Warnings for Adhansia XR
Included as part of the PRECAUTIONS section.
Precautions for Adhansia XR
Potential For Abuse And Dependence
CNS stimulants, including ADHANSIA XR, other methylphenidate-containing products, and amphetamines, have a high potential for abuse and dependence. Assess the risk of abuse prior to prescribing, and monitor for signs of abuse and dependence while on therapy [see Drug Abuse And Dependence].
Serious Cardiovascular Events
Sudden death, stroke and myocardial infarction have occurred in adults treated with CNS stimulant treatment at recommended doses. Sudden death has occurred in pediatric patients with structural cardiac abnormalities and other serious cardiac problems taking CNS stimulants at recommended doses for ADHD. Avoid use in patients with known structural cardiac abnormalities, cardiomyopathy, serious heart arrhythmia, coronary artery disease, and other serious heart problems. Further evaluate patients who develop exertional chest pain, unexplained syncope, or arrhythmias during ADHANSIA XR treatment.
Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Increases
CNS stimulants cause an increase in blood pressure (mean increase approximately 2 to 4 mmHg) and heart rate (mean increase approximately 3 to 6 bpm). Individuals may have larger increases. Monitor all patients for hypertension and tachycardia.
Psychiatric Adverse Reactions
Exacerbation Of Pre-Existing Psychosis
CNS stimulants may exacerbate symptoms of behavior disturbance and thought disorder in patients with a pre-existing psychotic disorder.
Induction Of A Manic Episode In Patients With Bipolar Disorder
CNS stimulants may induce a manic or mixed episode in patients. Prior to initiating treatment, screen patients for risk factors for developing a manic episode (e.g., comorbid or history of depressive symptoms or a family history of suicide, bipolar disorder, or depression).
New Psychotic Or Manic Symptoms
CNS stimulants, at recommended doses, may cause psychotic or manic symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, delusional thinking, or mania) in patients without a prior history of psychotic illness or mania. If such symptoms occur, consider discontinuing ADHANSIA XR. In a pooled analysis of multiple short-term, placebo-controlled studies of CNS stimulants, psychotic or manic symptoms occurred in approximately 0.1% of CNS stimulant-treated patients, compared to 0% in placebo-treated patients.
Priapism
Prolonged and painful erections, sometimes requiring surgical intervention, have been reported with methylphenidate products, in both pediatric and adult patients. Priapism was not reported with drug initiation but developed after some time on the drug, often subsequent to an increase in dose. Priapism has also appeared during a period of drug withdrawal (drug holidays or during discontinuation). Patients who develop abnormally sustained or frequent and painful erections should seek immediate medical attention.
Peripheral Vasculopathy, Including Raynaud’s Phenomenon
CNS stimulants, including ADHANSIA XR, used to treat ADHD are associated with peripheral vasculopathy, including Raynaud’s phenomenon. Signs and symptoms are usually intermittent and mild; however, very rare sequelae include digital ulceration and/or soft tissue breakdown. Effects of peripheral vasculopathy, including Raynaud’s phenomenon, were observed in post-marketing reports at different times and at therapeutic doses in all age groups throughout the course of treatment. Signs and symptoms generally improve after reduction in dose or discontinuation of drug. Careful observation for digital changes is necessary during treatment with ADHD stimulants. Further clinical evaluation (e.g., rheumatology referral) may be appropriate for certain patients.
Long-Term Suppression Of Growth
CNS stimulants have been associated with weight loss and slowing of growth rate in pediatric patients.
Careful follow-up of weight and height in pediatric patients ages 7 to 10 years who were randomized to either methylphenidate or non-medication treatment groups over 14 months, as well as in naturalistic subgroups of newly methylphenidate-treated and non-medication treated pediatric patients over 36 months (to the ages of 10 to 13 years), suggests that consistently medicated pediatric patients (i.e., treatment for 7 days per week throughout the year) have a temporary slowing in growth rate (on average, a total of about 2 cm less growth in height and 2.7 kg less growth in weight over 3 years), without evidence of growth rebound during this period of development.
Closely monitor growth (weight and height) in pediatric patients treated with CNS stimulants, including ADHANSIA XR. Patients who are not growing or gaining height or weight as expected may need to have their treatment interrupted.
Allergic-Type Reactions: FD&C Yellow No. 5
ADHANSIA XR 45 mg capsules contain FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) which may cause allergic-type reactions (including bronchial asthma) in certain susceptible persons. Although the overall incidence of FD&C Yellow No. 5 (tartrazine) sensitivity in the general population is low, it is frequently seen in patients who also have aspirin hypersensitivity [see CONTRAINDICATIONS].
Patient Counseling Information
Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Medication Guide).
Controlled Substance Status/High Potential For Abuse And Dependence
Advise patients and their caregivers that ADHANSIA XR is a federally controlled substance, and it can be abused and lead to dependence [see Drug Abuse And Dependence]. Instruct patients that they should not give ADHANSIA XR to anyone else. Advise patients to store ADHANSIA XR in a safe place, preferably locked, to prevent abuse. Advise patients and their caregivers to comply with laws and regulations on drug disposal. Advise patients and their caregivers to dispose of remaining, unused, or expired ADHANSIA XR by a medicine take-back program if available [WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Abuse And Dependence, HOW SUPPLIED/Storage And Handling].
Serious Cardiovascular Risks
Advise patients, caregivers, and their family members that there is a potential serious cardiovascular risk including sudden death, myocardial infarction, and stroke with ADHANSIA XR use. Instruct patients to contact a healthcare provider immediately if they develop symptoms such as exertional chest pain, unexplained syncope, or other symptoms suggestive of cardiac disease [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Blood Pressure And Heart Rate Increases
Advise patients and their caregivers that ADHANSIA XR can cause elevations of their blood pressure and pulse rate [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Psychiatric Risks
Advise patients and their caregivers that ADHANSIA XR, at recommended doses, can cause psychotic or manic symptoms, even in patients without prior history of psychotic symptoms or mania [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Priapism
Advise patients, caregivers, and family members of the possibility of painful or prolonged penile erections (priapism). Instruct them to seek immediate medical attention in the event of priapism [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Circulation Problems In Fingers And Toes [Peripheral Vasculopathy, including Raynaud’s Phenomenon]
- Instruct patients about the risk of peripheral vasculopathy, including Raynaud’s phenomenon, and associated signs and symptoms: fingers or toes may feel numb, cool, painful, and/or may change color from pale, to blue, to red.
- Instruct patients to report to their physician any new numbness, pain, skin color change, or sensitivity to temperature in fingers or toes.
- Instruct patients to call their physician immediately with any signs of unexplained wounds appearing on fingers or toes while taking ADHANSIA XR.
- Further clinical evaluation (e.g., rheumatology referral) may be appropriate for certain patients [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Suppression Of Growth
Advise patients, families and caregivers that ADHANSIA XR may cause slowing of growth and weight loss [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Administration Instructions
Advise patients and their caregivers that ADHANSIA XR can be taken with or without food. For patients who take ADHANSIA XR sprinkled over a tablespoon of applesauce or yogurt, the contents of the entire capsule should be consumed immediately or within 10 minutes of mixing; it should not be stored. Patients should take the applesauce or yogurt with sprinkled beads in its entirety without chewing. When initiating treatment with ADHANSIA XR, provide dosage escalation and administration instructions [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Alcohol Effect
Advise patients to avoid alcohol while taking ADHANSIA XR. Consumption of alcohol while taking ADHANSIA XR may result in a more rapid release of the dose of methylphenidate [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Pregnancy Registry
Advise patients that there is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to ADHANSIA XR during pregnancy [see Use In Specific Populations].
Nonclinical Toxicology
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility
Carcinogenesis
In a lifetime carcinogenicity study carried out in B6C3F1 mice, methylphenidate caused an increase in hepatocellular adenomas and, in males only, an increase in hepatoblastomas, at a daily dose of approximately 60 mg/kg/day. This dose is approximately 2 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 85 mg/day given to children on a mg/m² basis. Hepatoblastoma is a relatively rare rodent malignant tumor type. There was no increase in total malignant hepatic tumors. The mouse strain used is sensitive to the development of hepatic tumors, and the significance of these results to humans is unknown.
Methylphenidate did not cause any increase in tumors in a lifetime carcinogenicity study carried out in F344 rats; the highest dose used was approximately 45 mg/kg/day, which is approximately 3 times the MRHD given to children on a mg/m² basis.
In a 24-week carcinogenicity study in the transgenic mouse strain p53+/-, which is sensitive to genotoxic carcinogens, there was no evidence of carcinogenicity. Male and female mice were fed diets containing the same concentration of methylphenidate as in the lifetime carcinogenicity study; the high-dose groups were exposed to 60 to 74 mg/kg/day of methylphenidate.
Mutagenesis
Methylphenidate was not mutagenic in the in vitro Ames reverse mutation assay or the in vitro mouse lymphoma cell forward mutation assay. Sister chromatid exchanges and chromosome aberrations were increased, indicative of a weak clastogenic response, in an in vitro assay in cultured Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. Methylphenidate was negative in an in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay.
Impairment Of Fertility
Methylphenidate did not impair fertility in male or female mice that were fed diets containing the drug in an 18-week Continuous Breeding study. The study was conducted at doses of up to 160 mg/kg/day, approximately 5 times the maximum recommended human dose of 85 mg/day given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis.
Use In Specific Populations
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Exposure Registry
There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to ADHANSIA XR during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the National Pregnancy Registry for Psychostimulants at 1-866-961-2388.
Risk Summary
Published studies and post-marketing reports on methylphenidate use during pregnancy are insufficient to identify a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. There are risks to the fetus associated with the use of central nervous system (CNS) stimulants during pregnancy (see Clinical Considerations). No effects on morphological development were observed in embryo-fetal studies with oral administration of methylphenidate to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis at doses up to 7 and 11 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 85 mg/day given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis. However, fetal spina bifida was observed in rabbits at a dose 36 times the MRHD given to adolescents. A decrease in pup body weight was observed in a pre-and post-natal development study with oral administration of methylphenidate to rats throughout pregnancy and lactation at doses 4 times the MRHD given to adolescents [see Data].
The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.
Clinical Considerations
Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions
CNS stimulants, such as ADHANSIA XR, can cause vasoconstriction and thereby decrease placental perfusion. No fetal and/or neonatal adverse reactions have been reported with the use of therapeutic doses of methylphenidate during pregnancy; however, premature delivery and low birth weight infants have been reported in amphetamine-dependent mothers.
Data
Animal Data
In embryo-fetal development studies conducted in rats and rabbits, methylphenidate was administered orally at doses of up to 75 and 200 mg/kg/day, respectively, during the period of organogenesis. Malformations (increased incidence of fetal spina bifida) were observed in rabbits at the highest dose. which is approximately 36 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 85 mg/day given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis. The no effect level for embryo-fetal development in rabbits was 60 mg/kg/day (11 times the MRHD given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis). There was no evidence of morphological development effects in rats, although increased incidences of fetal skeletal variations were seen at the highest dose level (7 times the MRHD given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis), which was also maternally toxic. The no effect level for embryo-fetal development in rats was 25 mg/kg/day. (2 times the MRHD given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis). When methylphenidate was administered to rats throughout pregnancy and lactation at doses of up to 45 mg/kg/day, offspring body weight gain was decreased at the highest dose (4 times the MRHD on a mg/m² basis), but no other effects on postnatal development were observed. The no effect level for pre-and postnatal development in rats was 15 mg/kg/day (equivalent to the MRHD given to adolescents on a mg/m² basis).
Lactation
Risk Summary
Limited published literature, based on breast milk sampling from five mothers, reports that methylphenidate is present in human milk, which resulted in infant doses of 0.16% to 0.7% of the maternal weight-adjusted dosage and a milk/plasma ratio ranging between 1.1 and 2.7. There are no reports of adverse effects on the breastfed infant and no effects on milk production. Long-term neurodevelopmental effects on infants from stimulant exposure are unknown. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for ADHANSIA XR and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from ADHANSIA XR or from the underlying maternal condition.
Clinical Considerations
Monitor breastfeeding infants for adverse reactions, such as agitation, anorexia, and reduced weight gain.
Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness of ADHANSIA XR in pediatric patients under the age of 6 years have not been established.
The safety and effectiveness of ADHANSIA XR have been established in one adequate and well-controlled 6-week study in pediatric patients ages 6 to 12 years, and in one adequate and well-controlled 4-week study in pediatric patients ages 12 to 17 years [see Clinical Studies]. The long-term efficacy of methylphenidate in pediatric patients has not been established.
Long Term Suppression Of Growth
Growth should be monitored during treatment with stimulants, including ADHANSIA XR. Pediatric patients who are not growing or gaining weight as expected may need to have their treatment interrupted [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Juvenile Animal Toxicity Data
Rats treated with methylphenidate early in the postnatal period through sexual maturation demonstrated a decrease in spontaneous locomotor activity in adulthood. A deficit in acquisition of a specific learning task was observed in females only. The doses at which these findings were observed are at least 3 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 85 mg/day given to children on a mg/m² basis.
In the study conducted in young rats, methylphenidate was administered orally at doses of up to 100 mg/kg/day for 9 weeks, starting early in the postnatal period (postnatal day 7) and continuing through sexual maturity (postnatal week 10). When these animals were tested as adults (postnatal weeks 13-14), decreased spontaneous locomotor activity was observed in males and females previously treated with 50 mg/kg/day (approximately 3 times the MRHD of 85 mg/day given to children on a mg/m² basis) or greater, and a deficit in the acquisition of a specific learning task was observed in females exposed to the highest dose (6 times the MRHD given to children on a mg/m² basis). The no effect level for juvenile neurobehavioral development in rats was 5 mg/kg/day (approximately 0.25 times the MRHD given to children on a mg/m² basis). The clinical significance of the long-term behavioral effects observed in rats is unknown.
Geriatric Use
ADHANSIA XR has not been studied in the patients over the age of 72 years.