SIDE EFFECTS
The following serious adverse reactions are discussed in
greater detail in other sections of the label:
- Serious Infusion Reactions [see BOXED WARNING and WARNINGS
AND PRECAUTIONS].
- Prolonged and Severe Cytopenias [see BOXED WARNING and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
- Severe Cutaneous and Mucocutaneous Reactions [see BOXED
WARNING and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
- Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome [see WARNINGS
AND PRECAUTIONS].
The most common adverse reactions of Zevalin are
cytopenias, fatigue, nasopharyngitis, nausea, abdominal pain, asthenia, cough,
diarrhea, and pyrexia.
The most serious adverse reactions of Zevalin are
prolonged and severe cytopenias (thrombocytopenia, anemia, lymphopenia,
neutropenia) and secondary malignancies.
Because the Zevalin therapeutic regimen includes the use
of rituximab, see prescribing information for rituximab.
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 practice. The reported safety data
reflects exposure to Zevalin in 349 patients with relapsed or refractory,
lowgrade, follicular or transformed NHL across 5 trials (4 single arm and 1
randomized) and in 206 patients with previously untreated follicular NHL in a
randomized trial (Study 4) who received any portion of the Zevalin therapeutic
regimen. The safety data reflect exposure to Zevalin in 270 patients with relapsed
or refractory NHL with platelet counts ≥150,000/ mm³ who received 0.4
mCi/kg (14.8 MBq/kg) of Y-90 Zevalin (Group 1 in Table 4), 65 patients with
relapsed or refractory NHL with platelet counts of ≥ 100,000 but ≤
149,000 /mm³ who received 0.3 mCi/kg (11.1 MBq/kg) of Y-90 Zevalin (Group 2 in
Table 4), and 204 patients with previously untreated NHL with platelet counts ≥150,000/
mm³ who received 0.4 mCi/kg (14.8 MBq/kg) of Y-90 Zevalin; all patients
received a single course of Zevalin.
Table 2 displays selected adverse reaction incidence
rates in patients who received any portion of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen
(n=206) or no further therapy (n=203) following first-line chemotherapy (Study
4).
Table 2: Per-Patient Incidence (%) of Selected* Adverse
Reactions Occurring in ≥ 5% of Patients with Previously Untreated
Follicular NHL Treated with the Zevalin Therapeutic Regimen
|
Zevalin
(n=206) |
Observation
(n=203) |
All Grades† % |
Grade† 3-4 % |
All Grades† % |
Grade† 3-4 % |
Gastrointestinal Disorders |
Abdominal pain |
17 |
2 |
13 |
<1 |
Diarrhea |
11 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Nausea |
18 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Body as a Whole |
Asthenia |
15 |
1 |
8 |
<1 |
Fatigue |
33 |
1 |
9 |
0 |
Influenza-like illness |
8 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Pyrexia |
10 |
3 |
4 |
0 |
Musculoskeletal |
Myalgia |
9 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Metabolism |
Anorexia |
8 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Respiratory, Thoracic & Media |
Cough |
11 |
<1 |
5 |
0 |
Pharyngolaryngeal pain |
7 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Epistaxis |
5 |
2 |
<1 |
0 |
Nervous System |
Dizziness |
7 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Vascular |
Hypertension |
7 |
3 |
2 |
<1 |
Skin & Subcutaneous |
Night sweats |
8 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Petechiae |
8 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pruritus |
7 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
Rash |
7 |
0 |
<1 |
0 |
Infections & Infestations |
Bronchitis |
8 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
Nasopharyngitis |
19 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
Rhinitis |
8 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
Sinusitis |
7 |
<1 |
<1 |
0 |
Urinary tract infection |
7 |
<1 |
3 |
0 |
Blood and Lymphatic System |
Thrombocytopenia |
62 |
51 |
1 |
0 |
Neutropenia |
45 |
41 |
3 |
2 |
Anemia |
22 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
Leukopenia |
43 |
36 |
4 |
1 |
Lymphopenia |
26 |
18 |
9 |
5 |
*Between-group difference of ≥5%
† NCI CTCAE version 2.0 |
Table 3 shows hematologic toxicities in 349
Zevalin-treated patients with relapsed or refractory, lowgrade, follicular or
transformed B-cell NHL. Grade 2-4 hematologic toxicity occurred in 86% of Zevalin-treated
patients.
Table 3: Per-Patient Incidence (%) of Hematologic
Adverse Reactions in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Low-grade, Follicular
or Trans formed B-cell NHL (N = 349)
|
All Grades % |
Grade 3-4 % |
Thrombocytopenia |
95 |
63 |
Neutropenia |
77 |
60 |
Anemia |
61 |
17 |
Ecchymosis |
7 |
<1 |
* Occurring within the 12 weeks following the first
rituximab infusion of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen |
Prolonged And Severe Cytopenias
Patients in clinical studies were not permitted to
receive hematopoietic growth factors beginning 2 weeks prior to administration
of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen.
The incidence and duration of severe hematologic toxicity
in previously treated NHL patients (N=335) and in previously untreated patients
(Study 4) receiving Y-90 Zevalin are shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Severe Hematologic Toxicity in Patients
Receiving Zevalin
Baseline Platelet Count |
Group 1 (n=270) ≥ 150,000/mm³ |
Group 2 (n=65) ≥ 100,000 but ≤ 149,000/mm³ |
Study 4 (n=204) ≥ 150,000/mm³ |
Y-90 Zevalin Dose |
0.4 mCi/kg (14.8 MBq/kg) |
0.3 mCi/kg (11.1 MBq/kg) |
0.4 mCi/kg (14.8 MBq/kg) |
ANC |
Median nadir ( per mm³) |
800 |
600 |
721 |
Per Patient Incidence |
57% |
74% |
65% |
ANC <1000/mm³ |
Per Patient Incidence ANC <500/mm³ |
30% |
35% |
26% |
Median Duration (Days)* ANC <1000/mm³ |
22 |
29 |
29 |
Median Time to Recovery† |
12 |
13 |
15 |
Platelets |
Median nadir (per mm³) |
41,000 |
24,000 |
42,000 |
Per Patient Incidence Platelets <50,000/mm³ |
61% |
78% |
61% |
Per Patient Incidence Platelets <10,000/mm³ |
10% |
14% |
4% |
Median Duration (Days)‡Platelets <50,000/mm³ |
24 |
35 |
26 |
Median Time to Recovery† |
13 |
14 |
14 |
*Day from last ANC ≥1000/mm³ to first ANC
≥1000/mm³ following nadir, censored at next treatment or death
† Day from nadir to first count at level of Grade 1 toxicity or baseline
‡ Day from last platelet count ≥50,000/mm³ to day of first platelet count
≥50,000/mm³ following nadir, censored at next treatment or death |
Cytopenias were more severe and more prolonged among
eleven (5%) patients who received Zevalin after first-line fludarabine or a
fludarabine-containing chemotherapy regimen as compared to patients receiving
non-fludarabine-containing regimens. Among these eleven patients, the median
platelet nadir was 13,000/mm³ with a median duration of platelets below
50,000/mm³ of 56 days and the median time for platelet recovery from nadir to
Grade 1 toxicity or baseline was 35 days. The median ANC was 355/mm³, with a
median duration of ANC below 1,000/mm of 37 days and the median time for ANC recovery
from nadir to Grade 1 toxicity or baseline was 20 days.
The median time to cytopenia was similar across patients
with relapsed/refractory NHL and those completing first-line chemotherapy, with
median ANC nadir at 61-62 days, platelet nadir at 49-53 days, and hemoglobin
nadir at 68-69 days after Y-90-Zevalin administration.
Information on hematopoietic growth factor use and
platelet transfusions is based on 211 patients with relapsed/refractory NHL and
206 patients following first-line chemotherapy. Filgrastim was given to 13% of
patients and erythropoietin to 8% with relapsed or refractory disease; 14% of
patients receiving Zevalin following first-line chemotherapy received
granulocyte-colony stimulating factors and 5% received
erythopoiesis-stimulating agents. Platelet transfusions were given to
approximately 22% of all Zevalin-treated patients. Red blood cell transfusions
were given to 20% of patients with relapsed or refractory NHL and 2% of
patients receiving Zevalin following first-line chemotherapy.
Infections
In relapsed or refractory NHL patients, infections
occurred in 29% of 349 patients during the first 3 months after initiating the
Zevalin therapeutic regimen and 3% developed serious infections (urinary tract
infection, febrile neutropenia, sepsis, pneumonia, cellulitis, colitis,
diarrhea, osteomyelitis, and upper respiratory tract infection).
Life-threatening infections were reported in 2% (sepsis, empyema, pneumonia,
febrile neutropenia, fever, and biliary stent-associated cholangitis). From 3
months to 4 years after Zevalin treatment, 6% of patients developed infections;
2% were serious (urinary tract infection, bacterial or viral pneumonia, febrile
neutropenia, perihilar infiltrate, pericarditis, and intravenous
drug-associated viral hepatitis) and 1% were life-threatening infections
(bacterial pneumonia, respiratory disease, and sepsis).
When administered following first-line chemotherapy
(Table 2), Grade 3-4 infections occurred in 8% of Zevalin treated patients and
in 2% of controls and included neutropenic sepsis (1%), bronchitis, catheter
sepsis, diverticulitis, herpes zoster, influenza, lower respiratory tract
infection, sinusitis, and upper respiratory tract infection.
Leukemia And Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Among 746 patients with relapsed/refractory NHL, 19
(2.6%) patients developed MDS/AML with a median follow-up of 4.4 years. The
overall incidence of MDS/AML among the 211 patients included in the clinical
studies was 5.2% (11/211), with a median follow-up of 6.5 years and median time
to development of MDS/AML of 2.9 years. The cumulative Kaplan-Meier estimated
incidence of MDS/secondary leukemia in this patient population was 2.2% at 2
years and 5.9% at 5 years. The incidence of MDS/AML among the 535 patients in
the expanded access programs was 1.5% (8/535) with a median follow-up of 4.4
years and median time to development of MDS/AML of 1.5 years. Multiple cytogenetic
abnormalities were described, most commonly involving chromosomes 5 and/or 7.
The risk of MDS/AML was not associated with the number of prior treatments (0-1
versus 2-10).
Among 204 patients receiving Y-90-Zevalin following
first-line treatment, 7 (3%) patients developed MDS/AML between approximately 2
and 7 years after Zevalin administration [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
Post-Marketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been identified
during post-approval use of the Zevalin therapeutic regimen in hematologic
malignancies. 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. Decisions
to include these reactions in labeling are typically based on one or more of
the following factors: (1) seriousness of the reaction, (2) frequency of
reporting, or (3) strength of causal connection to the Zevalin therapeutic
regimen.
- Cutaneous and mucocutaneous reactions: erythema
multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, bullous
dermatitis, and exfoliative dermatitis [see BOXED WARNING and WARNINGS
AND PRECAUTIONS].
- Infusion site erythema and ulceration following
extravasation [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].
- Radiation injury in tissues near areas of lymphomatous
involvement within a month of Zevalin administration.
Immunogenicity
As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential
for immunogenicity. 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, comparisons of the incidence of HAMA/HACA to the Zevalin
therapeutic regimen with the incidence of antibodies to other products may be
misleading.
HAMA and HACA response data on 446 patients from 8
clinical studies conducted over a 10-year time period are available. Overall,
11/446 (2.5%) had evidence of either HAMA formation (N=8) or HACA formation
(N=4). Six of these patients developed HAMA/HACA after treatment with Zevalin and
5 were HAMA/HACA positive at baseline. Of the 6 who were HAMA/HACA positive,
only one was positive for both. Furthermore, in 6 of the 11 patients, the
HAMA/HACA reverted to negative within 2 weeks to 3 months. No patients had
increasing levels of HAMA/HACA at the end of the studies.
Only 6/446 patients (1.3%) had developed evidence of
antibody formation after treatment with Zevalin, and of these, many either
reverted to negative or decreased over time. This data demonstrates that HAMA/HACA
develop infrequently, are typically transient, and do not increase with time.
DRUG INTERACTIONS
No formal drug interaction studies have been performed
with Zevalin. Patients receiving medications that interfere with platelet
function or coagulation should have more frequent laboratory monitoring for thrombocytopenia.