warnings and cautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Cardiac conduction abnormalities: PR interval prolongation may occur in some patients. Consider ECG monitoring in patients with preexisting conduction system disease or when administered with other drugs that may prolong the PR interval. ( 5.1 , 6 , 7.3 , 12.2 , 17 ) • Severe skin reactions: Discontinue if severe rash develops. ( 5.2 , 6.1 , 17 ) • Assess creatinine clearance (CLcr) before initiating treatment. Consider alternative medications that do not require dosage adjustments in patients with renal impairment. ( 5.3 ) • When cobicistat, a component of EVOTAZ, is used in combination with a tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (tenofovir DF)-containing regimen, cases of acute renal failure and Fanconi syndrome have been reported. ( 5.4 ) • When used with tenofovir DF, assess urine glucose and urine protein at baseline and monitor CLcr, urine glucose, and urine protein. Monitor serum phosphorus in patients with or at risk for renal impairment. Coadministration with tenofovir DF is not recommended in patients with CLcr below 70 mL/min or in patients also receiving a nephrotoxic agent. ( 5.4 ) • Chronic kidney disease has been reported during postmarketing surveillance in patients with HIV-1 treated with atazanavir, with or without ritonavir. Consider alternatives in patients at high risk for renal disease or with preexisting renal disease. Monitor renal laboratory tests prior to therapy and during treatment with EVOTAZ. Consider discontinuation of EVOTAZ in patients with progressive renal disease. ( 5.5 ) • Nephrolithiasis and cholelithiasis have been reported. Consider temporary interruption or discontinuation. ( 5.6 , 6 ) • Hepatotoxicity: Patients with hepatitis B or C are at risk of increased transaminases or hepatic decompensation. Monitor hepatic laboratory tests prior to therapy and during treatment. ( 2.5 , 5.7 , 8.7 ) • Antiretrovirals that are not recommended: EVOTAZ is not recommended for use with ritonavir or products containing ritonavir, or in combination with other antiretroviral drugs that require CYP3A inhibition to achieve adequate exposures (e.g., other protease inhibitors and elvitegravir). ( 5.9 ) • Hyperbilirubinemia: Most patients experience asymptomatic increases in indirect bilirubin, which is reversible upon discontinuation. If a concomitant transaminase increase occurs, evaluate for alternative etiologies. ( 5.10 , 6 ) • Patients receiving EVOTAZ may develop immune reconstitution syndrome ( 5.11 ), new onset or exacerbations of diabetes mellitus/hyperglycemia ( 5.12 , 6 ), and redistribution/accumulation of body fat ( 5.13 ). • Hemophilia: Spontaneous bleeding may occur and additional factor VIII may be required. ( 5.14 ) 5.1 Cardiac Conduction Abnormalities Atazanavir prolongs the PR interval of the electrocardiogram in some patients. In healthy participants and in participants with HIV-1 treated with atazanavir, abnormalities in atrioventricular (AV) conduction were asymptomatic and generally limited to first-degree AV block. There have been reports of second-degree AV block and other conduction abnormalities [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) and Overdosage (10) ] . In clinical trials of atazanavir in participants with HIV-1 that included electrocardiograms, asymptomatic first-degree AV block was observed in 6% of participants treated with atazanavir (n=920) and 5% of participants (n=118) treated with atazanavir coadministered with ritonavir. Because of limited clinical experience in patients with preexisting conduction system disease (e.g., marked first-degree AV block or second- or third-degree AV block), consider ECG monitoring in these patients [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.2) ] . 5.2 Severe Skin Reactions Cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, and toxic skin eruptions, including drug rash, eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome, have been reported in patients receiving atazanavir [see Contraindications (4) and Adverse Reactions (6.1) ] . EVOTAZ should be discontinued if severe rash develops. Mild-to-moderate maculopapular skin eruptions have also been reported in atazanavir clinical trials. These reactions had a median time to onset of 7.3 weeks and median duration of 1.4 week and generally did not result in treatment discontinuation. 5.3 Effects on Serum Creatinine Cobicistat decreases estimated creatinine clearance due to inhibition of tubular secretion of creatinine without affecting actual renal glomerular function. This effect should be considered when interpreting changes in estimated creatinine clearance in patients initiating EVOTAZ, particularly in patients with medical conditions or receiving drugs needing monitoring with estimated creatinine clearance. Prior to initiating therapy with EVOTAZ, assess estimated creatinine clearance [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) ] . Dosage recommendations are not available for drugs that require dosage adjustments in cobicistat-treated patients with renal impairment [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) , Drug Interactions (7.3) , and Clinical Pharmacology (12.2) ] . Consider alternative medications that do not require dosage adjustments in patients with renal impairment. Although cobicistat may cause modest increases in serum creatinine and modest declines in estimated creatinine clearance without affecting renal glomerular function, patients who experience a confirmed increase in serum creatinine of greater than 0.4 mg/dL from baseline should be closely monitored for renal safety. 5.4 New Onset or Worsening Renal Impairment When Used with Tenofovir DF Renal impairment, including cases of acute renal failure and Fanconi syndrome, has been reported when cobicistat was used in an antiretroviral regimen that contained tenofovir DF. Therefore, coadministration of EVOTAZ and tenofovir DF is not recommended in patients who have an estimated creatinine clearance below 70 mL/min [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) ] . • When EVOTAZ is used with tenofovir DF, document urine glucose and urine protein at baseline and perform routine monitoring of estimated creatinine clearance, urine glucose, and urine protein during treatment. • Measure serum phosphorus in patients with or at risk for renal impairment. • Coadministration of EVOTAZ and tenofovir DF in combination with concomitant or recent use of a nephrotoxic agent is not recommended. In a clinical trial over 144 weeks (N=692), 10 (2.9%) participants treated with atazanavir coadministered with cobicistat and tenofovir DF and 11 (3.2%) participants treated with atazanavir coadministered with ritonavir and tenofovir DF discontinued study drug due to a renal adverse event. Seven of the 10 participants (2.0% overall) in the cobicistat group had laboratory findings consistent with proximal renal tubulopathy leading to study drug discontinuation, compared to 7 of 11 participants (2.0% overall) in the ritonavir group. One participant in the cobicistat group had renal impairment at baseline (e.g., estimated creatinine clearance less than 70 mL/min). The laboratory findings in these 7 participants treated with cobicistat, with evidence of proximal tubulopathy improved but did not completely resolve in all participants upon discontinuation of cobicistat coadministered with atazanavir and tenofovir DF. Renal replacement therapy was not required in any participant. 5.5 Chronic Kidney Disease Chronic kidney disease in patients with HIV-1 treated with atazanavir, with or without ritonavir, has been reported during postmarketing surveillance. Reports included biopsy-proven cases of granulomatous interstitial nephritis associated with the deposition of atazanavir drug crystals in the renal parenchyma. Consider alternatives to EVOTAZ in patients at high risk for renal disease or with preexisting renal disease. Renal laboratory testing (including serum creatinine, estimated creatinine clearance, and urinalysis with microscopic examination) should be conducted in all patients prior to initiating therapy with EVOTAZ and continued during treatment with EVOTAZ. Expert consultation is advised for patients who have confirmed renal laboratory abnormalities while taking EVOTAZ. In patients with progressive kidney disease, discontinuation of EVOTAZ may be considered [see Dosage and Administration (2.1 , 2.3 ) and Adverse Reactions (6.1) ]. 5.6 Nephrolithiasis and Cholelithiasis Cases of nephrolithiasis and/or cholelithiasis have been reported during postmarketing surveillance in patients with HIV-1 receiving atazanavir therapy. Some patients required hospitalization for additional management and some had complications. Because these events were reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made. If signs or symptoms of nephrolithiasis and/or cholelithiasis occur, temporary interruption or discontinuation of therapy may be considered [see Adverse Reactions ( 6 , 6.1 )] . 5.7 Hepatotoxicity Patients with underlying hepatitis B or C virus or marked elevations in transaminases may be at increased risk for developing further transaminase elevations or hepatic decompensation. In these patients, hepatic laboratory testing should be conducted prior to initiating therapy with EVOTAZ and during treatment [see Dosage and Administration (2.4) and Use in Specific Populations (8.7) ] . 5.8 Risk of Serious Adverse Reactions or Loss of Virologic Response Due to Drug Interactions Initiation of EVOTAZ, a CYP3A inhibitor, in patients receiving medications metabolized by CYP3A or initiation of medications metabolized by CYP3A in patients already receiving EVOTAZ, may increase plasma concentrations of medications metabolized by CYP3A. Initiation of medications that inhibit or induce CYP3A may increase or decrease concentrations of EVOTAZ, respectively. Increased concentrations of EVOTAZ may lead to: • clinically significant adverse reactions, potentially leading to severe, life threatening, or fatal events from higher exposures of concomitant medications. • clinically significant adverse reactions from higher exposures of EVOTAZ. Decreased concentrations of EVOTAZ may lead to: • loss of therapeutic effect of EVOTAZ and possible development of resistance. See Table 5 for steps to prevent or manage these possible and known significant drug interactions, including dosing recommendations [see Drug Interactions (7.3) ] . Consider the potential for drug interactions prior to and during EVOTAZ therapy; review concomitant medications during EVOTAZ therapy; and monitor for the adverse reactions associated with the concomitant medications [see Contraindications (4) and Drug Interactions (7) ] . When used with concomitant medications, EVOTAZ may result in different drug interactions than those observed or expected with atazanavir coadministered with ritonavir. Complex or unknown mechanisms of drug interactions preclude extrapolation of drug interactions with atazanavir coadministered with ritonavir to certain EVOTAZ interactions [see Drug Interactions (7) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . 5.9 Antiretrovirals that are Not Recommended EVOTAZ is not recommended in combination with other antiretroviral drugs that require CYP3A inhibition to achieve adequate exposures (e.g., other HIV protease inhibitors or elvitegravir) because dosing recommendations for such combinations have not been established and coadministration may result in decreased plasma concentrations of the antiretroviral agents, leading to loss of therapeutic effect and development of resistance. EVOTAZ is not recommended in combination with ritonavir or products containing ritonavir due to similar effects of cobicistat and ritonavir on CYP3A. See Drug Interactions (7) for additional recommendations on use with other antiretroviral agents. 5.10 Hyperbilirubinemia Most patients taking atazanavir experience asymptomatic elevations in indirect (unconjugated) bilirubin related to inhibition of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT). This hyperbilirubinemia is reversible upon discontinuation of atazanavir. Hepatic transaminase elevations that occur with hyperbilirubinemia should be evaluated for alternative etiologies. No long-term safety data are available for patients experiencing persistent elevations in total bilirubin greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal (ULN). Alternative antiretroviral therapy to EVOTAZ may be considered if jaundice or scleral icterus associated with bilirubin elevations presents cosmetic concerns for patients [see Adverse Reactions (6) ] . 5.11 Immune Reconstitution Syndrome Immune reconstitution syndrome has been reported in patients treated with combination antiretroviral therapy, including atazanavir, a component of EVOTAZ. During the initial phase of combination antiretroviral treatment, patients whose immune system responds may develop an inflammatory response to indolent or residual opportunistic infections (such as Mycobacterium avium , cytomegalovirus, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, or tuberculosis), which may necessitate further evaluation and treatment. Autoimmune disorders (such as Graves’ disease, polymyositis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and autoimmune hepatitis) have also been reported to occur in the setting of immune reconstitution; however, the time to onset is more variable, and can occur many months after initiation of treatment. 5.12 Diabetes Mellitus/Hyperglycemia New-onset diabetes mellitus, exacerbation of preexisting diabetes mellitus, and hyperglycemia have been reported during postmarketing surveillance in patients with HIV-1 receiving protease inhibitor therapy. Some patients required either initiation or dose adjustments of insulin or oral hypoglycemic agents for treatment of these events. In some cases, diabetic ketoacidosis has occurred. In those patients who discontinued protease inhibitor therapy, hyperglycemia persisted in some cases. Because these events have been reported voluntarily during clinical practice, estimates of frequency cannot be made and a causal relationship between protease inhibitor therapy and these events has not been established. 5.13 Fat Redistribution Redistribution/accumulation of body fat including central obesity, dorsocervical fat enlargement (buffalo hump), peripheral wasting, facial wasting, breast enlargement, and “cushingoid appearance” have been observed in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. The mechanism and long-term consequences of these events are currently unknown. A causal relationship has not been established. 5.14 Hemophilia There have been reports of increased bleeding, including spontaneous skin hematomas and hemarthrosis, in patients with hemophilia type A and B treated with protease inhibitors. In some patients, additional factor VIII was given. In more than half of the reported cases, treatment with protease inhibitors was continued or reintroduced. A causal relationship between protease inhibitor therapy and these events has not been established.