Consumer medicine information

1. Why am I using APO-EZETIMIBE?

APO-EZETIMIBE contains the active ingredient ezetimibe. Apo-ezetimibe is used to lower cholesterol levels.
For more information, see Section 1. Why am I using APO-EZETIMIBE? in the full CMI.

2. What should I know before I use APO-EZETIMIBE?

Do not use if you have ever had an allergic reaction to ezetimibe, or any of the ingredients listed at the end of the CMI.
Talk to your doctor if you have any other medical conditions, take any other medicines, or are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding.
For more information, see Section 2. What should I know before I use APO-EZETIMIBE? in the full CMI.

3. What if I am taking other medicines?

Some medicines may interfere with APO-EZETIMIBE and affect how it works.
A list of these medicines is in Section 3. What if I am taking other medicines? in the full CMI.

4. How do I use APO-EZETIMIBE?

• The recommended dose is 10 mg taken once a day, at any time of the day

• Take tablets with a glass of water

5. What should I know while using APO-EZETIMIBE?

6. Are there any side effects?

Common side effects: nausea, diarrhoea, wind or excessive gas, indigestion, heartburn, decrease appetite, dry mouth, abdominal pain, constipation, inflammation of pancreas, dizziness, headache, tingling/ numbness of the hands or feet, gallstones, inflammation of gallbladder, elevation of some laboratory blood tests, unusual tiredness, muscle spasms, pain in neck/ chest/ arm/ legs/ or back, hot flushes, high blood pressure, swelling of hands or feet, depression, cough.
For more information, including what to do if you have any side effects, see Section 6. Are there any side effects? in the full CMI.

1 Name of Medicine

Ezetimibe.

2 Qualitative and Quantitative Composition

Each tablet of ezetimibe for oral administration contains 10 mg ezetimibe.
For the full list of excipients, see Section 6.1 List of Excipients.
Excipients with known effect. Lactose.

3 Pharmaceutical Form

10 mg tablets. White to off white, capsule shaped, flat faced with beveled edge, uncoated tablets, debossed with 10 on one side and plain on other side.

4 Clinical Particulars

4.9 Overdose

In clinical studies, administration of ezetimibe, 50 mg/day to 15 healthy subjects for up to 14 days, or 40 mg/day to 18 patients with primary hypercholesterolemia for up to 56 days, was generally well tolerated.
A few cases of overdosage with ezetimibe have been reported; most have not been associated with adverse experiences. Reported adverse experiences have not been serious. In the event of an overdose, symptomatic and supportive measures should be employed.
For information on the management of overdose, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126 (Australia).

5 Pharmacological Properties

5.3 Preclinical Safety Data

Genotoxicity. Ezetimibe alone or in combination with a statin (simvastatin, lovastatin, pravastatin or atorvastatin) or fenofibrate did not cause gene mutation in bacteria or chromosomal damage in human peripheral lymphocytes or bone marrow cells in mice.
Carcinogenicity. Two year dietary studies with ezetimibe alone in mice and rats showed no evidence of carcinogenic potential. The highest ezetimibe dose (500 mg/kg/day) in mice corresponds to exposure levels of approximately 4 and ≥ 150 times the adult human exposure for ezetimibe and total ezetimibe, respectively, based on AUC. Exposures in rats at the highest dose (1500 mg/kg/day in males and 500 mg/kg/day in females) correspond to approximately 2 and 14 times the adult human exposure for ezetimibe and total ezetimibe respectively.
There are no carcinogenicity studies with ezetimibe/statin or ezetimibe/fenofibrate combinations.

6 Pharmaceutical Particulars

6.7 Physicochemical Properties

Ezetimibe is a white, crystalline powder that is freely to very soluble in ethanol, methanol, and acetone and practically insoluble in water. Ezetimibe has a melting point of about 163°C and is stable at ambient temperature.
Chemical structure.
https://stagingapi.mims.com/au/public/v2/images/fullchemgif/CSEZETIM.gif Chemical name: 1-(4-fluorophenyl)-3(R)-[3-(4-fluorophenyl)-3(S)-hydroxypropyl]-4(S)-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-2-azetidinone.
Chemical formula: C₂₄H₂₁F₂NO₃.
Molecular weight: 409.4.
CAS number. 163222-33-1.

7 Medicine Schedule (Poisons Standard)

S4 - Prescription Only Medicine.

Summary Table of Changes

https://stagingapi.mims.com/au/public/v2/images/fulltablegif/APOEZEST.gif