Quinolone- and fluoroquinolone-containing medicinal products - referral
Current status
Referral
Human
On 15 November 2018, EMA finalised a review of serious, disabling and potentially permanent side effects with quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics given by mouth, injection or inhalation. The review incorporated the views of patients, healthcare professionals and academics presented at EMA’s public hearing on fluoroquinolone and quinolone antibiotics in June 2018.
EMA’s human medicines committee (CHMP) endorsed the recommendations of EMA’s safety committee (PRAC) and concluded that the marketing authorisation of medicines containing cinoxacin, flumequine, nalidixic acid, and pipemidic acid should be suspended.
The CHMP confirmed that the use of the remaining fluoroquinolone antibiotics should be restricted. In addition, the prescribing information for healthcare professionals and information for patients will describe the disabling and potentially permanent side effects and advise patients to stop treatment with a fluoroquinolone antibiotic at the first sign of a side effect involving muscles, tendons or joints and the nervous system.
Restrictions on the use of fluoroquinolone antibiotics will mean that they should not be used:
Importantly, fluoroquinolones should generally be avoided in patients who have previously had serious side effects with a fluoroquinolone or quinolone antibiotic. They should be used with special caution in the elderly, patients with kidney disease and those who have had an organ transplantation because these patients are at a higher risk of tendon injury. Since the use of a corticosteroid with a fluoroquinolone also increases this risk, combined use of these medicines should be avoided.
The CHMP opinion was forwarded to the European Commission, which issued a final legally binding decision on 14 February 2019 for Quinsair and on 11 March 2019 for other quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics given by mouth and by injection, which is applicable in all EU countries. National authorities will enforce this decision for the fluoroquinolone and quinolone medicines authorised in their countries and they will also take other appropriate measures to promote the correct use of these antibiotics.
Fluoroquinolone medicines (which contain ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, prulifloxacin and rufloxacin) can cause long-lasting, disabling and potentially permanent side effects involving tendons, muscles, joints and the nervous system.
Fluoroquinolones are associated with prolonged (up to months or years), serious, disabling and potentially irreversible drug reactions affecting several, sometimes multiple, systems, organ classes and senses.
Fluoroquinolones and quinolones are a class of broad-spectrum antibiotics that are active against bacteria of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive classes. Fluoroquinolones are of value in certain infections, including some life-threatening ones, where alternative antibiotics are not sufficiently effective.
The review covered medicines containing the following fluoroquinolone and quinolone antibiotics: cinoxacin, ciprofloxacin, flumequine, levofloxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, nalidixic acid, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, pipemidic acid, prulifloxacin and rufloxacin.
The review concerned only medicines given systemically (by mouth or injection) and inhaled medicines.
The review of fluoroquinolones and quinolones was initiated on 9 February 2017 at the request of the German medicines authority (BfArM), under Article 31 of Directive 2001/83/EC.
The review was first carried out by the Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC), the Committee responsible for the evaluation of safety issues for human medicines.
The final PRAC recommendations were adopted on 4 October 2018 and then sent to the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), responsible for questions concerning medicines for human use, which adopted the Agency’s opinion. The CHMP opinion was forwarded to the European Commission, which issued a final legally binding decision on 14 February 2019 for Quinsair and on 11 March 2019 for other quinolone and fluoroquinolone antibiotics given by mouth and by injection, which is applicable in all EU Member States.
This type of referral is triggered when the interest of the Union is involved, following concerns relating to the quality, safety or efficacy of a medicine or a class of medicines.
EMA's Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) held a public hearing on this topic on 13 June 2018 at the Agency's premises in London:
The hearing was broadcast live on 13 June from 13:00 - 18:00 (UK time).
The video recording is available.
Speakers addressed the questions from the PRAC about the use of quinolones and fluoroquinolones:
More information
EMA selected speakers based on their experience with these medicines and how they plan to address the PRAC questions, whilst aiming to achieve a wide representation of stakeholders across the EU. The application deadline to participate in person was 30 April 2018.
EMA published detailed guidance on how to participate in a public hearing, including what to expect, how to register and how EMA selects speakers:
The guidance describes the process and practical arrangements, including how to participate as a speaker or an observer.
EMA has also made an information video.
For more information on public hearings at EMA, see Public hearings.
The hearing took place at the June 2018 PRAC meeting.
For additional information not available in the guidance, please email publichearings@ema.europa.eu.
Description of documents published
Please note that some of the listed documents apply only to certain procedures.
Note that older documents may have different titles.