PANTOPRAZOLE 40mg Gastro-resistant tablets Ref.[7779] Active ingredients: Pantoprazole

Hepatic impairment

In patients with severe liver impairment, the liver enzymes should be monitored regularly during treatment with pantoprazole, particularly on long-term use. In the case of a rise of the liver enzymes, the treatment should be discontinued (see section 4.2).

Combination therapy

In the case of combination therapy, the summaries of product characteristics of the respective medicinal products should be observed.

Gastric malignancy

Symptomatic response to pantoprazole may mask the symptoms of gastric malignancy and may delay diagnosis. In the presence of any alarm symptom (e.g. significant unintentional weight loss, recurrent vomiting, dysphagia, haematemesis, anaemia or melaena) and when gastric ulcer is suspected or present, malignancy should be excluded.

Further investigation is to be considered if symptoms persist despite adequate treatment.

Co-administration with HIV protease inhibitors

Co-administration of pantoprazole is not recommended with HIV protease inhibitors for which absorption is dependent on acidic intragastric pH such as atazanavir, due to significant reduction in their bioavailability (see section 4.5).

Influence on vitamin B₁₂ absorption

In patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome and other pathological hyper secretory conditions requiring long-term treatment, pantoprazole, as all acid-blocking medicines, may reduce the absorption of vitamin B₁₂ (cyanocobalamin) due to hypo- or achlorhydria. This should be considered in patients with reduced body stores or risk factors for reduced vitamin B₁₂ absorption on long-term therapy or if respective clinical symptoms are observed.

Long term treatment

In long-term treatment, especially when exceeding a treatment period of 1 year, patients should be kept under regular surveillance.

Gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria

Treatment with Pantoprazole may lead to a slightly increased risk of gastrointestinal infections caused by bacteria such as Salmonella and Campylobacter or C. difficile.

Hypomagnesaemia

Severe hypomagnesaemia has been reported in patients treated with PPIs like pantoprazole for at least three months, and in most cases for a year. Serious manifestations of hypomagnesaemia such as fatigue, tetany, delirium, convulsions, dizziness and ventricular arrhythmia can occur but they may begin insidiously and be overlooked. In most affected patients, hypomagnesaemia improved after magnesium replacement and discontinuation of the PPI.

For patients expected to be on prolonged treatment or who take PPIs with digoxin or medicinal products that may cause hypomagnesaemia (e.g. diuretics), health care professionals should consider measuring magnesium levels before starting PPI treatment and periodically during treatment.

Bone fractures

Proton pump inhibitors, especially if used in high doses and over long durations (>1 year), may modestly increase the risk of hip, wrist and spine fracture, predominantly in older people or in the presence of other recognised risk factors. Observational studies suggest that proton pump inhibitors may increase the overall risk of fracture by 10–40%. Some of this increase may be due to other risk factors. Patients at risk of osteoporosis should receive care according to current clinical guidelines and they should have an adequate intake of vitamin D and calcium.

Sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE)

Proton pump inhibitors are associated with very infrequent cases of SCLE. If lesions occur, especially in sun exposed areas of the skin, and if accompanied by arthralgia, the patient should seek medical help promptly and the healthcare professional should consider stopping Pantoprazole. SCLE after previous treatment with a proton pump inhibitor may increase the risk of SCLE with other proton pump inhibitors.

Interference with Laboratory Tests

Increased Chromogranin A (CgA) level may interfere with investigations for neuroendocrine tumours. To avoid this interference, Pantoprazole treatment should be stopped for at least 5 days before CgA measurements (see section 5.1). If CgA and gastrin levels have not returned to reference range after initial measurement, measurements should be repeated 14 days after cessation of proton pump inhibitor treatment.

Medicinal products with pH-Dependent Absorption Pharmacokinetics

Because of profound and long lasting inhibition of gastric acid secretion, pantoprazole may interfere with the absorption of other medicinal products where gastric pH is an important determinant of oral availability, e.g. some azole antifungals such as ketoconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole and other medicine such as erlotinib.

HIV protease inhibitors

Co-administration of pantoprazole is not recommended with HIV protease inhibitors for which absorption is dependent on acidic intragastric pH such as atazanavir due to significant reduction in their bioavailability (see section 4.4).

If the combination of HIV protease inhibitors with a proton pump inhibitor is judged unavoidable, close clinical monitoring (e.g. virus load) is recommended. A pantoprazole dose of 20 mg per day should not be exceeded. Dosage of the HIV protease inhibitors may need to be adjusted.

Coumarin anticoagulants (phenprocoumon or warfarin)

Co-administration of pantoprazole with warfarin or phenprocoumon did not affect the pharmacokinetics of warfarin, phenprocoumon or INR. However, there have been reports of increased INR and prothrombin time in patients receiving PPIs and warfarin or phenprocoumon concomitantly. Increases in INR and prothrombin time may lead to abnormal bleeding, and even death. Patients treated with pantoprazole and warfarin or phenprocoumon may need to be monitored for increase in INR and prothrombin time.

Methotrexate

Concomitant use of high dose methotrexate (e.g. 300 mg) and proton-pump inhibitors has been reported to increase methotrexate levels in some patients. Therefore in settings where high-dose methotrexate is used, for example cancer and psoriasis, a temporary withdrawal of pantoprazole may need to be considered.

Other interactions studies

Pantoprazole is extensively metabolized in the liver via the cytochrome P450 enzyme system. The main metabolic pathway is demethylation by CYP2C19 and other metabolic pathways include oxidation by CYP3A4.

Interaction studies with medicinal products also metabolized with these pathways, like carbamazepine, diazepam, glibenclamide, nifedipine, and an oral contraceptive containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl oestradiol, did not reveal clinically significant interactions.

An interaction of pantoprazole with other medicinal products or compounds, which are metabolized using the same enzyme system, cannot be excluded.

Results from a range of interaction studies demonstrate that pantoprazole does not affect the metabolism of active substances metabolised by CYP1A2 (such as caffeine, theophylline), CYP2C9 (such as piroxicam, diclofenac, naproxen), CYP2D6 (such as metoprolol), CYP2E1 (such as ethanol), or does not interfere with p-glycoprotein related absorption of digoxin.

There were no interactions with concomitantly administered antacids.

Interaction studies have also been performed by concomitantly administering pantoprazole with the respective antibiotics (clarithromycin, metronidazole, amoxicillin). No clinically relevant interactions were found.

Medicinal products that inhibit or induce CYP2C19

Inhibitors of CYP2C19 such as fluvoxamine could increase the systemic exposure of pantoprazole. A dose reduction may be considered for patients treated long-term with high doses of pantoprazole, or those with hepatic impairment.

Enzyme inducers affecting CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 such as rifampicin and St John´s wort (Hypericum perforatum) may reduce the plasma concentrations of PPIs that are metabolized through these enzyme systems.

Pregnancy

A moderate amount of data on pregnant women (between 300-1000 pregnancy outcomes) indicate no malformative or feto/ neonatal toxicity of Pantoprazole.

Animal studies have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3).

As a precautionary measure, it is preferable to avoid the use of Pantoprazole during pregnancy.

Breast-feeding

Animal studies have shown excretion of pantoprazole in breast milk. There is insufficient information on the excretion of pantoprazole in human milk but excretion into human milk has been reported. A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded. Therefore, a decision on whether to discontinue breast-feeding or to discontinue/abstain from Pantoprazole therapy taking into account the benefit of breast-feeding for the child, and the benefit of Pantoprazole therapy for the woman.

Fertility

There was no evidence of impaired fertility following the administration of pantoprazole in animal studies (see section 5.3).

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

Adverse drug reactions, such as dizziness and visual disturbances may occur (see section 4.8). If affected, patients should not drive or operate machines.

Approximately 5% of patients can be expected to experience adverse drug reactions (ADRs). The most commonly reported ADRs are diarrhoea and headache, both occurring in approximately 1% of patients.

The table below lists adverse reactions reported with pantoprazole, ranked under the following frequency classification: 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), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).

For all adverse reactions reported from post-marketing experience, it is not possible to apply any Adverse Reaction frequency and therefore they are mentioned with a “not known” frequency.

Within each frequency grouping, adverse reactions are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.

Table 1. Adverse reactions with pantoprazole in clinical trials and post-marketing experience:

Blood and lymphatic system disorders

Rare: Agranulocytosis

Very rare: Thrombocytopenia; Leukopenia; Pancytopenia

Immune system disorders

Rare: Hypersensitivity (including anaphylactic reactions and anaphylactic shock)

Metabolism and nutrition disorders

Rare: Hyperlipidaemias and lipid increases (triglycerides, cholesterol); Weight changes

Not known: Hyponatraemia; Hypomagnesaemia (see section 4.4); Hypocalcaemia¹; Hypokalaemia

Psychiatric disorders

Uncommon: Sleep disorders

Rare: Depression (and all aggravations)

Very rare: Disorientation (and all aggravations)

Not known: Hallucination; Confusion (especially in pre-disposed patients, as well as the aggravation of these symptoms in case of pre-existence)

Nervous system disorders

Uncommon: Headache; Dizziness

Rare: Taste disorders

Not known: Paraesthesia

Eye disorders

Rare: Disturbances in vision/blurred vision

Gastrointestinal disorders

Common: Fundic gland polyps (benign)

Uncommon: Diarrhoea; Nausea/vomiting; Abdominal distension and bloating; Constipation; Dry mouth; Abdominal pain and discomfort

Not known: Microscopic colitis

Hepatobiliary disorders

Uncommon: Liver enzymes increased (transaminases, γ-GT)

Rare: Bilirubin increased

Hepatocellular injury; Jaundice; Hepatocellular failure

Skin and sub-cutaneous tissue disorders

Uncommon: Rash/exanthema/eruption; Pruritus

Rare: Urticaria; Angioedema

Not known: Stevens-Johnson syndrome; Lyell syndrome; Erythema multiforme; Photosensitivity; Sub-acute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (see section 4.4)

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders

Uncommon: Fracture of the hip, wrist or spine (see section 4.4)

Rare: Arthralgia; Myalgia

Not known: Muscle spasm²

Renal and urinary disorders

Not known: Interstitial nephritis (with possible progression to renal failure)

Reproductive system and breast disorders

Rare: Gynaecomastia

General disorders and administration site conditions

Uncommon: Asthenia, fatigue and malaise

Rare: Body temperature increased; Oedema peripheral

¹ Hypocalcemia in association with hypomagnesemia
² Muscle spasm as a consequence of electrolyte disturbance

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 medical product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

Not applicable.