PRECAUTIONS
Information for Patients
NOTE: In addition to information provided below, a
Patient Medication Guide providing instructions for proper use of TOBI is
contained inside the package.
Safety Information
TOBI is in a class of antibiotics that have caused
hearing loss, dizziness, kidney damage, and harm to a fetus. Ringing in the
ears and hoarseness were two symptoms that were seen in more patients taking
TOBI than placebo in research studies. Patients with cystic fibrosis can have
many symptoms. Some of these symptoms may be related to your medications. If
you have new or worsening symptoms, you should tell your doctor.
Hearing: You should tell your doctor if you have
ringing in the ears, dizziness, or any changes in hearing.
Kidney Damage: Inform your doctor if you have any
history of kidney problems.
Pregnancy: If you want to become pregnant or are
pregnant while on TOBI, you should talk with your doctor about the possibility
of TOBI causing any harm.
Nursing Mothers: If you are nursing a baby, you
should talk with your doctor before using TOBI.
TOBI Packaging
TOBI comes in a single dose, ready-to-use ampule
containing 300 mg tobramycin. Each foil pouch contains 4 ampules, for 2 days of
TOBI therapy.
Dosage
The 300 mg dose of TOBI is the same for patients
regardless of age or weight. TOBI has not been studied in patients less than 6
years old. Doses should be inhaled as close to 12 hours apart as possible and
not less than 6 hours apart.
You should not mix TOBI with dornase alfa (PULMOZYME®,
Genentech) in the nebulizer.
If you are taking several medications the recommended
order is as follows: bronchodilator first, followed by chest physiotherapy,
then other inhaled medications and, finally, TOBI.
Treatment Schedule
You should take TOBI in repeated cycles of 28 days on
drug followed by 28 days off drug. You should take TOBI twice a day during the
28-day period on drug.
How To Administer TOBI
THIS INFORMATION IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE CONSULTATION
WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN AND CF CARE TEAM ABOUT PROPERLY TAKING MEDICATION OR USING
INHALATION EQUIPMENT.
TOBI is specifically formulated for inhalation using a
PARI LC PLUS™ Reusable Nebulizer and a DeVilbiss® Pulmo-Aide® air compressor. TOBI can be taken at home, school, or at work. The
following are instructions on how to use the DeVilbiss Pulmo-Aide air
compressor and PARI LC PLUS Reusable Nebulizer to administer TOBI.
You will need the following supplies:
- TOBI plastic ampule (vial)
- DeVilbiss Pulmo-Aide air compressor
- PARI LC PLUS Reusable Nebulizer
- Tubing to connect the nebulizer and compressor
- Clean paper or cloth towels
- Nose clips (optional)
It is important that your nebulizer and compressor
function properly before starting your TOBI therapy.
Note: Please refer to the manufacturers' care and use
instructions for important information.
Preparing Your TOBI for Inhalation
Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
TOBI is packaged with 4 ampules per foil pouch.
Separate one ampule by gently pulling apart at the
bottom tabs. Store all remaining ampules in the refrigerator as directed.
Lay out the contents of a PARI LC PLUS Reusable
Nebulizer package on a clean, dry paper or cloth towel. You should have the
following parts:
- Nebulizer Top and Bottom (Nebulizer Cup) Assembly
- Inspiratory Valve Cap
- Mouthpiece with Valve
- Tubing
Remove the Nebulizer Top from the Nebulizer Cup by
twisting the Nebulizer Top counter-clockwise, and then lifting off. Place the
Nebulizer Top on the clean paper or cloth towel. Stand the Nebulizer Cup
upright on the towel.
Connect one end of the tubing to the compressor air
outlet. The tubing should fit snugly. Plug in your compressor to an electrical
outlet.
Open the TOBI ampule by holding the bottom tab with
one hand and twisting off the top of the ampule with the other hand. Be careful
not to squeeze the ampule until you are ready to empty its contents into the
Nebulizer Cup.
Squeeze all the contents of the ampule into the
Nebulizer Cup.
Replace the Nebulizer Top. Note: In order to insert
the Nebulizer Top into the Nebulizer Cup, the semi-circle halfway down the stem
of the Nebulizer Top should face the Nebulizer Outlet.
Attach the Mouthpiece to the Nebulizer Outlet. Then
firmly push the Inspiratory Valve Cap in place on the Nebulizer Top. Note: the
Inspiratory Valve Cap will fit snugly.
Connect the free end of the tubing from the
compressor to the Air Intake on the bottom of the nebulizer, making sure to
keep the nebulizer upright. Press the tubing on the Air Intake firmly.
TOBI Treatment
Turn on the compressor.
Check for a steady mist from the Mouthpiece. If there is
no mist, check all tubing connections and confirm that the compressor is
working properly.
Sit or stand in an upright position that will allow you
to breathe normally.
Place Mouthpiece between your teeth and on top of your
tongue and breathe normally only through your mouth. Nose clips may help you
breathe through your mouth and not through your nose. Do not block airflow with
your tongue.
Continue treatment until all your TOBI is gone, and there
is no longer any mist being produced. You may hear a sputtering sound when the
Nebulizer Cup is empty. The entire TOBI treatment should take approximately 15
minutes to complete. Note: if you are interrupted, need to cough or rest during
your TOBI treatment, turn off the compressor to save your medication. Turn the
compressor back on when you are ready to resume your therapy.
Follow the nebulizer cleaning and disinfecting
instructions after completing therapy.
Cleaning Your Nebulizer
To reduce the risk of infection, illness or injury from
contamination, you must thoroughly clean all parts of the nebulizer as
instructed after each treatment. Never use a nebulizer with a clogged nozzle.
If the nozzle is clogged, no aerosol mist is produced, which will alter the
effectiveness of the treatment. Replace the nebulizer if clogging occurs.
Remove tubing from nebulizer and disassemble nebulizer
parts.
Wash all parts (except tubing) with warm water and liquid
dish soap.
Rinse thoroughly with warm water and shake out water.
Air dry or hand dry nebulizer parts on a clean, lint-free
cloth. Reassemble nebulizer when dry, and store.
You can also wash all parts of the nebulizer in a
dishwasher (except tubing). Place the nebulizer parts in a dishwasher basket,
then place on the top rack of the dishwasher. Remove and dry the parts when the
cycle is complete.
Disinfecting Your Nebulizer
Your nebulizer is for your use only - Do not share your
nebulizer with other people. You must regularly disinfect the nebulizer.
Failure to do so could lead to serious or fatal illness.
Clean the nebulizer as described above. Every other
treatment day, disinfect the nebulizer parts (except tubing) by boiling them in
water for a full 10 minutes. Dry parts on a clean, lint-free cloth.
Care and Use of Your Pulmo-Aide Compressor
Follow the manufacturer's instructions for care and use
of your compressor.
Filter Change:
1. DeVilbiss Compressor filters should be changed every
six months or sooner if filter turns completely gray in color.
Compressor Cleaning:
With power switch in the “Off” position, unplug power
cord from wall outlet.
Wipe outside of the compressor cabinet with a clean, damp
cloth every few days to keep dust free.
Caution: Do not submerge in water; doing so will
result in compressor damage.
Storage Instructions
You should store TOBI ampules in a refrigerator (2°C–8°C
or 36°F –46°F). However, when you don't have a refrigerator available (e.g.,
transporting your TOBI), you may store the foil pouches (opened or unopened) at
room temperature (up to 25°C/77°F) for up to 28 days.
Avoid exposing TOBI ampules to intense light.
Unrefrigerated TOBI, which is normally slightly yellow,
may darken with age; however, the color change does not indicate any change in
the quality of the product.
You should not use TOBI if it is cloudy, if there are
particles in the solution, or if it has been stored at room temperature for
more than 28 days. You should not use TOBI beyond the expiration date stamped
on the ampule.
Additional Information
Nebulizer: 1-800-327-8632
Compressor: 1-800-338-1988
TOBI: 1-888-NOW-NOVA (1-888-669-6682)
Laboratory Tests
Audiograms
Clinical studies of TOBI did not identify hearing loss
using audiometric tests which evaluated hearing up to 8000 Hz. Physicians
should consider an audiogram for patients who show any evidence of auditory
dysfunction, or who are at increased risk for auditory dysfunction. Tinnitus
may be a sentinel symptom of ototoxicity, and therefore the onset of this
symptom warrants caution.
Serum Concentrations
In patients with normal renal function treated with TOBI,
serum tobramycin concentrations are approximately 1 mcg/mL 1 hour after dose
administration and do not require routine monitoring. Serum concentrations of
tobramycin in patients with renal dysfunction or patients treated with
concomitant parenteral tobramycin should be monitored at the discretion of the treating
physician.
The serum concentration of tobramycin should only be
monitored through venipuncture and not finger prick blood sampling.
Contamination of the skin of the fingers with tobramycin may lead to falsely
increased measurements of serum levels of the drug. This contamination cannot
be completely avoided by hand washing before testing.
Renal Function
The clinical studies of TOBI did not reveal any imbalance
in the percentage of patients in the TOBI and placebo groups who experienced at
least a 50% rise in serum creatinine from baseline (see ADVERSE REACTIONS).
Laboratory tests of urine and renal function should be conducted at the
discretion of the treating physician.
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility
A two-year rat inhalation toxicology study to assess
carcinogenic potential of TOBI has been completed. Rats were exposed to TOBI
for up to 1.5 hours per day for 95 weeks. The clinical formulation of the drug
was used for this carcinogenicity study. Serum levels of tobramycin of up to 35
mcg/mL were measured in rats, in contrast to the average 1 mcg/mL levels
observed in cystic fibrosis patients in clinical trials. There was no
drug-related increase in the incidence of any variety of tumor.
Additionally, TOBI has been evaluated for genotoxicity in
a battery of in vitro and in vivo tests. The Ames bacterial reversion test,
conducted with 5 tester strains, failed to show a significant increase in
revertants with or without metabolic activation in all strains. Tobramycin was
negative in the mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay, did not induce
chromosomal aberrations in Chinese hamster ovary cells, and was negative in the
mouse micronucleus test.
Subcutaneous administration of up to 100 mg/kg of
tobramycin did not affect mating behavior or cause impairment of fertility in
male or female rats.
Pregnancy
Teratogenic Effects
Pregnancy Category D
(See WARNINGS)
No reproduction toxicology studies have been conducted
with TOBI. However, subcutaneous administration of tobramycin at doses of 100
or 20 mg/kg/day during organogenesis was not teratogenic in rats or rabbits,
respectively. Doses of tobramycin ≥ 40 mg/kg/day were severely maternally
toxic to rabbits and precluded the evaluation of teratogenicity.
Aminoglycosides can cause fetal harm (e.g., congenital deafness) when
administered to a pregnant woman. Ototoxicity was not evaluated in offspring
during nonclinical reproduction toxicity studies with tobramycin. If TOBI is
used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking TOBI,
the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus.
Nursing Mothers
It is not known if TOBI will reach sufficient
concentrations after administration by inhalation to be excreted in human
breast milk. Because of the potential for ototoxicity and nephrotoxicity in
infants, a decision should be made whether to terminate nursing or discontinue
TOBI.
Pediatric Use
The safety and efficacy of TOBI have not been studied in
pediatric patients under 6 years of age.
Geriatric Use
Clinical studies of TOBI did not include patients aged 65
years and over. Tobramycin is known to be substantially excreted by the kidney,
and the risk of adverse reactions to this drug may be greater in patients with
impaired renal function. Because elderly patients are more likely to have
decreased renal function, it may be useful to monitor renal function (see WARNINGS
– Nephrotoxicity; PRECAUTIONS – Serum Concentrations).