SIDE EFFECTS
The following serious adverse
reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling:
- Depression and Other
Neuropsychiatric Adverse Reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Cardiovascular Adverse
Reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Retinopathy and Other Serious
Ocular Adverse Reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Hepatic Failure [see
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
- Endocrinopatliies [see
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
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
clinical practice.
The data described below
reflect exposure to SYLATRON in 608 patients with surgically resected. AJCC
Stage III melanoma. SYLATRON was studied in an open label, multicenter,
randomized, observation controlled trial. The median age of the population was
50 years with 10% of patients 65 years or older, and 42% were female. Fourteen
percent of patients completed the 5 year treatment schedule.
Patients randomized to SYLATRON
were to receive total doses of 48 mcg/kg (6 mcg/kg subcutaneous once weekly for
8 doses), and 780 mcg/kg (3 mcg/kg subcutaneous once weekly until disease
recurrence or for up to 5 years), as tolerated. The median total dose received
was 42 mcg/kg (range: 6 to 78 mcg/kg) for the first 8 doses, and 136 mcg/kg
(range: 1 to 774 mcg/kg) for doses 9 to 260.
Serious adverse events were
reported in 199 (33%) patients who received SYLATRON and 94 (15%) patients in
the observation group.
The most common adverse
reactions experienced by SYLATRON-treated patients were fatigue (94%).
increased ALT (77%). increased AST (77%). pyrexia (75%). headache (70%).
anorexia (69%). myalgia (68%), nausea (64%), chills (63%), and injection site
reaction (62%). The most common serious adverse reactions were fatigue (7%),
increased ALT (3%). increased AST (3%), and pyrexia (3%) in the SYLATRON-treated
group vs. <1% in the observation group for these reactions.
Thirty three percent of
patients receiving SYLATRON discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions.
The most common adverse reactions present at the time of treatment
discontinuation were fatigue (27%), depression (17%), anorexia (15%), increased
ALT (14%), increased AST (14%), myalgia (13%), nausea (13%), headache (13%),
and pyrexia (11%). Adverse events that occurred in the clinical study at >5%
incidence in the SYLATRON- treated group and with a greater incidence in
patients receiving SYLATRON as compared to the observation group are presented
in Table 4.
Table 4: Incidence of
Adverse Reactions(*) Occurring in ≥5% of Melanoma Patients Treated with SYLATRON and with a
Greater Incidence as Compared to Observation
Adverse Reaction |
SYLATRON
N=608 |
Observation
N=628 |
All Grades (%) |
Grade 3 and 4 (%) |
All Grades (%) |
Grade 3 and 4 (%) |
Any Adverse Reaction |
100 |
51 |
82 |
18 |
General Disorders and Administrative Site Conditions |
Fatigue |
94 |
16 |
41 |
1 |
Pyrexia |
75 |
4 |
9 |
0 |
Chills |
63 |
1 |
6 |
0 |
Injection Site Reaction |
62 |
1.8 |
0 |
0 |
Metabolic/Laboratory |
ALT or AST Increased |
77 |
11 |
26 |
1 |
Blood Alkaline Phosphatase Increased |
23 |
0 |
11 |
<1 |
Weight Decreased |
11 |
<1 |
1 |
<1 |
GGT Increased |
8 |
4 |
1 |
<1 |
Proteinuria |
7 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Anemia |
6 |
<1 |
2 |
<1 |
Nervous System Disorders |
Headache |
70 |
4 |
19 |
1 |
Dysgeusia |
38 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Dizziness |
35 |
2 |
11 |
<1 |
Olfactory Nerve Disorder |
23 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Paraesthesia |
21 |
<1 |
14 |
<1 |
Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders |
Anorexia |
69 |
3 |
13 |
0 |
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders |
Myalgia |
68 |
4 |
23 |
<1 |
Arthralgia |
51 |
3 |
22 |
1 |
Gastrointestinal Disorders |
Nausea |
64 |
3 |
11 |
<1 |
Diarrhea |
37 |
1 |
8 |
<1 |
Vomiting |
26 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
Psychiatric Disorders |
Depression |
59 |
7 |
24 |
<1 |
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders |
Exfoliative Rash |
36 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
Alopecia |
34 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders |
Dyspnea |
6 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Cough |
5 |
<1 |
2 |
0 |
*Adverse reactions were graded
using NCI CTCAE, V.2.0. |
Immunogenieity
As with all therapeutic
proteins, there is potential for immunogenieity. In a clinical study conducted
in patients with melanoma, the incidence of binding antibodies to
peg-interferon alfa-2b was approximately 35% (50/144 patients). Among the
patients who tested positive for binding antibodies, one patient developed
neutralizing antibodies. The impact of antibody formation on pharmacokinetics,
safety and efficacy of peg-interferon alfa-2b could not be assessed based on
limited available data.
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 SYLATRON 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 peginterferon alfa-2b as monotherapy and in
combination with ribavirin in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. 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.
Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders
pure red cell aplasia, thrombotic thrombocytopenic
purpura
Cardiac Disorders
pericarditis
Ear and Labyrinth Disorders
hearing loss, vertigo, hearing impairment
Endocrine Disorders
diabetic ketoacidosis
Eye Disorders
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome
Gastrointestinal Disorders
aphthous stomatitis, pancreatitis, colitis, tongue
pigmentation
Infusion Reactions
angioedema, urticaria, bronchoconstriction
Immune System Disorders
systemic lupus erythematosus, erythema multiforme,
thyroiditis, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, idiopathic thrombocytopenic
purpura, rheumatoid arthritis, interstitial nephritis, and systemic lupus
erythematosus
Infections
sepsis, hepatitis B virus reactivation in HCV/HBV
co-infected patients
Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders
hypertriglyceridemia
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders
rhabdomyolysis, myositis
Nervous System Disorders
seizures, memory loss, peripheral neuropathy,
paraesthesia, migraine headache
Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders
dyspnea, pulmonary infiltrates, pneumonia, bronchiolitis
obliterans, interstitial pneumonitis, sarcoidosis, pulmonary hypertension, and
pulmonary fibrosis
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders
Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis,
psoriasis
Vascular Disorders
hypertension, hypotension, stroke
DRUG INTERACTIONS
Peginterferon alfa-2b inhibits CYP1A2 and CYP2D6
activity. When caffeine (CYP1A2 substrate) or desipramine (CYP2D6 substrate)
was coadministered with peginterferon alfa-2b (3 mcg/kg once weekly for two weeks),
the exposure to caffeine increased 36% and the exposure to desipramine
increased 30% as compared to when caffeine or desipramine was administered
alone. Monitor for potential increased toxicities of drugs with a narrow
therapeutic range metabolized by CYP1A2 or CYP2D6 when coadministered with
SYLATRON. [See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY]