warnings and cautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • LABA monotherapy (without an inhaled corticosteroid) for asthma increases the risk of serious asthma-related events. ( 5.1 ) • Do not initiate in acutely deteriorating COPD. Do not use to treat acute symptoms. ( 5.2 ) • Do not use in combination with additional therapy containing a LABA because of risk of overdose. ( 5.3 ) • If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs, discontinue ANORO ELLIPTA and institute alternative therapy. ( 5.5 ) • Use with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders because of beta-adrenergic stimulation. ( 5.7 ) • Use with caution in patients with convulsive disorders, thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus, and ketoacidosis. ( 5.8 ) • Worsening of narrow-angle glaucoma may occur. Use with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma and instruct patients to contact a healthcare provider immediately if symptoms occur. ( 5.9 ) • Worsening of urinary retention may occur. Use with caution in patients with prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction and instruct patients to contact a healthcare provider immediately if symptoms occur. ( 5.10 ) • Be alert to hypokalemia and hyperglycemia. ( 5.11 ) 5.1 Serious Asthma-Related Events – Hospitalizations, Intubations, Death The safety and effectiveness of ANORO ELLIPTA in patients with asthma have not been established. ANORO ELLIPTA is not indicated for the treatment of asthma [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . Use of LABA as monotherapy (without ICS) for asthma is associated with an increased risk of asthma-related death. Available data from controlled clinical trials also suggest that use of LABA as monotherapy increases the risk of asthma-related hospitalization in pediatric and adolescent patients. These findings are considered a class effect of LABA monotherapy. When LABA are used in fixed-dose combination with ICS, data from large clinical trials do not show a significant increase in the risk of serious asthma-related events (hospitalizations, intubations, death) compared with ICS alone. Salmeterol Multicenter Asthma Research Trial (SMART) A 28-week, placebo-controlled, US trial that compared the safety of another LABA (salmeterol) with placebo, each added to usual asthma therapy, showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in subjects receiving salmeterol (13/13,176 in subjects treated with salmeterol vs. 3/13,179 in subjects treated with placebo; relative risk: 4.37 [95% CI: 1.25, 15.34]). The increased risk of asthma-related death is considered a class effect of LABAs, including vilanterol, one of the active ingredients in ANORO ELLIPTA. No trial adequate to determine whether the rate of asthma-related death is increased in subjects treated with ANORO ELLIPTA has been conducted. Available data do not suggest an increased risk of death with use of LABA in patients with COPD. 5.2 Deterioration of Disease and Acute Episodes ANORO ELLIPTA should not be initiated in patients during rapidly deteriorating or potentially life-threatening episodes of COPD. ANORO ELLIPTA has not been studied in subjects with acutely deteriorating COPD. The initiation of ANORO ELLIPTA in this setting is not appropriate. If ANORO ELLIPTA no longer controls symptoms of bronchoconstriction; the patient’s inhaled, short-acting beta 2 -agonist becomes less effective; or the patient needs more short-acting beta 2 -agonist than usual, these may be markers of deterioration of disease. In this setting, re-evaluate the patient and the COPD treatment regimen at once. The daily dose of ANORO ELLIPTA should not be increased. Increasing use of inhaled, short-acting beta 2 -agonists is a signal of deteriorating disease. In this situation, the patient requires immediate re-evaluation with reassessment of the treatment regimen, giving special consideration to the need for additional therapeutic options. Patients should not use more than 1 inhalation of ANORO ELLIPTA once daily. ANORO ELLIPTA should not be used for the relief of acute symptoms, i.e., as rescue therapy for the treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm. ANORO ELLIPTA has not been studied in the relief of acute symptoms and extra doses should not be used for that purpose. Acute symptoms should be treated with an inhaled, short-acting beta 2 -agonist. When beginning treatment with ANORO ELLIPTA, patients who have been taking oral or inhaled, short-acting beta 2 -agonists on a regular basis (e.g., 4 times a day) should be instructed to discontinue the regular use of these drugs and to use them only for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory symptoms. When prescribing ANORO ELLIPTA, the healthcare provider should also prescribe an inhaled, short-acting beta 2 -agonist and instruct the patient on how it should be used. 5.3 Avoid Excessive Use of ANORO ELLIPTA and Avoid Use with Other Long-acting Beta 2 -agonists ANORO ELLIPTA should not be used more often than recommended, at higher doses than recommended, or in conjunction with other therapies containing LABAs, as an overdose may result. Clinically significant cardiovascular effects and fatalities have been reported in association with excessive use of inhaled sympathomimetic drugs. Patients using ANORO ELLIPTA should not use another therapy containing a LABA (e.g., salmeterol, formoterol fumarate, arformoterol tartrate, indacaterol) for any reason. 5.4 Drug Interactions with Strong Cytochrome P450 3A4 Inhibitors Caution should be exercised when considering the coadministration of ANORO ELLIPTA with ketoconazole and other known strong cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitors (including, but not limited to, ritonavir, clarithromycin, conivaptan, indinavir, itraconazole, lopinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, troleandomycin, voriconazole) because increased cardiovascular adverse effects may occur [see Drug Interactions ( 7.1 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . 5.5 Paradoxical Bronchospasm As with other inhaled therapies, ANORO ELLIPTA can produce paradoxical bronchospasm, which may be life threatening. If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs following dosing with ANORO ELLIPTA, it should be treated immediately with an inhaled, short-acting bronchodilator; ANORO ELLIPTA should be discontinued immediately; and alternative therapy should be instituted. 5.6 Hypersensitivity Reactions, including Anaphylaxis Hypersensitivity reactions such as anaphylaxis, angioedema, rash, and urticaria may occur after administration of ANORO ELLIPTA. Discontinue ANORO ELLIPTA if such reactions occur. There have been reports of anaphylactic reactions in patients with severe milk protein allergy after inhalation of other powder medications containing lactose; therefore, patients with severe milk protein allergy should not use ANORO ELLIPTA [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Adverse Reactions (6.2)] . 5.7 Cardiovascular Effects Vilanterol, like other beta 2 -agonists, can produce a clinically significant cardiovascular effect in some patients as measured by increases in pulse rate, systolic or diastolic blood pressure, and also cardiac arrhythmias, such as supraventricular tachycardia and extrasystoles. If such effects occur, ANORO ELLIPTA may need to be discontinued. In addition, beta-agonists have been reported to produce electrocardiographic changes, such as flattening of the T wave, prolongation of the QTc interval, and ST segment depression, although the clinical significance of these findings is unknown [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)] . Fatalities have been reported in association with excessive use of inhaled sympathomimetic drugs. ANORO ELLIPTA, like other sympathomimetic amines, should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension. In a 52-week trial of subjects with COPD, the exposure-adjusted rates for any on-treatment major adverse cardiac event, including non-fatal central nervous system hemorrhages and cerebrovascular conditions, non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, and adjudicated on-treatment death due to cardiovascular events, was 2.2 per 100 patient-years for fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol 100/62.5/25 mcg (n = 4,151), 1.9 per 100 patient-years for fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg (n = 4,134), and 2.2 per 100 patient-years for ANORO ELLIPTA (n = 2,070). Adjudicated on‑treatment deaths due to cardiovascular events occurred in 20 of 4,151 patients (0.54 per 100 patient-years) receiving fluticasone furoate/umeclidinium/vilanterol, 27 of 4,134 patients (0.78 per 100 patient-years) receiving fluticasone furoate/vilanterol, and 16 of 2,070 patients (0.94 per 100 patient-years) receiving ANORO ELLIPTA. 5.8 Coexisting Conditions ANORO ELLIPTA, like all therapies containing sympathomimetic amines, should be used with caution in patients with convulsive disorders or thyrotoxicosis and in those who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines. Doses of the related beta 2 -adrenoceptor agonist albuterol, when administered intravenously, have been reported to aggravate preexisting diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis. 5.9 Worsening of Narrow-Angle Glaucoma ANORO ELLIPTA should be used with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma. Prescribers and patients should also be alert for signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma (e.g., eye pain or discomfort, blurred vision, visual halos, or colored images in association with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and corneal edema). Instruct patients to consult a healthcare provider immediately if any of these signs or symptoms develop. 5.10 Worsening of Urinary Retention ANORO ELLIPTA, like all therapies containing an anticholinergic, should be used with caution in patients with urinary retention. Prescribers and patients should be alert for signs and symptoms of urinary retention (e.g., difficulty passing urine, painful urination), especially in patients with prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction. Instruct patients to consult a healthcare provider immediately if any of these signs or symptoms develop . 5.11 Hypokalemia and Hyperglycemia Beta-adrenergic agonist therapies may produce significant hypokalemia in some patients, possibly through intracellular shunting, which has the potential to produce adverse cardiovascular effects. The decrease in serum potassium is usually transient, not requiring supplementation. Beta-agonist therapies may produce transient hyperglycemia in some patients. In 4 clinical trials of 6-month duration evaluating ANORO ELLIPTA in subjects with COPD, there was no evidence of a treatment effect on serum glucose or potassium.