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 isotretinoin and that women do not become pregnant while taking isotretinoin. All patients, including women who cannot become pregnant and men, can get isotretinoin 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
- Myorisan can cause birth defects (deformed babies), loss of a baby before birth (miscarriage), death of the baby and early (premature) births.
- Myorisan may cause serious mental health problems.
- 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.
- The common, less serious side effects of Myorisan are dry skin, chapped lips, dry eyes and 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.
These are not all of the possible side effects with Myorisan. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you more detailed information.
Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
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.
If you take too much Myorisan, call your local Poison Control Center or seek emergency medical attention right away.
- You must take Myorisan exactly as prescribed. You must also follow all the instructions of the iPLEDGE program. 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.
- You will get no more than a 30 day supply of Myorisan at a time. This is to make sure you are following the Myorisan iPLEDGE program. You should talk with your doctor each month about side effects.
- The amount of Myorisan you take has been specially chosen for you. It is based on your body weight, and may change during treatment.
- Take Myorisan 2 times a day with a meal, unless your doctor tells you otherwise. Swallow your Myorisan capsules whole with a full glass of liquid. Do not chew or suck on the capsule. Myorisan can hurt the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach (esophagus) if it is not swallowed whole.
- If you miss a dose, just skip that dose. Do not take two doses at the same time.
- If you take too much Myorisan or overdose, call your doctor or poison control center right away.
- Your acne may get worse when you first start taking Myorisan. This should last only a short while. Talk with your doctor if this is a problem for you.
- You must return to your doctor as directed to make sure you don’t have signs of serious side effects. Your doctor may do blood tests to check for serious side effects from Myorisan. Female patients who can get pregnant will get a pregnancy test each month.
- 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 Myorisan. You must access the iPLEDGE system to answer questions about the program requirements and to enter your two chosen forms of birth control. To access the iPLEDGE system, go to www.ipledgeprogram.com or call 1-866-495-0654.
You must talk about effective birth control methods with your doctor or go for a free visit to talk about birth control with another doctor or family planning expert. Your doctor can arrange this free visit, which will be paid for by the company that makes Myorisan.
If you have sex at any time without using two forms of effective birth control, get pregnant or miss your expected period, stop using Myorisan and call your doctor right away.
What you should avoid while taking Myorisan:
- Do not get pregnant while taking Myorisan and for one month after stopping Myorisan. See “Drug Precautions” section.
- Do not breastfeed while taking Myorisan and for one month after stopping Myorisan. It is not known if Myorisan can pass through your milk and harm the baby.
- Do not give blood while you take Myorisan and for one month after stopping Myorisan. If someone who is pregnant gets your donated blood, her baby may be exposed to Myorisan and may be born with birth defects.
- Do not take other medicines or herbal products with Myorisan unless you talk to your doctor.
- Do not drive at night until you know if Myorisan has affected your vision. Myorisan may decrease your ability to see in the dark.
- Do not have cosmetic procedures to smooth your skin, including waxing, dermabrasion, or laser procedures, while you are using Myorisan and for at least 6 months after you stop. Myorisan can increase your chance of scarring from these procedures. Check with your doctor for advice about when you can have cosmetic procedures.
- Avoid sunlight and ultraviolet lights as much as possible. Tanning machines use ultraviolet lights. Myorisan may make your skin more sensitive to light.
- Do not share Myorisan with other people. It can cause birth defects and other serious health problems.
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following health conditions:
- mental problems
- asthma
- liver disease
- diabetes
- heart disease
- bone loss (osteoporosis) or weak bones
- an eating problem called anorexia nervosa (where people eat too little)
- food or medicine allergies
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Myorisan must not be used by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
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.
CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNINGS
Myorisan 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 Myorisan 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 Myorisan 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 Myorisan, Myorisan 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 Myorisan’s teratogenicity and to minimize fetal exposure, Myorisan is approved for marketing only under a special restricted distribution program approved by the Food and Drug Administration. This program is called iPLEDGETM. Myorisan must only be prescribed by prescribers who are registered and activated with the iPLEDGE program. Myorisan 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.
Myorisan is a prescription medicine used to treat severe 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.
Myorisan (generic: isotretinoin) 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 that retinoids work by preventing oil production in sebaceous glands.
This medication comes in capsule form and is taken twice daily, with food. Myorisan is usually taken for four or five months.
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.
Active Ingredient: Isotretinoin
Inactive Ingredients: yellow wax, butylated hydroxyanisole, edetate disodium, hydrogenated vegetable oil, tocopherol, and soybean oil. Gelatin capsules contain gelatin, glycerin, and non-crystallizing sorbitol solution, with the following dye systems: 10 mg – ferric oxide (yellow) and titanium dioxide; 20 mg – titanium dioxide; 40 mg – FD&C Yellow No. 6 and titanium dioxide.
The edible imprinting ink for all the capsules contains: shellac glaze, dehydrated alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, iron oxide black, N-butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, and ammonium hydroxide.
- Store at room temperature, between 68° to 77°F (20° to 25°C). Protect from light.
- Keep Myorisan and all medicines out of the reach of children.
The recommended Myorisan dosage varies from person to person depending on the patient’s weight, severity of acne, and response to the medication.
The recommended dosage range for Myorisan is 0.5 to 1 mg/kg/day given in two divided doses, with food, for 15 to 20 weeks.
Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Myorisan there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving Myorisan.
- Myorisan is used to treat a type of severe acne (nodular acne) that has not been helped by other treatments, including antibiotics.
- 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:
- 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
- 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
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.
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. Tetracycline antibiotics taken with Myorisan can increase the chances of getting increased pressure in the brain.
- Progestin-only birth control pills (mini-pills). They may not work while you take Myorisan. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you are not sure what type you are using.
- Dilantin (phenytoin). This medicine taken with Myorisan may weaken your bones.
- Corticosteroid medicines. These medicines taken with Myorisan may weaken your bones.
- St. John’s Wort. This herbal supplement may make birth control pills work less effectively.
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.