Temodal (Temozolomide)
Temodal 5 mg, 20 mg, 100 mg, 140 mg, 180 mg and 250 mg hard capsules
Temozolomide
1. WHAT TEMODAL IS AND WHAT IT IS USED FOR
Temodal is an antitumour agent.
Temodal is used for the treatment of patients with specific forms of brain tumours: newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. Temodal is first used together with radiotherapy (concomitant phase of treatment) and after that alone (monotherapy phase of treatment).
Malignant glioma, such as glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma. Temodal is used in these tumours if they return or get worse after standard treatment.
2. BEFORE YOU TAKE TEMODAL
Do not take Temodal
if you are allergic (hypersensitive) to temozolomide or any of the other ingredients of
Temodal.
if you have had an allergic reaction to dacarbazine (an anticancer medicine sometimes called DTIC). Signs of allergic reaction include feeling itchy, breathlessness or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
if certain kinds of blood cells are severely reduced (myelosuppression), such as your white blood cell count and platelet count. These blood cells are important for fighting infection and for proper blood clotting. Your doctor will check your blood to make sure you have
enough of these cells before you begin treatment.
Take special care with Temodal
you should be observed closely for the development of a serious form of pneumonia called Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP). If you are a newly-diagnosed patient (glioblastoma multiforme) you may be receiving Temodal for 42 days in combination with radiotherapy.
In this case, your doctor will also prescribe medicine to help you prevent this type of pneumonia (PCP).
if you have low counts of red blood cells (anaemia), white blood cells and platelets, or blood clotting problems before starting the treatment, or if you develop them during treatment. Your doctor may decide to reduce the dose, interrupt, stop or change your treatment.You may also need other treatments. In some cases, it may be necessary to stop treatment with Temodal. Your blood will be tested frequently during treatment to monitor the side effects of Temodal on your blood cells. You may have a small risk of other changes in blood cells, including leukaemia.
if you have nausea (feeling sick in your stomach) and/or vomiting which are very common side effects of Temodal, your doctor may prescribe you a medicine (an anti-emetic) to help prevent vomiting.
If you vomit frequently before or during treatment, ask your doctor about the best time to take Temodal until the vomiting is under control. If you vomit after taking your dose, do not take a second dose on the same day.
if you develop fever or symptoms of an infection contact your doctor immediately.
do not open, crush or chew the capsules. If a capsule is damaged, avoid contact of the powder with your skin, eyes or nose. Avoid inhaling the powder. If you accidentally get some in your eyes or nose, flush the area with water.
if you are older than 70 years of age, you might be more prone to infection, bruising or bleeding.
if you have liver or kidney problems, your dose of Temodal may need to be adjusted.
Due to lack of experience, Temodal should not be used in children younger than 3 years.
Temodal may cause permanent infertility. Male patients should use effective contraceptions and not father a child for up to 6 months after stopping treatment. It is recommended to seek advice on conservation of sperm prior to treatment.
Using other medicines
Please tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking or have recently taken any other medicines, including medicines obtained without a prescription.
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant, think you might be or are planning to get pregnant. You must not be treated with Temodal during pregnancy unless clearly indicated by your doctor.
Effective contraceptive precautions must be taken by both male and female patients who are taking Temodal.
You should stop breast-feeding while receiving treatment with Temodal.
Driving and using machines
Temodal may make you feel tired or sleepy. In this case, do not drive or use any tools or machines.
Important information about some of the ingredients of Temodal
Temodal hard capsules contains lactose. If you have been told by your doctor that you have an intolerance to some sugars, contact your doctor before taking this medicinal product.
3. HOW TO TAKE TEMODAL
Dosage and duration of treatment
Your doctor will work out your dose of Temodal. This is based on your size (height and weight) and if you have a recurrent tumour and have had chemotherapy treatment in the past. You may be given other medicines (anti-emetics) to take before and/or after taking Temodal to prevent or control nausea and vomiting.
Patients with newly-diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme:
If you are a newly-diagnosed patient, treatment will occur in two phases:
treatment together with radiotherapy (concomitant phase) first followed by treatment with only Temodal (monotherapy phase).
During the concomitant phase, your doctor will start Temodal at a dose of 75 mg/m2 (usual dose).
You will take this dose every day for 42 days (up to 49 days) in combination with radiotherapy.
The Temodal dose may be delayed or stopped, depending on you blood counts and how you
tolerate your medicine during the concomitant phase.
Once the radiotherapy is completed, you will interrupt treatment for 4 weeks. This will give your body a chance to recover.
Then, you will start the monotherapy phase.
During the monotherapy phase, the dose and way you take Temodal will be different. Your doctor will work out your exact dose. There may be up to 6 treatment periods (cycles). Each one lasts 28 days. You will take your new dose of Temodal alone once daily for the first 5 days (“dosing days”) of each cycle. The first dose will be 150 mg/m2. Then you will have 23 days without Temodal. This adds up to a 28-day treatment cycle.
After Day 28, the next cycle will begin. You will again take Temodal once daily for 5 days followed by 23 days without Temodal. The Temodal dose may be adjusted, delayed or stopped depending on your blood counts and how you tolerate your medicine during each treatment cycle.
Patients with tumours that have returned or worsened (malignant glioma, such as glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma) taking Temodal only:
A treatment cycle with Temodal lasts 28 days.
You will take Temodal alone once daily for the first 5 days. This daily dose depends on whether or not you have received chemotherapy before.
If you have not been previously treated with chemotherapy, your first dose of Temodal will be 200 mg/m2 once daily for the first 5 days. If you have been previously treated with chemotherapy, your first dose of Temodal will be 150 mg/m2 once daily for the first 5 days. Then, you will have 23 days without Temodal. This adds up to a 28-day treatment cycle.
After Day 28, the next cycle will begin. You will again receive Temodal once daily for 5 days, followed by 23 days without Temodal.
Before each new treatment cycle, your blood will be tested to see if the Temodal dose needs to be adjusted. Depending on your blood test results, your doctor may adjust your dose for the next cycle.
How to take Temodal
Take your prescribed dose of Temodal once a day, preferably at the same time each day.
Take the capsules on an empty stomach; for example, at least one hour before you plan to eat breakfast. Swallow the capsule(s) whole with a glass of water. Do not open or chew the capsules. If a capsule is damaged, avoid contact with your skin, eyes or nose. If it occurs, wash the affected area thoroughly.
Depending on the prescribed dose, you may have to take more than one capsule together, eventually with different strengths (content of active substance, in mg). The colour of the capsule cap is different for each strength (see in the table below).
| Strength | Colour of the cap |
| Temodal 5 mg hard capsules | green |
| Temodal 20 mg hard capsules | yellow |
| Temodal 100 mg hard capsules | pink |
| Temodal 140 mg hard capsules | blue |
| Temodal 180 mg hard capsules | orange |
| Temodal 250 mg hard capsules | white |
You should make sure you fully understand and remember the following:
• how many capsules you need to take every dosing day. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to write it down (including the colour).
• which days are your dosing days.
Review the dose with your doctor each time you start a new cycle, since it may be different from the last cycle.
Always take Temodal exactly as your doctor has told you. It is very important to check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure. Errors in how you take this medicine may have serious health consequences.
If you take more Temodal than you should
If you accidentally take more Temodal capsules than you were told to, contact your doctor or pharmacist immediately.
If you forget to take Temodal
Take the missed dose as soon as possible during the same day. If a full day has gone by, check with your doctor. Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose, unless your doctor tells you to do so.
If you have any further questions on the use of this product, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Like all medicines, Temodal can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
Contact your doctor immediately if you have any of the following:
a severe allergic (hypersensitive) reaction (hives, wheezing or other breathing difficulty),
uncontrolled bleeding, seizures (convulsions), fever, a severe headache that does not go away.
Temodal treatment can cause a reduction in certain kinds of blood cells. This may cause you to have increased bruising or bleeding, anaemia (a shortage of red blood cells), fever, and reduced resistance to infections. The reduction in blood cell counts is usually short-lived. In some cases, it may be prolonged and may lead to a very severe form of anaemia (aplastic anaemia). Your doctor will monitor your blood regularly for any changes, and will decide if any specific treatment is needed. In some cases, your Temodal dose will be reduced or treatment stopped.
Side effects from clinical studies:
Side effects may occur with certain frequencies, which are defined as follows:
very common: affects more than 1 user in 10
common: affects 1 to 10 users in 100
uncommon: affects 1 to 10 users in 1,000
rare: affects 1 to 10 users in 10,000
very rare: affects less than 1 user in 10,000
not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data.
Temodal in combination treatment with radiotherapy in newly-diagnosed glioblastoma Patients receiving Temodal in combination with radiotherapy may experience different side effects than patients taking Temodal alone. The following side effects may occur, and may require medical attention.
Very common: loss of appetite, headache, constipation (difficulty passing stools), nausea (feeling sick in your stomach), vomiting, rash, hair loss, tiredness.
Common: oral infections, wound infection, reduced number of blood cells (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, leukopenia), increased sugar in the blood, loss of weight, change in mental status or alertness, anxiety/depression, sleepiness, difficulty speaking, impaired balance, dizziness, confusion, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep, tingling sensation, bruising, shaking, abnormal or blurry vision, double vision, hearing impairment, shortness of breath, cough, blood clot in the legs, fluid retention, swollen legs, diarrhoea, stomach or abdominal pain, heartburn, upset stomach, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, skin irritation or redness, dry skin, itching, muscle weakness, painful joints, muscle aches and pains, frequent urination, difficulty with holding your urine, allergic reaction, fever, radiation injury, face swelling, pain, abnormal taste, abnormal liver function tests.
Uncommon: flu-like symptoms, red spots under the skin, appearance of a swollen face or muscle weakness, low potassium level in the blood, weight gain, mood swings, hallucination and memory impairment, partial paralysis, impaired coordination, difficulty swallowing, impaired sensations, partial loss of vision, dry or painful eyes, deafness, infection of the middle ear, ringing in the ears, earache, palpitations (when you can feel your heart beat), blood clot in the lung, high blood pressure, pneumonia, inflammation of your sinuses, bronchitis, a cold or the flu, swollen
stomach, difficulty controlling your bowel movements, haemorrhoids, peeling skin, increased skin sensitivity to sunlight, change in skin colour, increased sweating, muscle damage, back pain, difficulty in urinating, vaginal bleeding, sexual impotence, absent or heavy menstrual periods, vaginal irritation, breast pain, hot flushes, shivering, discolouration of your tongue, change in your sense of smell, thirst, tooth disorder.
Temodal monotherapy in recurrent or progressive glioma
The following side effects may occur, and may require medical attention.
Very common: reduced number of blood cells (neutropenia or lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia), loss of appetite, headache, vomiting, nausea (feeling sick in your stomach), constipation (difficulty passing stools).
Common: loss of weight, tiredness, dizziness, tingling sensation, shortness of breath, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, upset stomach, rash, itching, hair loss, fever, weakness, shivering, feeling unwell, pain, change in taste.
Uncommon: reduced number of blood cell counts (pancytopenia, anaemia, leukopenia).
Rare: cough, infections including pneumonia.
Very rare: skin redness, urticaria (hives), skin eruption, allergic reactions.
Other side effects:
Very rare cases of severe rash with skin swelling, including on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, or painful reddening of the skin and/or blisters on the body or in the mouth have been observed. Tell your doctor immediately if this occurs.
Very rare cases of lung side effects have been observed with Temodal. Patients usually present with shortness of breath and cough. Tell your doctor if you notice any of these symptoms.
In very rare cases, patients taking Temodal and medicines like it may have a small risk of developing secondary cancers, including leukaemia.
If any of the side effects gets serious, or if you notice any side effects not listed in this leaflet, please tell your doctor or pharmacist.
5. HOW TO STORE TEMODAL
Keep out of the reach and sight of children, preferably in a locked cupboard. Accidental ingestion can be lethal for children.
Do not use Temodal after the expiry date which is stated on the label and carton. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Do not store above 30°C.
Tell your pharmacist if you notice any change in the appearance of the capsules.
Medicines should not be disposed of via wastewater of household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to dispose of medicines no longer required. These measures will help to protect the environment.
6. FURTHER INFORMATION
What Temodal contains
The active substance is temozolomide. Each capsule contains 5 mg, 20 mg, 100 mg, 140 mg, 180 mg or 250 mg temozolomide.
The other ingredients are:
capsule content:
anhydrous lactose, colloidal anhydrous silica, sodium starch glycolate type A, tartaric acid, stearic acid.
capsule shell:
5 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium laurilsulfate, yellow iron oxide (E 172), indigo carmine (E 132).
20 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium lauril sulfate, yellow iron oxide (E 172),
100 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium lauril sulfate, red iron oxide (E 172),
140 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium lauril sulfate, indigo carmine (E 132),
180 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium lauril sulfate, yellow iron oxide (E 172), and red iron oxide (E 172),
250 mg hard capsules: gelatin, titanium dioxide (E 171), sodium lauril sulfate.
printing ink:
shellac, propylene glycol, purified water, ammonium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and black iron oxide (E 172).
What Temodal looks like and contents of the pack
Temodal 5 mg hard capsules have an opaque white body, an opaque green cap, and are imprinted with black ink.
Temodal 20 mg hard capsules have an opaque white body, an opaque yellow cap, and are imprinted with black ink.
Temodal 100 mg hard capsules have an opaque white body, an opaque pink cap, and are imprinted with black ink.
Temodal 140 mg hard capsules have an opaque white body, a blue cap and and are imprinted with black ink.
Temodal 180 mg hard capsules have an opaque white body, an opaque orange cap, and are imprinted with black ink.
Temodal 250 mg hard capsules have a opaque white body and cap and are imprinted with black ink.
The hard capsules for oral use are dispensed in cartons containing 5 or 20 hard capsules, which are individually sealed in sachets.
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