Cellcept and/or Equivalents

Cellcept

Cellcept Description

Cellcept is the brand name of a medicine that is prescribed as an immunosuppressant in patients who have undergone organ transplantation. In normal circumstances, the lymphocytes (which are a type of white blood cell are responsible for attacking and destroying any foreign entity entering the body) would attack the transplanted organ, thereby forcing your body to reject it. Cellcept works by preventing the formation of these lymphocytes thereby enabling your body to accept the transplanted organ. The active molecule in Cellcept is mycophenolate mofetil. It is available as capsules, tablets, oral suspension and intravenous injections. Each Cellcept capsule has a blue-brown, oblong shaped hard gelatinous body with ‘CellcCept 250’ and ‘Roche’ printed on it and contains 250mg of the active ingredient. The lavender coloured tablet is caplet shaped and film coated with ‘CellCept 500’ and ‘Roche’ imprinted on either side. It contains 500mg of mycophenolate mofetil. Cellcept oral suspension is an off-white powder which yields 200 mg of mycophenolate mofetil per ml of the suspension when reconstituted. CellCept intravenous injection contains 500 mg mycophenolate mofetil in the hydrochloride salt form. It is available as a lyophilized sterile whitish powder and is reconstituted and diluted with dextrose injection 5% before application. Cellcept capsules contain croscarmellose sodium, pregelatinized starch, magnesium stearate, povidone (K-90) etc as the inactive ingredients. The tablets include croscarmellose sodium, hydroxypropyl cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, iron oxide, titanium dioxide, talc and other ingredients as the inactive constituents. The inactive ingredients in the oral suspension include anhydrous citric acid, sorbitol, mixed fruit flavour, aspartame, soybean lecithin, xanthan gum and other ingredients while the intravenous injection has citric acid and polysorbate 80 as secondary constituents. Cellcept is presented by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.

Conditions Treated by Cellcept

In patients who have received cardiac, hepatic or renal transplant, Cellcept is prescribed in order to suppress the body’s natural immune system so that the transplanted organ is not rejected. It is prescribed concomitantly with corticosteroids and cyclosporine.

Cellcept Dosage Information

a.) Typical dosage recommendations

p>Cellcept is usually administered immediately following an organ transplant. Though the dosage can vary according to various factors like age, patient’s medical condition, medical history etc, the medicine is usually administered twice daily with minimum of twelve hour interval between the doses. The doses should be administered on empty stomach at the same hour everyday for better efficacy. In adults who have undergone renal transplantation, 1gm of Cellcept is given either intravenously or orally twice in a day. In paediatric patients, the normal dosage is 600mg/m2 of body surface area though this dose is likely to vary depending on the patient’s age and body size. In patients with cardiac transplant, 1.5gm of Cellcept is given orally or intravenously twice daily while in patients who have undergone hepatic transplantation, a twice daily dose of 1gm of Cellcept intravenous injection or 1.5gm of Cellcept oral is recommended.

b.) Missing a dose

In case you have missed a dose of Cellcept, it is better to take the skipped dose as soon as possible. However, skip it altogether if it is almost time for the next dose. Never take extra dose of Cellcept in order to make up for the skipped dose.

c.) Overdosing

If you have overdosed Cellcept, seek immediate medical attention for symptomatic treatment of diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, abnormal bleeding or bruising or any signs of infection which are the usual symptoms of overdosing.

Cellcept Warnings

Before starting treatment with Cellcept, inform your doctor about your present and past medical history, any particular allergies or any other medication you are taking presently. Your physician may not prescribe Cellcept if you are allergic to mycophenolate mofetil (the main ingredient) or any to any of the other inactive ingredients present in the medication. Since Cellcept is an immunosuppressant, your body’s natural immunity system will be severely compromised and you will be susceptible to infections. Hence, it is advisable to avoid contact with persons suffering from any infection and to protect yourself adequately. Contact your physician immediately in case you experience any symptoms of infection like sore throat, chills, fever or difficulty while urinating. If you are taking Cellcept, you may be prone to lymphoma, a type of cancer seen in people undergoing treatment with immunosuppressant medicines. You may also suffer from Pure Red Cell Aplasia (PRCA), wherein your bone marrow can no longer make RBCs. Contact your physician immediately in case you experience symptoms of PRCA like difficulty in breathing or unexpected tiredness. Cellcept has sometimes caused internal bleeding in the stomach in some patients. Therefore, contact your medical caregiver immediately if you are spitting blood or passing bloody black stools. Inform your physician in case you are pregnant, plan to conceive or breastfeeding. Also inform him/her in case you have impaired renal function. Never share your medication with anyone else and always keep the tablets and capsules in their blister pack when not consumed. Swallow them whole without crushing, opening or dividing. If you are using the suspension, shake the bottle for about five seconds before using and do not use any other liquid with the suspension. Never use any remaining suspension after two months of reconstitution. Take Cellcept exactly as advised by your physician. Do not discontinue or change the dosage arbitrarily. Store Cellcept capsules, tablets and suspension in a cool and dark place at normal temperature away from children and pets.

Cellcept Side Effects

Like all medications, Cellcept too has its side effects which may not be equally apparent in all patients. You may experience minor symptoms like diarrhoea, constipation, flatulence, heartburn, skin rashes, acne or loss of appetite. However, you should seek immediate medical treatment in case you have any serious side effects like:

• Irregular heart beat
• Painful urination
• Abdominal pain
• Difficulty in breathing
• Fever
• Chills or sore throat
• Red spots on the skin
• Pain in the lower back
• Swelling in your feet
• White patches on tongue, mouth or throat
• Unusual tiredness
• Bloody stools or urine
• Blood in the spit or vomit
• Bleeding gums

Cellcept Drug Interactions

It is common for medications to interact with each other. Your physician is the best person to judge the safety of Cellcept in case you are already taking azathioprine, aluminium and magnesium based antacids, rifampin, natalizumab, vaccines and several other prescription drugs. He/she would also like to know if you are taking any other non-prescription drugs including vitamins, dietary supplements, herbal preparations etc or about your addiction to caffeine, nicotine, street drugs or alcohol.

If you have any questions about buying discount Cellcept online or any other prescription products you can contact our team of professional Patient Service Representatives or one of our pharmacists 24-7 by calling 1-800-226-3784.

Notice: The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

Cellcept and/or Equivalents warnings, side-effects and general information