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warnings and cautions
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Chronic intravenous infusions delivered using an external infusion pump with an indwelling central venous catheter are associated with the risk of blood stream infections (BSIs) and sepsis, which may be fatal. ( 5.1 ) Do not abruptly lower the dose or withdraw dosing. ( 5.2 ) Remodulin may cause symptomatic hypotension. ( 5.4 ) Remodulin inhibits platelet aggregation and increases the risk of bleeding. ( 5.5 ) 5.1 Risk of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection Chronic intravenous infusions of Remodulin delivered using an external infusion pump with an indwelling central venous catheter are associated with the risk of blood stream infections (BSIs) and sepsis, which may be fatal. Therefore, continuous subcutaneous infusion is the preferred mode of administration. In an open-label study of IV treprostinil (n=47) using an external infusion pump, there were seven catheter-related line infections during approximately 35 patient years, or about 1 BSI event per 5 years of use. A CDC survey of seven sites that used IV treprostinil for the treatment of PAH found approximately 1 BSI (defined as any positive blood culture) event per 3 years of use. Administration of IV Remodulin with a high pH glycine diluent has been associated with a lower incidence of BSIs when compared to neutral diluents (sterile water, 0.9% sodium chloride) when used along with catheter care guidelines. In an open-label study of an implantable pump (n=60), there were two blood stream infections (BSIs) related to the implant procedure during approximately 265 patient years. 5.2 Worsening PAH upon Abrupt Withdrawal or Sudden Large Dose Reduction Avoid abrupt withdrawal or sudden large reductions in dosage of Remodulin, which may result in worsening of PAH symptoms. 5.3 Patients with Hepatic Insufficiency Titrate Remodulin slowly in patients with hepatic insufficiency, because such patients will likely be exposed to greater systemic concentrations relative to patients with normal hepatic function [see Dosage and Administration (2.5) , Use in Specific Populations (8.6) , and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . 5.4 Risk of Symptomatic Hypotension Treprostinil is a pulmonary and systemic vasodilator. In patients with low systemic arterial pressure, treatment with Remodulin may produce symptomatic hypotension. 5.5 Risk of Bleeding Remodulin inhibits platelet aggregation and in...
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adverse reactions
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in labeling: Infections associated with intravenous administration [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] . Most common adverse reactions (incidence >3%) reported in clinical studies with Remodulin: subcutaneous infusion site pain and reaction, headache, diarrhea, nausea, jaw pain, vasodilatation, edema, and hypotension. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact United Therapeutics Corp. at 1-866-458-6479 or contact FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience 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. Adverse Events with Subcutaneously Administered Remodulin Patients receiving Remodulin as a subcutaneous infusion reported a wide range of adverse events, many potentially related to the underlying disease (dyspnea, fatigue, chest pain, right ventricular heart failure, and pallor). During clinical trials with subcutaneous infusion of Remodulin, infusion site pain and reaction were the most common adverse events among those treated with Remodulin. Infusion site reaction was defined as any local adverse event other than pain or bleeding/bruising at the infusion site and included symptoms such as erythema, induration, or rash. Infusion site reactions were sometimes severe and could lead to discontinuation of treatment. Table 3: Percentages of Subjects Reporting Subcutaneous Infusion Site Adverse Events Reaction Pain Placebo Remodulin Placebo Remodulin Severe 1 38 2 39 Requiring narcotics based on prescriptions for narcotics, not actual use NA medications used to treat infusion site pain were not distinguished from those used to treat site reactions NA 1 32 Leading to discontinuation 0 3 0 7 Other adverse events included diarrhea, jaw pain, edema, vasodilatation, and nausea, and these are generally considered to be related to the pharmacologic effects of Remodulin, whether administered subcutaneously or intravenously. Adverse Reactions during Chronic Dosing Table 4 lists adverse reactions that occurred at a rate of at least 3% more frequent in patients treated with subcutaneous Remodulin than with placebo in controlled trials...
adverse reactions table
Table 3: Percentages of Subjects Reporting Subcutaneous Infusion Site Adverse EventsReactionPainPlaceboRemodulinPlaceboRemodulinSevere138239Requiring narcoticsbased on prescriptions for narcotics, not actual useNAmedications used to treat infusion site pain were not distinguished from those used to treat site reactionsNA132Leading to discontinuation0307