Welchol

Primary Hyperlipidemia: In 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical trials, 807 patients with primary hyperlipidemia (age range 18-86 years, 50% women, 90% Caucasians, 7% Blacks, 2% Hispanics, 1% Asians) and elevated LDL-C were treated with WELCHOL 1.5 g/day to 4.5 g/day from 4 to 24 weeks.

Pediatric Patients 10 to 17 Years of Age: In an 8-week double-blind, placebo-controlled study boys and post menarchal girls, 10 to 17 years of age, with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH) (n=192), were treated with WELCHOL tablets (1.9-3.8 g, daily) or placebo tablets [See Clinical Studies (14.1)].

The reported adverse reactions during the additional 18-week open-label treatment period with WELCHOL 3.8 g per day were similar to those during the double-blind period and included headache (7.6%), nasopharyngitis (5.4%), upper respiratory tract infection (4.9%), influenza (3.8%), and nausea (3.8%) [See Clinical Studies (14.1)].

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The safety of WELCHOL in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was evaluated in 4 double-blind, 12-26 week, placebo-controlled clinical trials. These trials involved 1128 patients (566 patients on WELCHOL; 562 patients on placebo) with inadequate glycemic control on metformin, sulfonylurea, or insulin when these agents were used alone or in combination with other anti-diabetic agents. Upon completion of the pivotal trials, 492 patients entered a 52-week open-label uncontrolled extension study during which all patients received WELCHOL 3.8 g/day while continuing background treatment with metformin, sulfonylurea, or insulin alone or in combination with other anti-diabetic agents.

A total of 6.7% of WELCHOL-treated patients and 3.2% of placebo-treated patients were discontinued from the diabetes trials due to adverse reactions. This difference was driven mostly by gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as abdominal pain and constipation.

One patient in the pivotal trials discontinued due to body rash and mouth blistering that occurred after the first dose of WELCHOL, which may represent a hypersensitivity reaction to WELCHOL.

Hypertriglyceridemia: Patients with fasting serum TG levels above 500 mg/dL were excluded from the diabetes clinical trials. In the phase 3 diabetes trials, 637 (63%) patients had baseline fasting serum TG levels less than 200 mg/dL, 261 (25%) had baseline fasting serum TG levels between 200 and 300 mg/dL, 111 (11%) had baseline fasting serum TG levels between 300 and 500 mg/dL, and 9 (1%) had fasting serum TG levels greater than or equal to 500 mg/dL. The median baseline fasting TG concentration for the study population was 172 mg/dL; the median post-treatment fasting TG was 195 mg/dL in the WELCHOL group and 177 mg/dL in the placebo group. WELCHOL therapy resulted in a median placebo-corrected increase in serum TG of 5% (p=0.22), 22% (p<0.001), and 18% (p<0.001) when added to metformin, insulin and sulfonylureas, respectively [See Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Clinical Studies (14.2)]. In comparison, WELCHOL resulted in a median increase in serum TG of 5% compared to placebo (p=0.42) in a 24-week monotherapy lipid-lowering trial [See Clinical Studies (14.1)].

Treatment-emergent fasting TG concentrations ≥500 mg/dL occurred in 4.1% of WELCHOL-treated patients compared to 2.0% of placebo-treated patients. Among these patients, the TG concentrations with WELCHOL (median 604 mg/dL; interquartile range 538-712 mg/dL) were similar to that observed with placebo (median 644 mg/dL; interquartile range 574-724 mg/dL). Two (0.4%) patients on WELCHOL and 2 (0.4%) patients on placebo developed TG elevations ≥1000 mg/dL. In all WELCHOL clinical trials, including studies in patients with type 2 diabetes and patients with primary hyperlipidemia, there were no reported cases of acute pancreatitis associated with hypertriglyceridemia. It is unknown whether patients with more uncontrolled, baseline hypertriglyceridemia would have greater increases in serum TG levels with WELCHOL [See Contraindications (4) and Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].

Cardiovascular adverse events: During the diabetes clinical trials, the incidence of patients with treatment-emergent serious adverse events involving the cardiovascular system was 3% (17/566) in the WELCHOL group and 2% (10/562) in the placebo group. These overall rates included disparate events (e.g., myocardial infarction, aortic stenosis, and bradycardia); therefore, the significance of this imbalance is unknown.

Hypoglycemia: Adverse events of hypoglycemia were reported based on the clinical judgment of the blinded investigators and did not require confirmation with fingerstick glucose testing. The overall reported incidence of hypoglycemia was 3.0% in patients treated with WELCHOL and 2.3% in patients treated with placebo. No WELCHOL treated patients developed severe hypoglycemia.

Drug Interactions with concomitant WELCHOL administration include:

• Increased seizure activity or decreased phenytoin levels in patients receiving phenytoin. Phenytoin should be administered 4 hours prior to WELCHOL.
• Reduced International Normalized Ratio (INR) in patients receiving warfarin therapy. In warfarin-treated patients, INR should be monitored frequently during WELCHOL initiation then periodically thereafter.
• Elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients receiving thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Thyroid hormone replacement should be administered 4 hours prior to WELCHOL [See Drug Interactions (7)].

Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions
Bowel obstruction (in patients with a history of bowel obstruction or resection), dysphagia or esophageal obstruction (occasionally requiring medical intervention), fecal impaction, pancreatitis, abdominal distension, exacerbation of hemorrhoids, and increased transaminases.

Laboratory Abnormalities
Hypertriglyceridemia

Pregnancy Category B. There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of colesevelam use in pregnant women. Animal reproduction studies in rats and rabbits revealed no evidence of fetal harm. Requirements for vitamins and other nutrients are increased in pregnancy. However, the effect of colesevelam on the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins has not been studied in pregnant women. This drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

In animal reproduction studies, colesevelam revealed no evidence of fetal harm when administered to rats and rabbits at doses 50 and 17 times the maximum human dose, respectively. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, this drug should be used in pregnancy only if clearly needed.

Primary Hyperlipidemia:  Of the 1350 patients enrolled in the hyperlipidemia clinical studies, 349 (26%) were ≥65 years old, and 58 (4%) were ≥75 years old. 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.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:  Of the 1128 patients enrolled in the four diabetes studies, 249 (22%) were ≥65 years old, and 12 (1%) were ≥75 years old. In these trials, WELCHOL 3.8 g/day or placebo was added onto background anti-diabetic therapy. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:  Of the 1128 patients enrolled in the four diabetes studies, 696 (62%) had mild renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance [CrCl] 50-<80 mL/min), 53 (5%) had moderate renal insufficiency (CrCl 30-<50 mL/min), and none had severe renal insufficiency (CrCl <30 mL/min), as estimated from baseline serum creatinine using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equation. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between patients with CrCl <50 mL/min (n=53) and those with a CrCl≥50 mL/min (n=1075).

Primary Hyperlipidemia:  Colesevelam hydrochloride, the active pharmaceutical ingredient in WELCHOL, is a non-absorbed, lipid-lowering polymer that binds bile acids in the intestine, impeding their reabsorption. As the bile acid pool becomes depleted, the hepatic enzyme, cholesterol 7-α-hydroxylase, is upregulated, which increases the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids. This causes an increased demand for cholesterol in the liver cells, resulting in the dual effect of increasing transcription and activity of the cholesterol biosynthetic enzyme, HMG-CoA reductase, and increasing the number of hepatic LDL receptors. These compensatory effects result in increased clearance of LDL-C from the blood, resulting in decreased serum LDL-C levels. Serum TG levels may increase or remain unchanged.

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus:  The mechanism by which WELCHOL improves glycemic control is unknown.

Absorption:  Colesevelam hydrochloride is a hydrophilic, water-insoluble polymer that is not hydrolyzed by digestive enzymes and is not absorbed.

Distribution:  Colesevelam hydrochloride is not absorbed, and therefore, its distribution is limited to the gastrointestinal tract.

Metabolism:  Colesevelam hydrochloride is not metabolized systemically and does not interfere with systemic drug-metabolizing enzymes such as cytochrome P-450.

Excretion:  In 16 healthy volunteers, an average of 0.05% of administered radioactivity from a single ¹⁴C-labeled colesevelam hydrochloride dose was excreted in the urine.

Drug Interactions:  Drug interactions between colesevelam and concomitantly administered drugs were screened through in vitro studies and confirmed in in vivo studies. In vitro studies demonstrated that cephalexin, metformin, and ciprofloxacin had negligible binding to colesevelam hydrochloride. Therefore, an in vivo pharmacokinetic interaction of WELCHOL with these drugs is unlikely. WELCHOL was found to have no significant effect on the bioavailability of digoxin, fenofibrate, lovastatin, metoprolol, quinidine, valproic acid, pioglitazone, and warfarin. The results of additional in vivo drug interactions of WELCHOL are presented in Table 5.

Drug interactions between WELCHOL and other commonly co-administered drugs in patients with type 2 diabetes (including rosiglitazone maleate, glimepiride, glipizide, sitagliptin phosphate, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, sustained-release formulations of anti-diabetic and anti-hypertensive drugs, and aspirin) have not been evaluated.

Carcinogenesis:  A 104-week carcinogenicity study with colesevelam hydrochloride was conducted in CD-1 mice, at oral dietary doses up to 3 g/kg/day. This dose was approximately 50 times the maximum recommended human dose of 4.5 g/day, based on body weight, mg/kg. There were no significant drug-induced tumor findings in male or female mice. In a 104-week carcinogenicity study with colesevelam hydrochloride in Harlan Sprague-Dawley rats, a statistically significant increase in the incidence of pancreatic acinar cell adenoma was seen in male rats at doses >1.2 g/kg/day (approximately 20 times the maximum human dose, based on body weight, mg/kg) (trend test only). A statistically significant increase in thyroid C-cell adenoma was seen in female rats at 2.4 g/kg/day (approximately 40 times the maximum human dose, based on body weight, mg/kg).

Mutagenesis:  Colesevelam hydrochloride and 4 degradants present in the drug substance have been evaluated for mutagenicity in the Ames test and a mammalian chromosomal aberration test. The 4 degradants and an extract of the parent compound did not exhibit genetic toxicity in an in vitro bacterial mutagenesis assay in S.typhimurium and E. coli (Ames assay) with or without rat liver metabolic activation. An extract of the parent compound was positive in the Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell chromosomal aberration assay in the presence of metabolic activation and negative in the absence of metabolic activation. The results of the CHO cell chromosomal aberration assay with 2 of the 4 degradants, decylamine HCl and aminohexyltrimethyl ammonium chloride HCl, were equivocal in the absence of metabolic activation and negative in the presence of metabolic activation. The other 2 degradants, didecylamine HCl and 6-decylamino-hexyltrimethyl ammonium chloride HCl, were negative in the presence and absence of metabolic activation.

Impairment of Fertility:  Colesevelam hydrochloride did not impair fertility in rats at doses up to 3 g/kg/day (approximately 50 times the maximum human dose, based on body weight, mg/kg).

Monotherapy:  In a study in patients with LDL-C between 130 mg/dL and 220 mg/dL (mean 158 mg/dL), WELCHOL was given for 24 weeks in divided doses with the morning and evening meals.

As shown in Table 6, the mean LDL-C reductions were 15% and 18% at the 3.8 g and 4.5 g doses. The respective mean TC reductions were 7% and 10%. The mean Apo B reductions were 12% in both treatment groups. WELCHOL at both doses increased HDL-C by 3%. Increases in TG of 9-10% were observed at both WELCHOL doses but the changes were not statistically different from placebo.

In a study in 98 patients with LDL-C between 145 mg/dL and 250 mg/dL (mean 169 mg/dL), WELCHOL 3.8 g was given for 6 weeks as a single dose with breakfast, as a single dose with dinner, or as divided doses with breakfast and dinner. The mean LDL-C reductions were 18%, 15%, and 18% for the 3 dosing regimens, respectively. The reductions with these 3 regimens were not statistically different from one another.

Combination Therapy: Co-administration of WELCHOL and a statin (atorvastatin, lovastatin, or simvastatin) in 3 clinical studies demonstrated an additive reduction of LDL-C. The mean baseline LDL-C was 184 mg/dL in the atorvastatin study (range 156-236 mg/dL), 171 mg/dL in the lovastatin study (range 115-247 mg/dL), and 188 mg/dL in the simvastatin study (range 148-352 mg/dL). As demonstrated in Table 7, WELCHOL doses of 2.3 g to 3.8 g resulted in an additional 8% to 16% reduction in LDL-C above that seen with the statin alone.

In all 3 studies, the LDL-C reduction achieved with the combination of WELCHOL and any given dose of statin therapy was statistically superior to that achieved with WELCHOL or that dose of the statin alone. The LDL-C reduction with atorvastatin 80 mg was not statistically significantly different from the combination of WELCHOL 3.8 g and atorvastatin 10 mg.

The effect of WELCHOL when added to fenofibrate was assessed in 122 patients with mixed hyperlipidemia (Fredrickson Type IIb). Inclusion in the study required LDL-C ≥115 mg/dL and TG 150 mg/dL to 749 mg/dL. Patients were treated with 160 mg of fenofibrate during an 8-week open-label run-in period and then randomly assigned to receive fenofibrate 160 mg plus either WELCHOL 3.8 g or placebo for 6 weeks of double-blind treatment. The overall mean LDL-C at the start of randomized treatment was 144 mg/dL. The results of the study are summarized in Table 8.

Pediatric Therapy: The safety and efficacy of WELCHOL in pediatric patients were evaluated in an 8-week, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group study followed by an open-label phase, in 194 boys and postmenarchal girls 10-17 years of age (mean age 14.1 years) with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (heFH), taking a stable dose of an FDA-approved statin (with LDL-C >130 mg/dL) or naïve to lipid lowering therapy (with LDL-C >160 mg/dL). This study had 3 periods: a single-blind, placebo stabilization period; an 8-week, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo controlled treatment period; and an 18-week, open-label treatment period. Forty-seven (24%) patients were taking statins and 147 (76%) patients were statin-naïve at screening. The mean baseline LDL-C at Day 1 was approximately 199 mg/dL.

During the double-blind treatment period, patients were assigned randomly to treatment: WELCHOL 3.8 g/day (n=64), WELCHOL 1.9 g/day (n=65), or placebo (n=65). In total, 186 patients completed the double-blind treatment period. After 8 weeks of treatment, WELCHOL 3.8 g/day significantly decreased plasma levels of LDL-C, non-HDL-C, TC, and Apo B and significantly increased HDL-C. A moderate, non statistically significant increase in TG was observed versus placebo (Table 9).

During the open-label treatment period patients were treated with WELCHOL 3.8 g/day. In total, 173 (89%) patients completed 26 weeks of treatment. Results at Week 26 were consistent with those at Week 8.

Add-on Combination Therapy with Metformin:  WELCHOL 3.8 g/day or placebo was added to background anti-diabetic therapy in a 26-week trial of 316 patients already receiving treatment with metformin alone (N=159) or metformin in combination with other oral agents (N=157). A total of 60% of these patients were receiving ≥1,500 mg/day of metformin. In combination with metformin, WELCHOL resulted in statistically significant placebo-corrected reductions in A1C and FPG (Table 10). WELCHOL also reduced TC, LDL-C, Apo B, and non-HDL-C (Table 11). The mean percent change in serum LDL-C levels with WELCHOL compared to placebo was -16% among statin users and statin non-users; the median percent change in serum TG levels with WELCHOL compared to placebo was -2% among statin users and 10% among statin non-users. The mean change in body weight was -0.5 kg for WELCHOL and -0.3 kg for placebo.

Add-on Combination Therapy with Sulfonylurea:  WELCHOL 3.8 g/day or placebo was added to background anti-diabetic therapy in a 26-week trial of 460 patients already treated with sulfonylurea alone (N=156) or sulfonylurea in combination with other oral agents (N=304). A total of 72% of these patients were receiving at least half-maximal doses of sulfonylurea therapy. In combination with a sulfonylurea, WELCHOL resulted in statistically significant placebo-corrected reductions in A1C and FPG (Table 12). WELCHOL also reduced TC, LDL-C, Apo B, and non-HDL-C, but increased serum TG (Table 13). The mean percent change in serum LDL-C levels with WELCHOL compared to placebo was -18% among statin users and -15% among statin non-users; the median percent increase in serum TG with WELCHOL compared to placebo was 29% among statin users and 9% among statin non-users. The mean change in body weight was 0.0 kg for WELCHOL and -0.4 kg for placebo.

Add-on Combination Therapy with Insulin:   WELCHOL 3.8 g/day or placebo was added to background anti-diabetic therapy in a 16-week trial of 287 patients already treated with insulin alone (N=116) or insulin in combination with oral agents (N=171). At baseline, the median daily insulin dose was 70 units in the WELCHOL group and 65 units in the placebo group. In combination with insulin, WELCHOL resulted in a statistically significant placebo-corrected reduction in A1C (Table 14). WELCHOL also reduced LDL-C and Apo B, but increased serum TG (Table 15). The mean percent change in serum LDL-C levels with WELCHOL compared to placebo was -13% among statin users and statin non-users; the median percent increase in serum TG levels with WELCHOL compared to placebo was 24% among statin users and 17% among statin non-users. The mean change in body weight was 0.6 kg for WELCHOL and 0.2 kg for placebo.