PIL
CHEMMART GEMFIBROZIL
_Contains the active ingredient gemfibrozil (gem-FI-broe-zil)_
CONSUMER MEDICINE INFORMATION
WHAT IS IN THIS LEAFLET
This leaflet answers some common
questions about Chemmart
Gemfibrozil. It does not contain all
the available information. It does not
take the place of talking to your
doctor and pharmacist.
The information in this leaflet was
last updated on the date listed on the
last page. More recent information on
this medicine may be available.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist:
•
if there is anything you do not
understand in this leaflet,
•
if you are worried about taking
your medicine, or
•
to obtain the most up-to-date
information.
You can also download the most up
to date leaflet from
www.apotex.com.au.
All medicines have risks and
benefits. Your doctor has weighed
the risks of you using this medicine
against the benefits they expect it
will have for you.
Pharmaceutical companies cannot
give you medical advice or an
individual diagnosis.
Keep this leaflet with the medicine.
You may need to read it again.
WHAT THIS MEDICINE IS
USED FOR
The name of your medicine is
Chemmart Gemfibrozil.
It contains the active ingredient
gemfibrozil.
It is used to treat:
•
high triglycerides and cholesterol
levels.
It should be used in conjunction with
a low fat diet.
Ask your doctor if you have any
questions about why this medicine
has been prescribed for you.
Your doctor may have prescribed it
for another reason.
_HOW IT WORKS_
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is a
normal and important substance in
your body. It is used to build cell
walls, and to make bile acids and
hormones. Your body usually makes
cholesterol in the liver, but it also
comes from food. If the body does
not balance the amount of cholesterol
it needs with the amount of
cholesterol eaten, then your
cholesterol level becomes abnormal.
There are different types of
cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is "bad"
cholesterol that can block your blood
vessels. HDL cholesterol is the
"good" cholesterol that is thought to
remove the
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SPC
Product Information
– Australia
Chemmart Gemfibrozil
Page 1 of 11
CHEMMART GEMFIBROZIL TABLETS
NAME OF THE MEDICINE
Gemfibrozil.
Chemical name:
5-(2,5-dimethylphenoxy)-2,2-dimethylpentanoic acid.
Structural Formula:
Molecular Formula: C
15
H
22
O
3
.
Molecular Weight:
250.35.
CAS Registry No:
25812-30-0
DESCRIPTION
Gemfibrozil is a non-halogenated phenoxypentanoic acid. It 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.
PHARMACOLOGY
Gemfibrozil is a lipid regulating agent which decreases serum triglycerides and total cholesterol, and
increases high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol). The lipid-lowering changes occur
primarily in the very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) fraction rich in triglycerides and to a lesser extent in
the low density lipoprotein (LDL) fraction rich in cholesterol. Gemfibrozil treatment of patients with
elevated triglycerides due to Type IV hyperlipoproteinaemia
may cause a rise in LDL-cholesterol.
However, gemfibrozil increases the HDL-cholesterol subfractions, HDL2 and HDL3, as well as
apolipoproteins AI and AII.
Gemfibrozil's mechanism of action has not been definitely established. In man, gemfibrozil inhibits
peripheral lipolysis and decreases the hepatic extraction of free fatty acids, thus reducing hepatic
triglyceride production. Gemfibrozil also inhibits synthesis and
increases clearance of apolipoprotein B,
which is a carrier of VLDL, leading to a decrease in
VLDL production
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