MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Linezolid 600 mg film-coated tablets (Sandoz Ltd)

MHRA Class 4 Medicines Defect Information: Linezolid 600 mg film-coated tablets (Sandoz Ltd)

Drug alert number: EL (24)A/48

Date issued: 10 October 2024

The Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued a class 4 medicines defect information notice for: Linezolid 600 mg film-coated tablets (Sandoz Ltd)

Company name: Sandoz Ltd

Product name: Linezolid 600 mg film-coated tablets, PL 04416/1389

SNOMED Code: 31684511000001106

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient: linezolid

Brief description of the problem

Sandoz Ltd. has informed the MHRA that there is missing safety information in the Patient Information Leaflet (PIL) and Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC) for Linezolid 600 mg film-coated tablets. The summary of the missing safety information is tabulated in Annex 1.

Advice for healthcare professionals

There is no risk to product quality or impact to safety of the medicine listed in this notification because of this missing information, full details in Annex 1.

The missing information from the SmPC is already covered under other sections:

• The missed extension of thrombocytopenia to patients with hepatic impairment under section 4.4 of the SmPC is already included in same section under sub section special population where it is recommended that linezolid should be given to patients with severe hepatic insufficiency only when the perceived benefit outweighs the theoretical risk. Hyponatremia and/ (SIADH) is already listed twice under section 4.8 of the SmPC under metabolism disorders & investigations
• The missed ADR of Hypersensitivity vasculitis missing under section 4.8 of the SmPC SOC skin & subcutaneous tissue disorders is covered under broader topic as a contraindication in section 4.3
• The missed warning under section 4.4 of the SmPC on Impairment of fertility is limited to adult male rats and already covered under section 4.6 of the SmPC “Fertility, pregnancy & lactation”.
• The missed frequency upgrade in section 4.8. are considered of minor impact for patient safety. All ADRs for which frequency has been updated are already listed in the SmPC.

Healthcare professionals are advised to review the content of this notification, as it provides information that is missing from the current SmPC & PIL on the existing clinical concepts and take this into account when prescribing.

If the medicine listed in this notification is supplied or dispensed, ensure that patients are aware of the information missing from the PIL on warnings prior to taking Linezolid and possible side-effects (see Annex 1, Table 2). It is important to advise patients that if they experience any of the symptoms listed in Table 2, they should seek immediate medical advice.

Sandoz Ltd has confirmed that all future batches of the product will contain the updated PIL

View full alert here.

Advice for patients

Patients do not need to take any action. The information in Annex 1, Table 2 is missing from the Patient Information Leaflet. The missing information does not change or affect the quality of the product. Therefore, you can safely continue your treatment. However, should you experience any reactions or symptoms matched with the information in Table 2, or you have a history of hyponatraemia, or you take medicines that lower blood sodium levels, please urgently contact your healthcare professional.

Patients who experience adverse reactions or have any questions about their medication should seek medical attention. Any suspected adverse reactions should also be reported via the MHRA Yellow Card scheme.

Further Information

For medical information queries, please contact: sandozgb@EU.propharmagroup.com, Telephone: +44 1276 698 101.

For stock control queries, please contact: sales.sandoz-gb@sandoz.com, Telephone: +44 1276 698607.