Myorisan

Myorisan is a prescription medication used to treat the most severe form of acne called nodular acne. Myorisan belongs to a group of drugs called retinoids. It is thought to work by preventing oil production in glands under the skin.

This medication comes in capsule form and is usually taken twice daily, with food. Myorisan may be taken for four or five months. A longer period of use is not recommended.

Common side effects of Myorisan include dry skin, chapped lips, dry eyes, or dry nose causing nosebleeds. Myorisan can also cause birth defects, miscarriages, or premature births.

Because Myorisan can cause birth defects, patients, doctors, and pharmacies must be registered with a special distribution program called the iPLEDGE program.

Myorisan is a prescription medication used to treat severe from of acne (nodular acne) that has not responded to other treatments.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Take this medication exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully.

The dose your doctor recommends may be based on your weight.

The recommended dosage range for Myorisan (isotretinoin) is 0.5 to 1 mg/kg/day given in two divided doses.

Some patients may require dose adjustments up to 2 mg/kg/day.

CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNINGS

Isotretinoin must not be used by female patients who are or may become pregnant. There is an extremely high risk that severe birth defects will result if pregnancy occurs while taking isotretinoin in any amount, even for short periods of time. Potentially any fetus exposed during pregnancy can be affected. There are no accurate means of determining whether an exposed fetus has been affected.

Birth defects which have been documented following isotretinoin exposure include abnormalities of the face, eyes, ears, skull, central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and thymus and parathyroid glands. Cases of IQ scores less than 85 with or without other abnormalities have been reported. There is an increased risk of spontaneous abortion and premature births have been reported.

Documented external abnormalities include: skull abnormality; ear abnormalities (including anotia, micropinna, small or absent external auditory canals); eye abnormalities (including microphthalmia); facial dysmorphia; cleft palate. Documented internal abnormalities include: CNS abnormalities (including cerebral abnormalities, cerebellar malformation, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, cranial nerve deficit); cardiovascular abnormalities; thymus gland abnormality; parathyroid hormone deficiency. In some cases death has occurred with certain of the abnormalities previously noted.

If pregnancy does occur during treatment of a female patient who is taking isotretinoin, isotretinoin must be discontinued immediately and she should be referred to an Obstetrician-Gynecologist experienced in reproductive toxicity for further evaluation and counseling.

Special Prescribing Requirements

Because of isotretinoin’s teratogenicity and to minimize fetal exposure, isotretinoin is approved for marketing only under a special restricted distribution program approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This program is called iPLEDGE. isotretinoin must only be prescribed by prescribers who are registered and activated with the iPLEDGE program. Isotretinoin must only be dispensed by a pharmacy registered and activated with iPLEDGE, and must only be dispensed to patients who are registered and meet all the requirements of iPLEDGE.

• Because Myorisan can cause birth defects, Myorisan is only for patients who can understand and agree to carry out all of the instructions in the iPLEDGE program.
• Myorisan may cause serious mental health problems.

Myorisan can cause serious side effects:

1) Birth defects (deformed babies), loss of a baby before birth (miscarriage), death of the baby and early (premature) births. Female patients who are pregnant or who plan to become pregnant must not take Myorisan. Female patients must not get pregnant:

• for 1 month before starting Myorisan
• while taking Myorisan
• for 1 month after stopping Myorisan

If you get pregnant while taking Myorisan, stop taking it right away and call your doctor. Doctors and patients should report all cases of pregnancy to:

• FDA MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088, and
• the iPLEDGE pregnancy registry at 1-866-495-0654

2) Serious mental health problems. Myorisan may cause:

• depression
• psychosis (seeing or hearing things that are not real)
• suicide. Some patients taking Myorisan have had thoughts about hurting themselves or putting an end to their own lives (suicidal thoughts). Some people tried to end their own lives. And some people have ended their own lives.

Stop Myorisan and call your doctor right away if you or a family member notices that you have any of the following signs and symptoms of depression or psychosis:

• start to feel sad or have crying spells
• lose interest in activities you once enjoyed
• sleep too much or have trouble sleeping
• become more irritable, angry, or aggressive than usual (for example, temper outbursts, thoughts of violence)
• have a change in your appetite or body weight
• have trouble concentrating
• withdraw from your friends or family
• feel like you have no energy
• have feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• start having thoughts about hurting yourself or taking your own life (suicidal thoughts)
• start acting on dangerous impulses
• start seeing or hearing things that are not real

Other serious side effects:

• Serious brain problems: Myorisan can increase the pressure in your brain. This can lead to permanent loss of eyesight and, in rare cases, death. Stop taking Myorisan and call your doctor right away if you get any of these signs of increased brain pressure:
  • bad headache
  • blurred vision
  • dizziness
  • nausea or vomiting
  • seizures (convulsions)
  • stroke
• Skin problems: Skin rash can occur in patients taking Myorisan. In some patients a rash can be serious. Stop using Myorisan and call your doctor right away if you develop conjunctivitis (red or inflamed eyes, like “pink eye”), a rash with a fever, blisters on legs, arms or face and/or sores in your mouth, throat, nose, eyes, or if your skin begins to peel.
• Stomach area (abdomen) problems: Certain symptoms may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. These organs include the liver, pancreas, bowel (intestines) and esophagus (connection between mouth and stomach). If your organs are damaged, they may not get better even after you stop taking Myorisan. Stop taking Myorisan and call your doctor if you get:
  • severe stomach, chest or bowel pain.
  • trouble swallowing or painful swallowing.
  • new or worsening heartburn.
  • diarrhea.
  • rectal bleeding.
  • yellowing of your skin or eyes.
  • dark urine.
• Bone and muscle problems: Myorisan may affect bones, muscles, and ligaments and cause pain in your joints or muscles. Tell your doctor if you plan hard physical activity during treatment with Myorisan. Tell your doctor if you get:
  • back pain.
  • joint pain.
  • broken bone. Tell all healthcare providers that you take Myorisan if you break a bone.

  Stop Myorisan and call your doctor right away if you have muscle weakness. Muscle weakness with or without pain can be a sign of serious muscle damage.

  Myorisan may stop long bone growth in teenagers who are still growing.

• Hearing problems: Stop using Myorisan and call your doctor if your hearing gets worse or if you have ringing in your ears. Your hearing loss may be permanent.
• Vision problems: Myorisan may affect your ability to see in the dark. This condition usually clears up after you stop taking Myorisan, but it may be permanent. Other serious eye effects can occur. Stop taking Myorisan and call your doctor right away if you have any problems with your vision or dryness of the eyes that is painful or constant. If you wear contact lenses, you may have trouble wearing them while taking Myorisan and after treatment.
• Lipid (fats and cholesterol in blood) problems: Myorisan can raise the level of fats and cholesterol in your blood. This can be a serious problem. Return to your doctor for blood tests to check your lipids and to get any needed treatment. These problems usually go away when Myorisan treatment is finished.
• Serious allergic reactions: Stop taking Myorisan and get emergency care right away if you develop hives, a swollen face or mouth or have trouble breathing. Stop taking Myorisan and call your doctor if you get a fever, rash or red patches or bruises on your legs.
• Blood sugar problems: Myorisan may cause blood sugar problems including diabetes. Tell your doctor if you are very thirsty or urinate a lot.
• Decreased red and white blood cells: Call your doctor if you have trouble breathing, faint or feel weak.

After stopping Myorisan, you may also need follow-up mental health care if you had any of these symptoms.

• Do not take Myorisan if you are pregnant, plan to become pregnant or become pregnant during Myorisan treatment. Myorisan causes severe birth defects.
• Do not take Myorisan if you are allergic to anything in it.

Serious side effects have been reported with Myorisan. See “Myorisan Precautions” section.

Common side effects of Myorisan may include the following:

• dry skin
• chapped lips
• dry eyes
• dry nose that may lead to nosebleeds

Call your doctor if you get any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Myorisan and certain other medicines can interact with each other, sometimes causing serious side effects. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

• Vitamin A supplements. Vitamin A in high doses has many of the same side effects as Myorisan. Taking both together may increase your chance of getting side effects.
• tetracycline antibiotics such as doxycycline, tetracycline, or minocycline (Minocin)
• progestin-only birth control pills (mini-pills) such as Camilla, and Norethindrone
• Dilantin (phenytoin)
• corticosteroids such as dexamethasone, hydrocortisone, or fludrocortisone (Florinef)
• St. John’s wort

These medicines should not be used with Myorisan unless your doctor tells you it is okay.

Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show to your doctor and pharmacist. Do not take any new medicine without talking with your doctor.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

Myorisan falls into category X. Myorisan must not be taken by patients who are pregnant or who may become pregnant. There is a high risk that Myorisan will cause birth defects (deformed babies), loss of a baby before birth (miscarriage), death of the baby and early (premature) births. See "Drug Precautions" section.

A program called iPLEDGE has been set up to make sure that pregnant women do not take Myorisan and that women do not become pregnant while taking Myorisan. All patients, including women who cannot become pregnant and men, can get Myorisan only if they are registered with iPLEDGE, have a prescription from a doctor who is registered with iPLEDGE and fill the prescription at a pharmacy that is registered with iPLEDGE. Before prescribing Myorisan, your doctor will:

• explain the iPLEDGE program to you
• have you sign the Patient Information/Informed Consent form (for all patients). Female patients who can get pregnant must also sign another consent form.

You will not be prescribed Myorisan if you cannot agree to or follow all the instructions of the iPLEDGE program. Female patients must not get pregnant:

• for 1 month before starting Myorisan
• while taking Myorisan
• for 1 month after stopping Myorisan

• FDA MedWatch at 1-800-FDA-1088, and
• the iPLEDGE pregnancy registry at 1-866-495-0654

Do not breastfeed while taking Myorisan and for one month after stopping Myorisan. Myorisan should not be used by women who are breastfeeding. It is not known if Myorisan is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding before you receive Myorisan.

You will get no more than a 30 day supply of isotretinoin at a time. This is to make sure you are following the iPLEDGE program.

Swallow your isotretinoin capsules whole with a full glass of liquid. Do not chew or suck on the capsule.

Your acne may get worse when you first start taking isotretinoin. This should last only a short while. Talk with your doctor if this is a problem for you.

Female patients who can get pregnant must agree to use two separate forms of effective birth control at the same time one month before, while taking and for one month after taking isotretinoin. Female patients who can get pregnant will get a pregnancy test each month.

Isotretinoin may cause dry skin and chapped lips.

Isotretinoin can cause depression. Call your doctor right away if this happens.