Patient leaflet - Akynzeo 300 mg/0.5 mg hard Capules
1. What Akynzeo is and what it is used for
What Akynzeo is
Akynzeo contains two medicines (‘active substances’) called:
- netupitant
- palonosetron.
What Akynzeo is used for
Akynzeo is used to help prevent adults with cancer feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting) while having cancer treatment called ‘chemotherapy’.
How Akynzeo works
Chemotherapy medicines can cause the body to release
substances called serotonin and substance P. This stimulates the vomiting centre in the brain, making you feel or be sick. The medicines in Akynzeo attach to the receptors in the nervous system through which serotonin and substance P work: netupitant (an NK1 receptor antagonist) blocks the receptors for substance P, and palonosetron (a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist) blocks certain receptors for serotonin. By blocking the actions of substance P and serotonin in this way, the medicines help prevent the stimulation of the vomiting centre and the resulting sickness.
2. What you need to know before you take Akynzeo
Do not take Akynzeo if:
- you are allergic to netupitant or palonosetron, or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6). If you are not sure, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking this medicine.
- you are pregnant.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Akynzeo if:
- you have liver problems
- you have a blockage in your gut, or you have had constipation in the past
- you or one of your close relatives has ever had a heart problem called ‘QT interval prolongation’
- you have any other heart problems
- you have been told you have an imbalance of minerals in your blood such as potassium and magnesium that has not been corrected.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure), talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking Akynzeo.
Children and adolescents
Akynzeo should not be taken by children and adolescents under 18 years.
Other medicines and Akynzeo
Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
In particular tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking any of the following medicines:
medicines for depression or anxiety called SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors) - such as fluoxetine,
- paroxetine, sertraline, fluvoxamine, citalopram or escitalopram
- medicines for depression or anxiety called SNRIs (serotonin noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors) - such as venlafaxine or duloxetine.
Also tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are taking any of the following medicines as your doctor may need to change the dose of these other medicines:
- medicines that might cause abnormal heartbeat such as amiodarone, nicardipine, quinidine, moxifloxacin, haloperidol, chlorpromazine, quetiapine, thioridazine or domperidone
- medicines with a narrow therapeutic range that are primarily metabolized by CYP3A4, such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus, sirolimus, everolimus, alfentanil, diergotamine, ergotamine, fentanyl, or quinidine
- some chemotherapy medicines - such as docetaxel or etoposide
- erythromycin - to treat bacterial infections
- midazolam - a sedative used to treat anxiety
- dexamethasone - can be used to treat feeling and being sick
- ketoconazole - to treat Cushing’s syndrome
- rifampicin - to treat tuberculosis (TB) and other infections.
If any of the above apply to you (or you are not sure),
talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before taking
Akynzeo.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor for advice before taking this medicine.
Do not take Akynzeo if you are pregnant or if you are a woman of childbearing potential not using contraception.
Do not breast-feed if you are taking Akynzeo. This is because it is not known whether the medicine passes into breast milk.
Driving and using machines
You may feel dizzy or tired after taking Akynzeo. If this happens, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
Akynzeo contains sucrose, sorbitol, sodium and may contain traces of soya.
If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicine.
This medicine contains 7 mg of sorbitol in each hard capsule.
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium per (23 mg) per hard capsule, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’
It may contain traces of lecithin - which comes from soya. If you are allergic to peanut or soya, see your doctor straight away if you notice any signs of an allergic reaction. The signs may include hives, skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swollen mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat and sometimes a drop in blood pressure.
3. How to take Akynzeo
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you are not sure.
How much to take
- The recommended dose is one capsule (each capsule contains 300 mg of netupitant and 0.5 mg of palonosetron).
- Take the capsule about 1 hour before you start your chemotherapy cycle.
You can take Akynzeo with or without food.
Akynzeo is taken before the chemotherapy to prevent
sickness and feelings of sickness from developing. Do not take Akynzeo in the days after you have chemotherapy - unless you are about to have another chemotherapy cycle.
If you take more Akynzeo than you should
The usual dose is 1 capsule. If you think you may have taken more than you should, tell your doctor straight away. The symptoms of overdose may include headache, dizziness, constipation, anxiety, palpitations, euphoric mood and pain in the legs.
If you forget to take Akynzeo
If you think you have forgotten to take your dose, tell your doctor straight away.
604-0208 L-01-2666-01 If you stop taking Akynzeo
Akynzeo is taken to help prevent you feeling and being sick when you are having chemotherapy. If you do not want to take Akynzeo, discuss this with your doctor.
If you decide not to take Akynzeo (or another similar medicine), your chemotherapy is likely to make you feel sick and be sick.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Serious side effects
Stop taking Akynzeo and tell your doctor straight away
if you notice the following serious side effect - you may
need urgent medical treatment:
Very rare: may affect up to 1 in 10,000 people
- severe allergic reaction signs include hives, skin rash, itching, difficulty breathing or swallowing, swollen mouth, face, lips, tongue or throat and sometimes a drop in blood pressure.
Other side effects
Tell your doctor, pharmacist or nurse if you notice any of the following side effects:
Common: (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
- headache
- constipation
- feeling tired.
Uncommon: (may affect up to 1 in 100 people)
- hair loss
- lack of energy (feeling weak)
- decreased appetite
- high blood pressure
- raised, itchy rash on the skin (hives)
- problems with the muscles in your heart (cardiomyopathy)
- spinning sensation (vertigo), feeling dizzy or trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- stomach problems including stomach discomfort, feeling bloated, nausea, pain, indigestion, hiccups, wind or diarrhoea
- high levels of certain enzymes, including blood alkaline phosphatase and liver transaminases (shown in blood tests)
- high levels of creatinine - which measures kidney function (shown in blood tests)
- ECG (electrocardiogram) problems (called ‘QT and PR interval prolongation’, ‘conduction disorder’, ‘tachycardia’ and ‘atrioventricular block first degree’)
- low levels of ‘neutrophils’ - a kind of white blood cell which fight infections (shown in blood tests)
- high level of white blood cells (shown in blood tests).
Rare: (may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people)
- back pain, joint pain
- feeling hot, reddening of the face or other areas of the skin (feeling flushed)
- itchy skin rash
- feeling drowsy
- sleep problems
- ring in the ear
- vomiting
- low blood pressure
- chest pain (not related to the heart)
- numbness, blurred vision
- sudden nervous breakdown, change in mood
- infection and inflammation in the bladder (cystitis)
- haemorrhoids
- conjunctivitis (a type of eye inflammation)
- low level of potassium (shown in blood tests)
- modifications (or disturbances) in heart rhythm
- heart valve disorder (mitral valve incompetence)
- coating of the tongue, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, belching, abnormal taste after medicine intake
- decreased blood flow to the heart muscle (myocardial ischemia)
- high levels of creatine phosphokinase/creatine phosphokinase MB - which indicates sudden decreased blood flow to the heart muscle (shown in blood tests)
- high levels of troponin - which indicates heart muscle dysfunction (shown in blood tests)
- high levels of the pigment bilirubin - which indicates liver dysfunction (shown in blood tests)
- high levels of myoglobin – which indicates muscle injury (shown in blood tests)
high levels of blood urea – which indicates kidney dysfunction (shown in blood tests)
- high level of ‘lymphocytes’– type of white blood cell which help the body fight disease (shown in blood tests)
- low level of white blood cells (shown in blood tests)
- ECG (electrocardiogram) problems (called ‘ST segment
depression’, ‘ST-T segment abnormal’ ‘bundle branch block
right/left’, and ‘atrioventricular block second degree’)
Reporting of side effects
If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly 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.
By reporting side effects, you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
5. How to store Akynzeo
- Keep out of the sight and reach of children.
- Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after ‘EXP’. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
- This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
If your medicine shows any signs of deterioration or discolouration, consult your pharmacist for advice.
If damaged, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
- Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. Contents of the pack and other information
What Akynzeo contains
- The active substances are palonosetron and netupitant. Each hard capsule contains three tablets (300 mg of netupitant), and one soft capsule (palonosetron hydrochloride equivalent to 0.5 milligrams of palonosetron).
- The other ingredients are microcrystalline cellulose (E460), sucrose lauric acid esters, povidone K-30, croscarmellose sodium, colloidal hydrated silica, sodium stearyl fumarate, magnesium stearate, glycerol monocaprylocaproate (type I), glycerol, polyglyceryl oleate, purified water, butylhydroxyanisole (E320), gelatin, sorbitol (E420), 1,4 sorbitan, titanium dioxide (E171), shellac glaze (partially esterified), yellow, red and black iron oxide (E172), propylene glycol (E1520).
This medicine contains sucrose, sorbitol (E420), sodium and may contain soya - see section 2 for more information.
What Akynzeo looks like and contents of the pack
The hard capsule is opaque with a white body and a caramel-coloured cap with ‘HE1’ printed on the body.
Pack size containing 1 capsule in an aluminium blister.
Akynzeo is a registered trademark.
Manufactured by: Helsinn Birex Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Damastown, Mulhuddart, Dublin 15, Ireland. Procured from within the EU. Product Licence Holder: Quadrant Pharmaceuticals Limited, Lynstock House, Lynstock Way, Lostock, Bolton, BL6 4SA. Repackaged by: Maxearn Limited, Unit 29, Oakhill Trading Estate, Devonshire Road, Worsley, Manchester, M28 3PT.
PL 20774/2666 – Akynzeo 300 mg/0.5 mg Hard Capsules
This leaflet was revised on: 25th February 2025
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Contact Quadrant Pharmaceuticals Ltd, Tel: 01204 471 269
For any information about this medicine, please contact the Product Licence Holder: Quadrant Pharmaceuticals Limited on 01204 471 269.
604-0208 L-01-2666-01
POM