Decitabine

Decitabine for injection is administered at a dose of 15 mg/m² by continuous intravenous infusion over 3 hours repeated every 8 hours for 3 days. This cycle should be repeated every 6 weeks. Patients may be premedicated with standard anti-emetic therapy.  

If hematologic recovery (ANC ≥ 1,000/μL and platelets ≥ 50,000/μL) from a previous decitabine for injection treatment cycle requires more than 6 weeks, then the next cycle of decitabine for injection therapy should be delayed and dosing temporarily reduced by following this algorithm:

• Recovery requiring more than 6, but less than 8 weeks − Decitabine for injection dosing to be delayed for up to 2 weeks and the dose temporarily reduced to 11 mg/m² every 8 hours (33 mg/m²/day, 99 mg/m²/cycle) upon restarting therapy.
• Recovery requiring more than 8, but less than 10 weeks − Patient should be assessed for disease progression (by bone marrow aspirates); in the absence of progression, the decitabine for injection dose should be delayed up to 2 more weeks and the dose reduced to 11 mg/m² every 8 hours (33 mg/m²/day, 99 mg/m²/cycle) upon restarting therapy, then maintained or increased in subsequent cycles as clinically indicated.  

Decitabine for injection is administered at a dose of 20 mg/m² by continuous intravenous infusion over 1 hour repeated daily for 5 days. This cycle should be repeated every 4 weeks. Patients may be premedicated with standard anti-emetic therapy.

If myelosuppression is present, subsequent treatment cycles of decitabine for injection should be delayed until there is hematologic recovery (ANC ≥ 1,000/μL platelets ≥ 50,000/μL).

Following the first cycle of decitabine for injection treatment, if any of the following non-hematologic toxicities are present, decitabine for injection treatment should not be restarted until the toxicity is resolved: 1) serum creatinine ≥ 2 mg/dL; 2) SGPT, total bilirubin ≥ 2 times ULN; 3) and active or uncontrolled infection.

Decitabine for injection is a cytotoxic drug and caution should be exercised when handling and preparing decitabine for injection. Procedures for proper handling and disposal of antineoplastic drugs should be applied. Several guidances on this subject have been published.^{1- 4} .  

Decitabine for injection should be aseptically reconstituted with 10 mL of Sterile Water for Injection (USP); upon reconstitution, each mL contains approximately 5 mg of decitabine at pH 6.7 to 7.3. Immediately after reconstitution, the solution should be further diluted with 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, 5% Dextrose Injection, or Lactated Ringer’s Injection to a final drug concentration of 0.1 to 1 mg/mL. Unless used within 15 minutes of reconstitution, the diluted solution must be prepared using cold (2˚C to 8˚C) infusion fluids and stored at 2˚C to 8˚C (36˚F to 46˚F) for up to a maximum of 7 hours until administration.  

Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Do not use if there is evidence of particulate matter or discoloration.

Treatment with Decitabine for Injection is associated with neutropenia and thrombocytopenia. Complete blood and platelet counts should be performed as needed to monitor response and toxicity, but at a minimum, prior to each dosing cycle. After administration of the recommended dosage for the first cycle, treatment for subsequent cycles should be adjusted [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION (2.1, 2.2) ]. Clinicians should consider the need for early institution of growth factors and/or antimicrobial agents for the prevention or treatment of infections in patients with MDS. Myelosuppression and worsening neutropenia may occur more frequently in the first or second treatment cycles, and may not necessarily indicate progression of underlying MDS.  

Decitabine for Injection can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Based on its mechanism of action, Decitabine for Injection is expected to result in adverse reproductive effects. In preclinical studies in mice and rats, decitabine was teratogenic, fetotoxic, and embryotoxic. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Decitabine for Injection in pregnant women. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if a patient becomes pregnant while receiving this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus. Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while taking Decitabine for Injection [see USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS (8.1) ].

Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while receiving Decitabine for Injection and for 1 month following completion of treatment. Women of childbearing potential should be counseled to use effective contraception during this time [see USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS (8.1) ]. Based on its mechanism of action, Decitabine for Injection can cause fetal harm if used during pregnancy.

Men should be advised not to father a child while receiving treatment with Decitabine for Injection, and for 2 months following completion of treatment [see NONCLINICAL TOXICOLOGY (13.1) ]. Men with female partners of childbearing potential should use effective contraception during this time. Based on its mechanism of action, Decitabine alters DNA synthesis and can cause fetal harm.

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.  

Most Commonly Occurring Adverse Reactions

Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, fatigue, pyrexia, nausea, cough, petechiae, constipation, diarrhea, and hyperglycemia.

Adverse Reactions Most Frequently (≥ 1%) Resulting in Clinical Intervention in the Phase 3 Trial in the Decitabine for Injection Arm:

• Discontinuation: thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, pneumonia, Mycobacterium avium complex infection, cardio-respiratory arrest, increased blood bilirubin, intracranial hemorrhage, abnormal liver function tests.
• Dose Delayed: neutropenia, pulmonary edema, atrial fibrillation, central line infection, febrile neutropenia.
• Dose Reduced: neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, lethargy, edema, tachycardia, depression, pharyngitis.

Discussion of Adverse Reactions Information

Decitabine for Injection was studied in 3 single-arm studies (N=66, N= 98, N=99) and 1 controlled supportive care study (N=83 decitabine for injection, N=81 supportive care). The data described below reflect exposure to decitabine for injection in 83 patients in the MDS trial. In the trial, patients received 15 mg/m² intravenously every 8 hours for 3 days every 6 weeks. The median number of decitabine for injection cycles was 3 (range 0 to 9).

Table 1 presents all adverse events regardless of causality occurring in at least 5% of patients in the Decitabine for Injection group and at a rate greater than supportive care.

Table 1 Adverse Events Reported in ≥ 5% of Patients in the Decitabine for Injection Group and at a Rate Greater than Supportive Care in Phase 3 MDS Trial 

Discussion of Clinically Important Adverse Reactions

In the controlled trial using Decitabine dosed at 15 mg/m², administered by continuous intravenous infusion over 3 hours repeated every 8 hours for 3 days, the highest incidence of Grade 3 or Grade 4 adverse events in the Decitabine arm were neutropenia (87%), thrombocytopenia (85%), febrile neutropenia (23%) and leukopenia (22%). Bone marrow suppression was the most frequent cause of dose reduction, delay and discontinuation. Six patients had fatal events associated with their underlying disease and myelosuppression (anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia) that were considered at least possibly related to drug treatment [See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.1)] . Of the 83 decitabine for injection-treated patients, 8 permanently discontinued therapy for adverse events; compared to 1 of 81 patients in the supportive care arm.

In a single-arm study (N=99) Decitabine for Injection was dosed at 20 mg/m² intravenous, infused over one hour daily for 5 consecutive days of a 4 week cycle. Table 2 presents all adverse events regardless of causality occurring in at least 5% of patients. 

Table 2 Adverse Events Reported in ≥ 5% of Patients in a Single-arm Study*

* In this single arm study, investigators reported adverse events based on clinical signs and symptoms rather than predefined laboratory abnormalities. Thus not all laboratory abnormalities were recorded as adverse events. 

Discussion of Clinically Important Adverse Reactions

In the single-arm study (N=99) when Decitabine for Injection was dosed at 20 mg/m² intravenous, infused over one hour daily for 5 consecutive days, the highest incidence of Grade 3 or Grade 4 adverse events were neutropenia (37%), thrombocytopenia (24%) and anemia (22%). Seventy-eight percent of patients had dose delays, the median duration of this delay was 7 days and the largest percentage of delays were due to hematologic toxicities. Hematologic toxicities and infections were the most frequent causes of dose delays and discontinuation. Eight patients had fatal events due to infection and/or bleeding (seven of which occurred in the clinical setting of myelosuppression) that were considered at least possibly related to drug treatment. Nineteen of 99 patients permanently discontinued therapy for adverse events.  

No overall difference in safety was detected between patients > 65 years of age and younger patients in these myelodysplasia trials. No significant gender differences in safety or efficacy were detected. Patients with renal or hepatic dysfunction were not studied. Insufficient numbers of non-white patients were available to draw conclusions in these clinical trials.

Serious Adverse Events that occurred in patients receiving decitabine for injection regardless of causality, not previously reported in Tables 1 and 2 include:

• Blood and Lymphatic System Disorders: myelosuppression, splenomegaly.
• Cardiac Disorders: myocardial infarction, cardio-respiratory arrest, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia.
• Gastrointestinal Disorders: gingival pain, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.
• General Disorders and Administrative Site Conditions: chest pain, catheter site hemorrhage.
• Hepatobiliary Disorders: cholecystitis.
• Infections and Infestations: fungal infection, sepsis, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, peridiverticular abscess, respiratory tract infection, pseudomonal lung infection, Mycobacterium avium complex infection.
• Injury, Poisoning and Procedural Complications: post procedural pain, post procedural hemorrhage.
• Nervous System Disorders: intracranial hemorrhage.
• Psychiatric Disorders: mental status changes.
• Renal and Urinary Disorders: renal failure, urethral hemorrhage.
• Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders: hemoptysis, lung infiltration, pulmonary embolism, respiratory arrest, pulmonary mass.
• Allergic Reaction: Hypersensitivity (anaphylactic reaction) to decitabine has been reported in a Phase 2 trial.

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of Decitabine for Injection. 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.

Cases of Sweet’s Syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) have been reported.

Pregnancy Category D [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.2)] 

Decitabine for injection can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Decitabine for Injection in pregnant women.

The developmental toxicity of decitabine was examined in mice exposed to single IP (intraperitoneal) injections (0, 0.9 and 3 mg/m², approximately 2% and 7% of the recommended daily clinical dose, respectively) over gestation days 8, 9, 10 or 11. No maternal toxicity was observed but reduced fetal survival was observed after treatment at 3 mg/m² and decreased fetal weight was observed at both dose levels. The 3 mg/m² dose elicited characteristic fetal defects for each treatment day, including supernumerary ribs (both dose levels), fused vertebrae and ribs, cleft palate, vertebral defects, hind-limb defects and digital defects of fore- and hind-limbs. In rats given a single IP injection of 2.4, 3.6 or 6 mg/m² (approximately 5, 8, or 13% the daily recommended clinical dose, respectively) on gestation days 9 to 12, no maternal toxicity was observed. No live fetuses were seen at any dose when decitabine was injected on gestation day 9. A significant decrease in fetal survival and reduced fetal weight at doses greater than 3.6 mg/m² was seen when decitabine was given on gestation day 10. Increased incidences of vertebral and rib anomalies were seen at all dose levels, and induction of exophthalmia, exencephaly, and cleft palate were observed at 6 mg/m². Increased incidence of foredigit defects was seen in fetuses at doses greater than 3.6 mg/m². Reduced size and ossification of long bones of the fore-limb and hind-limb were noted at 6 mg/m². If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus. Women of child bearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while taking Decitabine for Injection.

It is not known whether decitabine or its metabolites are excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions from Decitabine for Injection in nursing infants, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

The safety and effectiveness of Decitabine for Injection in pediatric patients have not been established.

Of the total number of patients exposed to Decitabine for Injection in the controlled clinical trial, 61 of 83 patients were age 65 and over, while 21 of 83 patients were age 75 and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.

There are no data on the use of Decitabine for Injection in patients with renal dysfunction; therefore, Decitabine for Injection should be used with caution in these patients.

There are no data on the use of Decitabine for Injection in patients with hepatic dysfunction; therefore, Decitabine for Injection should be used with caution in these patients.

Decitabine is believed to exert its antineoplastic effects after phosphorylation and direct incorporation into DNA and inhibition of DNA methyltransferase, causing hypomethylation of DNA and cellular differentiation or apoptosis. Decitabine inhibits DNA methylation in vitro, which is achieved at concentrations that do not cause major suppression of DNA synthesis. Decitabine-induced hypomethylation in neoplastic cells may restore normal function to genes that are critical for the control of cellular differentiation and proliferation. In rapidly dividing cells, the cytotoxicity of decitabine may also be attributed to the formation of covalent adducts between DNA methyltransferase and decitabine incorporated into DNA. Non-proliferating cells are relatively insensitive to decitabine.  

Decitabine has been shown to induce hypomethylation both in vitro and in vivo. However, there have been no studies of decitabine-induced hypomethylation and pharmacokinetic parameters.

Pharmacokinetic parameters were evaluated in patients. Eleven patients received 20 mg/m² infused over 1 hour intravenously (treatment Option 2), Fourteen patients received 15 mg/m² infused over 3 hours (treatment Option 1). PK parameters are shown in Table 3. Plasma concentration-time profiles after discontinuation of infusion showed a biexponential decline. The CL of decitabine was higher following treatment Option 2. Upon repeat doses there was no systemic accumulation of decitabine or any changes in PK parameters. Population PK analysis (N=35) showed that the cumulative AUC per cycle for treatment Option 2 was 2.3-fold lower than the cumulative AUC per cycle following treatment Option 1.

Table 3 Mean (CV% or 95% CI) Pharmacokinetic Parameters of Decitabine

* N=14, **N=11, ***N=35 Cumulative AUC per cycle  

The exact route of elimination and metabolic fate of decitabine is not known in humans. One of the pathways of elimination of decitabine appears to be deamination by cytidine deaminase found principally in the liver but also in granulocytes, intestinal epithelium and whole blood.  

Carcinogenicity studies with decitabine have not been conducted.

The mutagenic potential of decitabine was tested in several in vitro and in vivo systems. Decitabine increased mutation frequency in L5178Y mouse lymphoma cells, and mutations were produced in an Escherichia coli lac-l transgene in colonic DNA of decitabine-treated mice. Decitabine caused chromosomal rearrangements in larvae of fruit flies.  

The effect of decitabine on postnatal development and reproductive capacity was evaluated in mice administered a single 3 mg/m² IP injection (approximately 7% the recommended daily clinical dose) on day 10 of gestation. Body weights of males and females exposed in utero to decitabine were significantly reduced relative to controls at all postnatal time points. No consistent effect on fertility was seen when female mice exposed in utero were mated to untreated males. Untreated females mated to males exposed in utero showed decreased fertility at 3 and 5 months of age (36% and 0% pregnancy rate, respectively). In male mice given IP injections of 0.15, 0.3 or 0.45 mg/m² decitabine (approximately 0.3% to 1% the recommended clinical dose) 3 times a week for 7 weeks, decitabine did not affect survival, body weight gain or hematological measures (hemoglobin and WBC counts). Testes weights were reduced, abnormal histology was observed and significant decreases in sperm number were found at doses ≥ 0.3 mg/m². In females mated to males dosed with ≥ 0.3 mg/m² decitabine, pregnancy rate was reduced and preimplantation loss was significantly increased.

A randomized open-label, multicenter, controlled trial evaluated 170 adult patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) meeting French-American-British (FAB) classification criteria and International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) High-Risk, Intermediate-2 and Intermediate-1 prognostic scores. Eighty-nine patients were randomized to decitabine for injection therapy plus supportive care (only 83 received decitabine for injection), and 81 to Supportive Care (SC) alone. Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) were not intended to be included. Of the 170 patients included in the study, independent review (adjudicated diagnosis) found that 12 patients (9 in the decitabine for injection arm and 3 in the SC arm) had the diagnosis of AML at baseline. Baseline demographics and other patient characteristics in the Intent-to-Treat (ITT) population were similar between the 2 groups, as shown in Table 4.

Table 4 Baseline Demographics and Other Patient Characteristics (ITT)

Patients randomized to the decitabine for injection arm received Decitabine for Injection intravenously infused at a dose of 15 mg/m² over a 3-hour period, every 8 hours, for 3 consecutive days. This cycle was repeated every 6 weeks, depending on the patient’s clinical response and toxicity. Supportive care consisted of blood and blood product transfusions, prophylactic antibiotics, and hematopoietic growth factors. The study endpoints were overall response rate (complete response + partial response) and time to AML or death. Responses were classified using the MDS International Working Group (IWG) criteria; patients were required to be RBC and platelet transfusion independent during the time of response. Response criteria are given in Table 5:  

Table 5 Response Criteria for Phase 3 Trial*

* Cheson BD, Bennett JM, et al. Report of an International Working Group to Standardize Response Criteria for MDS. Blood.2000; 96:3671-3674.

The overall response rate (CR+PR) in the ITT population was 17% in Decitabine for Injection-treated patients and 0% in the SC group (p<0.001). (See Table 6) The overall response rate was 21% (12/56) in decitabine for injection-treated patients considered evaluable for response (i.e., those patients with pathologically confirmed MDS at baseline who received at least 2 cycles of treatment). The median duration of response (range) for patients who responded to Decitabine for Injection was 288 days (116 to 388) and median time to response (range) was 93 days (55 to 272). All but one of the Decitabine for Injection-treated patients who responded did so by the fourth cycle. Benefit was seen in an additional 13% of Decitabine for Injection-treated patients who had hematologic improvement, defined as a response less than PR lasting at least 8 weeks, compared to 7% of SC patients. Decitabine for Injection treatment did not significantly delay the median time to AML or death versus supportive care.

Table 6 Analysis of Response (ITT)

**p-value <0.001 from two-sided Fisher’s Exact Test comparing DecitabineFor Injection vs. Supportive Care.

^†In the statistical analysis plan, a p-value of ≤ 0.024 was required to achieve statistical significance.

All patients with a CR or PR were RBC and platelet transfusion independent in the absence of growth factors.

Responses occurred in patients with an adjudicated baseline diagnosis of AML.

Three open-label, single-arm, multicenter studies were conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Decitabine for Injection in MDS patients with any of the FAB subtypes. In one study conducted in North America, 99 patients with IPSS Intermediate-1, Intermediate-2, or high risk prognostic scores received Decitabine for Injection by intravenous infusion at a dose of 20 mg/m² IV over 1-hour daily, on days 1 to 5 of week 1 every 4 weeks (1 cycle). The results were consistent with the results of the controlled trial and summarized in Table 8.  

Table 7 Baseline Demographics and Other Patient Characteristics (ITT)

Table 8 Analysis of Response (ITT)*

+ indicates censored observation

* Cheson BD, Bennett JM, et al. Report of an International Working Group to Standardize Response Criteria for MDS. Blood.2000; 96:3671-3674.

Women of childbearing potential should be advised to avoid becoming pregnant while receiving treatment with Decitabine for Injection and for 1 month afterwards, and to use effective contraception during this time, [See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.3) ].  

Men should be advised not to father a child while receiving treatment with Decitabine for Injection, and for 2 months afterwards. During these times, men with female partners of childbearing potential should use effective contraception [See WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.4) and NONCLINICAL TOXICOLOGY (13.1)]. 

Patients should be advised to monitor and report any symptoms of neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or fever to their physician as soon as possible [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5.1)].

Manufactured by

Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Pune, India

for Sandoz Inc., Princeton, NJ 08540

Rev. February 2013