Special Warning : אזהרת שימוש

4.4   Special warnings and precautions for use
Benign and malignant neoplasms

There is an increased risk of benign and malignant neoplasia in children and adolescents treated with INCRELEX, since IGF-1 plays a role in the initiation and progression of benign and malignant tumours.
There have been post-marketing reports of both benign and malignant neoplasms in children and adolescents who have received treatment with INCRELEX. These cases represented a variety of different malignancies and included rare malignancies usually not seen in children (see section 4.8). The increased risk of neoplasia may be higher in patients who receive INCRELEX for unapproved uses or at higher than recommended doses. Current knowledge of IGF-1 biology suggests that IGF-1 plays a role in malignancies in all organs and tissues. Physicians should therefore be vigilant of any symptoms of potential malignancy.
If benign or malignant neoplasia develops, INCRELEX treatment should be discontinued definitely and appropriate expert medical care sought.

Mecasermin is not a substitute for GH treatment.

Mecasermin should not be used for growth promotion in patients with closed epiphyses.
Mecasermin should be administered shortly before or after a meal or snack, because it may have insulin-like hypoglycaemic effects. Special attention should be paid to young children, children with a history of hypoglycaemia and children with inconsistent food intake. Patients should avoid engaging in any high-risk activities within 2-3 hours after dosing, particularly at the initiation of mecasermin treatment, until a well-tolerated dose of INCRELEX has been established. If a person with severe hypoglycemia is unconscious or otherwise unable to ingest food normally, an injection of glucagon may be required. Persons with a history of severe hypoglycemia should have glucagon available. At the time of initial prescription, physicians should educate parents on the signs, symptoms and treatment of hypoglycaemia, including injection of glucagon.

Doses of insulin and/or other hypoglycaemic medicinal products may need to be reduced for diabetic subjects using this medicinal product.

Echocardiogram is recommended before initiation of mecasermin treatment in all patients. Patients who terminate treatment should also have an echocardiogram. Patients with abnormal echocardiogram findings or cardiovascular symptoms should be followed regularly with echocardiogram procedures.

Lymphoid tissue (e.g., tonsillar) hypertrophy associated with complications, such as snoring, sleep apnoea, and chronic middle-ear effusions have been reported with the use of this medicinal product. Patients should have examinations periodically and at the occurrence of clinical symptoms to rule out such potential complications or to initiate appropriate treatment.

Intracranial hypertension (IH) with papilloedema, visual changes, headache, nausea and/or vomiting has been reported in patients treated with mecasermin, as has been reported with therapeutic GH administration. IH-associated signs and symptoms resolved after interruption of dosing. Funduscopic examination is recommended at the initiation, periodically during the course of mecasermin therapy and at the occurrence of clinical symptoms.
INCR-SPC-1222-V1                          Page 3 of 13
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (with the potential to lead to avascular necrosis) and progression of scoliosis can occur in patients who experience rapid growth. These conditions and other symptoms and signs known to be associated with GH treatment in general should be monitored during mecasermin treatment. Any patient with the onset of a limp or complaint of hip or knee pain should be evaluated.

In post-marketing experience in patients treated with INCRELEX, cases of hypersensitivity, urticaria, pruritus and erythema have been reported. These have been observed both as being systemic and/or local to the injection site. A small number of cases indicative of anaphylaxis requiring hospitalisation have been reported. Parents and patients should be informed that such reactions are possible and that if a systemic allergic reaction occurs, treatment should be interrupted and prompt medical attention should be sought.

Treatment should be reconsidered if after a year patients remain non-responsive.

Persons who have allergic reactions to injected IGF-1, who have unexpectedly high blood values of IGF-1 after injection, or who fail to show a growth response without any identified cause may be having an antibody response to injected IGF-1. This may be through the production of anti-IGF-1 IgEs, sustaining antibodies or neutralizing antibodies respectively. In such instances, instructions for antibody testing should be considered.

Excipients
INCRELEX contains 9 mg/ml benzyl alcohol as a preservative.

Benzyl alcohol may cause toxic reactions and anaphylactoid reactions in infants and children up to 3 years old.

This medicine contains less than 1 mmol sodium (23 mg) per vial, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’.

Traceability
In order to improve the traceability of biological medicinal products, the name and the batch number of the administered product should be clearly recorded.

Effects on Driving

4.7   Effects on ability to drive and use machines

INCRELEX may have a major influence on the ability to drive or use machines in case of a hypoglycaemic episode. Hypoglycaemia is a very common adverse reaction.