WARNINGS
Included as part of the "PRECAUTIONS" Section
PRECAUTIONS
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported with the use of abacavir or dolutegravir, components of TRIUMEQ.
Abacavir
Serious and sometimes fatal hypersensitivity reactions have occurred with abacavir-containing regimens. See full prescribing information for ZIAGEN (abacavir).
Abacavir hypersensitivity reactions have included multi-organ failure and anaphylaxis and typically occurred within the first 6 weeks of treatment with abacavir (median time to onset was 9 days); although abacavir hypersensitivity reactions have occurred any time during treatment [see ADVERSE REACTIONS]. Patients who carry the HLA-B*5701 allele are at a higher risk of abacavir hypersensitivity reactions; although, patients who do not carry the HLA-B*5701 allele have developed hypersensitivity reactions. Hypersensitivity to abacavir was reported in approximately 206 (8%) of 2,670 patients in 9 clinical trials with abacavir-containing products where HLA-B*5701 screening was not performed. The incidence of suspected abacavir hypersensitivity reactions in clinical trials was 1% when subjects carrying the HLA-B*5701 allele were excluded. In any patient treated with abacavir, the clinical diagnosis of hypersensitivity reaction must remain the basis of clinical decision making.
Due to the potential for severe, serious, and possibly fatal hypersensitivity reactions with abacavir:
- All patients should be screened for the HLA-B*5701 allele prior to initiating therapy with TRIUMEQ or reinitiation of therapy with TRIUMEQ, unless patients have a previously documented HLA-B*5701 allele assessment.
- TRIUMEQ is contraindicated in patients with a prior hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir and in HLA-B*5701-positive patients.
- Before starting TRIUMEQ, review medical history for prior exposure to any abacavircontaining product. NEVER restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing product following a hypersensitivity reaction to abacavir, regardless of HLA-B*5701 status.
- To reduce the risk of a life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction, regardless of HLA-B*5701 status, discontinue TRIUMEQ immediately if a hypersensitivity reaction is suspected, even when other diagnoses are possible (e.g., acute onset respiratory diseases such as pneumonia, bronchitis, pharyngitis, or influenza; gastroenteritis; or reactions to other medications). Clinical status, including liver chemistries, should be monitored and appropriate therapy initiated.
- If a hypersensitivity reaction cannot be ruled out, do not restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing products because more severe symptoms, which may include life-threatening hypotension and death, can occur within hours.
- Clinically, it is not possible to determine whether a hypersensitivity reaction with TRIUMEQ would be caused by abacavir or dolutegravir. Therefore, never restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-or dolutegravir-containing product in patients who have stopped therapy with TRIUMEQ due to a hypersensitivity reaction.
- If a hypersensitivity reaction is ruled out, patients may restart TRIUMEQ. Rarely, patients who have stopped abacavir for reasons other than symptoms of hypersensitivity have also experienced life-threatening reactions within hours of reinitiating abacavir therapy. Therefore, reintroduction of TRIUMEQ, or any other abacavir-containing product, is recommended only if medical care can be readily accessed.
- A Medication Guide and Warning Card that provide information about recognition of abacavir hypersensitivity reactions should be dispensed with each new prescription and refill.
Dolutegravir
Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported and were characterized by rash, constitutional findings, and sometimes organ dysfunction, including liver injury. The events were reported in less than 1% of subjects receiving TIVICAY in Phase 3 clinical trials. Discontinue TRIUMEQ and other suspect agents immediately if signs or symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions develop (including, but not limited to, severe rash or rash accompanied by fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters or peeling of the skin, oral blisters or lesions, conjunctivitis, facial edema, hepatitis, eosinophilia, angioedema, difficulty breathing). Clinical status, including liver aminotransferases, should be monitored and appropriate therapy initiated. Delay in stopping treatment with TRIUMEQ or other suspect agents after the onset of hypersensitivity may result in a life-threatening reaction.
Clinically, it is not possible to determine whether a hypersensitivity reaction with TRIUMEQ would be caused by abacavir or dolutegravir. Therefore, never restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-or dolutegravir-containing product in patients who have stopped therapy with TRIUMEQ due to a hypersensitivity reaction.
Posttreatment Exacerbations Of Hepatitis In Patients With Hepatitis B Co-Infection
Clinical and laboratory evidence of exacerbations of hepatitis have occurred after discontinuation of lamivudine. See full prescribing information for EPIVIR (lamivudine). Patients should be closely monitored with both clinical and laboratory follow-up for at least several months after stopping treatment.
Emergence Of Lamivudine-Resistant HBV
Safety and efficacy of lamivudine have not been established for treatment of chronic hepatitis B in subjects dually infected with HIV-1 and HBV. Emergence of hepatitis B virus variants associated with resistance to lamivudine has been reported in HIV-1−infected subjects who have received lamivudine-containing antiretroviral regimens in the presence of concurrent infection with hepatitis B virus. See full prescribing information for EPIVIR-HBV (lamivudine).
Hepatotoxicity
Hepatic adverse events have been reported in patients receiving a dolutegravir-containing regimen [see ADVERSE REACTIONS]. Patients with underlying hepatitis B or C may be at increased risk for worsening or development of transaminase elevations with use of TRIUMEQ [see ADVERSE REACTIONS]. In some cases, the elevations in transaminases were consistent with immune reconstitution syndrome or hepatitis B reactivation particularly in the setting where anti-hepatitis therapy was withdrawn. Cases of hepatic toxicity, including elevated serum liver biochemistries, hepatitis, and acute liver failure, have also been reported in patients receiving a dolutegravir-containing regimen who had no pre-existing hepatic disease or other identifiable risk factors. Drug-induced liver injury leading to liver transplant has been reported with TRIUMEQ. Monitoring for hepatotoxicity is recommended.
Lactic Acidosis And Severe Hepatomegaly With Steatosis
Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis, including fatal cases, have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogues, including abacavir and lamivudine (components of TRIUMEQ). A majority of these cases have been in women. Female sex and obesity may be risk factors for the development of lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis in patients treated with antiretroviral nucleoside analogues. See full prescribing information for ZIAGEN (abacavir) and EPIVIR (lamivudine). Treatment with TRIUMEQ should be suspended in any patient who develops clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of lactic acidosis or pronounced hepatotoxicity, which may include hepatomegaly and steatosis even in the absence of marked transaminase elevations.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
An observational study showed an association between dolutegravir, a component of TRIUMEQ, and an increased risk of neural tube defects when dolutegravir was administered at the time of conception and in early pregnancy. As there is limited understanding of reported types of neural tube defects associated with dolutegravir use and because the date of conception may not be determined with precision, an alternative treatment to TRIUMEQ should be considered at the time of conception through the first trimester of pregnancy [see Use In Specific Populations].
Perform pregnancy testing before initiation of TRIUMEQ in adolescents and adults of childbearing potential to exclude use of TRIUMEQ during the first trimester of pregnancy [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION]. Initiation of TRIUMEQ is not recommended in adolescents and adults actively trying to become pregnant unless there is no suitable alternative [see Use In Specific Populations].
Counsel adolescents and adults of childbearing potential to consistently use effective contraception [see Use In Specific Populations].
In adolescents and adults of childbearing potential currently on TRIUMEQ who are actively trying to become pregnant, or if pregnancy is confirmed in the first trimester, assess the risks and benefits of continuing TRIUMEQ versus switching to another antiretroviral regimen and consider switching to an alternative regimen [see Use In Specific Populations].
TRIUMEQ may be considered during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy if the expected benefit justifies the potential risk to the pregnant woman and the fetus.
Risk Of Adverse Reactions Or Loss Of Virologic Response Due To Drug Interactions
The concomitant use of TRIUMEQ and other drugs may result in known or potentially significant drug interactions, some of which may lead to [see CONTRAINDICATIONS, DRUG INTERACTIONS]:
- Loss of therapeutic effect of TRIUMEQ and possible development of resistance.
- Possible clinically significant adverse reactions from greater exposures of concomitant drugs.
See Table 5 for steps to prevent or manage these possible and known significant drug interactions, including dosing recommendations. Consider the potential for drug interactions prior to and during therapy with TRIUMEQ; review concomitant medications during therapy with TRIUMEQ; and monitor for the adverse reactions associated with the concomitant drugs.
Immune Reconstitution Syndrome
Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy, including TRIUMEQ. During the initial phase of combination antiretroviral treatment, patients whose immune systems respond may develop an inflammatory response to indolent or residual opportunistic infections (such as Mycobacterium avium infection, cytomegalovirus, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia [PCP], or tuberculosis), which may necessitate further evaluation and treatment.
Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves’ disease, polymyositis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome) have also been reported to occur in the setting of immune reconstitution; however, the time to onset is more variable, and can occur many months after initiation of treatment.
Myocardial Infarction
Several prospective, observational, epidemiological studies have reported an association with the use of abacavir and the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Meta-analyses of randomized, controlled clinical trials have observed no excess risk of MI in abacavir-treated subjects as compared with control subjects. To date, there is no established biological mechanism to explain a potential increase in risk. In totality, the available data from the observational studies and from controlled clinical trials show inconsistency; therefore, evidence for a causal relationship between abacavir and the risk of MI is inconclusive.
As a precaution, the underlying risk of coronary heart disease should be considered when prescribing antiretroviral therapies, including abacavir, and action taken to minimize all modifiable risk factors (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, smoking).
Patient Counseling Information
Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Medication Guide).
Drug Interactions
TRIUMEQ may interact with many drugs; therefore, advise patients to report to their healthcare provider the use of any other prescription or nonprescription medication or herbal products, including St. John’s wort [see CONTRAINDICATIONS, DRUG INTERACTIONS].
Hypersensitivity Reaction
Inform patients:
- that a Medication Guide and Warning Card summarizing the symptoms of the abacavir hypersensitivity reaction and other product information will be dispensed by the pharmacist with each new prescription and refill of TRIUMEQ, and instruct the patient to read the Medication Guide and Warning Card every time to obtain any new information that may be present about TRIUMEQ. The complete text of the Medication Guide is reprinted at the end of this document.
- to carry the Warning Card with them.
- how to identify a hypersensitivity reaction [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, PATIENT INFORMATION].
- that if they develop symptoms consistent with a hypersensitivity reaction they should call their healthcare provider right away to determine if they should stop taking TRIUMEQ.
- that a hypersensitivity reaction can worsen and lead to hospitalization or death if TRIUMEQ is not immediately discontinued.
- to not restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing product following a hypersensitivity reaction because more severe symptoms can occur within hours and may include life-threatening hypotension and death.
- that if they have a hypersensitivity reaction, they should dispose of any unused TRIUMEQ to avoid restarting abacavir.
- that a hypersensitivity reaction is usually reversible if it is detected promptly and TRIUMEQ is stopped right away.
- that if they have interrupted TRIUMEQ for reasons other than symptoms of hypersensitivity (for example, those who have an interruption in drug supply), a serious or fatal hypersensitivity reaction may occur with reintroduction of abacavir.
- to not restart TRIUMEQ or any other abacavir-containing product without medical consultation and only if medical care can be readily accessed by the patient or others.
- to not restart TRIUMEQ or any other dolutegravir-containing product following a hypersensitivity reaction to TRIUMEQ.
Hepatotoxicity
Inform patients that hepatotoxicity has been reported with dolutegravir, a component of TRIUMEQ [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS]. Inform patients that monitoring for hepatotoxicity during therapy with TRIUMEQ is recommended.
Posttreatment Exacerbations Of Hepatitis In Patients With Hepatitis B Co-Infection
Advise patients co-infected with HIV-1 and HBV that worsening of liver disease has occurred in some cases when treatment with lamivudine was discontinued. Advise patients to discuss any changes in regimen with their physician [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Lactic Acidosis/Hepatomegaly
Inform patients that some HIV medicines, including TRIUMEQ, can cause a rare, but serious condition called lactic acidosis with liver enlargement (hepatomegaly) [see BOX WARNING, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity
Advise adolescents and adults of childbearing potential to consider an alternative treatment to TRIUMEQ at the time of conception through the first trimester of pregnancy. Advise adolescents and adults of childbearing potential to contact their healthcare provider if they plan to become pregnant, become pregnant, or if pregnancy is suspected during treatment with TRIUMEQ [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Use In Specific Populations].
Counsel adolescents and adults of childbearing potential taking TRIUMEQ to consistently use effective contraception [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Use In Specific Populations].
Immune Reconstitution Syndrome
Advise patients to inform their healthcare provider immediately of any signs and symptoms of infection as inflammation from previous infection may occur soon after combination antiretroviral therapy, including when TRIUMEQ is started [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Pregnancy Registry
Inform patients that there is an antiretroviral pregnancy registry to monitor fetal outcomes in those exposed to TRIUMEQ during pregnancy [see Use In Specific Populations].
Lactation
Instruct mothers with HIV-1 infection not to breastfeed because HIV-1 can be passed to the baby in the breast milk [see Use In Specific Populations].
Missed Dose
Instruct patients that if they miss a dose of TRIUMEQ, to take it as soon as they remember.
Advise patients not to double their next dose or take more than the prescribed dose [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Availability Of Medication Guide
Instruct patients to read the Medication Guide before starting TRIUMEQ and to re-read it each time the prescription is renewed. Instruct patients to inform their physician or pharmacist if they develop any unusual symptom, or if any known symptom persists or worsens.
Storage
Instruct patients to store TRIUMEQ in the original package, protect from moisture, and keep the bottle tightly closed. Do not remove desiccant.
Nonclinical Toxicology
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility
Carcinogenicity
Dolutegravir
Two-year carcinogenicity studies in mice and rats were conducted with dolutegravir. Mice were administered doses of up to 500 mg per kg, and rats were administered doses of up to 50 mg per kg. In mice, no significant increases in the incidence of drug-related neoplasms were observed at the highest doses tested, resulting in dolutegravir AUC exposures approximately 26-fold higher than those in humans at the recommended dose of 50 mg once daily. In rats, no increases in the incidence of drug-related neoplasms were observed at the highest dose tested, resulting in dolutegravir AUC exposures 17-fold and 30-fold higher in males and females, respectively, than those in humans at the recommended dose of 50 mg once daily.
Abacavir
Abacavir was administered orally at 3 dosage levels to separate groups of mice and rats in 2-year carcinogenicity studies. Results showed an increase in the incidence of malignant and non-malignant tumors. Malignant tumors occurred in the preputial gland of males and the clitoral gland of females of both species, and in the liver of female rats. In addition, non-malignant tumors also occurred in the liver and thyroid gland of female rats. These observations were made at systemic exposures in the range of 7 to 28 times the human exposure at the recommended dose of 600 mg.
Lamivudine
Long-term carcinogenicity studies with lamivudine in mice and rats showed no evidence of carcinogenic potential at exposures up to 12 times (mice) and 57 times (rats) the human exposures at the recommended dose of 300 mg.
Mutagenicity
Dolutegravir
Dolutegravir was not genotoxic in the bacterial reverse mutation assay, mouse lymphoma assay, or in the in vivo rodent micronucleus assay.
Abacavir
Abacavir induced chromosomal aberrations both in the presence and absence of metabolic activation in an in vitro cytogenetic study in human lymphocytes. Abacavir was mutagenic in the absence of metabolic activation, although it was not mutagenic in the presence of metabolic activation in an L5178Y mouse lymphoma assay. Abacavir was clastogenic in males and not clastogenic in females in an in vivo mouse bone marrow micronucleus assay. Abacavir was not mutagenic in bacterial mutagenicity assays in the presence and absence of metabolic activation.
Lamivudine
Lamivudine was mutagenic in an L5178Y mouse lymphoma assay and clastogenic in a cytogenetic assay using cultured human lymphocytes. Lamivudine was not mutagenic in a microbial mutagenicity assay, in an in vitro cell transformation assay, in a rat micronucleus test, in a rat bone marrow cytogenetic assay, and in an assay for unscheduled DNA synthesis in rat liver.
Impairment Of Fertility
Dolutegravir, abacavir, or lamivudine did not affect male or female fertility in rats at doses associated with exposures approximately 44, 9, or 112 times (respectively) higher than the exposures in humans at the doses of 50 mg, 600 mg, and 300 mg (respectively).
Use In Specific Populations
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Exposure Registry
There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in individuals exposed to TRIUMEQ during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) at 1-800-258-4263.
Risk Summary
Data from a birth outcome surveillance study has identified an increased risk of neural tube defects when dolutegravir, a component of TRIUMEQ, is administered at the time of conception compared with non-dolutegravir-containing antiretroviral regimens. As defects related to closure of the neural tube occur from conception through the first 6 weeks of gestation, embryos exposed to dolutegravir from the time of conception through the first 6 weeks of gestation are at potential risk. In addition, 2 of the 5 birth defects (encephalocele and iniencephaly), which have been observed with dolutegravir use, although often termed neural tube defects, may occur post-neural tube closure, the time period of which may be later than 6 weeks of gestation, but within the first trimester. Due to the limited understanding of the types of reported neural tube defects associated with dolutegravir use and because the date of conception may not be determined with precision, an alternative treatment to TRIUMEQ should be considered at the time of conception through the first trimester of pregnancy. Initiation of TRIUMEQ is not recommended in adolescents and adults actively trying to become pregnant unless there is no suitable alternative (see Data).
In adolescents and adults of childbearing potential currently on TRIUMEQ who are actively trying to become pregnant, or if pregnancy is confirmed in the first trimester, assess the risks and benefits of continuing TRIUMEQ versus switching to another antiretroviral regimen and consider switching to an alternative regimen Advise pregnant adolescents and adults of the potential risk to the embryo exposed to TRIUMEQ from the time of conception through the first trimester of pregnancy. A benefit-risk assessment should consider factors such as feasibility of switching, tolerability, ability to maintain viral suppression, and risk of transmission to the infant against the risk of neural tube defects [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
There are insufficient human data on the use of TRIUMEQ during pregnancy to definitively assess a drug-associated risk for birth defects and miscarriage. The background risk for major birth defects for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background rate for major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
In animal reproduction studies, no evidence of adverse developmental outcomes was observed with dolutegravir at systemic exposures (AUC) less than (rabbits) and approximately 50 times (rats) the exposure in humans at the recommended human dose (RHD) (see Data). Oral administration of abacavir to pregnant rats during organogenesis resulted in fetal malformations and other embryonic and fetal toxicities at exposures 35 times the human exposure (AUC) at the RHD. No adverse developmental effects were observed following oral administration of abacavir to pregnant rabbits during organogenesis at exposures approximately 9 times the human exposure (AUC) at the RHD. Oral administration of lamivudine to pregnant rabbits during organogenesis resulted in embryolethality at a human exposure (AUC) similar to the RHD; however, no adverse development effects were observed with oral administration of lamivudine to pregnant rats during organogenesis at plasma concentrations (Cmax) 35 times the RHD (see Data).
Data
Human Data
Dolutegravir
In a birth outcome surveillance study in Botswana, there were 5 cases of neural tube defects reported out of 1,683 deliveries (0.3%) to women who were exposed to dolutegravir-containing regimens at the time of conception. In comparison, the neural tube defect prevalence rates were 0.1% (15/14,792 deliveries) in the non-dolutegravir arm and 0.08% (70/89,372 deliveries) in the HIV-uninfected arm. Five cases reported with dolutegravir included one case each of encephalocele, anencephaly, and iniencephaly, and 2 cases of myelomeningocele. In the same study, one infant out of 3,840 (0.03%) deliveries to women who started dolutegravir during pregnancy had a neural tube defect, compared with 3 infants out of 5,952 (0.05%) deliveries to women who started non-dolutegravir-containing regimens during pregnancy.
Data analyzed to date from other sources including the APR, clinical trials, and postmarketing data are insufficient to address the risk of neural tube defects with dolutegravir.
Data from the birth outcome surveillance study described above and postmarketing sources with more than 1,000 pregnancy outcomes from second and third trimester exposure in pregnant women indicate no evidence of increased risk of adverse birth outcomes.
Abacavir
Based on prospective reports to the APR of over 2,000 exposures to abacavir during pregnancy resulting in live births (including over 1,000 exposed in the first trimester), there was no difference between the overall risk of birth defects for abacavir compared with the background birth defect rate of 2.7% in the U.S. reference population of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP). The prevalence of defects in live births was 2.9% (95% CI: 2.0% to 4.1%) following first trimester exposure to abacavir-containing regimens and 2.7% (95% CI: 1.9% to 3.7%) following second/third trimester exposure to abacavir-containing regimens.
Abacavir has been shown to cross the placenta and concentrations in neonatal plasma at birth were essentially equal to those in maternal plasma at delivery [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Lamivudine
Based on prospective reports to the APR of over 11,000 exposures to lamivudine during pregnancy resulting in live births (including over 4,500 exposed in the first trimester), there was no difference between the overall risk of birth defects for lamivudine compared with the background birth defect rate of 2.7% in the U.S. reference population of the MACDP. The prevalence of birth defects in live births was 3.1% (95% CI: 2.6% to 3.6%) following first trimester exposure to lamivudine-containing regimens and 2.8% (95% CI: 2.5%, 3.3%) following second/third trimester exposure to lamivudine-containing regimens.
Lamivudine pharmacokinetics were studied in pregnant women during 2 clinical trials conducted in South Africa. The trials assessed pharmacokinetics in 16 women at 36 weeks’ gestation using 150 mg lamivudine twice daily with zidovudine, 10 women at 38 weeks’ gestation using 150 mg lamivudine twice daily with zidovudine, and 10 women at 38 weeks’ gestation using lamivudine 300 mg twice daily without other antiretrovirals. These trials were not designed or powered to provide efficacy information. Lamivudine concentrations were generally similar in maternal, neonatal, and umbilical cord serum samples. In a subset of subjects, amniotic fluid specimens were collected following natural rupture of membranes and confirmed that lamivudine crosses the placenta in humans. Based on limited data at delivery, median (range) amniotic fluid concentrations of lamivudine were 3.9 (1.2 to 12.8)–fold greater compared with paired maternal serum concentration (n = 8).
Animal Data
Dolutegravir
Dolutegravir was administered orally to pregnant rats and rabbits (up to 1,000 mg per kg per day) on gestation Days 6 to 17 and 6 to 18, respectively, and to rats on gestation Day 6 to lactation/post-partum Day 20. No adverse effects on embryo-fetal (rats and rabbits) or pre/post-natal (rats) development were observed up to the highest dose tested. During organogenesis, systemic exposures (AUC) to dolutegravir in rabbits were less than the exposure in humans at the RHD and in rats were approximately 50 times the exposure in humans at the RHD. In the rat pre/post-natal development study, decreased body weight of the developing offspring was observed during lactation at a maternally toxic dose (approximately 50 times human exposure at the RHD).
Abacavir
Abacavir was administered orally to pregnant rats (at 100, 300, and 1,000 mg per kg per day) and rabbits (at 125, 350, or 700 mg per kg per day) during organogenesis (on gestation Days 6 through 17 and 6 through 20, respectively). Fetal malformations (increased incidences of fetal anasarca and skeletal malformations) or developmental toxicity (decreased fetal body weight and crown-rump length) were observed in rats at doses up to 1,000 mg per kg per day, resulting in exposures approximately 35 times the human exposure (AUC) at the RHD. No developmental effects were observed in rats at 100 mg per kg per day, resulting in exposures (AUC) 3.5 times the human exposure at the recommended daily dose. In a fertility and early embryo-fetal development study conducted in rats (at 60, 160, or 500 mg per kg per day), embryonic and fetal toxicities (increased resorptions, decreased fetal body weights) or toxicities to the offspring (increased incidence of stillbirth and lower body weights) occurred at doses up to 500 mg per kg per day. No developmental effects were observed in rats at 60 mg per kg per day, resulting in exposures (AUC) approximately 4 times the human exposure at the RHD. Studies in pregnant rats showed that abacavir is transferred to the fetus through the placenta. In pregnant rabbits, no developmental toxicities and no increases in fetal malformations occurred at up to the highest dose evaluated, resulting in exposures (AUC) approximately 9 times the human exposure at the RHD.
Lamivudine
Lamivudine was administered orally to pregnant rats (at 90, 600, and 4,000 mg per kg per day) and rabbits (at 90, 300 and 1,000 mg per kg per day and at 15, 40, and 90 mg per kg per day) during organogenesis (on gestation Days 7 through 16 [rat] and 8 through 20 [rabbit]). No evidence of fetal malformations due to lamivudine was observed in rats and rabbits at doses producing plasma concentrations (Cmax) approximately 35 times higher than human exposure at the recommended daily dose. Evidence of early embryolethality was seen in the rabbit at systemic exposures (AUC) similar to those observed in humans, but there was no indication of this effect in the rat at plasma concentrations (Cmax) 35 times higher than human exposure at the recommended daily dose. Studies in pregnant rats showed that lamivudine is transferred to the fetus through the placenta. In the fertility/pre-and postnatal development study in rats, lamivudine was administered orally at doses of 180, 900, and 4,000 mg per kg per day (from prior to mating through postnatal Day 20). In the study, development of the offspring, including fertility and reproductive performance, were not affected by the maternal administration of lamivudine.
Lactation
Risk Summary
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that HIV-1-infected mothers in the United States not breastfeed their infants to avoid risking postnatal transmission of HIV-1 infection.
Abacavir and lamivudine are present in human milk. When administered to lactating rats, dolutegravir was present in milk (see Data). There is no information on the effects of TRIUMEQ or its components on the breastfed infant or the effects of the drug on milk production.
Because of the potential for (1) HIV-1 transmission (in HIV-negative infants), (2) developing viral resistance (in HIV-positive infants), and (3) adverse reactions in a breastfed infant similar to those seen in adults, instruct mothers not to breastfeed if they are receiving TRIUMEQ.
Data
Animal Data
Dolutegravir was the primary drug-related component excreted into the milk of lactating rats following a single oral dose of 50 mg per kg on lactation Day 10, with milk concentrations of up to approximately 1.3 times that of maternal plasma concentrations observed 8 hours postdose.
Females And Males Of Reproductive Potential
Pregnancy Testing
Perform pregnancy testing in adolescents and adults of childbearing potential before initiation of TRIUMEQ [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].
Contraception
In adolescents and adults of childbearing potential currently on TRIUMEQ who are actively trying to become pregnant, or if pregnancy is confirmed in the first trimester, assess the risks and benefits of continuing TRIUMEQ versus switching to another antiretroviral regimen and consider switching to an alternative regimen [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Pregnancy].
Counsel adolescents and adults of childbearing potential who are taking TRIUMEQ to consistently use effective contraception.
Pediatric Use
The clinical data supporting use of TRIUMEQ in HIV-1 infected pediatric patients weighing at least 40 kg is derived from the following previously conducted pediatric trials using the individual components of TRIUMEQ:
- The safety and efficacy of once-daily abacavir and lamivudine were established with a randomized, multicenter trial (ARROW [COL105677]) in HIV-1–infected, treatment-naïve subjects aged 3 months to 17 years with a first-line regimen containing abacavir and lamivudine, using either the combination of EPIVIR and ZIAGEN or EPZICOM [see ADVERSE REACTIONS, Clinical Studies].
- The safety and antiviral activity (efficacy) of dolutegravir was established through a 48week, open-label, multicenter, dose-finding clinical trial (IMPAACT P1093), in which treatment-experienced, INSTI-naïve, HIV-1–infected subjects aged 6 to less than 18 years were treated with dolutegravir (TIVICAY) plus optimized background therapy [see ADVERSE REACTIONS, CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Clinical Studies].
TRIUMEQ is a fixed-dose combination tablet which cannot be adjusted for patients weighing less than 40 kg [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Geriatric Use
Clinical trials of abacavir, dolutegravir, or lamivudine did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. In general, caution should be exercised in the administration of TRIUMEQ in elderly patients reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Patients With Impaired Renal Function
TRIUMEQ is not recommended for patients with creatinine clearance less than 50 mL per min because TRIUMEQ is a fixed-dose combination and the dosage of the individual components cannot be adjusted. If a dose reduction of lamivudine, a component of TRIUMEQ, is required for patients with creatinine clearance less than 50 mL per min, then the individual components should be used [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
Patients With Impaired Hepatic Function
TRIUMEQ is a fixed-dose combination and the dosage of the individual components cannot be adjusted. If a dose reduction of abacavir, a component of TRIUMEQ, is required for patients with mild hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh Score A), then the individual components should be used [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].
The safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic properties of abacavir have not been established in patients with moderate (Child-Pugh Score B) or severe (Child-Pugh Score C) hepatic impairment; therefore, TRIUMEQ is contraindicated in these patients [see CONTRAINDICATIONS].