How to use SANCUSO® (granisetron transdermal system)
Before starting SANCUSO
Tell your healthcare professional about all the medicines you take, including prescription and nonprescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Some of them may affect how SANCUSO works or how your other medicines work.
Follow these steps for proper application
The SANCUSO transdermal system comes inside a pouch which is inside the carton.
Remove the patch from the carton; tear the pouch open and remove the patch. Each pouch contains 1 SANCUSO patch stuck onto a rigid plastic film, and a separate clear protective liner.
Do not remove the SANCUSO patch from the pouch until you are ready to use it
Do not cut the SANCUSO patch into pieces
Remove the thin, clear protective liner to expose the printed side of the patch.
Bend the patch in the middle and remove one half of the rigid plastic film. Be careful not to stick the patch to itself and avoid touching the sticky side of the patch.
While holding the remaining half of the rigid plastic film, apply the patch to the skin. Remove the second half of the rigid plastic film and press the whole patch firmly in place with your fingers and smooth down. Press firmly making sure it sticks well, especially around the edges.
Wash your hands right away after applying the patch to remove any medicine that might have stuck to your fingers.
Keep the patch in place for the duration of the chemotherapy. Remove the patch at least 1 day (24 hours) after chemotherapy is finished. The patch can be worn up to 7 days, depending on the number of days your chemotherapy treatment lasts.
Do not re-use the SANCUSO patch after you remove it. See instructions included with your SANCUSO patch on how to remove and throw away after use.
Wearing SANCUSO
Avoid sunlight. The medicine in SANCUSO may not work as well and/or may affect your skin if exposed to direct sunlight or the light from sunlamps or tanning beds. While you are wearing SANCUSO, you must keep it covered (ie, under clothing) if there is a risk of exposure to sunlight or sunlamps. Continue to keep the application area covered for 10 days after removing SANCUSO
Showering or bathing will not change the way that SANCUSO works—however, you should try to avoid immersing SANCUSO in water for long periods of time to prevent the patch from coming off
Because there is no information on the effect of swimming, strenuous exercise, or use of a sauna or whirlpool on the patch, you should also avoid these activities while wearing SANCUSO
When not to use SANCUSO
Avoid use if you are allergic to granisetron or any of the other ingredients in SANCUSO, or if you have allergies to medical adhesive tape, adhesive dressings, or other skin patches
Avoid use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding unless your healthcare professional has told you that you can use it. Be sure to tell your healthcare professional if you are pregnant, if you become pregnant, or plan to become pregnant while using SANCUSO, or if you are planning to breastfeed or are breastfeeding
Possible side effects of SANCUSO
SANCUSO can cause side effects in some patients. The most common side effects with SANCUSO are constipation and headache
Be sure to notify your healthcare professional if you have pain in your abdomen or your abdomen becomes swollen
While you are wearing SANCUSO, you may see some mild redness at or around the patch application site. If uncomfortable irritation or excessive itchiness occurs, remove the patch and call your healthcare professional
Indication and Important Safety Information For Patients
What is SANCUSO (granisetron trandermal system)?
SANCUSO is a prescription medicine used to prevent nausea and vomiting in adults receiving anti-cancer (chemotherapy) treatment that causes moderate or severe vomiting.
SANCUSO is a skin patch (transdermal system) that slowly releases the medicine into your bloodstream while you wear the transdermal system.
It is not known if SANCUSO is safe and effective in children.
Who should not use SANCUSO?
Do not use SANCUSO if you are allergic to granisetron or any of the ingredients in SANCUSO. See the end of this leaflet for a list of ingredients in SANCUSO.
What should I tell my healthcare provider before using SANCUSO?
Before using SANCUSO, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
have pain or swelling in your stomach area (abdomen).
are pregnant. It is not known if SANCUSO will harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if SANCUSO passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. Other medicines may affect how SANCUSO works. SANCUSO may also affect how other medicines work. SANCUSO contains granisetron. Do not take other granisetron containing products with SANCUSO.
Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine.
How should I use SANCUSO?
Read the Instructions for Use that comes with SANCUSO transdermal system.
Use SANCUSO exactly as your healthcare provided tells you to.
What should I avoid while using SANCUSO?
Do not apply any heat source over or near the SANCUSO transdermal system.
A heating pad or heat lamp should not be used where the transdermal system is applied.
You should avoid long periods of exposure to heat because heat can increase the amount of SANCUSO in your blood.
Avoid sunlight and artificial sunlight. The medicine in SANCUSO may not work as well and may affect your skin if exposed to direct sunlight or artificial sunlight from sunlamps or tanning beds.
Keep the transdermal system covered with clothing if you will be in direct sunlight or artificial sunlight.
Keep the skin where SANCUSO was applied covered for another 10 days after the transdermal system is taken off to protect from exposure to direct sunlight or artificial sunlight.
What are the possible side effects of SANCUSO?
SANCUSO may cause serious side effects, including:
Using SANCUSO may make it harder to identify certain stomach (abdomen) and bowel problems that are from other causes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any abdominal pain or swelling while using SANCUSO.
Serotonin Syndrome. A potentially life-threatening problem called serotonin syndrome can happen if you use SANCUSO with certain medicines. Call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have any of the following signs and symptoms of serotonin syndrome:
agitation
sweating
seeing or hearing things that are not real
flushing (hallucinations)
confusion
high body temperature (hyperthermia)
coma
shaking (tremors), stiff muscles, or muscle twitching
fast heart beat
loss of coordination
changes in blood pressure
seizures
dizziness
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Skin reactions. Skin reactions can happen at the transdermal system application site or outside the transdermal system application site. Tell your healthcare provider if you get any redness, rashes, bumps, blisters or itching at or near the transdermal system application site, and especially if they spread outside the place where the transdermal system was applied or if they appear outside the transdermal system application site. You may need to stop using SANCUSO.
The most common side effect of SANCUSO is constipation.
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of SANCUSO. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.