Vantas

Vantas is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer.

Vantas belongs to a group of drugs called gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists. These work by regulating the amount of certain hormones in the body.

This medication comes in a small, thin implant that is placed under the skin of the upper arm. It slowly releases medication over the course of 1 year.

Common side effects of Vantas include hot flashes, fatigue, implant site reaction, and testicular atrophy.

Vantas can also cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Vantas affects you.

Vantas is a prescription medication used to treat the symptoms of advanced prostate cancer.

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

• Endo Pharmaceuticals Solutions Inc.

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

Common side effects of Vantas include the following:

• bruising, soreness, tingling, or itching at the place where implant was inserted
• scarring at the place where implant was inserted
• hot flashes (a sudden wave of mild or intense body heat)
• tiredness
• enlarged breasts
• decrease in size of testicles
• decreased sexual ability
• constipation

This is not a complete list of Vantas side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

No Vantas drug interactions have been studied by the manufacturer. However, you should tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Not all drug interactions are known or reported and new drug interactions are continually being reported.

Serious side effects have been reported with Vantas including the following:

• High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have diabetes and experience worsening blood sugar control.
• Cardiovascular disease. Some patients receiving Vantas have shown an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Vantas therapy may also cause changes in the electrical impulses in the heart. Caution should be exercised for patients with long QT syndrome, congestive heart failure, and electrolyte abnormalities.

Vantas can cause dizziness. Do not drive or operate heavy machinery until you know how Vantas affects you.

Do not take Vantas if you:

• are allergic to Vantas or to any of its ingredients
• are a woman

Medications 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 Vantas, there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when receiving this medication.

Before taking Vantas, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions. Especially tell your doctor if you:

• are allergic to Vantas or to any of its ingredients
• have diabetes
• have cancer that has spread to the spine
• have a urinary obstruction
• have heart problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

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.

Vantas falls into category X. It has been shown that women taking Vantas during pregnancy may have babies born with problems. There are no situations where the benefits of the medication for the mother outweigh the risks of harm to the baby. These medicines should never be used by pregnant women.

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Vantas should not be used in women. It is not known if Vantas crosses into human milk. Because many medications can cross into human milk and because of the possibility for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants with use of this medication, a choice should be made whether to stop nursing or stop the use of this medication. Your doctor and you will decide if the benefits outweigh the risk of using Vantas.

Take Vantas exactly as prescribed.

This medication comes in a small, thin implant that is placed under the skin of the upper arm. It slowly releases medication over the course of 1 year.

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 the condition being treated.

The recommended dose of Vantas is 1 implant for 1 year. The implant will deliver approximately 50 mcg of the active drug per day for 12 months.

If you take too much Vantas, call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

If Vantas is administered by a healthcare provider in a medical setting, it is unlikely that an overdose will occur. However, if overdose is suspected, seek emergency medical attention.

• Store Vantas implants in the refrigerator, between 2 and 8°C (36 and 46°F). The implantation kit should be stored at room temperature.
• Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.