GEMZAR* 200 mg powder for solution for infusion.
GEMZAR 1000 mg powder for solution for infusion.
One vial contains gemcitabine hydrochloride equivalent to 200 mg gemcitabine.
One vial contains gemcitabine hydrochloride equivalent to 1,000 mg gemcitabine.
After reconstitution, the solution contains 38 mg/ml of gemcitabine.
Excipients:
Each 200 mg vial contains 3.5 mg (<1 mmol) sodium.
Each 1,000 mg vial contains 17.5 mg (<1 mmol) sodium.
For a full list of excipients see section 6.1.
Powder for solution for infusion.
White to off-white plug or powder.
Gemcitabine is indicated for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic bladder cancer in combination with cisplatin.
Gemcitabine is indicated for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic adenocarcinoma of the pancreas.
Gemcitabine, in combination with cisplatin, is indicated as first-line treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Gemcitabine monotherapy can be considered in elderly patients or those with performance status 2.
Gemcitabine is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic epithelial ovarian carcinoma, in combination with carboplatin, in patients with relapsed disease following a recurrence-free interval of at least 6 months after platinum-based, first-line therapy.
Gemcitabine, in combination with paclitaxel, is indicated for the treatment of patients with unresectable, locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer who have relapsed following adjuvant/neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Prior chemotherapy should have included an anthracycline unless clinically contraindicated.
Gemcitabine should only be prescribed by a physician qualified in the use of anti-cancer chemotherapy.
Recommended posology:
Bladder cancer
Combination use
The recommended dose for gemcitabine is 1,000 mg/m2, given by 30-minute infusion. The dose should be given on Days 1, 8 and 15 of each 28-day cycle in combination with cisplatin. Cisplatin is given at a recommended dose of 70 mg/m2 on Day 1 following gemcitabine or Day 2 of each 28-day cycle. This 4-week cycle is then repeated. Dosage reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the grade of toxicity experienced by the patient.
Pancreatic cancer
The recommended dose of gemcitabine is 1,000 mg/m2, given by 30-minute intravenous infusion. This should be repeated once weekly for up to 7 weeks followed by a week of rest. Subsequent cycles should consist of injections once weekly for 3 consecutive weeks out of every 4 weeks. Dosage reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the grade of toxicity experienced by the patient.
Non-small cell lung cancer
Monotherapy
The recommended dose of gemcitabine is 1,000 mg/m2, given by 30-minute intravenous infusion. This should be repeated once weekly for 3 weeks, followed by a 1-week rest period. This 4-week cycle is then repeated. Dosage reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the grade of toxicity experienced by the patient.
Combination use
The recommended dose for gemcitabine is 1,250 mg/m2 body surface area given as a 30-minute intravenous infusion on Days 1 and 8 of the treatment cycle (21 days). Dosage reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the grade of toxicity experienced by the patient.
Cisplatin has been used at doses between 75-100 mg/m2 once every 3 weeks.
Breast cancer
Combination use
Gemcitabine, in combination with paclitaxel, is recommended using paclitaxel (175 mg/m2) administered on Day 1 over approximately 3 hours as an intravenous infusion, followed by gemcitabine (1,250 mg/m2) as a 30-minute intravenous infusion on Days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle. Dose reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the grade of toxicity experienced by the patient. Patients should have an absolute granulocyte count of at least 1,500 (x 106/l) prior to initiation of gemcitabine + paclitaxel combination.
Ovarian cancer
Combination use
Gemcitabine, in combination with carboplatin, is recommended using gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 administered on Days 1 and 8 of each 21-day cycle as a 30-minute intravenous infusion. After gemcitabine, carboplatin will be given on Day 1 consistent with a target area under curve (AUC) of 4.0 mg/ ml•min . Dosage reduction with each cycle or within a cycle may be applied based upon the
