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 safety of nintedanib capsules was evaluated in over 1000 IPF patients and 332 patients with chronic fibrosing ILDs with a progressive phenotype, and over 280 patients with SSc-ILD. Over 200 IPF patients were exposed to nintedanib for more than 2 years in clinical trials.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Nintedanib capsule was studied in three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 52-week trials. In the phase 2 (Study 1) and phase 3 (Study 2 and Study 3) trials, 723 patients with IPF received nintedanib capsules 150 mg twice daily and 508 patients received placebo. The median duration of exposure was 10 months for patients treated with nintedanib capsules and 11 months for patients treated with placebo. Subjects ranged in age from 42 to 89 years (median age of 67 years). Most patients were male (79%) and Caucasian (60%).
The most frequent serious adverse reactions reported in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo, were bronchitis (1.2% vs. 0.8%) and myocardial infarction (1.5% vs. 0.4%). The most common adverse events leading to death in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo, were pneumonia (0.7% vs. 0.6%), lung neoplasm malignant (0.3% vs. 0%), and myocardial infarction (0.3% vs. 0.2%). In the predefined category of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) including MI, fatal events were reported in 0.6% of nintedanib capsules treated patients and 1.8% of placebo-treated patients.
Adverse reactions leading to permanent dose reductions were reported in 16% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 1% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reaction that led to permanent dose reduction in the patients treated with nintedanib capsules was diarrhea (11%).
Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 21% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 15% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reactions that led to discontinuation in nintedanib capsule-treated patients were diarrhea (5%), nausea (2%), and decreased appetite (2%).
The most common adverse reactions with an incidence of greater than or equal to 5% and more frequent in the nintedanib capsules than placebo treatment group are listed in Table 1.
Table 1 Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥5% of Nintedanib Capsule-treated Patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and More Commonly Than Placebo in Study 1, Study 2, and Study 3 Adverse Reaction | Nintedanib Capsule, 150 mg n=723 | Placebo n=508 |
c Includes hypertension, blood pressure increased, hypertensive crisis, and hypertensive cardiomyopathy. |
Gastrointestinal disorders | | |
Diarrhea | 62% | 18% |
Nausea | 24% | 7% |
Abdominal paina
| 15% | 6% |
Vomiting | 12% | 3% |
Hepatobiliary disorders | | |
Liver enzyme elevationb
| 14% | 3% |
Metabolism and nutrition disorders | | |
Decreased appetite | 11% | 5% |
Nervous system disorders | | |
Headache | 8% | 5% |
Investigations | | |
Weight decreased | 10% | 3% |
Vascular disorders | | |
Hypertensionc
| 5% | 4% |
a Includes abdominal pain, abdominal pain upper, abdominal pain lower, gastrointestinal pain and abdominal tenderness. |
b Includes gamma-glutamyltransferase increased, hepatic enzyme increased, alanine aminotransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, hepatic function abnormal, liver function test abnormal, transaminase increased, blood alkaline phosphatase-increased, alanine aminotransferase abnormal, aspartate aminotransferase abnormal, and gamma-glutamyltransferase abnormal. |
In addition, hypothyroidism was reported in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo (1.1% vs. 0.6%). Alopecia was also reported in more patients treated with nintedanib capsules than placebo (0.8% vs. 0.4%).
Combination with Pirfenidone
Concomitant treatment with nintedanib and pirfenidone was investigated in an exploratory open-label, randomized (1:1) trial of nintedanib 150 mg twice daily with add-on pirfenidone (titrated to 801 mg three times a day) compared to nintedanib 150 mg twice daily alone in 105 randomized patients for 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients with gastrointestinal adverse events from baseline to Week 12. Gastrointestinal adverse events were in line with the established safety profile of each component and were experienced in 37 (70%) patients treated with pirfenidone added to nintedanib versus 27 (53%) patients treated with nintedanib alone.
Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain (includes upper abdominal pain, abdominal discomfort, and abdominal pain) were the most frequent adverse events reported in 20 (38%) versus 16 (31%), in 22 (42%) versus 6 (12%), in 15 (28%) versus 6 (12%), and in 15 (28%) versus 7 (14%) patients treated with pirfenidone added to nintedanib versus nintedanib alone, respectively. More subjects reported AST or ALT elevations (greater than or equal to 3x the upper limit of normal) when using pirfenidone in combination with nintedanib (n=3 (6%)) compared to nintedanib alone (n=0) [see Warnings and Precautions (
5.2
,
5.3
)].
Chronic Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases with a Progressive Phenotype
Nintedanib capsules was studied in a phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Study 5) in which 663 patients with chronic fibrosing ILDs with a progressive phenotype were randomized to receive nintedanib capsules 150 mg twice daily (n=332) or placebo (n=331) for at least 52 weeks. At 52 weeks, the median duration of exposure was 12 months for patients in both treatment arms. Subjects ranged in age from 27 to 87 years (median age of 67 years). The majority of patients were Caucasian (74%) or Asian (25%). Most patients were male (54%).
The most frequent serious adverse event reported in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo, was pneumonia (4% vs. 3%). Adverse events leading to death were reported in 3% of patients treated with nintedanib capsules and in 5% of patients treated with placebo. No pattern was identified in the adverse events leading to death.
Adverse reactions leading to permanent dose reductions were reported in 33% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 4% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reaction that led to permanent dose reduction in the patients treated with nintedanib capsules was diarrhea (16%).
Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 20% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 10% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reaction that led to discontinuation in nintedanib capsule-treated patients was diarrhea (6%).
The safety profile in patients with chronic fibrosing ILDs with a progressive phenotype treated with nintedanib capsules was consistent with that observed in IPF patients. In addition, the following adverse events were reported in nintedanib capsules more than placebo in chronic progressive fibrosing ILD: nasopharyngitis (13% vs. 12%), upper respiratory tract infection (7% vs 6%), urinary tract infection (6% vs. 4%), fatigue (10% vs. 6%), and back pain (6% vs. 5%).
Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Nintedanib capsule was studied in a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (Study 4) in which 576 patients with SSc-ILD received nintedanib capsules 150 mg twice daily (n=288) or placebo (n=288). Patients were to receive treatment for at least 52 weeks; individual patients were treated for up to 100 weeks. The median duration of exposure was 15 months for patients treated with nintedanib capsules and 16 months for patients treated with placebo. Subjects ranged in age from 20 to 79 years (median age of 55 years). Most patients were female (75%). Patients were mostly Caucasian (67%), Asian (25%), or Black (6%). At baseline, 49% of patients were on stable therapy with mycophenolate.
The most frequent serious adverse events reported in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo, were interstitial lung disease (2.4% nintedanib vs. 1.7% placebo) and pneumonia (2.8% nintedanib vs. 0.3% placebo). Within 52 weeks, 5 patients treated with nintedanib capsules (1.7%) and 4 patients treated with placebo (1.4%) died. There was no pattern among adverse events leading to death in either treatment arm.
Adverse reactions leading to permanent dose reductions were reported in 34% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 4% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reaction that led to permanent dose reduction in the patients treated with nintedanib capsules was diarrhea (22%).
Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were reported in 16% of nintedanib capsule-treated patients and 9% of placebo-treated patients. The most frequent adverse reactions that led to discontinuation in nintedanib capsule-treated patients were diarrhea (7%), nausea (2%), vomiting (1%), abdominal pain (1%), and interstitial lung disease (1%).
The safety profile in patients treated with nintedanib capsules with or without mycophenolate at baseline was comparable.
The most common adverse reactions with an incidence of greater than or equal to 5% in nintedanib capsule-treated patients and more commonly than in placebo are listed in Table 2.
Table 2 Adverse Reactions Occurring in ≥5% of Nintedanib Capsule-treated Patients with Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease and More Commonly Than Placebo in Study 4Adverse Reaction | Nintedanib Capsule, 150mg n=288 | Placebo n=288 |
Diarrhea | 76% | 32% |
Nausea | 32% | 14% |
Vomiting | 25% | 10% |
Skin ulcer | 18% | 17% |
Abdominal paina
| 18% | 11% |
Liver enzyme elevationb
| 13% | 3% |
Weight decreased | 12% | 4% |
Fatigue | 11% | 7% |
Decreased appetite | 9% | 4% |
Headache | 9% | 8% |
Pyrexia | 6% | 5% |
Back pain | 6% | 4% |
Dizziness | 6% | 4% |
Hypertensionc
| 5% | 2% |
- Includes abdominal pain, abdominal pain upper, abdominal pain lower, and esophageal pain.
- Includes alanine aminotransferase increased, gamma-glutamyltransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, hepaticenzyme increased, blood alkaline phosphatase increased, transaminase increased, and hepatic function abnormal.
- Includes hypertension, blood pressure increased, and hypertensive crisis.
In addition, alopecia was reported in patients treated with nintedanib capsules, more than placebo (1.4% vs. 1.0%).