In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 18 mg of flunisolide was administered via the CFC formulation over a three-hour period (nine times the maximum labeled daily dose) in 94 patients with acute asthma, and no clinically deleterious effects were observed.
Systemic and local corticosteroid use may result in the following:
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.
The following table shows the adverse reactions that were reported in patients previously receiving bronchodilators and/or orally inhaled corticosteroids in two double-blind, placebo-controlled US clinical trials, in which 519 adult and pediatric patients age 4-78 years (279 males and 240 females) were treated with the AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol (80 mcg to 320 mcg twice daily for 12 weeks) or placebo. The mean duration of exposure was 76.7, 78.2, 80.5, and 69.4 days for AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 80 mcg, 160 mcg, 320 mcg, and placebo, all dosed twice daily, respectively. The table includes all reactions that occurred at a rate of > 3% in any AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol group. In considering these data, the increased average duration of exposure for AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol patients should be taken into account, compared with placebo-treated patients.
Adverse Reactions with > 3% incidence reported in
controlled clinical studies with AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol (% of patients)
| ADVERSE REACTION | PLACEBO (n = 220) |
AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol | ||
| 80 MCG (n = 189) |
160 MCG (n = 217) |
320 MCG (n = 113) |
||
| BODY AS AWHOLE | ||||
| Headache | 12.7 | 9.0 | 13.8 | 8.8 |
| Allergic Reaction | 2.3 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Infection, Bacterial | 0.9 | 3.7 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| DIGESTIVESYSTEM | ||||
| Vomiting | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.6 | 0.0 |
| Dyspepsia | 1.4 | 2.1 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| RESPIRATORY SYSTEM | ||||
| Pharyngitis | 13.2 | 17.5 | 16.6 | 16.8 |
| Rhinitis | 10.0 | 9.0 | 15.7 | 3.5 |
| Cough Increased | 7.7 | 8.5 | 5.5 | 1.8 |
| Sinusitis | 5.5 | 7.4 | 4.1 | 8.8 |
| Epistaxis | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| UROGENITAL SYSTEM | ||||
| Urinary Tract Infection | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 3.5 |
The following other adverse reactions occurred in patients in these clinical trials using AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol with an incidence of 1 to 3% and were more common in AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol than in the placebo group.
Body As A Whole: abdominal pain, chest pain, infection, neck pain
Digestive System: diarrhea, gastroenteritis, nausea, oral moniliasis
Metabolic And Nutritional Disorders: edema
Musculoskeletal System: myalgia
Nervous System: dizziness, insomnia, migraine
Respiratory System: bronchitis, laryngitis, voice alteration
Skin And Appendages: erythema multiforme
Special Senses: conjunctivitis, ear pain, taste perversion
Urogenital System: dysmenorrhea, vaginitis
Long-Term Clinical TrialsTwo 52-week open label safety trials of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol were conducted in 162 asthma patients 12 to 60 years of age and in 152 asthma patients 4 to 11 years of age. The adverse reaction profile exhibited in these trials was similar to that seen in the two 12-week studies.
Adverse Reactions from Other SourcesThe following additional adverse reactions were derived from clinical trials conducted with flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol with a frequency of ≥ 1% and not described above:
Body as a Whole: flu, decreased appetite, chills, increased appetite, weight gain, malaise, peripheral edema, sweating, weakness
Gastrointestinal System: upset stomach, heartburn, constipation, gas, abdominal fullness
Cardiovascular System: palpitations, hypertension, tachycardia
Nervous System: headache, irritability, shakiness, anxiety, depression, faintness, fatigue, hyperactivity, hypoactivity, moodiness, numbness, vertigo
Respiratory System: cold symptoms, nasal congestion, upper respiratory tract infection, chest congestion, hoarseness, runny nose, sinus congestion, sinus drainage, sinus infection, sneezing, sputum, wheezing, chest tightness, bronchospasm, dyspnea, head stuffiness, nasal irritation, pleurisy, pneumonia, sinus discomfort
Skin and Appendages: eczema, pruritus, acne, urticaria
Special Senses: loss of smell, loss of taste, ear infection, blurred vision, eye discomfort, eye infection
Hemic and Lymph: capillary fragility, enlarged lymph nodes
Mouth and Throat: sore throat, dry throat, glossitis, mouth irritation, phlegm, throat irritation
Dose finding for AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol was based on comparability of systemic exposure to flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol. The effect of flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol on pharmacokinetics and 12-hour plasma cortisol levels was investigated in two studies. In both studies, the Cmax and AUC of flunisolide, 6β-OH flunisolide, and 12-hour plasma cortisol measurements were comparable for 1000 mcg of flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol and 320 mcg of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol. The first was a parallel arm study in 31 subjects. Pharmacokinetics and plasma cortisol levels were determined after single and multiple doses of flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 μg and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 160 μg or 320 μg administered twice daily for 13.5 days. At steady state, flunisolide mean peak plasma concentrations from flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 mcg and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 320 mcg were found to be 2.6 ng/mL and 3.4 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding mean AUC values for the 12-hr dosing interval were 5.7 ng.hr/mL and 4.7 ng.hr/mL, respectively. At steady state, the mean peak plasma concentrations of 6β-OH flunisolide from flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 mcg and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 320 mcg were found to be 0.9 ng/mL and 0.3 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding mean AUC values for the 12-hr dosing interval were 3.8 ng.hr/mL and 1.1 ng.hr/mL, respectively. The second was a crossover study in 11 subjects after single doses of flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 mcg or AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 320 mcg. The mean peak plasma concentrations of flunisolide from the flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 mcg and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 320 mcg were found to be 2.5 ng/mL and 3.3 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding mean AUC values were 5.1 ng.hr/mL and 5.8 ng.hr/mL, respectively. The mean peak plasma concentrations of 6 β -OH flunisolide from flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol 1000 mcg and AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 320 mcg were found to be 0.8 ng/mL and 0.3 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding mean AUC values were 3.8 ng.hr/mL and 2.3 ng.hr/mL, respectively.
Controlled clinical studies with flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol included over 500 treated asthma patients, among them 150 children aged 6 years and older. Open label studies of two years or more duration included more than 120 treated patients. No significant adrenal suppression attributed to flunisolide was seen in these studies.
The potential effects of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol and flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis were studied in 2 placebo-and active-controlled studies and 2 active-controlled, open label, long-term studies [see Clinical Studies In the placebo-controlled studies, the ability to increase cortisol production in response to stress was assessed by the 60 minute cosyntropin (ACTH) stimulation test. For adult and adolescent patients treated with AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol 80 mcg, 160 mcg, 320 mcg, or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks, 92% (22/24), 93% (26/28), 93% (26/28), and 92% (22/24) of patients, normal at baseline, respectively, continued to have a normal stimulated cortisol response (peak cortisol ≥ 18 mcg/dL and an increase in plasma cortisol ≥ 7 mcg/dL within 60 minutes after cosyntropin injection) at trial's end. All patients had peak cortisol levels ≥ 18mcg/dL. There was no significant suppression of 24 hour urinary cortisol, and 100% (96/96) of patients treated with AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol had normal morning serum cortisol levels at the end of study. For pediatric patients treated with the AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol, 80 mcg and 160 mcg or placebo twice daily for 12 weeks, 91% (31/34), 97% (28/29), and 89% (24/27) of patients, respectively, continued to have a normal stimulated cortisol response (as defined above) at trial's end. No suppression of 24-hour urinary cortisol was noted. In these studies, comparable results were obtained in patients treated with flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol.
In the active-controlled, open label, long-term studies, 99.4% (161/162) of adult and adolescent patients and 98.4% (126/128) pediatric patients treated with AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol had normal morning serum cortisol levels ( ≥ 5 mcg/dL) after 12 or 52 weeks of treatment, respectively. For patients treated with AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol, 92.5% (99/107) continued to have a normal stimulated plasma cortisol response to cosyntropin at trial's end with all having peak cortisol levels ≥ 18mcg/dL. In these studies, no suppression of 24-hour urinary cortisol was noted, and comparable results were obtained in patients treated with flunisolide CFC inhalation aerosol.
All the data described below is based on studies conducted in subjects 18 to 51 years of age.
AbsorptionFlunisolide is rapidly absorbed after oral inhalation. Mean values for the time to maximum concentration, Tmax, of flunisolide range from 0.09 to 0.17 hr after a single 320 mcg dose of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol. The corresponding mean values for the maximum concentration, Cmax, of flunisolide vary from 1.9 to 3.3 ng/mL. Oral bioavailability is less than 7%. Over the dose range of 80 mcg to 320 mcg of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol, values for Cmax increase proportionately with dose after single as well as multiple dose administration.
DistributionFlunisolide is extensively distributed in the body, with mean values for apparent volume of distribution ranging from 170 to 350 L after a single 320 mcg dose of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol.
MetabolismFlunisolide is rapidly and extensively converted to 6ß-OH flunisolide and to water-soluble conjugates during the first pass through the liver. Conversion to 6ß-OH flunisolide, the only circulating metabolite detected in man, is thought to occur via the cytochrome P450 enzyme system, particularly the enzyme CYP3A4. 6ß-OH flunisolide has a low corticosteroid potency (ten times less potent than cortisol and more than 200 times less potent than flunisolide). Maximum levels of 6ß-OH flunisolide were 0.66 mcg/mL after a single 320 mcg dose of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol, and 0.71 mcg/mL after multiple doses of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol.
ExcretionUrinary excretion of flunisolide is low. Less than 1% of the administered dose of flunisolide is recovered in urine after inhalation. The half-life values for 6ß-OH flunisolide range from 3.1 to 5.1 hrs after administration of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol in the dose range of 160 mcg to 320 mcg.
Disposition and EliminationTwice daily inhalation administration of flunisolide for up to 14 days did not result in appreciable accumulation of flunisolide. Upon multiple dosing with 160 mcg and 320 mcg, the Cmax values were 1.0 ng/mL and 2.1 ng/mL, respectively. The corresponding AUC0-12hr values were 1.2 ng.hr/mL and 2.5 ng.hr/mL.
Flunisolide is rapidly cleared from the body, independent of route of administration or dose administered. Flunisolide is not detectable in plasma twelve hours post-dose. After administration of 320 mcg of AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol the elimination half-life ranges from 1.3 to 1.7 hours. After a single 320 mcg dose, mean oral clearance values, not adjusted for bioavailability, range from 83 to 167 L/hr.
There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of flunisolide in pregnant women. AEROSPAN Inhalation Aerosol should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.
As with other corticosteroids, flunisolide has been shown to be teratogenic and fetotoxic in rabbits and rats at approximately 1 and 3 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose on a mg/m² basis, respectively (doses of 40 and 200 mcg/kg/day, respectively).
Experience with oral corticosteroids since their introduction in pharmacologic, as opposed to physiological, doses suggests that rodents are more prone to teratogenic effects from corticosteroids than humans.
Nonteratogenic EffectsHypoadrenalism may occur in infants born of mothers receiving corticosteroids during pregnancy. Such infants should be carefully monitored.
