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 clinical practice.
The safety of fentanyl transdermal system was evaluated in 216 patients who took at least one dose of fentanyl transdermal system in a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of fentanyl transdermal system. This trial examined patients over 40 years of age with severe pain induced by osteoarthritis of the hip or knee and who were in need of and waiting for joint replacement.
The most common adverse reactions (≥5%) in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with severe pain were nausea, vomiting, somnolence, dizziness, insomnia, constipation, hyperhidrosis, fatigue, feeling cold, and anorexia. Other common adverse reactions (≥5%) reported in clinical trials in patients with chronic malignant or nonmalignant pain were headache and diarrhea. Adverse reactions reported for ≥1% of fentanyl transdermal system-treated patients and with an incidence greater than placebo-treated patients are shown in Table 3.
The most common adverse reactions that were associated with discontinuation in patients with pain (causing discontinuation in ≥1% of patients) were depression, dizziness, somnolence, headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, hyperhidrosis, and fatigue.
Table 3: Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥1% of Fentanyl Transdermal System-treated Patients and With an Incidence Greater Than Placebo-treated Patients in 1 Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of Fentanyl Transdermal System System/Organ Class Adverse Reaction | Fentanyl Transdermal System % (N=216) | Placebo % (N=200) |
|---|
| Cardiac disorders |
| Palpitations | 4 | 1 |
| Ear and labyrinth disorders |
| Vertigo | 2 | 1 |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Nausea | 41 | 17 |
| Vomiting | 26 | 3 |
| Constipation | 9 | 1 |
| Abdominal pain upper | 3 | 2 |
| Dry mouth | 2 | 0 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Fatigue | 6 | 3 |
| Feeling cold | 6 | 2 |
| Malaise | 4 | 1 |
| Asthenia | 2 | 0 |
| Edema peripheral | 1 | 1 |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders |
| Anorexia | 5 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Muscle spasms | 4 | 2 |
| Nervous system disorders | | |
| Somnolence | 19 | 3 |
| Dizziness | 10 | 4 |
| Psychiatric disorders |
| Insomnia | 10 | 7 |
| Depression | 1 | 0 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders |
| Hyperhidrosis | 6 | 1 |
| Pruritus | 3 | 2 |
| Rash | 2 | 1 |
Adverse reactions not reported in Table 3 that were reported by ≥1% of fentanyl transdermal system-treated adult and pediatric patients (N=1854) in 11 controlled and uncontrolled clinical trials of fentanyl transdermal system used for the treatment of chronic malignant or nonmalignant pain are shown in Table 4.
Table 4: Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥1% of Fentanyl Transdermal System-treated Patients in 11 Clinical Trials of Fentanyl Transdermal System System/Organ Class Adverse Reaction | Fentanyl Transdermal System % (N=1854) |
|---|
| Gastrointestinal disorders | |
| Diarrhea | 10 |
| Abdominal pain | 3 |
| Immune system disorders | |
| Hypersensitivity | 1 |
| Nervous system disorders | |
| Headache | 12 |
| Tremor | 3 |
| Paresthesia | 2 |
| Psychiatric disorders | |
| Anxiety | 3 |
| Confusional state | 2 |
| Hallucination | 1 |
| Renal and urinary disorders | |
| Urinary retention | 1 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | |
| Erythema | 1 |
The following adverse reactions occurred in adult and pediatric patients with an overall frequency of <1% and are listed in descending frequency within each System/Organ Class:
Cardiac disorders: cyanosis
Eye disorders: miosis
Gastrointestinal disorders: subileus
General disorders and administration site conditions: application site reaction, influenza-like illness, application site hypersensitivity, drug withdrawal syndrome, application site dermatitis
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: muscle twitching
Nervous system disorders: hypoesthesia
Psychiatric disorders: disorientation, euphoric mood
Reproductive system and breast disorders: erectile dysfunction, sexual dysfunction
Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: respiratory depression
Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: eczema, dermatitis allergic, dermatitis contact
Pediatrics
The safety of fentanyl transdermal system was evaluated in three open-label trials in 289 pediatric patients with chronic pain, 2 years of age through 18 years of age. Adverse reactions reported by ≥1% of fentanyl transdermal system-treated pediatric patients are shown in Table 5.
Table 5: Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥1% of Fentanyl Transdermal System-treated Pediatric Patients in 3 Clinical Trials of Fentanyl Transdermal System System/Organ Class Adverse Reaction | Fentanyl Transdermal System % (N=289) |
|---|
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Vomiting | 34 |
| Nausea | 24 |
| Constipation | 13 |
| Diarrhea | 13 |
| Abdominal pain | 9 |
| Abdominal pain upper | 4 |
| Dry mouth | 2 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Edema peripheral | 5 |
| Fatigue | 2 |
| Application site reaction | 1 |
| Asthenia | 1 |
| Immune system disorders |
| Hypersensitivity | 3 |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders |
| Anorexia | 4 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Muscle spasms | 2 |
| Nervous system disorders | |
| Headache | 16 |
| Somnolence | 5 |
| Dizziness | 2 |
| Tremor | 2 |
| Hypoesthesia | 1 |
| Psychiatric disorders |
| Insomnia | 6 |
| Anxiety | 4 |
| Depression | 2 |
| Hallucination | 2 |
| Renal and urinary disorders |
| Urinary retention | 3 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Respiratory depression | 1 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders |
| Pruritus | 13 |
| Rash | 6 |
| Hyperhidrosis | 3 |
| Erythema | 3 |