INVITA D3 50 000 IU SOFT CAPSULES - summary of medicine characteristics

1 NAME OF THE MEDICINAL PRODUCT

InVita D3 50,000 IU soft capsules

2 QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE COMPOSITION

Each capsule contains 50,000 IU colecalciferol (equivalent to 1.25 mg vitamin D3)

Excipients with known effect:

Each capsule contains 0.082 mg Allura Red AC (E129).

For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

3 PHARMACEUTICAL FORM

Soft capsule

Red, oval-shaped, soft capsule. It contains a slightly yellow oily liquid. Each capsule has “50” printed in white ink. Capsule dimensions are 12.5mm x 8.5mm.

4.1

4.2

The treatment of vitamin D3 deficiency.

Posology

1 capsule contains 50,000 IU vitamin D3.

■ Paediatric posology

– Due to lack of clinical data, InVita D3 is not recommended.

■ Pregnancy and breastfeeding

– Due to lack of clinical data, InVita D3 is not recommended.

■ Adults

– Higher doses may be required in certain situations, see below.

– Treatment of vitamin D3 deficiency (<25 nmol/l) 50,000 IU/week (1 capsule) for 6–8 weeks, followed by maintenance therapy (1400–2000 IU/day may be required, such as 1 capsule per month; follow up 25(OH)D measurements should be made approximately three to four months after initiating maintenance therapy to confirm that the target level has been achieved.)

■ Certain populations are at high risk of Vitamin D3 deficiency, and may require higher doses and monitoring of serum 25(OH)D:

– Institutionalised or hospitalised individuals

– Dark skinned individuals

– Individuals with limited effective sun exposure due to protective clothing or consistent use of sun screens

– Obese individuals

– Patients being evaluated for osteoporosis

– Use of certain concomitant medications (eg, anticonvulsant medications, glucocorticoids)

– Patients with malabsorption, including inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease

– Those recently treated for Vitamin D3 deficiency, and requiring maintenance therapy.

Special populations

Renal impairment

InVita D3 should not be used in combination with calcium in patients with severe renal impairment.

Hepatic impairment

No posology adjustment is required in patients with hepatic impairment.

Method of administration

Oral – The capsules should be swallowed whole with water.

Patients should be advised to take InVita D3 preferably with a meal (see section 5.2 Pharmacokinetic properties – “Absorption”).

4.3 Contraindications

Hypersensitivity to the active substance(s) or to any of the excipients.

Hypercalcaemia and/or hypercalciuria.

Nephrolithiasis and/or nephrocalcinosis

Serious renal impairment

Hypervitaminosis D

Pseudohypoparat­hyroidismas the vitamin D requirement may be reduced due to phases of normal vitamin D sensitivity, involving the risk of prolonged overdose. Better-regulatable vitamin D derivatives are available for this.

Pregnancy

Children and adolescents (under 18 years of age)

4.4 Special warnings and precautions for use

Vitamin D3 should be used with caution in patients with impairment of renal function and the effect on calcium and phosphate levels should be monitored. The risk of soft tissue calcification should be taken into account.

Caution is required in patients receiving treatment for cardiovascular disease (see section 4.5 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction -cardiac glycosides including digitalis).

InVita D3 should be prescribed with caution in patients with sarcoidosis, due to a possible increase in the metabolism of Vitamin D3 in its active form. In these patients the serum and urinary calcium levels should be monitored.

Allowances should be made for the total dose of Vitamin D3 in cases associated with treatments already containing Vitamin D3, foods enriched with Vitamin D3, cases using milk enriched with Vitamin D3, and the patient’s level of sun exposure.

There is no clear evidence for causation between Vitamin D3 supplementation and renal stones, but the risk is plausible, especially in the context of concomitant calcium supplementation. The need for additional calcium supplementation should be considered for individual patients. Calcium supplements should be given under close medical supervision.

Oral administration of high-dose Vitamin D3 (500,000 IU by single annual bolus) was reported to result in an increased risk of fractures in elderly subjects, with the greatest increase occurring during the first 3 months after dosing.

4.5 Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

Concomitant use of anticonvulsants (such as phenytoin) or barbiturates (and possibly other drugs that induce hepatic enzymes) may reduce the effect of Vitamin D3 by metabolic inactivation.

In cases of treatment with thiazide diuretics, which decrease urinary elimination of calcium, monitoring of serum calcium concentration is recommended.

Concomitant use of glucocorticoids can decrease the effect of Vitamin D3.

In cases of treatment with drugs containing digitalis and other cardiac glycosides, the administration of Vitamin D3 may increase the risk of digitalis toxicity (arrhythmia).

Strict medical supervision is needed, together with serum calcium concentration and electrocardio­graphic monitoring if necessary.

Simultaneous treatment with ion exchange resin such as cholestyramine, colestipol hydrochloride, orlistat or laxative such as paraffin oil may reduce the gastrointestinal absorption of Vitamin D3,.

The cytotoxic agent actinomycin and imidazole antifungal agents interfere with Vitamin D3 activity by inhibiting the conversion of 25-hydroxyVitamin D3 to 1,25-dihydroxyVitamin D3 by the kidney enzyme, 25-hydroxyVitamin D3–1-hydroxylase.

4.6 Fertility, pregnancy and lactation

In pregnancy and lactation the high strength formulation is not recommended and a low strength formulation should be used.

Pregnancy

There are no or limited amount of data from the use of colecalciferol in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3 Preclinical safety data). The recommended daily intake for pregnant women is 400 IU, however, in women who are considered to be Vitamin D3 deficient a higher dose may be required (up to 2000 IU/day- 10 drops with the oral drops presentation).

During pregnancy women should follow the advice of their medical practitioner as their requirements may vary depending on the severity of their disease and their response to treatment Vitamin D3 and its metabolites are excreted in breast milk.

Breast-feeding

Vitamin D3 can be prescribed while the patient is breast-feeding if necessary. This supplementation does not replace the administration of Vitamin D3 in the neonate

Fertility

There is no data regarding treatment with vitaminD3 and its effects on fertility.

4.7 Effects on ability to drive and use machines

There are no data on the effects of InVita D3 on the ability to drive. However, an effect on this ability is unlikely.

4.8 Undesirable effects

Adverse reactions are listed below, by system organ class and frequency. Frequencies are defined as: uncommon (>1/1,000, <1/100) or rare (>1/10,000, <1/1,000).

Metabolism and nutrition disorders

Uncommon: Hypercalcaemia and hypercalciuria

Skin and subcutaneous disorders:

Rare: pruritus, rash, and urticaria.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorization 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 Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

4.9 Overdose

5   PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

5.1 Pharmacodynamic properties

Pharmacotherapeutic group: Vitamin D and analogues, colecalciferol ATC Code: A11CC05

In its biologically active form Vitamin D3 stimulates intestinal calcium absorption , incorporation of calcium into the osteoid, and release of calcium from bone tissue. In the small intestine it promotes rapid and delayed calcium uptake. The passive and active transport of phosphate is also stimulated. In the kidney, it inhibits the excretion of calcium and phosphate by promoting tubular resorption. The production of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the parathyroids is inhibited directly by the biologically active form of vitamin D3. PTH secretion is inhibited additionally by the increased calcium uptake in the small intestine under the influence of biologically active Vitamin D3.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic properties

The pharmacokinetics of Vitamin D3 is well known.

Absorption

Vitamin D3 is well absorbed from the gastro-intestinal tract in the presence of bile, so the administration with the major meal of the day might therefore facilitate the absorption of Vitamin D3.

Distribution and biotransformation

It is hydroxylated in the liver to form 25-hydroxy-cholecalciferol and then undergoes further hydroxylation in the kidney to form the active metabolite 1, 25-dihydroxy-cholecalciferol (calcitriol).

Elimination

The metabolites circulate in the blood bound to a specific a – globin, Vitamin D3 and its metabolites are excreted mainly in the bile and faeces.

Characteristics in Specific Groups of Subjects or Patients

A 57% lower metabolic clearance rate is reported in subjects with renal impairment as compared with that of healthy volunteers.

Decreased absorption and increased elimination of Vitamin D3 occurs in subjects with malabsorption.

Obese subjects are less able to maintain Vitamin D3 levels with sun exposure, and are likely to require larger oral doses of Vitamin D3 to replace deficits.

5.3 Preclinical safety data

Pre-clinical studies conducted in various animal species have demonstrated that toxic effects occur in animals at doses much higher than those required for therapeutic use in humans.

In toxicity studies at repeated doses, the effects most commonly reported were increased calciuria and decreased phosphaturia and proteinuria. Hypercalcaemia has been reported in high doses. In a state of prolonged hypercalcaemia, histological alterations (calcification) were more frequently borne by the kidneys, heart, aorta, testes, thymus and intestinal mucosa.

Colecalciferol has been shown to be teratogenic at high doses in animals.

At doses equivalent to those used therapeutically, colecalciferol has no teratogenic activity.

Colecalciferol has no potential mutagenic or carcinogenic activity.

6.1 List of excipients

all-rac-a-tocopherol (E307)

Medium Chain Triglycerides

Glycerol

Gelatine

Allura Red AC (E129)

Opacode® White imprinting ink

Shellac (E904)

Titanium dioxide (E171)

Simethicone

6.2 Incompatibilities

Not applicable

6.3 Shelf life

24 months

6.4 Special precautions for storage

Do not store above 30°C.

Store in the original package in order to protect from light.

6.5 Nature and contents of container

3 capsules packed in PVDC/Aluminium foil blisters, inserted into a cardboard carton.