Patient leaflet - Saxagliptin 5 mg film-coated tablets
1. What Saxagliptin is and what it is used for
Saxagliptin contains the active substance saxagliptin, which belongs to a group of medicines called ‘oral anti-diabetics’. They work by helping to control the level of sugar in your blood.
Saxagliptin is used for adult patients aged 18 years and older with ‘type 2 diabetes’, if the disease cannot be adequately controlled with one oral anti-diabetic medicine, diet and exercise. Saxagliptin is used alone or together with insulin or other anti-diabetic medicines. It is important to keep following the advice about diet and exercise that you have been given by your doctor or nurse.
2. What you need to know before you take Saxagliptin
Do not take Saxagliptin
if you are allergic to saxagliptin or any
of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6).
if you have had a serious allergic reaction to
any other similar medicines that you take to control your blood sugar. See section 4. Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking Saxagliptin:
if you are taking insulin. Saxagliptin should
not be used in place of insulin;
if you have type 1 diabetes (your body
does not produce any insulin) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a complication of diabetes with high blood sugar, rapid weight loss, nausea or vomiting). Saxagliptin should not be used to treat these conditions;
if you have or have had a disease of the
pancreas;
if you are taking insulin or an anti-diabetic
medicine known as ‘sulphonylurea’, your doctor may want to reduce your dose of insulin or the sulphonylurea when you take either of them together with Saxagliptin in order to avoid low blood sugar;
if you have a condition that reduces your
defence against infections, such as a disease like AIDS or from medicines that you might take after an organ transplant;
if you suffer from heart failure or you have
other risk factors for developing heart failure such as problems with your kidneys. Your doctor will advise you of the signs and symptoms of heart failure.
You should call your doctor, pharmacist or
nurse immediately if you experience any of these symptoms. Symptoms can include, but are not limited to, increasing shortness of breath, rapid increase in weight and swelling of the feet (pedal oedema);
if you have reduced kidney function, your
doctor will decide if you need to take a lower dose of Saxagliptin. If you are having haemodialysis then Saxagliptin is not recommended for you;
if you have moderate or severe liver
problems. If you have severe liver problems, then Saxagliptin is not recommended for you.
Diabetic skin lesions are a common complication of diabetes. Rash has been seen with Saxagliptin (see section 4) and with certain anti-diabetic medicines in the same class as Saxagliptin. You are advised to follow the recommendations for skin and foot care that you are given by your doctor or nurse. Contact your doctor if you encounter blistering of the skin, as it may be a sign for a condition called bullous pemphigoid. Your doctor may ask you to stop Saxagliptin. Children and adolescents
Saxagliptin is not recommended for children and adolescents under 18 years.
Other medicines and Saxagliptin
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking, have recently taken or might take any other medicines.
In particular, you should tell your doctor if you are using medicines containing any of the following active substances:
Carbamazepine, phenobarbital or phenytoin.
These may be used to control fits (seizures) or chronic pain.
- Dexamethasone – a steroid medicine. This may be used to treat inflammation in different body parts and organs.
- Rifampicin. This is an antibiotic used to treat infections such as tuberculosis.
- Ketoconazole. This may be used to treat fungal infections.
- Diltiazem. This is a medicine used to lower blood pressure.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Talk to your doctor before you take Saxagliptin if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. You should not use Saxagliptin if you are pregnant.
Talk to your doctor if you want to breast-feed while taking this medicine. It is not known if Saxagliptin passes into human breast milk. You should not take this medicine if you are breast-feeding or plan to breast-feed. Driving and using machines
If you feel dizzy while taking Saxagliptin, do not drive or use any tools or machines. Hypoglycaemia may affect your ability to drive and use machines or work with safe foothold and there is a risk of hypoglycaemia when taking this medicine in combination with medicines known to cause hypoglycaemia such as insulin and sulphonylureas.
Sodium content
This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per dose, that is to say it is essentially ‘sodium-free’.
3. How to take Saxagliptin
Always take this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose of Saxagliptin is 5 mg once a day.
If you have reduced kidney function, your doctor may prescribe a lower dose. This is one 2.5 mg tablet once a day.
Your doctor may prescribe Saxagliptin alone or together with insulin or other anti-diabetic medicines. If applicable remember to take these other medicines as directed by your doctor to achieve the best results for your health. How to take Saxagliptin
The tablets must not be split or cut. Swallow the tablet whole with some water. You can take the tablet with or without food. The tablet can be taken at any time of the day, however, try to take your tablet at the same time each day. This will help you to remember to take it. If you take more Saxagliptin than you should
If you take more tablets than you should, talk to a doctor straight away.
If you forget to take Saxagliptin
- If you forget to take a dose of Saxagliptin, take it as soon as you remember it. However, if it is nearly time for the next dose, skip the missed dose.
- Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose. Never take two doses on the same day.
If you stop taking Saxagliptin
Keep taking Saxagliptin until your doctor tells you to stop. This is to help keep your blood sugar under control.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
4. Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Some symptoms need immediate medical attention:
You should stop taking Saxagliptin and see your doctor immediately if you experience the following symptoms of low blood sugar: trembling, sweating, anxiety, blurred vision, tingling lips, paleness, mood change, vagueness or confusion (hypoglycaemia); seen very commonly (may affect more than 1 in 10 people). Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction (seen rarely, may affect up to 1 in 1,000 people) may include:
- Rash
- Raised red patches on your skin (hives)
Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, and throat
that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing.
If you have these symptoms, stop taking Saxagliptin and call your doctor or nurse right away. Your doctor may prescribe a medicine to treat your allergic reaction and a different medicine for your diabetes.
You should stop taking Saxagliptin and contact a doctor immediately if you notice any of the following serious side effects:
severe and persistent pain in the abdomen
(stomach area) which might reach through to your back, as well as nausea and vomiting, as it could be a sign of an inflamed pancreas (pancreatitis). You should call your doctor if you experience the following side effect:
- Severe joint pain.
Some patients have had the following side effects while taking Saxagliptin and metformin:
Common (may affect 1 to 10 users in 100): infection of the upper chest or lungs, infection
of the urinary tract, inflamed stomach or gut usually caused by an infection (gastroenteritis), infection of the sinuses with a feeling of pain and fullness behind your cheeks and eyes (sinusitis), inflamed nose or throat (nasopharyngitis) (signs of this may include a cold or a sore throat), headache, muscle pain (myalgia), vomiting, inflammation of the stomach (gastritis), stomach ache and indigestion (dyspepsia).
Uncommon (may affect 1 to 10 users in
1,000):
joint pain (arthralgia) and difficulties
in getting or maintaining an erection (erectile dysfunction).
Some patients have had the following side effects while taking Saxagliptin and a sulphonylurea:
Very common: low blood sugar
(hypoglycaemia)
Common: infection of the upper chest or
lungs, infection of the urinary tract, inflamed stomach or gut usually caused by an infection (gastroenteritis), infection of the sinuses with a feeling of pain and fullness behind your cheeks and eyes (sinusitis), headache, stomach ache and vomiting.
Uncommon: tiredness, abnormal lipid
(fatty acids) levels (dyslipidaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia).
Some patients have had the following side effects while taking Saxagliptin and a thiazolidinedione:
Common: infection of the upper chest or
lungs, infection of the urinary tract, inflamed stomach or gut usually caused by an infection (gastroenteritis), infection of the sinuses with a feeling of pain and fullness behind your cheeks and eyes (sinusitis), headache, vomiting, stomach ache and swelling of the hands, ankles or feet (peripheral oedema).
Some patients have had the following side effects while taking Saxagliptin and metformin and a sulphonylurea:
Common: dizziness, tiredness, stomach
ache and flatulence.
Some patients have had the following additional side effects while taking Saxagliptin alone:
Common: dizziness, diarrhoea and stomach
ache.
Some patients have had the following side effects while taking Saxagliptin alone or in combination:
Not known (frequency cannot be estimated
from the available data): constipation, blistering of the skin (bullous pemphigoid) Some patients have had a small reduction in the number of one type of white blood cells (lymphocytes) shown in a blood test when Saxagliptin was used alone or in combination. 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.
Website: 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 Saxagliptin
Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the blister and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
This medicine does not require any special storage conditions.
Do not use this medicine if the package is damaged or shows signs of tampering. 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 Saxagliptin contains
- The active substance is saxagliptin.
Saxagliptin 2.5 mg Film-coated Tablets:
each film-coated tablet contains 2.5 mg saxagliptin (as hydrochloride dihydrate).
Saxagliptin 5 mg Film-coated Tablets:
each film-coated tablet contains 5 mg saxagliptin (as hydrochloride dihydrate).
The other ingredients are:
Tablet core: cellulose microcrystalline
101 (E460); croscarmellose sodium; hypromellose 2910 (E464); phosphoric acid (for pH adjustment); magnesium stearate (E470b).
Film-coating: hypromellose 29104
(E464); macrogol 4000 (E1521); talc (E553b); titanium dioxide (E171); iron oxide black (E172); iron oxide yellow (E172); phosphoric acid (for pH adjustment).
Saxagliptin 5 mg Film-coated Tablet also contains iron oxide red (E172). What Saxagliptin looks like and contents of the pack
- 2.5 mg film-coated tablets are yellow, biconvex, round, with “2.5” debossed on one side and plain on the other side.
- 5 mg film-coated tablets are brownish-pink, biconvex, round, with “5” debossed on one side and plain on the other side. The film-coated tablets are packed in aluminium foil blisters.
Pack sizes:
Blister pack: 30
Unit dose blister pack: 30×1
Blister pack: 28
Unit dose blister pack: 28×1
Not all pack sizes may be marketed.
Marketing Authorisation Holder
Celix Pharma Ltd
12 Constance Street
London
E16 2DQ
United Kingdom
Manufacturer
PharOS MT Ltd
HF62X, Hal Far Industrial Estate,
Birzebbugia
BBG3000,
Malta
or
Pharos Pharmaceutical Oriented Services Ltd Lesvou Street End,
Thesi Loggos Industrial Zone,
Metamorfossi,
14452
Greece
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This leaflet was last revised in August 2025
CEL20250116P