SIDE EFFECTS
The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater
detail in other sections of the label:
- Cytopenias [see WARNINGS AND
PRECAUTIONS]
- Infusion Reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Immunosuppression/Infections [see WARNINGS AND
PRECAUTIONS]
The most common adverse reactions with CAMPATH are:
infusion reactions (pyrexia, chills, hypotension, urticaria, nausea, rash,
tachycardia, dyspnea), cytopenias (neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia,
anemia), infections (CMV viremia, CMV infection, other infections),
gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, emesis, abdominal pain), and neurological
symptoms (insomnia, anxiety). The most common serious adverse reactions are
cytopenias, infusion reactions, and immunosuppression/infections.
Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely
varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a
drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another
drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
The data below reflect exposure to CAMPATH in 296
patients with CLL of whom 147 were previously untreated and 149 received at
least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens. The median duration of exposure was 11.7
weeks for previously untreated patients and 8 weeks for previously treated
patients.
Lymphopenia
Severe lymphopenia and a rapid and sustained decrease in
lymphocyte subsets occurred in previously untreated and previously treated
patients following administration of CAMPATH. In previously untreated patients,
the median CD4+ was 0 cells/μL at one month after treatment and 238
cells/μL [25%- 75% interquartile range 115 to 418 cells/μL at 6
months post treatment [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Neutropenia
In previously untreated patients, the incidence of Grade
3 or 4 neutropenia was 42% with a median time to onset of 31 days and a median
duration of 37 days. In previously treated patients, the incidence of Grade 3
or 4 neutropenia was 64% with a median duration of 28 days. Ten percent of
previously untreated patients and 17% of previously treated patients received
granulocyte colony stimulating factors.
Anemia
In previously untreated patients, the incidence of Grade
3 or 4 anemia was 12% with a median time to onset of 31 days and a median
duration of 8 days. In previously treated patients, the incidence of Grade 3 or
4 anemia was 38%. Seventeen percent of previously untreated patients and 66% of
previously treated patients received either erythropoiesis stimulating agents,
transfusions or both.
Thrombocytopenia
In previously untreated patients, the incidence of Grade
3 or 4 thrombocytopenia was 14% with a median time to onset of 9 days and a
median duration of 14 days. In previously treated patients, the incidence of
Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia was 52% with a median duration of 21 days.
Autoimmune thrombocytopenia was reported in 2% of previously treated patients
with one fatality.
Infusion Reactions
Infusion reactions, which included pyrexia, chills,
hypotension, urticaria, and dyspnea, were common. Grade 3 and 4 pyrexia and/or
chills occurred in approximately 10% of previously untreated patients and in
approximately 35% of previously treated patients. The occurrence of infusion
reactions was greatest during the initial week of treatment and decreased with
subsequent doses of CAMPATH. All patients were pretreated with antipyretics and
antihistamines; additionally, 43% of previously untreated patients received
glucocorticoid pre-treatment.
Infections
In the study of previously untreated patients, patients
were tested weekly for CMV using a PCR assay from initiation through completion
of therapy, and every 2 weeks for the first 2 months following therapy. CMV
infection occurred in 16% (23/147) of previously untreated patients;
approximately onethird of these infections were serious or life threatening. In
studies of previously treated patients in which routine CMV surveillance was
not required, CMV infection was documented in 6% (9/149) of patients; nearly
all of these infections were serious or life threatening.
Other infections were reported in approximately 50% of
patients across all studies. Grade 3 to 5 sepsis ranged from 3% to 10% across
studies and was higher in previously treated patients. Grade 3 to 4 febrile
neutropenia ranged from 5% to 10% across studies and was higher in previously
treated patients. Infection-related fatalities occurred in 2% of previously
untreated patients and 16% of previously treated patients. There were 198
episodes of other infection in 109 previously untreated patients; 16% were
bacterial, 7% were fungal, 4% were other viral, and in 73% the organism was not
identified.
Cardiac
Cardiac dysrhythmias occurred in approximately 14% of
previously untreated patients. The majority were tachycardias and were
temporally associated with infusion; dysrhythmias were Grade 3 or 4 in 1% of
patients.
Previously Untreated Patients
Table 1 contains selected adverse reactions observed in
294 patients randomized (1:1) to receive CAMPATH or chlorambucil as first line
therapy for B-CLL. CAMPATH was administered at a dose of 30 mg intravenously
three times weekly for up to 12 weeks. The median duration of therapy was 11.7
weeks with a median weekly dose of 82 mg (25-75% interquartile range: 69-90
mg).
Table 1: Per Patient Incidence of Selected* Adverse
Reactions in Treatment Naive B-CLL Patients
|
|
CAMPATH
(n=147) |
Chlorambucil
(n=147) |
All Grades† % |
Grades 3-4 % |
All Grades % |
Grades 3-4 % |
Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders |
Lymphopenia |
97 |
97 |
9 |
1 |
Neutropenia |
77 |
42 |
51 |
26 |
Anemia |
76 |
13 |
54 |
18 |
Thrombocytopenia |
71 |
13 |
70 |
14 |
General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions |
Pyrexia |
69 |
10 |
11 |
1 |
Chills |
53 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
Infections and Infestations |
CMV viremia‡ |
55 |
4 |
8 |
0 |
CMV infection |
16 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
Other infections |
74 |
21 |
65 |
10 |
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders |
Urticaria |
16 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
Rash |
13 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
Erythema |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Vascular Disorders |
Hypotension |
16 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Hypertension |
14 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
Nervous System Disorders |
Headache |
14 |
1 |
8 |
0 |
Tremor |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders |
Dyspnea |
14 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
Gastrointestinal Disorders |
Diarrhea |
10 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
Psychiatric Disorders |
Insomnia |
10 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Anxiety |
8 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Cardiac Disorders |
Tachycardia |
10 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Adverse reactions occurring at a higher relative
frequency in the CAMPATH arm
†NCI CTC version 2.0 for adverse reactions; NCI CTCAE version 3.0 for
laboratory values
‡CMV viremia (without evidence of symptoms) includes both cases of single PCR
positive test results and of confirmed CMV viremia (≥2 occasions in
consecutive samples 1 week apart). For the latter, ganciclovir (or equivalent)
was initiated per protocol. |
Previously Treated Patients
Additional safety information was obtained from 3 single
arm studies of 149 previously treated patients with CLL administered 30 mg
CAMPATH intravenously three times weekly for 4 to 12 weeks (median cumulative
dose 673 mg [range 2-1106 mg]; median duration of therapy 8.0 weeks). Adverse
reactions in these studies not listed in Table 1 that occurred at an incidence
rate of >5% were fatigue, nausea, emesis, musculoskeletal pain, anorexia,
dysesthesia, mucositis, and bronchospasm.
Immunogenicity
As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for
immunogenicity. Using an ELISA assay, antihuman antibodies (HAHA) were detected
in 11 of 133 (8.3%) previously untreated patients. In addition, two patients
were weakly positive for neutralizing activity. Limited data suggest that the
anti- CAMPATH antibodies did not adversely affect tumor response. Four of 211
(1.9%) previously treated patients were found to have antibodies to CAMPATH
following treatment.
The incidence of antibody formation is highly dependent
on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed
incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may
be influenced by several factors including assay methodology, sample handling,
timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease.
For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies to CAMPATH with
the incidence of antibodies to other products may be misleading.
Postmarketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been identified
during post approval use of alemtuzumab. Because these reactions are reported
voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to
reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug
exposure.
Fatal Infusion Reactions
Cardiovascular: congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy,
decreased ejection fraction (some patients had been previously treated with
cardiotoxic agents).
Gastrointestinal: Acute acalculous cholecystitis
Immune disorders: Goodpasture's syndrome, Graves'
disease, aplastic anemia, Guillain Barre syndrome, chronic inflammatory
demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy, serum sickness, fatal transfusion associated
graft versus host disease.
Infections: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) including
EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorder, progressive multifocal
leukoencephalopathy (PML), reactivation of latent viruses.
Metabolic: tumor lysis syndrome.
Neurologic: optic neuropathy.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
No formal drug interaction studies have been performed
with CAMPATH.