Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Composition of Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet contains Vildagliptin 50 mg + Metformin hydrochloride 500 mg (tablet). It belongs to the DPP-4 inhibitor + Biguanide class of medicines.

Uses of Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults
• to improve glycaemic control when diet and exercise alone are not enough; may be used when metformin alone is inadequate.

Key benefits

• Lowers fasting and post-meal blood sugar
• Improves HbA1c control
• Weight-neutral/less risk of hypoglycaemia than some therapies (when not combined with insulin or sulfonylureas)
• Targets insulin resistance and reduces hepatic glucose output

How Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet works

Vildagliptin is a DPP-4 inhibitor that increases incretin hormones (GLP-1, GIP), leading to increased insulin release and reduced glucagon in a glucose-dependent manner. Metformin reduces hepatic glucose production and improves insulin sensitivity, lowering blood glucose without causing significant hypoglycaemia when used alone.

How to take Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Take orally as advised by the doctor, usually with meals to reduce stomach upset. Swallow tablet whole with water; do not crush or chew. Continue diet/exercise and monitor blood glucose regularly.

Take it exactly as your doctor prescribed. Do not change the dose or stop early on your own.

Missed dose and overdose

If you miss a dose

Take it as soon as you remember. If your next dose is almost due, skip the one you missed — never take two doses together to catch up.

If you take too much

An overdose of this medicine may cause low blood sugar, particularly if you also take other diabetes medicines. It can cause a dangerous build-up of acid in the blood, with vomiting, severe weakness and laboured breathing. Do not wait for symptoms to appear — go to the nearest emergency department and take the pack or strip with you.

Side effects of Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Most side effects of Vokanamet 50/500 mg are mild and settle as the body adjusts. Reported side effects include:

• Nausea
• vomiting
• diarrhoea
• abdominal pain
• loss of appetite
• metallic taste
• headache
• dizziness
• tremor
• upper respiratory tract infection
• hypoglycaemia (especially with other antidiabetics)

Stop the medicine and seek help immediately for a rash, swelling of the face or lips, wheezing or difficulty breathing. Tell your doctor about any side effect that persists or worries you.

Safety advice for Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Warnings and precautions

Not for type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. Metformin: risk of lactic acidosis—avoid in severe kidney disease; assess eGFR before and during therapy; stop temporarily during severe illness, dehydration, hypoxia, or before/after iodinated contrast as advised. Vildagliptin: monitor liver function; discontinue if jaundice or persistent ALT/AST elevation. Use caution in heart failure, elderly, and in patients with pancreatitis history. Vitamin B12 levels may decrease with long-term metformin. Seek medical help for severe abdominal pain, breathing difficulty, extreme weakness, or unusual sleepiness.

Do not take Vokanamet 50/500 mg if

Not for anyone with a known allergy to this medicine or to any ingredient in the pack. Not for type 1 diabetes or for diabetic ketoacidosis. Not for people with severe kidney disease, severe liver disease, or an acute illness causing dehydration. Not for people who have had diabetic ketoacidosis.

Interactions with other medicines

Alcohol (increases lactic acidosis risk), iodinated contrast media, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (e.g., topiramate, acetazolamide), cationic drugs affecting renal tubular secretion (e.g., cimetidine), insulin/sulfonylureas (increased hypoglycaemia risk), ACE inhibitors and other glucose-lowering agents, diuretics and corticosteroids (may raise glucose), beta-blockers (may mask hypoglycaemia symptoms)

How to store Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

Store below 25°C in a dry place, protected from moisture and light. Keep out of reach of children.

Expert advice for Vokanamet 50/500 mg Tablet

It can be taken with or without food, at the same time each day. Keep up your diet and activity — this medicine supports them. Take it with or just after food to reduce stomach upset. Keep taking it even when your sugar readings look normal — that is the medicine working. Continue your diet and physical activity; this medicine works alongside them, not instead of them.

Manufacturer and class

Manufacturer:

JOHNSON & JOHNSON LIMITED

Therapeutic class:

Antidiabetic

Drug class:

DPP-4 inhibitor + Biguanide