Virgan 0.15% W/W Eye Gel
Ref: 1669/170816/1/F
Virgan® 0.15% w/w Eye Gel
(ganciclovir)
Patient Information Leaflet
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
* Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
* If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
* This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
* If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
Your medicine is called Virgan 0.15% w/w Eye Gel but will be referred to as Virgan Eye Gel throughout the rest of this leaflet.
What is in this leaflet:
^3 What Virgan Eye Gel is and what it is used for ^3 What you need to know before you use Virgan Eye Gel How to use Virgan Eye Gel ^3 Possible side effects ^3 How to store Virgan Eye Gel [3 Contents of the pack and other information
^ What Virgan Eye Gel is and what it is used for
Virgan Eye Gel contains ganciclovir as the active ingredient. Ganciclovir is one of a group of active substances called anti-virals, used to treat infections caused by viruses.
This eye gel is used to treat an infection in the eye called acute herpetic keratitis in adults aged 18 years and over.
[3 What you need to know before you use Virgan Eye Gel
DO NOT USE Virgan Eye Gel
If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to:
* ganciclovir or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6),
* acyclovir, another antiviral drug.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, unless your doctor tells you to.
In men and women of childbearing age unless you use a method of birth control. Men using Virgan Eye Gel should use a local method of contraception (such as a condom) for three months after the end of treatment.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using Virgan Eye Gel.
* Virgan Eye Gel contains benzalkonium chloride which may cause eye irritation.
Contact lenses
* Avoid contact with soft contact lenses.
* Remove contact lenses prior to application and wait at least 15 minutes before reinsertion.
* Benzalkonium chloride is known to discolour soft contact lenses.
Children
Do not give this medicine to children under the age of 18 years as there is not enough information to know if it is safe in children.
Other medicines and Virgan Eye Gel
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines.
* If you are using any additional eye treatments:
1. you should wait for at least 15 minutes between using the two treatments,
2. Virgan Eye Gel should always be the last treatment put into the eye *Talk to your doctor before using this eye gel if you are taking any other
medicines, especially any of the following:
* antigout drugs such as probenecid,
* anti-infectives such as trimethoprim/ sulpha, dapsone, pentamidine, amphotericin B, imipenem/cilastatin or zidovudine,
* anticancer therapy such as vincristine, vinblastine, adriamycin or flucytosine.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice immediately, before taking this medicine.
This medicine should not be used during pregnancy and breast-feeding, unless your doctor tells you to.
Men and women of childbearing age should use a method of birth control.
Men using Virgan Eye Gel should use a local method of contraception (such as a condom) for three months after the end of treatment.
Driving and using machines
If you notice any visual disturbances (for instance, blurred vision), or if you notice any other problems with your eye sight after using this eye gel, you should not drive or operate machinery until you are satisfied that you can see clearly.
Virgan Eye Gel contains benzalkonium chloride
See section 2: What you need to know before you use Virgan Eye Gel -Warnings and precautions.
[3 How to use Virgan Eye Gel
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is
Adults and elderly: The usual dose is one drop of gel in each infected eye, five times per day until healed, then three times per day for 7 days.
Use in children: Virgan Eye Gel should not be used in children, unless your doctor tells you to.
The treatment should not usually exceed 21 days.
(ganciclovir)
Patient Information Leaflet (continued)
This medicine is intended to be administered into the eye (ocular use).
DO NOT INJECT. DO NOT SWALLOW.
1. Wash your hands thoroughly before using the product.
2. Do not touch your eye with the tip of the dropper.
3. While looking upwards and pulling the lower eyelid down, gently squeeze the tube to release one drop into the eye.
4. Press the inner corner of your eye with your fingertip for 1-2 minutes. This will prevent the drops from draining away too quickly.
5. Repeat for the other eye if necessary.
6. Close the tube after use.
Between applications, the tube should be placed vertically with the tip pointing downwards in the base provided with the pack.
Follow the instructions carefully. If there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor may advise you to use this medicine in a different way. Always follow your doctor's directions. Your pharmacist can also help if you are not sure.
If you forget to use Virgan Eye Gel
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The possible side effects are:
* Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people) - burning or brief tingling sensations,
* Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
* inflammation of the surface of the eye (such as burning or irritation, feeling like there is something in your eye, tears in the eye, sensitive to light and sometimes a small decrease in vision).
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 By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
^ How to store Virgan Eye Gel
KEEP OUT OF THE SIGHT AND REACH OF CHILDREN.
Do not store above 25°C.
Do not use Virgan Eye Gel after the expiry date which is stated on the tube and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Use within 28 days of first opening.
If your medicine becomes discoloured or shows any other signs of deterioration consult your pharmacist who will tell you what to do.
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 protect the environment.
Contents of the pack and other information
What Virgan Eye Gel contains:
Each gram of gel contains 1.5mg of ganciclovir.
The other ingredients are: carbomer (974P), sorbitol, sodium hydroxide, benzalkonium chloride and purified water.
What Virgan Eye Gel looks like and contents of the pack
Virgan is a transparent eye gel in a tube with a detachable base cap.
Each tube contains 5g of the eye gel.
Manufacturer and Licence Holder
Manufactured by FARMILA - THEA Farmaceutici S.p.A Via Enrico Fermi, 50-20019 Settimo Milanese (MI), Italy and is procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence Holder: Lexon (UK) Limited, Unit 18, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 0RE.
If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist. They will have additional information about this medicine and will be able to advise you.
|POM PL 15184/1669 Virgan 0.15% w/w Eye Gel Virgan is a registered trademark of Laboratoires Thea.
Revision date: 17/08/16
Blind or partially sighted?
Is this leaflet hard to see or read?
Phone Lexon (UK) Limited, Tel: 01527 505414 for help.
Patient Information Leaflet
Read all of this leaflet carefully before you start using this medicine because it contains important information for you.
* Keep this leaflet. You may need to read it again.
* If you have any further questions, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
* This medicine has been prescribed for you only. Do not pass it on to others. It may harm them, even if their signs of illness are the same as yours.
* If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet.
Your medicine is called Ganciclovir 0.15% w/w Eye Gel but will be referred to as Ganciclovir Eye Gel throughout the rest of this leaflet.
What is in this leaflet:
^3 What Ganciclovir Eye Gel is and what it is used for ^3 What you need to know before you use Ganciclovir Eye Gel How to use Ganciclovir Eye Gel ^3 Possible side effects ^3 How to store Ganciclovir Eye Gel [3 Contents of the pack and other information
^ What Ganciclovir Eye Gel is and what it is used for
Ganciclovir Eye Gel contains ganciclovir as the active ingredient. Ganciclovir is one of a group of active substances called anti-virals, used to treat infections caused by viruses.
This eye gel is used to treat an infection in the eye called acute herpetic keratitis in adults aged 18 years and over.
[2 What you need to know before you use Ganciclovir Eye Gel
DO NOT USE Ganciclovir Eye Gel
If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to:
* ganciclovir or any of the other ingredients of this medicine (listed in section 6),
* acyclovir, another antiviral drug.
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, unless your doctor tells you to.
In men and women of childbearing age unless you use a method of birth control. Men using Ganciclovir Eye Gel should use a local method of contraception (such as a condom) for three months after the end of treatment.
Warnings and precautions
Talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse before using Ganciclovir Eye Gel.
* Ganciclovir Eye Gel contains benzalkonium chloride which may cause eye irritation.
Contact lenses
* Avoid contact with soft contact lenses.
* Remove contact lenses prior to application and wait at least 15 minutes before reinsertion.
* Benzalkonium chloride is known to discolour soft contact lenses.
Children
Do not give this medicine to children under the age of 18 years as there is not enough information to know if it is safe in children.
Other medicines and Ganciclovir Eye Gel
Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines.
* If you are using any additional eye treatments:
1. you should wait for at least 15 minutes between using the two treatments,
2. Ganciclovir Eye Gel should always be the last treatment put into the eye *Talk to your doctor before using this eye gel if you are taking any other
medicines, especially any of the following:
* antigout drugs such as probenecid,
* anti-infectives such as trimethoprim/ sulpha, dapsone, pentamidine, amphotericin B, imipenem/cilastatin or zidovudine,
* anticancer therapy such as vincristine, vinblastine, adriamycin or flucytosine.
Pregnancy, breast-feeding and fertility
If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice immediately, before taking this medicine.
This medicine should not be used during pregnancy and breast-feeding, unless your doctor tells you to.
Men and women of childbearing age should use a method of birth control.
Men using Ganciclovir Eye Gel should use a local method of contraception (such as a condom) for three months after the end of treatment.
Driving and using machines
If you notice any visual disturbances (for instance, blurred vision), or if you notice any other problems with your eye sight after using this eye gel, you should not drive or operate machinery until you are satisfied that you can see clearly.
Ganciclovir Eye Gel contains benzalkonium chloride
See section 2: What you need to know before you use Ganciclovir Eye Gel -Warnings and precautions.
[3 How to use Ganciclovir Eye Gel
Always use this medicine exactly as your doctor has told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure.
The recommended dose is
Adults and elderly: The usual dose is one drop of gel in each infected eye, five times per day until healed, then three times per day for 7 days.
Use in children: Ganciclovir Eye Gel should not be used in children, unless your doctor tells you to.
The treatment should not usually exceed 21 days.
Patient Information Leaflet (continued)
This medicine is intended to be administered into the eye (ocular use).
DO NOT INJECT. DO NOT SWALLOW.
1. Wash your hands thoroughly before using the product.
2. Do not touch your eye with the tip of the dropper.
3. While looking upwards and pulling the lower eyelid down, gently squeeze the tube to release one drop into the eye.
4. Press the inner corner of your eye with your fingertip for 1-2 minutes. This will prevent the drops from draining away too quickly.
5. Repeat for the other eye if necessary.
6. Close the tube after use.
Between applications, the tube should be placed vertically with the tip pointing downwards in the base provided with the pack.
Follow the instructions carefully. If there is anything you do not understand, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Your doctor may advise you to use this medicine in a different way. Always follow your doctor's directions. Your pharmacist can also help if you are not sure.
If you forget to use Ganciclovir Eye Gel
Do not take a double dose to make up for a forgotten dose.
If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor, pharmacist or nurse.
,4 Possible side effects
Like all medicines, this medicine can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them.
The possible side effects are:
* Very common (may affect more than 1 in 10 people) - burning or brief tingling sensations,
* Common (may affect up to 1 in 10 people)
* inflammation of the surface of the eye (such as burning or irritation, feeling like there is something in your eye, tears in the eye, sensitive to light and sometimes a small decrease in vision).
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 By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.
[a How to store Ganciclovir Eye Gel
KEEP OUT OF THE SIGHT AND REACH OF CHILDREN.
Do not store above 25°C.
Do not use Ganciclovir Eye Gel after the expiry date which is stated on the tube and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
Use within 28 days of first opening.
If your medicine becomes discoloured or shows any other signs of deterioration consult your pharmacist who will tell you what to do.
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 protect the environment.
[w Contents of the pack and other information
What Ganciclovir Eye Gel contains:
Each gram of gel contains 1.5mg of ganciclovir.
The other ingredients are: carbomer (974P), sorbitol, sodium hydroxide, benzalkonium chloride and purified water.
What Ganciclovir Eye Gel looks like and contents of the pack
Ganciclovir is a transparent eye gel in a tube with a detachable base cap. Each tube contains 5g of the eye gel.
Manufacturer and Licence Holder
Manufactured by FARMILA - THEA Farmaceutici S.p.A Via Enrico Fermi, 50-20019 Settimo Milanese (MI), Italy and is procured from within the EU and repackaged by the Product Licence Holder: Lexon (UK) Limited, Unit 18, Oxleasow Road, East Moons Moat, Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 0RE.
If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your doctor or pharmacist. They will have additional information about this medicine and will be able to advise you.
POM PL 15184/1669 Ganciclovir 0.15% w/w Eye Gel
Revision date: 17/08/16