Vancomycin Hydrochloride

Limitations of Use

• Parenteral administration of vancomycin is not effective for the above infections; therefore, vancomycin hydrochloride capsule must be given orally for these infections.
• Orally administered vancomycin hydrochloride capsule is not effective for other types of infections.

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule and other antibacterial drugs, vancomycin hydrochloride capsule should be used only to treat or prevent infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by susceptible bacteria. When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy. In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.

Vancomycin hydrochloride capsule are used in treating C. difficile-associated diarrhea and staphylococcal enterocolitis.

• C. difficile-associated diarrhea: The recommended dose is 125 mg administered orally 4 times daily for 10 days.
• Staphylococcal enterocolitis: Total daily dosage is 500 mg to 2 g administered orally in 3 or 4 divided doses for 7 to 10 days.

For both C. difficile-associated diarrhea and staphylococcal enterocolitis, the usual daily dosage is 40 mg/kg in 3 or 4 divided doses for 7 to 10 days. The total daily dosage should not exceed 2 g.

Vancomycin hydrochloride capsule for the treatment of colitis is for oral use only and is not systemically absorbed. Vancomycin hydrochloride capsule must be given orally for treatment of staphylococcal enterocolitis and Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea. Orally administered vancomycin hydrochloride capsule is not effective for other types of infections.

Parenteral administration of vancomycin is not effective for treatment of staphylococcal enterocolitis and C. difficile-associated diarrhea. If parenteral vancomycin therapy is desired, use an intravenous preparation of vancomycin and consult the package insert accompanying that preparation.

Clinically significant serum concentrations have been reported in some patients who have taken multiple oral doses of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule for active C. difficile-associated diarrhea. Some patients with inflammatory disorders of the intestinal mucosa also may have significant systemic absorption of vancomycin. These patients may be at risk for the development of adverse reactions associated with higher doses of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule; therefore, monitoring of serum concentrations of vancomycin may be appropriate in some instances, e.g., in patients with renal insufficiency and/or colitis or in those receiving concomitant therapy with an aminoglycoside antibiotic.

Nephrotoxicity (e.g., reports of renal failure, renal impairment, blood creatinine increased) has occurred following oral vancomycin hydrochloride capsule therapy in randomized controlled clinical studies, and can occur either during or after completion of therapy. The risk of nephrotoxicity is increased in patients >65 years of age [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].

In patients >65 years of age, including those with normal renal function prior to treatment, renal function should be monitored during and following treatment with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule to detect potential vancomycin induced nephrotoxicity.

Ototoxicity has occurred in patients receiving vancomycin. It may be transient or permanent. It has been reported mostly in patients who have been given excessive intravenous doses, who have an underlying hearing loss, or who are receiving concomitant therapy with another ototoxic agent, such as an aminoglycoside. Serial tests of auditory function may be helpful in order to minimize the risk of ototoxicity [see Adverse Reactions (6.2)].

Severe dermatologic reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), and linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) have been reported in association with the use of vancomycin. Cutaneous signs or symptoms reported include skin rashes, mucosal lesions, and blisters.

Discontinue vancomycin hydrochloride capsule at the first appearance of signs and symptoms of TEN, SJS, DRESS, AGEP, or LABD.

Prescribing vancomycin hydrochloride capsule in the absence of a proven or strongly suspected bacterial infection or a prophylactic indication is unlikely to provide benefit to the patient and increases the risk of the development of drug resistant bacteria.

Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

The data described below reflect exposure to vancomycin hydrochloride capsule in 260 adult subjects in two Phase 3 clinical trials for the treatment of diarrhea associated with C. difficile. In both trials, subjects received vancomycin hydrochloride capsule 125 mg orally four times daily. The mean duration of treatment was 9.4 days. The median age of patients was 67, ranging between 19 and 96 years of age. Patients were predominantly Caucasian (93%) and 52% were male.

Adverse reactions occurring in ≥ 5% of vancomycin hydrochloride-treated subjects are shown in Table 1. The most common adverse reactions associated with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule (≥ 10%) were nausea, abdominal pain, and hypokalemia.

Nephrotoxicity (e.g., reports of renal failure, renal impairment, blood creatinine increased) occurred in 5% of subjects treated with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule. Nephrotoxicity following vancomycin hydrochloride capsule typically first occurred within one week after completion of treatment (median day of onset was Day 16). Nephrotoxicity following vancomycin hydrochloride capsule occurred in 6% of subjects >65 years of age and 3% of subjects ≤65 years of age [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].

The incidences of hypokalemia, urinary tract infection, peripheral edema, insomnia, constipation, anemia, depression, vomiting, and hypotension were higher among subjects >65 years of age than in subjects ≤65 years of age [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].

Discontinuation of study drug due to adverse events occurred in 7% of subjects treated with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule. The most common adverse events leading to discontinuation of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule were C. difficile colitis (<1%), nausea (<1%), and vomiting (<1%).

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule. 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.

Ototoxicity: Cases of hearing loss associated with intravenously administered vancomycin have been reported. Most of these patients had kidney dysfunction or a preexisting hearing loss or were receiving concomitant treatment with an ototoxic drug [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)]. Vertigo, dizziness, and tinnitus have been reported.

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: Severe dermatologic reactions such as toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), and linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)], rashes (including exfoliative dermatitis).

Hematopoietic: Reversible neutropenia, usually starting 1 week or more after onset of intravenous therapy with vancomycin or after a total dose of more than 25 g, has been reported for several dozen patients. Neutropenia appears to be promptly reversible when vancomycin is discontinued. Thrombocytopenia has been reported.

Miscellaneous: Patients have been reported to have had anaphylaxis, drug fever, chills, nausea, eosinophilia, and cases of vasculitis in association with the administration of vancomycin.

A condition has been reported that is similar to the IV–induced syndrome with symptoms consistent with anaphylactoid reactions, including hypotension, wheezing, dyspnea, urticaria, pruritus, flushing of the upper body (“vancomycin infusion reaction”), pain and muscle spasm of the chest and back. These reactions usually resolve within 20 minutes but may persist for several hours.

Vancomycin hydrochloride capsule is indicated in pediatric patients less than 18 years of age for the treatment of C. difficile-associated diarrhea and enterocolitis caused by S. aureus (including methicillin-resistant strains) [see Indications and Usage (1) and Dosage and Administration (2.2)].

In clinical trials, 54% of vancomycin hydrochloride-treated subjects were >65 years of age. Of these, 40% were between the ages of >65 and 75, and 60% were >75 years of age.

Clinical studies with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule in diarrhea associated with Clostridioides difficile have demonstrated that geriatric subjects are at increased risk of developing nephrotoxicity following treatment with oral vancomycin hydrochloride capsule, which may occur during or after completion of therapy. In patients >65 years of age, including those with normal renal function prior to treatment, renal function should be monitored during and following treatment with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule to detect potential vancomycin induced nephrotoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3), Adverse Reactions (6.1), and Clinical Studies (14.1)].

Patients >65 years of age may take longer to respond to therapy compared to patients ≤65 years of age [see Clinical Studies (14.1)]. Clinicians should be aware of the importance of appropriate duration of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule treatment in patients >65 years of age and not discontinue or switch to alternative treatment prematurely.

Vancomycin is an antibacterial drug [see Microbiology (12.4)].

Vancomycin is poorly absorbed after oral administration. During multiple dosing of 250 mg every 8 hours for 7 doses, fecal concentrations of vancomycin in volunteers exceeded 100 mg/kg in the majority of samples. No blood concentrations were detected and urinary recovery did not exceed 0.76%. In anephric subjects with no inflammatory bowel disease who received vancomycin oral solution 2 g for 16 days, blood concentrations of vancomycin were less than or equal to 0.66 mcg/mL in 2 of 5 subjects. No measurable blood concentrations were attained in the other 3 subjects. Following doses of 2 g daily, concentrations of drug were >3100 mg/kg in the feces and <1 mcg/mL in the serum of subjects with normal renal function who had C. difficile-associated diarrhea. After multiple-dose oral administration of vancomycin, measurable serum concentrations may occur in patients with active C. difficile-associated diarrhea, and, in the presence of renal impairment, the possibility of accumulation exists. It should be noted that the total systemic and renal clearances of vancomycin are reduced in the elderly [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].

No long-term carcinogenesis studies in animals have been conducted.

At concentrations up to 1000 mcg/mL, vancomycin had no mutagenic effect in vitro in the mouse lymphoma forward mutation assay or the primary rat hepatocyte unscheduled DNA synthesis assay. The concentrations tested in vitro were above the peak plasma vancomycin concentrations of 20 to 40 mcg/mL usually achieved in humans after slow infusion of the maximum recommended dose of 1 g. Vancomycin had no mutagenic effect in vivo in the Chinese hamster sister chromatid exchange assay (400 mg/kg IP) or the mouse micronucleus assay (800 mg/kg IP).

No definitive fertility studies have been conducted.

In two trials, vancomycin hydrochloride capsule 125 mg orally four times daily for 10 days was evaluated in 266 adult subjects with C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD). Enrolled subjects were 18 years of age or older and received no more than 48 hours of treatment with oral vancomycin hydrochloride capsule or oral/intravenous metronidazole in the 5 days preceding enrollment. CDAD was defined as ≥3 loose or watery bowel movements within the 24 hours preceding enrollment, and the presence of either C. difficile toxin A or B, or pseudomembranes on endoscopy within the 72 hours preceding enrollment. Subjects with fulminant C. difficile disease, sepsis with hypotension, ileus, peritoneal signs or severe hepatic disease were excluded.

Efficacy analyses were performed on the Full Analysis Set (FAS), which included randomized subjects who received at least one dose of vancomycin hydrochloride capsule and had any post-dosing investigator evaluation data (N=259; 134 in Trial 1 and 125 in Trial 2).

The demographic profile and baseline CDAD characteristics of enrolled subjects were similar in the two trials. vancomycin hydrochloride-treated subjects had a median age of 67 years, were mainly white (93%), and male (52%). CDAD was classified as severe (defined as 10 or more unformed bowel movements per day or WBC ≥15000/mm³) in 25% of subjects, and 47% were previously treated for CDAD.

Efficacy was assessed by using clinical success, defined as diarrhea resolution and the absence of severe abdominal discomfort due to CDAD, on Day 10. An additional efficacy endpoint was the time to resolution of diarrhea, defined as the beginning of diarrhea resolution that was sustained through the end of the prescribed active treatment period.

The results for clinical success for vancomycin hydrochloride-treated subjects in both trials are shown in Table 2.

The median time to resolution of diarrhea was 5 days and 4 days in Trial 1 and Trial 2, respectively. For subjects older than 65 years of age, the median time to resolution was 6 days and 4 days in Trial 1 and Trial 2, respectively. In subjects with diarrhea resolution at end-of-treatment with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule, recurrence of CDAD during the following four weeks occurred in 25 of 107 (23%) and 18 of 102 (18%) in Trial 1 and Trial 2, respectively.

Restriction Endonuclease Analysis (REA) was used to identify C. difficile baseline isolates in the BI group. In Trial 1, the vancomycin hydrochloride-treated subjects were classified at baseline as follows 31 (23%) with BI strain, 69 (52%) with non-BI strain, and 34 (25%) with unknown strain. Clinical success rates were 87% for BI strain, 81% for non-BI strain, and 76% for unknown strain. In subjects with diarrhea resolution at end-of-treatment with vancomycin hydrochloride capsule, recurrence of CDAD during the following four weeks occurred in 7 of 26 subjects with BI strain, 12 of 56 subjects with non-BI strain, and 6 of 25 subjects with unknown strain.

STORAGE: Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature].

Severe Dermatologic Reactions

Advise patients about the signs and symptoms of serious skin manifestations. Instruct patients to stop taking Vancomycin hydrochloride capsule immediately and promptly seek medical attention at the first signs or symptoms of skin rash, mucosal lesions or blisters [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)].

Antibacterial Resistance

Patients should be counseled that antibacterial drugs including vancomycin hydrochloride capsule should only be used to treat bacterial infections. They do not treat viral infections (e.g., the common cold). When vancomycin hydrochloride capsule is prescribed to treat a bacterial infection, patients should be told that although it is common to feel better early in the course of therapy, the medication should be taken exactly as directed. Skipping doses or not completing the full course of therapy may (1) decrease the effectiveness of the immediate treatment and (2) increase the likelihood that bacteria will develop resistance and will not be treatable by vancomycin hydrochloride capsule or other antibacterial drugs in the future.

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VN00N          Rev. 07/22