Lopid

Country: Australia

Language: English

Source: Department of Health (Therapeutic Goods Administration)

Active ingredient:

Gemfibrozil

Available from:

Pfizer Australia Pty Ltd

Class:

Medicine Registered

Patient Information leaflet

LOPID
®

_Gemfibrozil_
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION

WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET
This leaflet answers some of the
more common questions about
LOPID. It does not contain all of the
available information. It does not
take the place of talking with your
doctor and pharmacist.
All medicines have benefits and
risks. Your doctor has weighed the
risks of you taking LOPID against
the benefits he/she expects it will
have for you.
ASK YOUR DOCTOR OR PHARMACIST IF
YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT
TAKING THIS MEDICINE.
KEEP THIS INFORMATION WITH YOUR
MEDICINE.
You may want to read it again later.
WHAT LOPID IS USED
FOR
_WHAT LOPID DOES_
LOPID helps to lower high
triglycerides, cholesterol and other
fats. It should be used in conjunction
with a low fat diet.
LOPID is used in patients with
pancreatitis (inflammation of the
pancreas) to lower very high levels of
triglycerides when strict diet control
has not been adequate.
LOPID can also be used to control
fats in the blood in diabetic patients,
and reduce the risk of heart diseases
such as angina and heart attacks in
patients with high levels of
cholesterol.
_WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL AND_
_TRIGLYCERIDES_
Everyone has cholesterol in their
blood. It is a type of blood fat needed
by the body. Cholesterol has many
functions; these include building cell
membranes, making bile acids
(which help digest food) and
producing some essential hormones.
However, too much cholesterol can
be a problem.
Cholesterol is present in many foods
and is also made in your body by the
liver. If your body does not balance
the amount of cholesterol it needs
with the amount of cholesterol eaten,
then your cholesterol levels become
too high.
High cholesterol is more likely to
occur with certain diseases or if you
have a family history of high
cholesterol.
There are different types of
cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the
"bad" cholesterol that can block your
blood vessels. HDL cholesterol is the
"good" cholesterol that is thought to
remove the bad cholesterol from the
blood vessels.
When you have high leve

Summary of Product characteristics

Version:  pfplopit10813 
Supersedes:  pfplopit11009 

Page: 1 of 13 
PRODUCT INFORMATION 
LOPID
®
 (GEMFIBROZIL) 
NAME OF MEDICINE 
LOPID (gemfibrozil) 600 mg tablets. 
LOPID  contains  the  active  ingredient  gemfibrozil.    Gemfibrozil  is  a  nonhalogenated 
phenoxypentanoic acid with the following structural formula: 

- O - C H 
2
 - C H 
2
 - C H 
2
 - C - C O O H 
C H 
3

C H 
3

C H 
3

C H 
3

Chemical name: 
5-(2,5-dimethylphenoxy)-2,2-dimethylpentanoic acid 
Molecular formula: 
C
15
H
22
0
3

Molecular weight: 
250.35 
CAS registry number: 
25812-30-0. 
DESCRIPTION 
Gemfibrozil is a white, waxy powder which is stable under ordinary conditions.  The melting 
point is 58-61 C.  Its solubility is 0.0019% (w/v) in water and in acid and over 1% in dilute 
base. 
Each  film-coated  tablet  contains  600  mg  gemfibrozil.    LOPID  tablets  also  contain  colloidal 
anhydrous  silica,  pregelatinised  starch,  polysorbate  80,  microcystalline  cellulose, 
hypromellose,  calcium  stearate,  hydroxypropylcellulose,  methyl  hydroxybenzoate,  propyl 
hydroxybenzoate, macrogol 3500, opaspray white and
candelilla wax. 
PHARMACOLOGY 
MECHANISM OF ACTION 
LOPID's  mechanism  of  action  has  not  been  definitely  established.    In  man,  LOPID  inhibits 
peripheral  lipolysis  and  decreases  the  hepatic  extraction  of  free  fatty  acids,  thus  reducing 
hepatic  triglyceride  production.    LOPID  also  inhibits  synthesis  and  increases  clearance  of 
apolipoprotein B, which is a carrier of VLDL, leading to a
decrease in VLDL production. 
LOPID is a lipid regulating agent which decreases serum triglycerides and total cholesterol, 
and  increases  high  density  lipoprotein  cholesterol  (HDL-chol