Vantas

Generic name: histrelin (implant)
Brand names: Supprelin LA, Vantas
Drug classes: Gonadotropin releasing hormones, Hormones / antineoplastics

Medically reviewed by  A Ras MD.

What is Vantas?

Vantas is a prescription medicine that is used to treat prostate cancer. Vantas may be given to you for other reasons.

Description

VANTAS® (histrelin acetate) implant is a sterile, non-biodegradable, diffusion-controlled hydrogel polymer reservoir containing histrelin acetate, a synthetic nonapeptide analog of the naturally occurring gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). VANTAS is designed to deliver approximately 50 mcg histrelin acetate per day (equivalent to approximately 41 mcg histrelin per day) over 12 months.

The sterile VANTAS implant looks like a small thin flexible tube and consists of a 50-mg histrelin acetate drug core inside a 3.5 cm by 3 mm, cylindrical hydrogel polymer reservoir (Figure A). The implant may appear partially to completely full with variation in color from off-white to light brown. The color may be uneven within the core.

Figure A: VANTAS Implant diagram (not to scale)

Histrelin acetate is chemically described as: 5-oxo-L-prolyl-L-histidyl-L-tryptophyl-L-seryl-L-tyrosyl-Ntbenzyl-Dhistidyl-L-leucyl-L-arginyl-N-ethyl-L-prolinamide acetate (salt) [C₆₆H₈₆N₁₈O₁₂ (1.7-2.8 moles) CH₃COOH, (0.6-7.0 moles) H₂O], with the molecular weight of 1443.70 (or 1323.50 as histrelin base).

Histrelin acetate has the following structural formula:

The drug core also contains the inactive ingredient stearic acid NF. The hydrogel polymer reservoir is a hydrophilic cartridge composed of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate, trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate, benzoin methyl ether, Perkadox-16, and Triton X-100. Each implant is packaged hydrated in a glass vial containing 2 mL of sterile 1.8% sodium chloride solution. The implant is primed for immediate release of the drug upon insertion.

Before taking Vantas, tell your doctor:

• If you are allergic to this medicine (Vantas); any part of this medicine (Vantas); or any other drugs, foods, or substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had.
• If you are a woman. This medicine is not approved for use in women. This medicine may cause harm to an unborn baby if it is taken during pregnancy. If you are a woman using this medicine (Vantas), talk with your doctor if you are pregnant, plan on getting pregnant, or are breast-feeding.

This medicine may interact with other drugs or health problems.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine (Vantas) with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

What are some things I need to know or do while I take Vantas?

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take this medicine (Vantas). This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Follow up with the doctor as you have been told.
• This medicine may raise some hormone levels in your body during the first few weeks of taking it. Disease signs may get worse before getting better. Tell your doctor if you have any new signs or if your disease signs are worse for longer than a few weeks after starting this medicine (Vantas).
• This medicine lowers some hormone levels in your body. This may cause some effects like change in breast size, breast soreness or tenderness, testicle changes in men, change in sex ability in men, hot flashes, or sweating. Talk with your doctor.
• Lowering male hormones in the body may raise the chance of a type of heartbeat that is not normal called prolonged QT interval. Talk with the doctor.
• The chance of very bad and sometimes deadly problems may be raised in people who have growths on or near the spine or spinal cord or bladder blockage. Talk with your doctor.
• If you have high blood sugar (diabetes), talk with your doctor. This medicine may raise blood sugar.
• Check your blood sugar as you have been told by your doctor.
• Rarely, the implant may come out from where it was put in. Call the doctor if this happens.
• This medicine may affect certain lab tests. Tell all of your health care providers and lab workers that you take this medicine (Vantas).
• Have blood work checked as you have been told by the doctor. Talk with the doctor.
• Have a bone density test as you have been told by your doctor. Talk with your doctor.

How is Vantas best taken?

Use this medicine (Vantas) as ordered by your doctor. Read all information given to you. Follow all instructions closely.

• This medicine is placed under the skin in the upper arm. This is minor surgery. Your doctor will do this.
• Keep the arm where this medicine (Vantas) is placed dry for 24 hours after it is placed. Avoid bathing and swimming for 24 hours.
• Do not remove any surgical strips. These will fall off on their own in a few days.
• Avoid heavy lifting or exercise using the arm for 7 days after placement.

What do I do if I miss a dose?

• Call your doctor to find out what to do.

What are the side effects of Vantas that I need to call my doctor about immediately?

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Signs of high blood sugar like confusion, feeling sleepy, more thirst, more hungry, passing urine more often, flushing, fast breathing, or breath that smells like fruit.
• Seizures.
• A burning, numbness, or tingling feeling that is not normal.
• Not able to pass urine or change in how much urine is passed.
• Pain when passing urine.
• Blood in the urine.
• Bone pain that is new or worse.
• Weakness.
• Not able to move.
• Very bad dizziness or passing out.
• A fast heartbeat.
• A heartbeat that does not feel normal.
• A higher chance of stroke or severe and sometimes deadly heart problems have been noted with the use of drugs like this medicine (Vantas) in men. The chance is low, but get medical help right away if you have chest pain or pressure, weakness on 1 side of the body, trouble speaking or thinking, change in balance, drooping on 1 side of the face, or change in eyesight.
• A very bad pituitary gland problem (pituitary apoplexy) has rarely happened with this medicine (Vantas). Most of the time, this has happened within 2 weeks after the first dose. Call your doctor right away if you have a sudden headache, throwing up, passing out, mood changes, eye weakness, not able to move your eyes, or change in eyesight.
• Behavior and mood changes have happened with the use of drugs like this one in children. This includes acting aggressive, crying, depression, emotional ups and downs, restlessness, and feeling angry and irritable. Call your doctor right away if you have any new or worse behavior or mood changes.

What are some other side effects of Vantas?

All drugs may cause side effects. However, many people have no side effects or only have minor side effects. Call your doctor or get medical help if any of these side effects or any other side effects bother you or do not go away:

• Irritation where implant was placed.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Constipation.

These are not all of the side effects that may occur. If you have questions about side effects, call your doctor. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-332-1088. You may also report side effects at https://www.fda.gov/medwatch.

If overdose is suspected:

If you think there has been an overdose, call your poison control center or get medical care right away. Be ready to tell or show what was taken, how much, and when it happened.

How do I store and/or throw out Vantas?

• If you need to store this medicine (Vantas) at home, talk with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist about how to store it.

SRC: NLM .