Consumer medicine information

Radpharm DTPA

Technetium (99mTc) pentetate

BRAND INFORMATION

Brand name

Radpharm DTPA

Active ingredient

Technetium (99mTc) pentetate

Schedule

Unscheduled

 

Consumer medicine information (CMI) leaflet

Please read this leaflet carefully before you start using Radpharm DTPA.

1. Why am I using RADPHARM DTPA?

RADPHARM DTPA contains the active ingredient Pentetic acid. RADPHARM DTPA is a prescription medicine which is only available to the Healthcare Practitioners for diagnostic use only. It belongs to a group of medicines called radiopharmaceutical agents, which are radioactive. It is administered to you via intravenous injection after mixing with a radioactive solution.

RADPHARM DTPA is mixed with Technetium (99mTc) before injection. RADPHARM DTPA is used to image renal perfusion.

Your doctor may have prescribed RADPHARM DTPA for another purpose. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why RADPHARM DTPA has been prescribed for you. If you have any concerns, you should discuss these with your doctor.

Published by MIMS April 2023

BRAND INFORMATION

Brand name

Radpharm DTPA

Active ingredient

Technetium (99mTc) pentetate

Schedule

Unscheduled

 

1 Name of Medicine

Pentetic acid.

2 Qualitative and Quantitative Composition

Radpharm DTPA Kit consists of sterile, pyrogen free, lyophilised ingredients which need reconstitution with sodium pertechnetate (99mTc) injection to produce a technetium [99mTc] pentetate complex. The precise structure of the technetium [99mTc] pentetate complex is not known at this time.
Each vial contains the following active ingredient and excipient as a lyophilized powder:

Active ingredient.

5 mg of pentetic acid.

Excipient.

1 mg of stannous chloride.
The product contains no preservatives.

3 Pharmaceutical Form

Radpharm DTPA is available as a dry white lyophilised powder in multi-dose 8 mL vacuum sealed vials for intravenous injection.

4 Clinical Particulars

4.1 Therapeutic Indications

Technetium [99mTc] pentetate may be used as a renal perfusion imaging pharmaceutical.

4.2 Dose and Method of Administration

Recommended intravenous dose for the normal adult is 200 MBq.

Radiation dosimetry.

See Table 1.

Procedure.

Note.

If there is no vacuum, discard vial and do not deliver the sodium pertechnetate [99mTc] injection.
1. Place Radpharm DTPA vial in a shielding container.
2. Draw a suitable volume (1 to 4 mL) of sodium pertechnetate [99mTc] injection eluted from a technetium-99m generator (1 to 3 GBq) and inject into the Radpharm DTPA vial. Mix by inversion for 30 seconds and leave standing at room temperature for 10 minutes before use.
3. Determine the radioactivity per millilitre, label the container and calculate the patient dose.
4. The technetium [99mTc] pentetate solution is stable at room temperature and may be used up to 5 hours after preparation.

4.3 Contraindications

None known.

4.4 Special Warnings and Precautions for Use

Radiopharmaceuticals should be used only by physicians who are qualified by specific training in the safe use and handling of radionuclides.
Contents of the vial/s are intended only for use in the preparation of technetium [99mTc] pentetate.
The radioactivity of the dose should be checked with a suitable instrument immediately prior to administration.

Use in the elderly.

No data available.

Paediatric use.

No data available.

Effects on laboratory tests.

No data available.

4.5 Interactions with Other Medicines and Other Forms of Interactions

None known.

4.6 Fertility, Pregnancy and Lactation

Effects on fertility.

No data available.
(Category C)
Technetium-99m radiopharmaceuticals should only be given to a pregnant woman if in the judgement of the treating physician the expected benefits outweigh the potential hazards.
Technetium-99m is excreted in human milk. Interruption to breast feeding is necessary after the administration of technetium [99mTc] pentetate for a period less than 12 hr.
(Reference: L.K. Harding, A. Bossuyt, S. Pellet, C. Reiners, J.N. Talbot, "Recommendations for nuclear medicine physicians regarding breastfeeding mothers", Eur.J.Nucl.Med., 1995, 22, BP17).

4.7 Effects on Ability to Drive and Use Machines

The effects of this medicine on a person's ability to drive and use machines were not assessed as part of its registration.

4.8 Adverse Effects (Undesirable Effects)

For each patient, exposure to ionising radiation must be justifiable on the basis of likely benefit. The activity administered must be such that the resulting dose is as low as reasonably achievable bearing in mind the need to obtain the intended diagnostic or therapeutic result.
Exposure to ionising radiation is linked with cancer induction and a potential for development of hereditary defects. For diagnostic nuclear medicine investigations the current evidence suggests that these adverse effects will occur with low frequency because of the low radiation doses incurred.
For most diagnostic investigations using a nuclear medicine procedure the radiation dose delivered (EDE) is less than 20 mSv. Higher doses may be justified in some clinical circumstances.
In isolated cases the following adverse reactions have been reported: flushing, dizziness, dyspnoea, itch, urticaria and hypotension.

Reporting suspected adverse effects.

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after registration of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit-risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions at www.tga.gov.au/reporting-problems.

4.9 Overdose

For information on the management of overdose, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 (Australia).

5 Pharmacological Properties

5.1 Pharmacodynamic Properties

Mechanism of action.

Physical characteristics of technetium-99m.

Technetium-99m with a physical half life of 6 hours decays by isomeric transition to technetium-99. Photons associated with this transition that are useful for detection and imaging studies are listed. See Tables 2 and 3.

External radiation.

The specific gamma ray constant for technetium-99m is 0.19 mGy/MBq-h at 1 cm. The first half value thickness of lead (Pb) for technetium-99m is 0.2 mm. Attenuation by lead is given in Table 4.

Clinical trials.

No data available.

5.2 Pharmacokinetic Properties

Following intravenous administration of technetium [99mTc] pentetate to normal patients the radiopharmaceutical is rapidly distributed in the extracellular fluid space then cleared from the body through the kidneys. There is minimal binding to renal parenchyma and it clears the kidneys by glomerular filtration.
The images taken in the first minutes demonstrate kidney vascular pool and subsequent images represent technetium [99mTc] pentetate in both the collecting system and the renal pelvis.

5.3 Preclinical Safety Data

Genotoxicity.

No data available.

Carcinogenicity.

No data available.

6 Pharmaceutical Particulars

6.1 List of Excipients

See Section 2 Qualitative and Quantitative Composition.

6.2 Incompatibilities

Incompatibilities were either not assessed or not identified as part of the registration of this medicine.

6.3 Shelf Life

In Australia, information on the shelf life of the Radpharm DTPA kit can be found on the public summary of the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). The expiry date can be found on the vial and carton packaging.
After reconstitution of Radpharm DTPA with sodium pertechnetate [99mTc] injection, (1 to 3 GBq), the technetium [99mTc] pentetate complex is stable at room temperature for 5 hours.

6.4 Special Precautions for Storage

The Radpharm DTPA kit must be stored below 25°C.

6.5 Nature and Contents of Container

Radpharm DTPA kit is supplied as a carton of 5 sterile, pyrogen free, vacuum sealed multidose 8 mL glass Type 1 coloured vials with 1888 grey chlorobutyl lyophilisation stopper and aluminium seal with brown flip off.

6.6 Special Precautions for Disposal

In Australia, any unused medicine or radioactive waste material should be disposed off in accordance with Code for the disposal of radioactive wastes by the user which is published on the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) website as Radiation Protection Series (RPS C-6).

6.7 Physicochemical Properties

Chemical structure.


Chemical formula: C14H23N3O10.

CAS number.

67-43-6.

7 Medicine Schedule (Poisons Standard)

Unscheduled.

Summary Table of Changes