Relvar Ellipta Special Precautions

Deterioration of disease: Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol should not be used to treat acute asthma symptoms or an acute exacerbation in COPD, for which a short-acting bronchodilator is required. Increasing use of short-acting bronchodilators to relieve symptoms indicates deterioration of control and patients should be reviewed by a physician.
Patients should not stop therapy with fluticasone furoate/vilanterol in asthma or COPD, without physician supervision since symptoms may recur after discontinuation.
Asthma-related adverse events and exacerbations may occur during treatment with fluticasone furoate/vilanterol. Patients should be asked to continue treatment but to seek medical advice if asthma symptoms remain uncontrolled or worsen after initiation of treatment with Relvar Ellipta.
Paradoxical bronchospasm: Paradoxical bronchospasm may occur with an immediate increase in wheezing after dosing. This should be treated immediately with a short-acting inhaled bronchodilator. Relvar Ellipta should be discontinued immediately, the patient assessed and alternative therapy instituted if necessary.
Cardiovascular effects: Cardiovascular effects, such as cardiac arrhythmias e.g. supraventricular tachycardia and extrasystoles may be seen with sympathomimetic medicinal products including Relvar Ellipta. In a placebo-controlled study in subjects with a history of, or an increased risk of, cardiovascular disease, there was no increase in the risk of, cardiovascular events, serious cardiovascular events, or adjudicated cardiovascular deaths in patients receiving fluticasone furoate/vilanterol compared with placebo (see Adverse Reactions). However, fluticasone furoate/vilanterol should be used with caution in patients with severe cardiovascular disease or heart rhythm abnormalities, thyrotoxicosis, uncorrected hypokalaemia or patients predisposed to low levels of serum potassium.
Systemic corticosteroid effects: Systemic effects may occur with any inhaled corticosteroid, particularly at high doses prescribed for long periods. These effects are much less likely to occur than with oral corticosteroids. Possible systemic effects include Cushing's syndrome, Cushingoid features, adrenal suppression, decrease in bone mineral density, growth retardation in children and adolescents, cataract and glaucoma and more rarely, a range of psychological or behavioural effects including psychomotor hyperactivity, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression or aggression (particularly in children).
Fluticasone furoate/vilanterol should be administered with caution in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis or in patients with chronic or untreated infections.
Visual disturbance: Visual disturbance may be reported with systemic and topical corticosteroid use. If a patient presents with symptoms such as blurred vision or other visual disturbances, the patient should be considered for referral to an ophthalmologist for evaluation of possible causes which may include cataract, glaucoma or rare diseases such as central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) which have been reported after use of systemic and topical corticosteroids.
Hyperglycaemia: There have been reports of increases in blood glucose levels in diabetic patients and this should be considered when prescribing to patients with a history of diabetes mellitus.
Pneumonia in patients with COPD: An increase in the incidence of pneumonia, including pneumonia requiring hospitalisation, has been observed in patients with COPD receiving inhaled corticosteroids. There is some evidence of an increased risk of pneumonia with increasing steroid dose but this has not been demonstrated conclusively across all studies.
There is no conclusive clinical evidence for intra-class differences in the magnitude of the pneumonia risk among inhaled corticosteroid products.
Physicians should remain vigilant for the possible development of pneumonia in patients with COPD as the clinical features of such infections overlap with the symptoms of COPD exacerbations.
Risk factors for pneumonia in patients with COPD include current smoking status, older age, low body mass index (BMI) and severe COPD.
Relvar Ellipta 200/25 micrograms is not indicated for patients with COPD. There is no additional benefit of the 200/25 micrograms dose compared to the 100/25 micrograms dose and there is a potential increased risk of systemic corticosteroid-related adverse reactions (see Adverse Reactions).
Pneumonia in patients with asthma: The incidence of pneumonia in patients with asthma was common at the higher dose. The incidence of pneumonia in patients with asthma taking fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 200/25 micrograms was numerically higher compared with those receiving fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 micrograms or placebo (see Adverse Reactions). No risk factors were identified.
Excipients: Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicinal product.
Effects on ability to drive and use machines: Fluticasone furoate or vilanterol has no or negligible influence on the ability to drive and use machines.
Patients with hepatic impairment: For patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment, the 100/25 micrograms dose should be used and patients should be monitored for systemic corticosteroid-related reactions (see Pharmacology: Pharmacokinetics under Actions).