Warnings for Austedo
Included as part of the "PRECAUTIONS" Section
Precautions for Austedo
Depression And Suicidality In Patients With Huntington’s Disease
Patients with Huntington’s disease are at increased risk for depression, and suicidal ideation or behaviors (suicidality). AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may increase the risk for suicidality in patients with Huntington’s disease.
In a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, suicidal ideation was reported by 2% of patients treated with AUSTEDO, compared to no patients on placebo; no suicide attempts and no completed suicides were reported. Depression was reported by 4% of patients treated with AUSTEDO. When considering the use of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO, the risk of suicidality should be balanced against the need for treatment of chorea. All patients treated with AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO should be observed for new or worsening depression or suicidality. If depression or suicidality does not resolve, consider discontinuing treatment with AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO.
Patients, their caregivers, and families should be informed of the risks of depression, worsening depression, and suicidality associated with AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO, and should be instructed to report behaviors of concern promptly to the treating physician. Patients with Huntington’s disease who express suicidal ideation should be evaluated immediately.
Clinical Worsening And Adverse Events In Patients With Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease is a progressive disorder characterized by changes in mood, cognition, chorea, rigidity, and functional capacity over time. VMAT2 inhibitors, including AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO, may cause a worsening in mood, cognition, rigidity, and functional capacity.
Prescribers should periodically re-evaluate the need for AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO in their patients by assessing the effect on chorea and possible adverse effects, including sedation/somnolence, depression and suicidality, parkinsonism, akathisia, restlessness, and cognitive decline. It may be difficult to distinguish between adverse reactions and progression of the underlying disease; decreasing the dose or stopping the drug may help the clinician to distinguish between the two possibilities. In some patients, the underlying chorea itself may improve over time, decreasing the need for AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO.
QTc Prolongation
AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may prolong the QT interval, but the degree of QT prolongation is not clinically significant when AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO is administered within the recommended dosage range [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO should be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome and in patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias. Certain circumstances may increase the risk of the occurrence of torsade de pointes and/or sudden death in association with the use of drugs that prolong the QTc interval, including (1) bradycardia; (2) hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia; (3) concomitant use of other drugs that prolong the QTc interval; and (4) presence of congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS)
A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with drugs that reduce dopaminergic transmission. While NMS has not been observed in patients receiving AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO, it has been observed in patients receiving tetrabenazine (a closely related VMAT2 inhibitor). Clinicians should be alerted to the signs and symptoms associated with NMS. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatinine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria, rhabdomyolysis, and acute renal failure. The diagnosis of NMS can be complicated; other serious medical illness (e.g., pneumonia, systemic infection) and untreated or inadequately treated extrapyramidal disorders can present with similar signs and symptoms. Other important considerations in the differential diagnosis include central anticholinergic toxicity, heat stroke, drug fever, and primary central nervous system pathology.
The management of NMS should include (1) immediate discontinuation of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO; (2) intensive symptomatic treatment and medical monitoring; and (3) treatment of any concomitant serious medical problems for which specific treatments are available. There is no general agreement about specific pharmacological treatment regimens for NMS.
Recurrence of NMS has been reported with resumption of drug therapy. If treatment with AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO is needed after recovery from NMS, patients should be monitored for signs of recurrence.
Akathisia, Agitation, And Restlessness
AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may increase the risk of akathisia, agitation, and restlessness in patients with Huntington’s disease and tardive dyskinesia.
In a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in patients with Huntington’s disease, akathisia, agitation, or restlessness was reported by 4% of patients treated with AUSTEDO, compared to 2% of patients on placebo; in patients with tardive dyskinesia, 2% of patients treated with AUSTEDO and 1% of patients on placebo experienced these events.
Patients receiving AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO should be monitored for signs and symptoms of restlessness and agitation, as these may be indicators of developing akathisia. If a patient develops akathisia during treatment with AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO, the AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO dose should be reduced; some patients may require discontinuation of therapy.
Parkinsonism
AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may cause parkinsonism in patients with Huntington’s disease or tardive dyskinesia. Parkinsonism has also been observed with other VMAT2 inhibitors.
Because rigidity can develop as part of the underlying disease process in Huntington’s disease, it may be difficult to distinguish between potential drug-induced parkinsonism and progression of underlying Huntington’s disease. Drug-induced parkinsonism has the potential to cause more functional disability than untreated chorea for some patients with Huntington’s disease.
Postmarketing cases of parkinsonism in patients treated with AUSTEDO for tardive dyskinesia have been reported. Signs and symptoms in reported cases have included bradykinesia, gait disturbances, which led to falls in some cases, and the emergence or worsening of tremor. In most cases, the development of parkinsonism occurred within the first two weeks after starting or increasing the dose of AUSTEDO. In cases in which follow-up clinical information was available, parkinsonism was reported to resolve following discontinuation of AUSTEDO therapy.
If a patient develops parkinsonism during treatment with AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO, the AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO dose should be reduced; some patients may require discontinuation of therapy.
Sedation And Somnolence
Sedation is a common dose-limiting adverse reaction of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO. In a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examining patients with Huntington’s disease, 11% of AUSTEDO-treated patients reported somnolence compared with 4% of patients on placebo and 9% of AUSTEDO-treated patients reported fatigue compared with 4% of placebo-treated patients.
Patients should not perform activities requiring mental alertness to maintain the safety of themselves or others, such as operating a motor vehicle or operating hazardous machinery, until they are on a maintenance dose of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO and know how the drug affects them.
Hyperprolactinemia
Serum prolactin levels were not evaluated in the AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO development program. Tetrabenazine, a closely related VMAT2 inhibitor, elevates serum prolactin concentrations in humans. Following administration of 25 mg of tetrabenazine to healthy volunteers, peak plasma prolactin levels increased 4-to 5-fold.
Tissue culture experiments indicate that approximately one-third of human breast cancers are prolactin-dependent in vitro, a factor of potential importance if AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO is being considered for a patient with previously detected breast cancer. Although amenorrhea, galactorrhea, gynecomastia, and impotence can be caused by elevated serum prolactin concentrations, the clinical significance of elevated serum prolactin concentrations for most patients is unknown.
Chronic increase in serum prolactin levels (although not evaluated in the AUSTEDO XR, AUSTEDO, or tetrabenazine development programs) has been associated with low levels of estrogen and increased risk of osteoporosis. If there is a clinical suspicion of symptomatic hyperprolactinemia, appropriate laboratory testing should be done and consideration should be given to discontinuation of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO.
Binding To Melanin-Containing Tissues
Since deutetrabenazine or its metabolites bind to melanin-containing tissues, it could accumulate in these tissues over time. This raises the possibility that AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may cause toxicity in these tissues after extended use. Neither ophthalmologic nor microscopic examination of the eye has been conducted in the chronic toxicity studies in a pigmented species such as dogs. Ophthalmologic monitoring in humans was inadequate to exclude the possibility of injury occurring after long-term exposure.
The clinical relevance of deutetrabenazine’s binding to melanin-containing tissues is unknown. Although there are no specific recommendations for periodic ophthalmologic monitoring, prescribers should be aware of the possibility of long-term ophthalmologic effects [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Patient Counseling Information
Advise the patient or caregiver to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Medication Guide).
Administration Instructions
Instruct patients to swallow AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO whole and not to chew, crush, or break AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
AUSTEDO XR
Advise patients to take AUSTEDO XR with or without food in once-daily doses. Inform patients not to be concerned if they occasionally notice something that looks like a tablet shell in their stool [see DESCRIPTION].
AUSTEDO
Advise patients to take AUSTEDO with food. Advise patients to take daily dosages of 12 mg or higher in two divided doses (twice daily).
Risk Of Depression And Suicide In Patients With Huntington’s Disease
Advise patients, their caregivers, and families that AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may increase the risk of depression, worsening depression, and suicidality, and to immediately report any symptoms to a healthcare provider [see CONTRAINDICATIONS, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Prolongation Of The QTc Interval
Inform patients to consult their physician immediately if they feel faint, lose consciousness, or have heart palpitations [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. Advise patients to inform physicians that they are taking AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO before any new drug is taken.
Parkinsonism
Inform patients that AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may cause Parkinson-like symptoms, which could be severe. Advise patients to consult their healthcare provider if they experience slight shaking, body stiffness, trouble moving, trouble keeping their balance, or falls [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Risk Of Sedation And Somnolence
Advise patients that AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO may cause sedation and somnolence and may impair the ability to perform tasks that require complex motor and mental skills. Until they learn how they respond to a stable dose of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO, patients should be careful doing activities that require them to be alert, such as driving a car or operating machinery [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Interaction With Alcohol Or Other Sedating Drug
Advise patients that alcohol or other drugs that cause sleepiness will worsen somnolence [see DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Concomitant Medications
Advise patients to notify their physician of all medications they are taking and to consult with their healthcare provider before starting any new medications because of a potential for interactions [see CONTRAINDICATIONS and DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Nonclinical Toxicology
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility
Carcinogenesis
No carcinogenicity studies were performed with deutetrabenazine.
No increase in tumors was observed in p53+/– transgenic mice treated orally with tetrabenazine at doses of 0, 5, 15, and 30 mg/kg/day for 26 weeks.
Mutagenesis
Deutetrabenazine and its deuterated α-HTBZ and β-HTBZ metabolites were negative in in vitro (bacterial reverse mutation and chromosome aberration in human peripheral blood lymphocytes) assays in the presence or absence of metabolic activation and in the in vivo micronucleus assay in mice.
Impairment Of Fertility
The effects of deutetrabenazine on fertility have not been evaluated. Oral administration of deutetrabenazine (doses of 5, 10, or 30 mg/kg/day) to female rats for 3 months resulted in estrous cycle disruption at all doses; the lowest dose tested was similar to the maximum recommended human dose (48 mg/day) on a body surface area (mg/m2) basis.
Oral administration of tetrabenazine (doses of 5, 15, or 30 mg/kg/day) to female rats prior to and throughout mating, and continuing through day 7 of gestation, resulted in disrupted estrous cyclicity at doses greater than 5 mg/kg/day. No effects on mating and fertility indices or sperm parameters (motility, count, density) were observed when males were treated orally with tetrabenazine at doses of 5, 15 or 30 mg/kg/day prior to and throughout mating with untreated females.
Use In Specific Populations
Pregnancy
Risk Summary
There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with the use of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO in pregnant women. Administration of deutetrabenazine to rats during organogenesis produced no clear adverse effect on embryofetal development. However, administration of tetrabenazine to rats throughout pregnancy and lactation resulted in an increase in stillbirths and postnatal offspring mortality [see Data].
In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown.
Data
Animal Data
Oral administration of deutetrabenazine (5, 10, or 30 mg/kg/day) or tetrabenazine (30 mg/kg/day) to pregnant rats during organogenesis had no clear effect on embryofetal development. The highest dose tested was 6 times the maximum recommended human dose of 48 mg/day, on a body surface area (mg/m2) basis.
The effects of deutetrabenazine when administered during organogenesis to rabbits or during pregnancy and lactation to rats have not been assessed.
Tetrabenazine had no effects on embryofetal development when administered to pregnant rabbits during the period of organogenesis at oral doses up to 60 mg/kg/day. When tetrabenazine was administered to female rats (doses of 5, 15, and 30 mg/kg/day) from the beginning of organogenesis through the lactation period, an increase in stillbirths and offspring postnatal mortality was observed at 15 and 30 mg/kg/day, and delayed pup maturation was observed at all doses.
Lactation
Risk Summary
There are no data on the presence of deutetrabenazine or its metabolites in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects of the drug on milk production.
The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO or from the underlying maternal condition.
Pediatric Use
Chorea Associated With Huntington’s Disease And Tardive Dyskinesia
The safety and effectiveness of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO have not been established in pediatric patients for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease or for the treatment of tardive dyskinesia.
Tourette Syndrome
The safety and effectiveness of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO have not been established in pediatric patients for the treatment of Tourette syndrome.
Efficacy was not demonstrated in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in pediatric patients aged 6 to 16 years with Tourette syndrome. One study evaluated fixed doses of deutetrabenazine over 8 weeks (NCT03571256); the other evaluated flexible doses of deutetrabenazine over 12 weeks (NCT03452943). The studies included a total of 274 pediatric patients who received at least one dose of deutetrabenazine or placebo. The primary efficacy endpoint in both studies was the change from baseline to end-of-treatment on the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale Total Tic Score (YGTSS-TTS). The estimated treatment effect of deutetrabenazine on the YGTSS-TTS was not statistically significantly different from placebo in either study. The placebo subtracted least squares means difference in YGTSS-TTS from baseline to end-of-treatment was -0.7 (95% CI: -4.1, 2.8) in the flexible dose study and -0.8 (95% CI: -3.9, 2.3) for the primary analysis in the fixed dose study.
The following adverse reactions were reported in frequencies of at least 5% of pediatric patients treated with AUSTEDO and with a greater incidence than in pediatric patients receiving placebo (AUSTEDO vs placebo): headache (includes: migraine, migraine with aura, and headache; 13% vs 9%), somnolence (includes: sedation, hypersomnia, and somnolence; 11% vs 2%), fatigue (8% vs 3%), increased appetite (5% vs <1%), and increased weight (5% vs <1%).
Juvenile Animal Toxicity Data
Deutetrabenazine orally administered to juvenile rats from postnatal days 21 through 70 (at 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg/day) resulted in an increased incidence of tremor, hyperactivity, and adverse increases in motor activity at ≥5 mg/kg/day, and reduced body weight and food consumption at 10 mg/kg/day. There was no reproductive or early embryonic toxicity up to the highest dose. All drug-related findings were reversible after a drug-free period. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) in juvenile rats was 2.5 mg/kg/day. These drug-related findings were similar to those observed in adult rats; however, the juvenile rats were more sensitive.
Geriatric Use
Clinical studies of AUSTEDO XR and AUSTEDO did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting the greater frequency of hepatic, renal, and cardiac dysfunction, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy.
Hepatic Impairment
The effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of deutetrabenazine and its primary metabolites has not been studied; however, in a clinical study conducted with tetrabenazine, a closely related VMAT2 inhibitor, there was a large increase in exposure to tetrabenazine and its active metabolites in patients with hepatic impairment. The clinical significance of this increased exposure has not been assessed, but because of concerns for a greater risk for serious adverse reactions, the use of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO in patients with hepatic impairment is contraindicated [see CONTRAINDICATIONS, CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Poor CYP2D6 Metabolizers
Although the pharmacokinetics of deutetrabenazine and its metabolites have not been systematically evaluated in patients who do not express the drug metabolizing enzyme, it is likely that the exposure to α-HTBZ and β-HTBZ would be increased similarly to taking a strong CYP2D6 inhibitor (approximately 3-fold). In patients who are CYP2D6 poor metabolizers, the daily dose of AUSTEDO XR or AUSTEDO should not exceed 36 mg [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION and CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].