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  • Cipralex
    / Lundbeck


    Active Ingredient
    Escitalopram (as Oxalate) 10, 15, 20 mg

    Status in Israel
    RX

    Presentation and Status in Health Basket

    Presentation Basket Yarpa Pharmasoft

    Film Coated Tablets

    28 X 10 mg

    not in the basket chart 56414 3734

    Film Coated Tablets

    28 X 15 mg

    not in the basket chart 25297 9418

    Film Coated Tablets

    28 X 20 mg

    not in the basket chart 87703 3930

    Dosage

    Depression: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily. Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain antidepressant response. After the symptoms resolve, treatment for at least 6 months is required for consolidation of the response.
    Panic disorder: An initial dose of 5 mg is recommended for the first week before increasing the dose to 10 mg daily. The dose may be further increased, up to a maximum of 20 mg daily, dependent on individual patient response. Maximum effectiveness is reached after about 3 months. The treatment lasts several months.
    Generalised anxiety disorder: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily. Long-term treatment of responders has been studied for at least 6 months in patients receiving 20mg/day; treatment benefits should be re-evaluated at regular intervals.
    Social anxiety disorder: Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Usually 2-4 weeks are necessary to obtain symptom relief. The dose may be subsequently, depending on individual patient response, be decreased to 5 mg or increased to a maximum of 20 mg daily.
    Social anxiety disorder is a disease with a chronic course, and treatment for 12 weeks is recommended to consolidate response. Long-term treatment of responders has been studied for 6 months and can be considered on an individual basis to prevent relapse; treatment benefits should be re-evaluated at regular intervals.  Social anxiety disorder is a well-defined diagnostic terminology of a specific disorder, which should not be confounded with excessive shyness. Pharmacotherapy is only indicated if the disorder interferes significantly with professional and social activities. The place of this treatment compared to cognitive behavioural therapy has not been assessed. Pharmacotherapy is part of an overall therapeutic strategy.
    Obsessive-compulsive disorder: (OCD) Usual dosage is 10 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 20 mg daily.  As OCD is a chronic disease, patients should be treated for a sufficient period to ensure that they are symptom free. Treatment benefit and dose should be re-evaluated at regular intervals.
    Elderly patients (> 65 years of age): Initial dosage is 5 mg once daily. Depending on individual patient response the dose may be increased to 10mg daily. The efficacy of Cipralex in social anxiety disorder has not been studied in elderly patients.
    Children and adolescents (<18 years): Cipralex is not recommended in the treatment of children and adolescents under the age of 18 years.
    Reduced renal function: Dosage adjustment is not necessary in patients with mild or moderate renal impairment. Caution is advised in patients with severely reduced renal function (CLCR less than 30 ml/min.).
    Reduced hepatic function: An initial dose of 5 mg daily for the first two weeks of treatment is recommended in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg daily. Caution and extra careful dose titration is advised in patients with severely reduced hepatic function.
    Poor metabolisers of CYP2C19: For patients who are known to be poor metabolisers with respect to CYP2C19, an initial dose of 5 mg daily during the first two weeks of treatment is recommended. Depending on individual patient response, the dose may be increased to 10 mg daily. Discontinuation symptoms seen when stopping treatment Abrupt discontinuation should be avoided. When stopping treatment with escitalopram the dose should be gradually reduced over a period of at least one to two weeks in order to reduce the risk of discontinuations symptoms. If intolerance symptoms occur following a decrease in the dose or upon discontinuation of treatment then resuming the previously prescribed dose may be considered. Subsequently, the physician may continue decreasing the dose, but at a more gradual rate.


    Indications

    Depression, panic disorders, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), social phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder.


    Contra-Indications

    Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
    Concomitant treatment with non-selective, irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAO-inhibitors) is contraindicated due to the risk of serotonin syndrome with agitation, tremor, hyperthermia etc.a
    The combination of escitalopram with reversible MAO-A inhibitors (e.g. Moclobemide) or the reversible nonselective MAO-inhibitor linezolid is contraindicated due to the risk of onset of a serotonin syndrome.
    Escitalopram is contraindicated in patients with known QT interval prolongation or congenital lot QT syndrome.
    Escitalopram is contraindicated together with medicinal products that are known to prolong the QT interval.
    Concomitant treatment with pimozide.


    Special Precautions

    The following special warnings and precautions apply to the therapeutic class of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors).
    Use in children and adolescents under 18 years of age: Antidepressants are not recommended in the treatment of children and adolescents under age of 18 years. Suicide related behaviours (suicide attempt and suicidal thoughts), and hostility (predominantly aggression, oppositional behaviour and anger) were more frequently observed in clinical trials among children and adolescents treated with antidepressants compared to those treated with placebo. If, based on clinical need, a decision to treat is nevertheless taken, the patient should be carefully monitored for the appearance of suicidal symptoms. In addition, long-term safety data in children and adolescents concerning growth, maturation and cognitive and behvaioural development are lacking.
    Paradoxical anxiety: Some patients with panic disorder may experience increased anxiety symptoms at the beginning of treatment with antidepressants. This paradoxical reaction usually subsides within the first two weeks of treatment. A low starting dose is advised to reduce the likelihood of an anxiogenic effect.
    Seizures: Escitalopram should be discontinued if a patient develops seizures for the first time, or if there is an increase in seizure frequency (in patients with a previous diagnosis of epilepsy). SSRIs should be avoided in patients with unstable epilepsy, and patients with controlled epilepsy should be closely monitored.
    Mania: SSRIs should be used with caution in patients with a history of mania/hypomania. SSRIs should be discontinued in any patient entering a manic phase.
    Diabetes: In patients with diabetes, treatment with an SSRI may alter glycaemic control. Insulin and/or oral hypoglycaemic dosage may need to be adjusted.
    Suicide/suicidal thoughts or clinical worsening Depression: is associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts, self harm and suicide (suicide-related events). This risk persists until significant remission occurs. As improvement may not occur during the first few weeks or more of treatment, patients should be closely monitored until such improvement occurs. It is general clinical experience that the risk of suicide may increase in the early stages of recovery.
    Other psychiatric conditions for which escitalopram is prescribed can also be associated with an increased risk of suicide-related events. In addition, these conditions may be co-morbid with major depressive disorder. The same precautions observed when treating patients with major depressive disorder should therefore be observed when treating patients with other psychiatric disorders. Patients with a history of suicide-related events, or those exhibiting a significant degree of suicidal ideation prior to commencement of treatment, are known to be at greater risk of suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts, and should receive careful monitoring during treatment. A meta analysis of placebo controlled clinical trials of antidepressant drugs in adult patients with psychiatric disorders showed an increased risk of suicidal behaviour with antidepressants compared to placebo in patients less than 24 years old. Close supervision of patients and in particular those at high risk should accompany drug therapy especially in early treatment and following dose changes. Patients (and caregivers of patients) should be alerted about the need to monitor for any clinical worsening, suicidal behaviour or thoughts and unusual changes in behaviour and to seek medical advice immediately if these symptoms present.
    Akathisia/psychomotor restlessness: The use of SSRIs/SNRIs has been associated with the development of akathisia, characterised by a subjectively unpleasant or distressing restlessness and need to move often accompanied by an inability to sit or stand still. This is most likely to occur within the first few weeks of treatment. In patients who develop these symptoms, increasing the dose may be detrimental.
    Hyponatraemia: Hyponatraemia, probably due to inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH), has been reported rarely with the use of SSRIs and generally resolves on discontinuation of therapy. Caution should be exercised in patients at risk, such as the elderly, or patients with cirrhosis, or if used in combination with other medications which may cause hyponatraemia.
    Haemorrhage: There have been reports of cutaneous bleeding abnormalities, such as ecchymoses and purpura, with SSRIs. Caution is advised in patients taking SSRIs, particularly with concomitant use of oral anticoagulants; medicinal products known to affect platelet function (e.g. atypical antipsychotics and phenothiazines, most tricyclic antidepressants, acetylsalicylic acid and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicinal products (NSAIDs), ticlopidine and dipyridamole); and in patients with known bleeding tendencies.
    ECT (electroconvulsive therapy):There is limited clinical experience of concurrent administration of SSRIs and ECT; therefore caution is advisable.
    Serotonin syndrome: Caution is advisable if escitalopram is used concomitantly with medicinal product with serotonergic effects such as sumatriptan or other triptans, tramadol and tryptophan. . In rare cases, Serotonin syndrome has been reported in patients using SSRIs concomitantly with serotonergic medicinal products. A combination of symptoms, such as agitation, tremor, myoclonus and hyperthermia, may indicate the development of this condition. If this occurs, treatment with the SSRI and the serotonergic medicinal product should be discontinued immediately and symptomatic treatment should be initiated.
    St. John´s Wort: Concomitant use of SSRIs and herbal remedies containing St. John´s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) may result in an increased incidence of adverse reactions.
    Discontinuation symptoms: seen when stopping treatment Discontinuation symptoms when stopping treatment are common, particularly if discontinuation is abrupt. In clinical trials adverse events seen on treatment discontinuation occurred in approximately 25% of patients treated with escitalopram and 15% of patients taking placebo.
    The risk of discontinuation symptoms may be dependent on several factors including the duration and dose of therapy and the rate of dose reduction. Dizziness, sensory disturbances (including paraesthesia and electric shock sensations), sleep disturbances (including insomnia and intense dreams), agitation or anxiety, nausea and/or vomiting, tremor, confusion, sweating, headache, diarrhoea, palpitations, emotional instability, irritability, and visual disturbances are the most commonly reported reactions. Generally these symptoms are mild to moderate, however, in some patients they may be severe in intensity. They usually occur within the first few days of discontinuing treatment, but there have been very rare reports of such symptoms in patients who have inadvertently missed a dose. Generally these symptoms are self-limiting and usually resolve within 2 weeks, though in some individuals they may be prolonged (2-3 months or more). It is therefore advised that escitalopram should be gradually tapered when discontinuing treatment over a period of several weeks or months, according to the patient’s needs.
    Coronary heart disease: Due to limited clinical experience, caution is advised in patients with coronary heart disease. QT interval prolongation Escitalopram has been found to cause a dose-dependent prolongation of the QT interval. Cased of QT interval prolongation and ventricular arrhythmia including torsade de pointes have been reported during the postmarketing period, predominantly in patients of female gender, with hypokalemia, or with pre-existing QT interval prolongation or other cardiac diseases. Caution is advised in patients with significant bradycardia; or in patients with recent acute myocardial infarction or uncompensated heart failure. Electrolyte disturbances such as hypokalemia and hypomagnesaemia increase the risk for malignant arrhythmias and should be corrected before treatment with escitalopram is started. If patients with stable cardiac disease are treated, an ECG review should be considered before treatment is started. If signs of cardiac arrhythmia occur during treatment with escitalopram, the treatment should be withdrawn and an ECG should be performed.
    Angle-Closure Glaucoma: SSRIs including escitalopram may have an effect on pupil size resulting in mydriasis. This mydriatic effect has the potential to narrow the eye angle resulting in increased intraocular pressure and angle-closure glaucoma, especially in patients pre-disposed. Escitalopram should therefore be used with caution in patients with angleclosure glaucoma or history of glaucoma.
    For full details see prescribing information.


    Side Effects

    Adverse reactions are most frequent during the first or second week of treatment and usually decrease in intensity and frequency with continued treatment.
    For full details see prescribing information.


    Drug interactions

    Irreversible, non-selective, MAOIs: Cases of serious reactions have been reported in patients receiving an SSRI in combination with a nonselective irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI), and in patients who have recently discontinued SSRI treatment and have been started on MAOI treatment. In some cases, the patient developed serotonin syndrome.
    Escitalopram: is contra-indicated in combination with non-selective irreversible MAOIs. Escitalopram may be started 14 days after discontinuing treatment with an irreversible MAOI. At least 7 days should elapse after discontinuing escitalopram treatment, before starting a non-selective irreversible MAOI.
    Reversible, selective MAO-A inhibitor: (Moclobemide) Due to the risk of serotonin syndrome, the combination of escitalopram with a MAO-A inhibitor such as moclobemide is contraindicated. If the combination proves necessary, it should be strted at the minimum recommended dosage and clinical monitoring should be reinforced.The antibiotic linezolid is a reversible non-selective MAO-inhibitor and should not be given to patients treated with escitalopram. If the combination proves necessary, it should be given with minimum dosages and under close clinical monitoring.
    Irreversible, selective MAO-B inhibitor: (Selegiline) In combination with selegiline (irreversible MAO B inhibitor), caution is required due to the risk of developing serotonin syndrome. Selegiline doses up to 10 mg/day have been safely co-administered with racemic citalopram.
    QT: interval prolongation Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of escitalopram combined with other medicinal products that prolong the QT interval have not been performed. An additive effect of escitalopram ad these medicinal products cannot be excluded. Therefore, co-administration of escitalopram with medicinal products that prolong the QT interval, such as Claa IA and III antiarrhytmics., antipsychotics (e.g. phenothiazine derivatives, pimozide, haloperidol), tricyclic antidepressants, certain antimicrobial agents (e.g. sparfloxacin, moxifloxacin, erythromycin IV, pentamidine, anti-malarian treatment, particularly halofantrine)certain antihistamines (astemizole, mizolastine), is contraindicated.
    Pimozide: Co-administration of a single dose of pimozide 2 mg to subjects treated with racemic citalopram 40 mg/day for 11 days caused an increase in AUC and Cmax of pimozide, although not consistently throughout the study. The co-administration of pimozide and citalopram resulted in a mean increase in the QTc interval of approximately 10 msec. Due to the interaction noted at a low dose of pimozide, concomitant administration of escitalopram and pimozide is contraindicated.
    For full details see prescribing information.


    Pregnancy and Lactation

    Pregnancy: Limited clinical data are available regarding exposure to escitalopram during pregnancy.
    Animal studies have shown reproductive toxicity. Cipralex should not be used during pregnancy unless clearly necessary and only after careful consideration of the risk/benefit. Neonates should be observed if maternal use of escitalopram continues into the later stages of pregnancy, particularly in the third trimester. Abrupt discontinuation should be avoided during pregnancy. The following symptoms may occur in the newborn after maternal SSRI/SNRI use in later stages of pregnancy: respiratory distress, cyanosis, apnoea, seizures, temperature instability, feeding difficulty, vomiting, hypoglycaemia, hypertonia, hypotonia, hyperreflexia, tremor, jitteriness, irritability, lethargy, constant crying, somnolence and difficulty sleeping. These symptoms could be due to either discontinuation effects or excess serotonergic activity. In a majority of instances, such complications begin immediately or soon (<24 hours) after delivery. Epidemiological data have suggested that the use of SSRIs in pregnancy, particularly in late pregnancy, may increase the risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN). The observed risk was approximately 5 cases per 1000 pregnancies. In the general population 1 to 2 cases of PPHN per 1000 pregnancies occur.
    Breast-feeding: It is expected that escitalopram will be excreted into human milk and, breast-feeding is not recommended during the treatment.
    Fertility: Animal data have shown that citalopram may affect sperm quality. Human case reports with some SSRIs have shown that an effect on sperm quality is reversible. Impact on human fertility has not been observed so far.


    Overdose

    Toxicity: Clinical data on escitalopram overdose are limited and many cases involve concomitant overdoses of other drugs. In the majority of cases mild or no symptoms have been reported. Fatal cases of escitalopram overdose have rarely been reported with escitalopram alone; the majority of cases have involved overdose with concomitant medications. Doses between 400 and 800mg of escitalopram alone have been taken without any severe symptoms.
    Symptoms: Symptoms of seen in reported overdose of escitalopram include symptoms mainly related to the central nervous system (ranging from dizziness, tremor, and agitation to rare cases of serotonin syndrome, convulsion, and coma), the gastrointestinal system (nausea/vomiting), and the cardiovascular system (hypotension, tachycardia, QT prolongation, and arrhythmia) and electrolyte/fluid balance conditions (hypokalaemia, hyponatraemia).
    Management: There is no specific antidote. Establish and maintain an airway, ensure adequate oxygenation and respiratory function. Gastric lavage and the use of activated charcoal should be considered. Gastric lavage should be carried out as soon as possible after oral ingestion. Cardiac and vital signs monitoring are recommended along with general symptomatic supportive measures. ECG monitoring is advised in case of overdose in patients with congestive heart failure/bradyarrhythmias, in patients using concomitant medications that prolong the QT interval, or in patients with altered metabolism, e.g. liver impairment.


    Manufacturer
    H. Lundbeck A/S, Denmark
    Licence holder
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