cannot be estimated from available data).

Infections and infestations

Common: Common cold

Metabolism and nutrition disorders

Common: Anorexia

Psychiatric disorders

Common: Hallucinations**, Agitation**, Aggressive behaviour**, Abnormal dreams and Nightmares**

Nervous system disorders

Common: Syncope*, Dizziness, Insomnia

Uncommon: Seizure*

Rare: Extrapyramidal symptoms

Very Rare: Neuroleptic malignant syndrome

Cardiac disorders

Uncommon: Bradycardia

Rare: Sino-atrial block, Atrioventricular block

Gastrointestinal disorders

Very Common: Diarrhoea, Nausea

Common: Vomiting, Abdominal disturbance

Uncommon: Gastrointestinal haemorrhage, Gastric and duodenal ulcers, Salivary hypersecretion

Hepato-biliary disorders

Rare: Liver dysfunction including hepatitis***

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders

Common: Rash, Pruritis

Musculoskeletal, connective tissue and bone disorders

Common: Muscle cramps

Very Rare: Rhabdomyolysis****

Renal and urinary disorders

Common: Urinary incontinence

General disorders and administration site conditions

Very Common: Headache

Common: Fatigue, Pain

Investigations

Uncommon: Minor increase in serum concentration of muscle creatine kinase

Injury and poisoning

Common: Accident

* In investigating patients for syncope or seizure the possibility of heart block or long sinusal pauses should be considered (see section 4.4).
** Reports of hallucinations, abnormal dreams, nightmares, agitation and aggressive behaviour have resolved on dose-reduction or discontinuation of treatment.
*** In cases of unexplained liver dysfunction, withdrawal of ARICEPT should be considered.
**** Rhabdomyolysis has been reported to occur independently of Neuroleptic Malignant syndrome and in close temporal association with donepezil initiation or dose increase.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.

Not applicable.