SIDE EFFECTS
Adverse event information regarding the use of EUFLEXXA
as a treatment for pain in OA of the knee was available from two sources; a 12
week multicenter clinical trial conducted in Germany, and a 26 week multicenter
clinical trial conducted in the US.
Reported Device-Related Adverse Events
The most common adverse event related to EUFLEXXA
injections reported in the clinical studies are the following:
- Arthralgia
- Back pain
- Pain in extremity
- Musculoskeletal pain
- Joint swelling
All adverse events related to EUFLEXXA injections
reported in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Potential Adverse Events
The following adverse events are among those that may
occur in association with intra-articular injections
- Arthralgia
- Joint swelling
- Joint effusion
- Injection site pain
- Arthritis
12 Week Multicenter Clinical Study
This clinical investigation was a prospective randomized,
double-blinded, active control (commercially available hyaluronan product)
study conducted at 10 centers. Three hundred twenty-one patients were
randomized into groups of equal size to receive either EUFLEXXA (n=160) or the
active control (n=161).
A total of 119 patients reported 196 adverse events; this
number represents 54 (33.8%) of the EUFLEXXA group and 65 (44.4%) of the active
control group. There were no deaths reported during the study. Incidences of
each event were similar for both groups, except for knee joint effusion, which
was reported by 9 patients in the active control group and one patient in the
EUFLEXXA treatment group. Fifty-two adverse events were considered
device-related. Table 1 lists the adverse events reported during this
investigation.
Table 1: Incidence of Adverse Events Reported by
> 1% of Patients
Body System |
ADE |
Patients, n (%) |
EUFLEXXA
(n = 160) |
Active Control
(n = 161) |
Gastrointestinal disorders |
Nausea |
3 (1.88) |
0 |
General disorders and administration site |
Fatigue |
2 (1.25) |
0 |
Infections and infestations |
Bronchitis |
1 (0.63) |
2 (1.24) |
Infection |
2 (1.25) |
0 |
Investigations |
Blood pressure increased |
6 (3.75) |
1 (0.62) |
Musculoskeletal, connective tissue and bone |
Arthralgia |
14 (8.75) |
17 (10.6) |
Arthrosis |
2 (1.25) |
0 |
Back pain |
8 (5.00) |
11 (6.83) |
Joint disorder |
2 (1.25) |
2 (1.24) |
Joint effusion |
1 (0.63) |
13 (8.07) |
Joint swelling |
3 (1.88) |
3 (1.86) |
Pain in limb |
2 (1.25) |
0 |
Tendonitis |
3 (1.88) |
2 (1.24) |
Nervous system disorders |
Headache |
1 (0.63) |
3 (1.86) |
Paresthesia |
2 (1.25) |
1 (0.62) |
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal |
Rhinitis |
5 (3.13) |
7 (4.35) |
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders |
Erythema |
0 |
2 (1.24) |
Pruritus |
0 |
3 (1.86) |
Vascular disorders |
Phlebitis |
0 |
2 (1.24) |
A total of 160 patients received 478 injections of EUFLEXXA.
There were 27 reported adverse events considered to be related to EUFLEXXA
injections: arthralgia - 11 (6.9%); back pain - 1 (0.63%); blood pressure
increase - 3 (1.88%); joint effusion - 1 (0.63%); joint swelling - 3 (1.88%);
nausea - 1 (0.63%); paresthesia - 2 (1.25%); feeling of sickness of injection -
3 (1.88%); skin irritation - 1 (0.63%); tenderness in study knee - 1 (0.63%).
Four adverse events were reported for the EUFLEXXA group that the relationship
to treatment was considered to be unknown: fatigue - 3 (1.88%); nausea - 1
(0.63%).
Table 2: Relationship of Adverse Effects to Treatment
Groups That Were Considered to Be Treatment Related
Adverse Event |
(EUFLEXXA) (Number of Reports)
n = 160 |
Commercially Available Hyaluronan Product (Number of Reports)
n = 161 |
Arthralgia |
11 |
9 |
Back pain |
1 |
0 |
Baker's cyst |
0 |
1 |
Blood pressure increase |
3 |
0 |
Erythema |
0 |
1 |
Inflammation localized |
0 |
1 |
Joint effusion |
1 |
9 |
Joint swelling |
3 |
2 |
Nausea |
1 |
0 |
Edema lower limb |
0 |
1 |
Paresthesia |
2 |
0 |
Pruritus |
0 |
1 |
Sickness |
3 |
0 |
Skin irritation |
1 |
0 |
Tenderness |
1 |
0 |
TOTAL |
27 |
25 |
26 Week Multicenter Study
This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind trial
evaluating the efficacy and safety of EUFLEXXA, as compared with saline, in
subjects with chronic osteoarthritis of the knee followed by an open labeled
safety extension study. The intervention consisted of three (3) weekly
injections of study device into the target knee, with scheduled follow-up evaluations
during the 26 weeks following the first injection. In the extension phase
subjects received three (3) weekly injections of EUFLEXXA into the target knee
with follow-up evaluation up to 52 weeks. Table 3 shows the treatmentemergent adverse
events by preferred term with an incidence of ≥ 2% among treatment groups.
Table 3: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events by
Preferred Term with an Incidence of ≥ 2% among the Treatment Groups (Safety
Population)
System Organ Class
Preferred Term |
26 Week FLEXX Study (Core) |
Extension Study Repeat Injection for 52 Weeks* |
All Treatments
N = 588
n (%) |
Saline
N = 295
n (%) |
EUFLEXXA
N = 293
n (%) |
EUFLEXXA
N = 219
n (%) |
Any TEAE |
326 (55.4) |
169 (57.3) |
157 (53.6) |
96 (43.8) |
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
Arthralgia |
62 (10.5) |
35 (11.9) |
27 (9.2) |
19 (8.7) |
Back pain |
23 (3.9) |
11 (3.7) |
12 (4.1) |
6 (2.7) |
Pain in extremity |
13 (2.2) |
10 (3.4) |
3 (1.0) |
3 (1.4) |
Musculoskeletal pain |
10 (1.7) |
4 (1.4) |
6 (2.0) |
2 (0.9) |
Osteoarthritis |
9 (1.5) |
7 (2.4) |
2 (0.7) |
0 |
Joint swelling |
8 (1.4) |
4 (1.4) |
4 (1.4) |
6 (2.7) |
Infections and infestations |
Upper respiratory tract infection |
23 (3.9) |
11 (3.7) |
12 (4.1) |
6 (2.7) |
Nasopharyngitis |
17 (2.9) |
13 (4.4) |
4 (1.4) |
10 (4.6) |
Sinusitis |
16 (2.7) |
10 (3.4) |
6 (2.0) |
5 (2.3) |
Urinary tract infection |
12 (2.0) |
6 (2.0) |
6 (2.0) |
3 (1.4) |
Injury, poisoning, and procedural complications |
Injury |
17 (2.9) |
9 (3.1) |
8 (2.7) |
9 (4.1) |
Nervous system disorders |
Headache |
17 (2.9) |
11 (3.7) |
6 (2.0) |
3 (1.4) |
Gastrointestinal disorders |
Diarrhea |
14 (2.4) |
2 (0.7) |
12 (4.1) |
3 (1.4) |
Nausea |
12 (2.0) |
7 (2.4) |
5 (1.7) |
4 (1.8) |
Respiratory, thoracic, and mediastinal disorders |
Cough |
10 (1.7) |
3 (1.0) |
7 (2.4) |
3 (1.4) |
Vascular disorders |
Hypertension |
18 (3.1) |
5 (1.7) |
13 (4.4) |
1 (0.5) |
*Treatment group for repeat study are for subjects who
received EUFLEXXA in both the core and extension (219 out of 433).
N = number of subjects in a given treatment group for the population analyzed;
n = number of subjects reporting at least one adverse event within system organ
class/preferred term; (%) = percentage of subjects based on N; TEAE =
treatment-emergent adverse event.
Note: An adverse event was counted as a TEAE if it was either not present at
baseline (prior to the first dose of double-blind study device) or present at
baseline but increased in severity during the treatment period. |
During the initial randomization/treatment phase, 326
(55.4%) subjects in the safety population experienced 742 TEAEs. The proportion
of subjects reporting TEAEs was generally similar in the EUFLEXXA and saline
groups (53.6% and 57.3%, respectively). The most common preferred term of TEAE
was arthralgia (10.5% of all subjects). Thirty (5.1%) subjects experienced
severe TEAEs, and the proportion with severe events was larger in the saline
group (6.4%) than the EUFLEXXA group (3.8%). Overall, 10.4% of subjects had
TEAEs considered related to study device, with comparable proportions in each
treatment group (9.9% and 10.8% for EUFLEXXA and saline, respectively).
During the extension phase, 43.4% (188/433) of subjects
reported 377 TEAEs. Of these 43.8% (96/219) subjects receiving repeated
EUFLEXXA reported 199 TEAEs. The most frequently reported preferred term in
subjects formerly assigned to the core study EUFLEXXA group were arthralgia
(8.7%), nasopharyngitis (4.6%), injury (4.1%), upper respiratory tract
infections (2.7%), joint swelling (2.7%), back pain (2.7%), and sinusitis
(2.3%). Of these TEAEs 9 (4.1%) subjects had study device related AEs
classified as “Certain,” “Probable,” “Possible” or “Un-assessable.” The most common
related TEAEs were arthralgia (2.3%) and joint swelling (1.4%).Table 4 shows
the Study Device Related Treatment-Emergent Adverse Events by Preferred Term
with an Incidence of > 1 among Treatment Groups (Safety Population).
Table 4: Study Device Related Treatment-Emergent
Adverse Events (TEAEs) by Preferred Term with an Incidence of ≥ 1
among Treatment Groups (Safety Population)
System Organ Class
Preferred Term |
26 Week FLEXX Study (Core) |
Extension Study Repeat Injection for 52 Weeks* |
All Treatments
N = 588
n (%) |
Saline
N = 295
n (%) |
EUFLEXXA
N = 293
n (%) |
EUFLEXXA
N = 219
n (%) |
Any related TEAEs |
61 (10.4) |
32 (10.8) |
29 (9.9) |
9 (4.1) |
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
Arthralgia |
23 (3.9) |
13 (4.4) |
10 (3.4) |
5 (2.3) |
Joint swelling |
3 (0.5) |
2(0.7) |
1 (0.3) |
3 (1.4) |
Pain in extremity |
3 (0.5) |
3 (1) |
0 |
0 |
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders |
Erythema |
5 (0.9) |
3 (1) |
2 (0.7) |
0 |
*TEAEs are for subjects who received EUFLEXXA in both the
core and extension (219 out of 433).
N = number of subjects in a given treatment group for the population analyzed;
n = number of subjects reporting at least 1 AE within system organ
class/preferred term; (%) = percentage of subjects based on N; TEAE =
treatment-emergent adverse event.
Note: Related AEs are AEs with study device relationship classified as
“Certain,” “Probable,” “Possible” or “Un-assessable.” |
Twenty-three serious TEAEs were reported in 19 (3.2%)
subjects during the study: 10 (3.4%) subjects in the EUFLEXXA group and 9
(3.1%) subjects in the saline group. One of these events was considered related
to the study device (increased redness of the left knee joint in the EUFLEXXA
group). Eight (1.4%) subjects had 9 TEAEs leading to discontinuation: 3 (1.0%)
subjects in the EUFLEXXA group and 5 (1.7%) subjects in the saline group.
Twelve (2.8%) subjects reported 20 serious TEAEs during
the extension phase. Six of these subjects had received EUFLEXXA during the
core study. None of the serious TEAEs was considered related to study device,
and all resolved. Two (0.5%) subjects had TEAEs leading to discontinuation from
the study, one of whom received EUFLEXXA during the core study; both subjects
had events that were considered unrelated to study device.
Two subjects on saline experienced joint effusion. There
were no reports of joint effusion among subjects receiving EUFLEXXA during the
core and extension phase.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
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