Document: Lacrofarm powder for oral solution, sachet ENG SmPC change

• Lacrofarm powder for oral solution, sachet SmPC
• Lacrofarm powder for oral solution, sachet ENG SmPC

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SUMMARY OF PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

1 NAME OF THE MEDICINAL PRODUCT

Lacrofarm, powder for oral solution, sachet

2 QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION

Each sachet contains the following active ingredients:

Macrogol 3350 13.125 g

Sodium chloride 350.7 mg

Sodium hydrogen carbonate 178.5 mg

Potassium chloride 46.6 mg

The content of electrolyte ions per sachet when made up to 125 ml of solution is as follows:

Sodium 65 mmol/l

Chloride 53 mmol/l

Hydrogen carbonate 17 mmol/l

Potassium 5.4 mmol/l

For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

3 PHARMACEUTICAL FORM

Powder for oral solution.

A white powder.

4 CLINICAL PARTICULARS

4.1 Therapeutic Indications

Chronic constipation

Adults, adolescents and the elderly: 1 –3 sachets daily in divided doses. Normal dose for most patients is 1-2 sachets per day. Depending on the individual response 3 sachets per day might be needed.

A course of treatment for constipation does not normally exceed 2 weeks, although this can be repeated if required.

For extended use, the lowest effective dose should be used.

Children below 12 years old: Not recommended. Alternative products are available for children.

Patients with renal insufficiency: No dosage change is necessary for the treatment of chronic constipation.

Faecal impaction

A course of treatment for faecal impaction does not normally exceed 3 days.

Adults, adolescents and the elderly: 8 sachets daily, all of which should be consumed within a 6 hour period.

Children below 12 years old: Not recommended. Alternative products are available for children.

Patients with impaired cardiovascular function: For the treatment of faecal impaction the dose should be divided so that no more than 2 sachets are taken in any one hour.

Patients with renal insufficiency: No dosage change is necessary for the treatment of faecal impaction.

Method of administration

Each sachet should be dissolved in 125 ml water. For use in faecal impaction 8 sachets may be dissolved in 1 litre of water.

4.3 Contraindications

Intestinal perforation or obstruction due to structural or functional disorder of the gut wall, ileus, severe inflammatory conditions of the intestinal tract, such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis and toxic megacolon.

Hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.

4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use

Diagnosis of impaction/faecal loading of the rectum should be confirmed by physical or radiological examination of the abdomen and rectum.

The cause of constipation should be investigated if daily use of laxatives is necessary. Patients using this preparation should seek medical advice if there is no improvement after two weeks.

Long term use can be necessary in serious chronical or refractory constipation due to i.e. multiple sclerosis (MS) or Parkinson’s disease, or constipation induced by drugs, especially opioides or antimuscarine products.

If patients develop any symptoms indicating shifts of fluids/electrolytes (e.g. oedema, shortness of breath, increasing fatigue, dehydration, cardiac failure) treatment should be stopped immediately and electrolytes measured and any abnormality should be treated appropriately.

The absorption of other medicinal products could transiently be reduced due to an increase in gastro-intestinal transit rate induced by this medicinal product (see section 4.5).

There is no clinical data on the use of <Invented name> in children, therefore it is not recommended.

This medicinal product contains 8.125 mmol (or 187 mg) sodium per sachet. To be taken into consideration by patients on a controlled sodium diet.

Macrogol raises the solubility of medicinal products that are soluble in alcohol and relatively insoluble in water.

There is a possibility that the absorption of other medicinal products could be transiently reduced during use with this medicinal product (see section 4.4)..

4.6 Fertility, pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

There are limited amount of data from the use of macrogol 3350 in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown indirect reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3). Clinically, no effects during pregnancy are anticipated, since systemic exposure to macrogol 3350 is negligible.

Lacrofarm can be used during pregnancy.

Breastfeeding

No effects on the breastfed newborn/infant are anticipated since the systemic exposure of the breast-feeding woman to Macrogol 3350 is negligible.

Lacrofarm can be used during breast-feeding.

Fertility

There are no data on the effects of macrogol 3350 on fertility in humans. There were no effects on fertility in studies in male and female rats (see section 5.3).

4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines

Lacrofarm has no influence on the ability to drive and use machines.

4.8 Undesirable effects

The frequency of the adverse reactions listed below is defined using the following convention: 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); and very rare (<1/10,000); not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).

Reactions related to the gastrointestinal tract are the most common to occur.

These reactions may occur as a consequence of expansion of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract, and an increase in motility due to the pharmacological effects of the product. Mild diarrhoea usually responds to dose reduction.

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 national reporting system listed in [To be completed nationally].

4.9 Overdose

Severe pain or distension can be treated by nasogastric aspiration. Extensive fluid loss by diarrhoea or vomiting may require correction of electrolyte disturbances.

5. PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties

Pharmacotherapeutic group: Osmotically acting laxatives.

ATC code: A06A D65

Macrogol 3350 acts by virtue of its osmotic action in the gut, which induces a laxative effect. Macrogol 3350 increases the stool volume, which triggers colon motility via neuromuscular pathways. The physiological consequence is an improved propulsive colonic transportation of the softened stools and a facilitation of the defaecation. Electrolytes combined with macrogol 3350 are exchanged across the intestinal barrier (mucosa) with serum electrolytes and excreted in faecal water without net gain or loss of sodium, potassium and water.

For the indication of faecal impaction controlled comparative studies have not been performed with other treatments (e.g. enemas). In a non-comparative study in 27 adult patients, macrogol with electrolytes cleared the faecal impaction in 12/27 (44%) after 1 day's treatment; 23/27 (85%) after 2 days' treatment and 24/27 (89%) at the end of 3 days.

Clinical studies in the use of macrogol with electrolytes in chronic constipation have shown that the dose needed to produce normal formed stools tends to reduce over time. Many patients respond to between 1 and 2 sachets a day, but this dose should be adjusted depending on individual response.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties

Macrogol 3350 is unchanged along the gut. It is virtually unabsorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract. Any macrogol 3350 that is absorbed is excreted via the urine.

5.3 Preclinical safety data

Preclinical studies provide evidence that macrogol 3350 has no significant systemic toxicity potential, based on conventional studies of pharmacology, repeated dose toxicity and genotoxicity.

There were no direct embryotoxic or teratogenic effects in rats even at maternally toxic levels that are a multiple of 66 x the maximum recommended dose in humans for chronic constipation and 25 x for faecal impaction. Indirect embryofetal effects, including reduction in fetal and placental weights, reduced fetal viability, increased limb and paw hyperflexion and abortions, were noted in the rabbit at a maternally toxic dose that was 3.3 x the maximum recommended dose in humans for treatment of chronic constipation and 1.3 x for faecal impaction. Rabbits are a sensitive animal test species to the effects of GI-acting substances and the studies were conducted under exaggerated conditions with high dose volumes administered, which are not clinically relevant. The findings may have been a consequence of an indirect effect of macrogol 3350 related to poor maternal condition as the result of an exaggerated pharmacodynamic response in the rabbit. There was no indication of a teratogenic effect.

There are long-term animal toxicity and carcinogenicity studies involving macrogol 3350. Results from these and other toxicity studies using high levels of orally administered high molecular weight macrogols provide evidence of safety at the recommended therapeutic dose.

6. PHARMACEUTICAL PARTICULARS

Acesulfame potassium (E950)

Lemon Flavour (contains acacia gum (E414) and flavouring)

6.2 Incompatibilities

Not applicable.

6.3 Shelf life

3 years.

Reconstituted solution: 24 hours.

Store in a refrigerator (2°C - 8°C).

6.4 Special precautions for storage

This medicinal product does not require any special storage conditions.

Reconstituted product: See section 6.3.

6.5 Nature and contents of container

Sachet: laminate consisting of four layers (inner to outer): low density polyethylene, aluminium, low density polyethylene and paper.

Pack sizes: Boxes of 2, 6, 8, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 or 100 sachets

Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

6.6 Instruction for use and special precautions for disposal

Any unused solution should be discarded within 24 hours.

7. MarketingAUTHORISATION HOLDER

<To be completed nationally>

8. MARKETING AUTHORISATION NUMBER(S)

<To be completed nationally>

9. DATE OF FIRST AUTHORISATION/RENEWAL OF THE AUTHORISATION

<To be completed nationally>

10. DATE OF REVISION OF TEXT

2015-10-02