Entresto Contains 2 Active Ingredients That Work In Different Ways
The first ingredient, valsartan, has been used for years to treat Heart Failure. Valsartan reduces blood vessel tightening and the buildup of sodium and fluid.
The second ingredient, sacubitril, works unlike any other Heart Failure treatment and can only be found in ENTRESTO. It helps relax blood vessels and decrease sodium and fluid in the body.
Are you on ENTRESTO?
What is the most important information I should know about ENTRESTO?
ENTRESTO can harm or cause death to your unborn baby. Talk to your doctor about other ways to treat heart failure if you plan to become pregnant. If you get pregnant during treatment with ENTRESTO, tell your doctor right away.
Do not take ENTRESTO if you:
- are allergic to any of the ingredients in ENTRESTO
- have had an allergic reaction including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, throat or trouble breathing while taking a type of medicine called an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker
- take an ACE inhibitor medicine. Do not take ENTRESTO for at least 36 hours before or after you take an ACE inhibitor medicine. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist before taking ENTRESTO if you are not sure if you take an ACE inhibitor medicine
- have diabetes and take a medicine that contains aliskiren
INDICATION
What is ENTRESTO?
Before taking ENTRESTO tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
What are the possible side effects of ENTRESTO?
ENTRESTO may cause serious side effects including:
Valsartan May Interact With Other Medications
Valsartan oral tablet can interact with other medications, vitamins, or herbs you may be taking. An interaction is when a substance changes the way a drug works. This can be harmful or prevent the drug from working well.
To help avoid interactions, your doctor should manage all of your medications carefully. Be sure to tell your doctor about all medications, vitamins, or herbs youre taking. To find out how this drug might interact with something else youre taking, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Examples of drugs that can cause interactions with valsartan are listed below.
Preparation Of Oral Suspension
ENTRESTO oral suspension can be substituted at the recommended tablet dosage in patients unable to swallow tablets.
ENTRESTO 800 mg/200 mL oral suspension can be prepared in a concentration of 4 mg/mL . Use ENTRESTO 49/51 mg tablets in the preparation of the suspension.
To make an 800 mg/200 mL oral suspension, transfer eight tablets of ENTRESTO 49/51 mg film-coated tablets into a mortar. Crush the tablets into a fine powder using a pestle. Add 60 mL of Ora-Plus® into the mortar and triturate gently with pestle for 10 minutes, to form a uniform suspension. Add 140 mL of Ora-Sweet® SF into mortar and triturate with pestle for another 10 minutes, to form a uniform suspension. Transfer the entire contents from the mortar into a clean 200 mL amber colored PET or glass bottle. Place a press-in bottle adapter and close the bottle with a child resistant cap.
The oral suspension can be stored for up to 15 days. Do not store above 25°C and do not refrigerate. Shake before each use.
*Ora-Sweet SF® and Ora-Plus® are registered trademarks of Paddock Laboratories, Inc.
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Are There Any Other Precautions Or Warnings For This Medication
Before you begin using a medication, be sure to inform your doctor of any medical conditions or allergies you may have, any medications you are taking, whether you are pregnant or breast-feeding, and any other significant facts about your health. These factors may affect how you should use this medication.
Angioedema: Angioedema is a condition where the deeper layers of the skin around the eyes and lips swell. It can be life-threatening if the swelling is severe enough to cause the throat or tongue to swell and block the airways. The risk of developing angioedema with this medication increases if it is taken with other ARBs or any medications in the family of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors .
This condition has been associated with ARBs such as valsartan and may occur with this medication. If you have experienced angioedema in the past with ACEIs or ARBs, discuss with your doctor how this medication may affect your medical condition, how your medical condition may affect the dosing and effectiveness of this medication, and whether any special monitoring is needed.
Kidney problems: Valsartan can cause changes to kidney function that may result in decreased kidney function, kidney failure, or possibly death. Certain people have experienced changes in kidney function .
This medication should not be taken by people with severely decreased kidney function.
Children: The safety and effectiveness of using this medication have not been established for children.
Studies Requirements And Data Extraction
All data were obtained by actively searching of PubMed and Scopus electronic archives up to June 15, 2018. Studies had to be RCTs and were incorporated in the meta-analysis if they met the following criteria: 1) Studies had to be aimed to investigate efficacy and safety of sacubitril/valsartan in elderly hypertensive patients; and 2) Experimental groups had to include hypertensive patients aged > 55 years taking sacubitril/valsartan, whereas control groups had to include hypertensive patients aged > 55 years treated with a comparator drug that could be an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor , an angiotensin receptor blocker , a calcium channel blocker or a beta-blocker.
Animal experimental studies as well as case reports were eliminated from the meta-analysis. Similarly, all studies not written in English, duplicated studies, non-randomized studies, review articles, editorials, and expert opinions were excluded. Eligibility assessment and data extraction were carried out independently by two investigators , with discrepancies resolved by thorough and in-depth discussion between them. Searched keywords were sacubitril/valsartan, angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitor , hypertension, and RCT.
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How To Take And Store
You can take Entresto with food or on an empty stomach. Take each dose at the same time each day. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you realize you missed it unless it’s nearly time for your next dose, in which case wait until then. When giving liquid Entresto to a child, shake the bottle before measuring out the dose.
Entresto should be kept in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of sight and reach of children. Store tablets at room temperature and away from excess heat and moisture . Store liquid Entresto at room temperature for up to 15 days; do not refrigerate it.
Warnings For People With Certain Health Conditions
For people with severe heart failure or kidney disease: This drug may increase your risk of kidney problems and reduce how much urine you make. If you have kidney disease, you should not take valsartan and aliskiren together.
For people with diabetes: You should not take valsartan if youre taking the drug aliskiren.
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Two New Drugs Added To Heart Failure Guidelines
A pair of heart failure drugs approved last year by the Food and Drug Administration have made their way into new treatment guidelines. The American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association and Heart Failure Society of America on Friday released that add Corlanor and Entresto .
In an unprecedented move, the release was timed to coincide with the larger release of the European Society of Cardiologys heart failure guidelines.
The two medications represent the dawning of a new chapter in heart failure treatment, said Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., chair of the U.S. guidelines writing committee and chief of cardiology at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.
We deemed the importance of these two agents and, importantly, instructions for use to be top-of-mind considerations for patients with heart failure and practitioners who treat them, he said. These new treatments are not for every patient with heart failure but, when used correctly, substantial benefits are possible.
Amgens Corlanor and Novartis Entresto are both twice-a-day pills that cost roughly $4,500 a year, with Medicare and most private insurers covering the drugs. But they are very different compounds. Corlanor works by slowing the heart rate, while Entresto works to relax blood vessels, allowing better blood flow, and decrease counterproductive stress on the heart.
Dose Adjustment For Patients Not Taking An Ace Inhibitor Or Arb Or Previously Taking Low Doses Of These Agents
In patients not currently taking an ACE inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor blocker and for patients previously taking low doses of these agents, start ENTRESTO at half the usually recommended starting dose. After initiation, increase the dose every 2 to 4 weeks in adults and every 2 weeks in pediatric patients to follow the recommended dose escalation thereafter .
Note: Initiate pediatric patients weighing 40 to 50 kg who meet this criterion at 0.8 mg/kg twice daily using the oral suspension .
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Before Taking This Medicine
You should not use Entresto if you are allergic to sacubitril or valsartan , or if you have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a blood pressure medication such as:
-
an ACE inhibitor – benazepril, captopril, enalapril, fosinopril, lisinopril, moexipril, perindopril, quinapril, ramipril, trandolapril ; or
-
an ARB – azilsartan, candesartan, eprosartan, irbesartan, losartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan .
You should not take Entresto within 36 hours before or after you have taken any ACE inhibitor medication.
If you have diabetes, do not use Entresto together with any medication that contains aliskiren such as Tekturna or Tekamlo.
You may also need to avoid taking Entresto with aliskiren if you have kidney disease.
To make sure Entresto is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
-
liver disease;
-
if you are on a low-salt-diet; or
-
if you are dehydrated.
Do not use Entresto if you are pregnant. Stop using and tell your doctor right away if you become pregnant. Entresto can cause injury or death to the unborn baby if you take the medicine during your second or third trimester. Use effective birth control.
It is not known whether sacubitril and valsartan passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breastfeed while using Entresto.
What Are The Uses For Sacubitril And Valsartan
- Entresto is used for reducing the risk ofcardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in patients with chronic heart failure .
- Entresto is combined with other heart failure medications and in place of an ACE inhibitor or other ARBs.
What brand names are available for sacubitril and valsartan?
Entresto
Is sacubitril and valsartan available as a generic drug?
Do I need a prescription for sacubitril and valsartan?
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What Form Does This Medication Come In
24 mg/26 mg;Each violet-white, ovaloid, biconvex, film-coated tablet, with bevelled edges, unscored, debossed with “NVR” on one side and “LZ” on the other, contains 24.3 mg of sacubitril and 25.7 mg of valsartan. Nonmedicinal ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate , microcrystalline cellulose, and talc; film-coating: hypromellose, iron oxide red , iron oxide black , Macrogol 4000, talc, and titanium dioxide .
49 mg/51 mg;Each pale yellow, ovaloid, biconvex, film-coated tablet, with bevelled edges, unscored, debossed with “NVR” on one side and “L1” on the other, contains 48.6 mg of sacubitril and 51.4 mg of valsartan. Nonmedicinal ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate , microcrystalline cellulose and talc; film-coating: hypromellose, iron oxide red , iron oxide yellow , Macrogol 4000, talc, and titanium dioxide .
97 mg/103 mgEach light pink, ovaloid, biconvex, film-coated tablet, with bevelled edges, unscored, debossed with “NVR” on one side and “L11” on the other, contains 97.2 mg of sacubitril and 102.8 mg of valsartan. Nonmedicinal ingredients: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate , microcrystalline cellulose and talc; film-coating: hypromellose, iron oxide red , iron oxide black , Macrogol 4000, talc, and titanium dioxide .
How To Get Entresto Prescription Assistance
To get help paying for your Entresto, simply apply with Simplefill online or by phone at 1386-0206. Within 24 hours, youll hear from one of our advocates who will interview you over the phone. Well use the information you provide to identify the prescription assistance programs you are most likely to qualify for and benefit from. Well apply on your behalf to those programs, and if youre approved, well go ahead and get you enrolled.
Well make sure your Entresto prescription is renewed on schedule. And if your doctor prescribes new medications for you, well add them to your profile and help you get assistance paying for them as well.
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More Common Side Effects
The more common side effects that can occur with valsartan if youre taking it for high blood pressure include:
- headache
- flu-like symptoms, such as fever and body aches
- tiredness
- stomach pain
The more common side effects that can occur with valsartan if youre taking it for heart failure include:
- dizziness
- joint and back pain
- tiredness
- symptoms of high blood potassium, such as heart rhythm problems, muscle weakness, and slow heart rate
The more common side effects that can occur with valsartan if youre taking it to increase survival after youve had a heart attack include:
- low blood pressure
- cough
- skin rash
If these effects are mild, they may go away within a few days or a couple of weeks. If theyre more severe or dont go away, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Why Do People Take Entresto
There are a number of reasons why people decide to take;entresto 48.6 51.4 mg. People take this medication because they have high blood pressure. This medication to the combination of two substances. The first is Sacubitril, which widens your blood vessels to lower your blood pressure. The second substance is Valsartan, which blocks a specific receptor that prevents the blood vessels from narrowing. This medication is commonly used to help people who have been diagnosed with heart failure. This medication is also commonly given with other medications to produce the desired effect.;
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How Should I Take Entresto
Take Entresto exactly as prescribed by your doctor. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Your doctor may occasionally change your dose to make sure you get the best results. Do not take this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended.
You may take Entresto with or without food. Take the medicine at the same time each day.
Sacubitril and valsartan doses are based on weight in children. Your child’s dose needs may change if the child gains or loses weight.
If you cannot swallow a tablet whole, a pharmacist can make an oral suspension . Tell the doctor if the person taking this medicine has trouble swallowing the tablet.
Shake the oral suspension before you measure a dose. Use the dosing syringe provided, or use a medicine dose-measuring device .
Your blood pressure will need to be checked often. Your kidney function may also need to be checked.
Store Entresto in the original container at room temperature away from moisture and heat. Throw away any oral suspension not used within 15 days after it was mixed. Do not keep the oral suspension in a refrigerator.
Read all patient information, medication guides, and instruction sheets provided to you. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions.
What Does Simplefill Provide
Simplefill understands that people with serious, potentially life-threatening conditions like chronic heart failure cant benefit from medications they cant afford. We believe that you shouldnt have to sacrifice other essentials, like food and utilities, to pay for your prescriptions. Thats why were committed to helping people find and enroll in assistance programs to pay for vital medications.
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How Does This Medication Work What Will It Do For Me
This is a combination product that contains 2 medications: sacubitril and valsartan. This combination medication is used with other medications to treat heart failure when the heart is unable to pump effectively.
Sacubitril belongs to the class of medications called neutral endopeptidase inhibitors.It prevents the body from forming certain chemicals that cause water and sodium to be reabsorbed by the kidneys. Valsartan belongs to the class of medications called angiotensin II receptor blockers , which relax blood vessels, making more room for blood to flow through them. The combination of these medications relaxes the blood vessels and allows the kidneys to remove excess fluid and sodium from the body. These actions make it easier for the heart to pump blood through the body and reduce symptoms of heart failure.
This medication may be available under multiple brand names and/or in several different forms. Any specific brand name of this medication may not be available in all of the forms or approved for all of the conditions discussed here. As well, some forms of this medication may not be used for all of the conditions discussed here.
Your doctor may have suggested this medication for conditions other than those listed in these drug information articles. If you have not discussed this with your doctor or are not sure why you are taking this medication, speak to your doctor. Do not stop taking this medication without consulting your doctor.
Who Should Not Take This Medication
Do not take this medication if you:
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What Entresto Does
Entresto contains two drugs. One is sacubitril, which belongs to a class of drugs called neprilysin inhibitors. The other drug is valsartan, which is an angiotensin II receptor blocker .
Neprilysin is a protein known as an enzyme, and it breaks down good substances called peptides. The drug sacubitril blocks the action of neprilysin, causing more peptides to form. This leads to the removal of more sodium and fluid from your body, which helps your heart work more easily.
Valsartan works by blocking the effect of the hormone angiotensin II. This helps make your blood vessels relax more. It also allows your kidneys to get rid of extra water and salt. The result is usually lower blood pressure. This puts less stress on your heart.
Both actions of sacubitril and valsartan work together to help your heart pump blood throughout your body more easily.