WARNINGS
Included as part of the "PRECAUTIONS" Section
PRECAUTIONS
Cardiovascular Effects With Concomitant Use Of Drugs Metabolized By Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT)
Possible arrhythmias, increased heart rate, and excessive changes in blood pressure may occur with concomitant use of ONGENTYS and drugs metabolized by COMT (e.g., isoproterenol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and dobutamine), regardless of the route of administration (including inhalation). Monitor patients treated concomitantly with ONGENTYS and drugs metabolized by COMT [see CONTRAINDICATIONS, DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Falling Asleep During Activities Of Daily Living And Somnolence
Patients treated with dopaminergic medications and medications that increase levodopa exposure, including ONGENTYS, have reported falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living, including the operation of motor vehicles, which sometimes has resulted in accidents. Patients may not perceive warning signs, such as excessive drowsiness, or they may report feeling alert immediately prior to the event.
Before initiating treatment with ONGENTYS, advise patients of the potential to develop drowsiness and specifically ask about factors that may increase the risk for somnolence with dopaminergic therapy, such as concomitant sedating medications or the presence of a sleep disorder. If a patient develops daytime sleepiness or episodes of falling asleep during activities that require full attention (e.g., driving a motor vehicle, conversations, eating), consider discontinuing ONGENTYS or adjusting other dopaminergic or sedating medications. If a decision is made to continue ONGENTYS, patients should be advised not to drive and to avoid other potentially dangerous activities.
Hypotension/Syncope
In Study 1 and Study 2 [see Clinical Studies], hypotension (orthostatic and non-orthostatic), syncope, and presyncope occurred in 5% of patients treated with ONGENTYS 50 mg compared to 1% of patients who received placebo. Monitor patients for hypotension (orthostatic and non-orthostatic) and advise patients about the risk for syncope and presyncope. If these adverse reactions occur, consider discontinuing ONGENTYS or adjusting the dosage of other medications that can lower blood pressure.
Dyskinesia
ONGENTYS potentiates the effects of levodopa [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY] and may cause dyskinesia or exacerbate pre-existing dyskinesia.
In controlled clinical trials (Study 1 and Study 2) [see Clinical Studies], dyskinesia occurred in 20% of patients treated with ONGENTYS 50 mg compared to 6% of patients who received placebo. Dyskinesia was also the most common adverse reaction leading to discontinuation of ONGENTYS [see ADVERSE REACTIONS].
Reducing the patient’s daily levodopa dosage or the dosage of another dopaminergic drug may mitigate dyskinesia that occurs during treatment with ONGENTYS.
Hallucinations And Psychosis
In Study 1 and Study 2, hallucinations (hallucinations, auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, mixed hallucinations) occurred in 3% of patients treated with ONGENTYS 50 mg compared to 1% of patients who received placebo. Delusions, agitation, or aggressive behavior occurred in 1% of patients treated with ONGENTYS 50 mg, and in no patient who received placebo. Consider stopping ONGENTYS if hallucinations or psychotic-like behaviors occur.
Patients with a major psychotic disorder should ordinarily not be treated with ONGENTYS because of the risk of exacerbating the psychosis with an increase in central dopaminergic tone. In addition, treatments for psychosis that antagonize the effects of dopaminergic medications may exacerbate the symptoms of PD.
Impulse Control/Compulsive Disorders
Patients treated with ONGENTYS can experience intense urges to gamble, increased sexual urges, intense urges to spend money, binge eating, and/or other intense urges, and the inability to control these urges while taking one or more dopaminergic therapies that increase central dopaminergic tone. In some cases, these urges were reported to have stopped when the dose was reduced, or the medication was discontinued. Because patients may not recognize these behaviors as abnormal, it is important for prescribers to specifically ask patients or their caregivers about the development of new or increased gambling urges, sexual urges, uncontrolled spending, or other urges while being treated with ONGENTYS.
In Study 1 and Study 2, impulse control disorders occurred in 1% of patients treated with ONGENTYS 50 mg, and in no patient who received placebo. Re-evaluate the patient’s current therapy(ies) for Parkinson’s disease and consider stopping ONGENTYS if a patient develops such urges while taking ONGENTYS.
Use with caution in Parkinson’s patients with suspected or diagnosed dopamine dysregulation syndrome.
Withdrawal-Emergent Hyperpyrexia And Confusion
A symptom complex resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome (characterized by elevated temperature, muscular rigidity, altered consciousness, and autonomic instability), with no other obvious etiology, has been reported in association with rapid dose reduction, withdrawal of, or changes in drugs that increase central dopaminergic tone. In the controlled clinical studies of ONGENTYS, patients discontinued ONGENTYS treatment without dose tapering or gradual withdrawal. There were no reports of neuroleptic malignant syndrome in ONGENTYS controlled clinical studies. When discontinuing ONGENTYS, monitor patients and consider adjustment of other dopaminergic therapies as needed [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Patient Counseling Information
Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (PATIENT INFORMATION).
Administration
Instruct patients and/or caregivers that ONGENTYS capsules should be taken at bedtime. Inform patients to not eat food for 1 hour before and for at least 1 hour after intake of ONGENTYS with food [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Concomitant Medications
Certain medications can cause an interaction with ONGENTYS. Advise patients and/or caregivers to inform their healthcare provider of all the medicines the patient is taking, including over-the-counter medicines, dietary supplements, and herbal products [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Falling Asleep During Activities Of Daily Living
Advise patients and/or caregivers that somnolence has been reported with ONGENTYS. Patients treated with dopaminergic medications have reported falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living. These adverse reactions may affect some patients’ ability to drive and operate machinery safely [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Hypotension/Syncope
Advise patients that ONGENTYS may cause hypotension or syncope [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Dyskinesia
Advise patients that ONGENTYS may cause dyskinesia or exacerbate pre-existing dyskinesia [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Hallucinations And Psychosis
Advise patients that ONGENTYS may cause hallucinations, delusions, or aggressive behavior and they should report any of these adverse reactions to their healthcare provider [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Impulse Control/Compulsive Disorders
Inform patients of the potential for experiencing intense urges to gamble, increased sexual urges, intense urges to spend money, binge eating, and other intense urges and the inability to control these urges while taking ONGENTYS and one or more medications that increase central dopaminergic tone that are generally used for the treatment of PD. Advise patients that they should report any of these adverse reactions to their healthcare provider [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Withdrawal-Emergent Hyperpyrexia And Confusion
Advise patients to contact their healthcare provider before stopping ONGENTYS. Tell patients to inform their healthcare provider if they develop symptoms such as fever, confusion, or severe muscle stiffness after stopping ONGENTYS [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Nonclinical Toxicology
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility
Carcinogenesis
No increase in tumors was observed when opicapone was administered orally to mice (0, 100, 375, or 750 mg/kg/day) for up to 2 years (84-93 weeks at the high dose). The highest dose tested is approximately 70 times the recommended dose (RHD) in humans (50 mg/day) on a body surface area (mg/m2) basis.
No increase in tumors was observed when opicapone was administered orally to rats (0, 100, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day) for 2 years. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the highest dose tested is approximately 24 times that in humans at the RHD (50 mg/day).
Mutagenesis
Opicapone was negative in in vitro (bacterial reverse mutation test (Ames), chromosomal aberrations in human peripheral blood lymphocytes) and in in vivo (rat bone marrow micronucleus) assays.
Impairment Of Fertility
In male and female rats, oral administration of opicapone (0, 100, 500, or 1000 mg/kg/day) prior to and during mating and continuing in females to gestation day 6, resulted in no adverse effects on fertility or general reproductive performance. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the highest dose tested is approximately 40 times that in humans at the RHD.
Use In Specific Populations
Pregnancy
Risk Summary
There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with use of ONGENTYS in pregnant women. In animal studies, oral administration of opicapone during pregnancy resulted in adverse effects on embryofetal development (increased incidence of fetal abnormalities) at clinically relevant plasma exposures in one of two species tested. In addition, opicapone is always given concomitantly with levodopa/carbidopa, which is known to cause developmental toxicity in rabbits (see Data).
The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in the U.S. general population is 2-4% and 15-20% of clinically recognized pregnancies, respectively. The background risk for major birth defects and miscarriage in patients with Parkinson’s disease is unknown.
Data
Animal Data
Oral administration of opicapone (0, 150, 375, or 1000 mg/kg/day) to pregnant rats throughout gestation resulted in no adverse effects on embryofetal development. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the highest dose tested (1000 mg/kg/day) was approximately 40 times that in humans at the recommended human dose (50 mg/day).
In pregnant rabbits, oral administration of opicapone (0, 100, 175, or 225 mg/kg/day) during the period of organogenesis resulted in increased incidence of structural abnormalities at all doses tested; maternal toxicity was observed at all but the lowest dose tested. A no-effect dose for adverse effects on embryofetal development was not identified. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the low-effect dose (100 mg/kg/day) was less than that in humans at the RHD.
Oral administration of opicapone (0, 150, 375, or 1000 mg/kg/day) throughout gestation and lactation resulted in no adverse effects on pre-and postnatal development; however, effects on neurobehavioral development in the offspring were not rigorously assessed. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the highest dose tested (1000 mg/kg/day) was approximately 40 times that in humans at the RHD.
Opicapone is always given concomitantly with levodopa/carbidopa, which is known to cause visceral and skeletal malformations in rabbits. The developmental toxicity of opicapone in combination with levodopa/carbidopa was not assessed in animals.
Lactation
Risk Summary
There are no data on the presence of opicapone in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. In lactating rats, oral administration of opicapone resulted in levels of opicapone or metabolites in milk similar to those in maternal plasma. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for ONGENTYS and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from ONGENTYS or from the underlying maternal condition.
Pediatric Use
Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Geriatric Use
No dose adjustment is required for elderly patients. Of the total number of patients who received ONGENTYS 50 mg in Study 1 and Study 2, 52% of patients were 65 years and older. No overall differences in safety and effectiveness were observed between these patients and younger patients, but greater sensitivity to adverse reactions of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.
Renal Impairment
The renal route of elimination plays a minor role in the clearance of opicapone [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. Avoid use of ONGENTYS in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (CLcr <15 mL/min). No dosage adjustment is required for patients with mild, moderate, or severe renal impairment. However, because of a potential for increased exposure, monitor patients with severe renal impairment for adverse reactions and discontinue ONGENTYS if tolerability issues arise.
Hepatic Impairment
Opicapone exposure is increased in patients with hepatic impairment [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]. Avoid use of ONGENTYS in patients with severe (Child-Pugh C) hepatic impairment. Dosage adjustment is recommended for patients with moderate (Child-Pugh B) hepatic impairment [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION]. No dosage adjustment is required in patients with mild (Child-Pugh A) hepatic impairment.