Experience with doses higher than the recommended therapeutic dose is limited. Isolated cases of Imatinib Teva Pharma overdose have been reported spontaneously and in the literature. In the event of overdose the patient should be observed and appropriate symptomatic treatment given. Generally the reported outcome in these cases was “improved†or “recoveredâ€. Events that have been reported at different dose ranges are as follows:
Adult population
1200 to 1600 mg (duration varying between 1 to 10 days): Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, erythema, oedema, swelling, fatigue, muscle spasms, thrombocytopenia, pancytopenia, abdominal pain, headache, decreased appetite.
1800 to 3200 mg (as high as 3200 mg daily for 6 days): Weakness, myalgia, increased creatine phosphokinase, increased bilirubin, gastrointestinal pain.
6400 mg (single dose): One case reported in the literature of one patient who experienced nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia, facial swelling, decreased neutrophil count, increased transaminases.
8 to 10 g (single dose): Vomiting and gastrointestinal pain have been reported.
Paediatric population
One 3-year-old male exposed to a single dose of 400 mg experienced vomiting, diarrhoea and anorexia and another 3-year-old male exposed to a single dose of 980 mg experienced decreased white blood cell count and diarrhoea.
In the event of overdose, the patient should be observed and appropriate supportive treatment given.
Not applicable.
Patients with advanced stages of malignancies may have numerous confounding medical conditions that make causality of adverse reactions difficult to assess due to the variety of symptoms related to the underlying disease, its progression, and the co-administration of numerous medicinal products.
In clinical trials in CML, drug discontinuation for drug-related adverse reactions was observed in 2.4% of newly diagnosed patients, 4% of patients in late chronic phase after failure of interferon therapy, 4% of patients in accelerated phase after failure of interferon therapy and 5% of blast crisis patients after failure of interferon therapy. In GIST the study drug was discontinued for drug-related adverse reactions in 4% of patients.
The adverse reactions were similar in all indications, with two exceptions. There was more myelosuppression seen in CML patients than in GIST, which is probably due to the underlying disease. In the study in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GIST, 7 (5%) patients experienced CTC grade 3/4 GI bleeds (3 patients), intra-tumoural bleeds (3 patients) or both (1 patient). GI tumour sites may have been the source of the GI bleeds. GI and tumoural bleeding may be serious and sometimes fatal. The most commonly reported (> 10%) drug-related adverse reactions in both settings were mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fatigue, myalgia, muscle cramps and rash. Superficial oedemas were a common finding in all studies and were described primarily as periorbital or lower limb oedemas. However, these oedemas were rarely severe and may be managed with diuretics, other supportive measures, or by reducing the dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma.
When imatinib was combined with high dose chemotherapy in Ph+ ALL patients, transient liver toxicity in the form of transaminase elevation and hyperbilirubinaemia were observed. Considering the limited safety database, the adverse events thus far reported in children are consistent with the known safety profile in adult patients with Ph+ ALL. The safety database for children with Ph+ALL is very limited though no new safety concerns have been identified.
Miscellaneous adverse reactions such as pleural effusion, ascites, pulmonary oedema and rapid weight gain with or without superficial oedema may be collectively described as “fluid retentionâ€. These reactions can usually be managed by withholding Imatinib Teva Pharma temporarily and with diuretics and other appropriate supportive care measures. However, some of these reactions may be serious or life-threatening and several patients with blast crisis died with a complex clinical history of pleural effusion, congestive heart failure and renal failure. There were no special safety findings in paediatric clinical trials.
Adverse reactions
Adverse reactions reported as more than an isolated case are listed below, by system organ class and by frequency. Frequency categories are defined using the following convention: very common (>1/10), common (>1/100 to <1/10), uncommon (>1/1,000 to <1/100), rare (>1/10,000 to <1/1,000), very rare (<1/10,000), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).
Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of frequency, the most frequent first.
Adverse reactions and their frequencies are reported in Table 1.
Table 1 Tabulated summary of adverse reactions
| Infections and infestations | |
| Uncommon: | Herpes zoster, herpes simplex, nasopharyngitis, pneumonia1, sinusitis, cellulitis, upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, urinary tract infection, gastroenteritis, sepsis |
| Rare: | Fungal infection |
| Not known: | Hepatitis B reactivation* |
| Neoplasm benign, malignant and unspecified (including cysts and polyps) | |
| Rare: | Tumour lysis syndrome |
| Not known: | Tumour haemorrhage/tumour necrosis* |
| Immune system disorders | |
| Not known: | Anaphylactic shock* |
| Blood and lymphatic system disorders | |
| Very common: | Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia |
| Common: | Pancytopenia, febrile neutropenia |
| Uncommon: | Thrombocythaemia, lymphopenia, bone marrow depression, eosinophilia, lymphadenopathy |
| Rare: | Haemolytic anaemia |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders | |
| Common: | Anorexia |
| Uncommon: | Hypokalaemia, increased appetite, hypophosphataemia, decreased appetite, dehydration, gout, hyperuricaemia, hypercalcaemia, hyperglycaemia, hyponatraemia |
| Rare: | Hyperkalaemia, hypomagnesaemia |
| Psychiatric disorders | |
| Common: | Insomnia |
| Uncommon: | Depression, libido decreased, anxiety |
| Rare: | Confusional state |
| Nervous system disorders | |
| Very common: | Headache2 |
| Common: | Dizziness, paraesthesia, taste disturbance, hypoaesthesia |
| Uncommon: | Migraine, somnolence, syncope, peripheral neuropathy, memory impairment, sciatica, restless leg syndrome, tremor, cerebral haemorrhage |
| Rare: | Increased intracranial pressure, convulsions, optic neuritis |
| Not known: | Cerebral oedema* |
| Eye disorders | |
| Common: | Eyelid oedema, lacrimation increased, conjunctival haemorrhage, conjunctivitis, dry eye, blurred vision |
| Uncommon: | Eye irritation, eye pain, orbital oedema, scleral haemorrhage, retinal haemorrhage, blepharitis, macular oedema |
| Rare: | Cataract, glaucoma, papilloedema |
| Not known: | Vitreous haemorrhage* |
| Ear and labyrinth disorders | |
| Uncommon: | Vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss |
| Cardiac disorders | |
| Uncommon: | Palpitations, tachycardia, cardiac failure congestive3, pulmonary oedema |
| Rare: | Arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation, cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, pericardial effusion |
| Not known: | Pericarditis*, cardiac tamponade* |
| Vascular disorders4 | |
| Common: | Flushing, haemorrhage |
| Uncommon: | Hypertension, haematoma, subdural haematoma, peripheral coldness, hypotension, Raynaud's phenomenon |
| Not known: | Thrombosis/embolism* |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | |
| Common: | Dyspnoea, epistaxis, cough |
| Uncommon: | Pleural effusion5, pharyngolaryngeal pain, pharyngitis |
| Rare: | Pleuritic pain, pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary haemorrhage |
| Not known: | Acute respiratory failure11*, interstitial lung disease* |
| Gastrointestinal disorders | |
| Very common: | Nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, dyspepsia, abdominal pain6 |
| Common: | Flatulence, abdominal distension, gastro-oesophageal reflux, constipation, dry mouth, gastritis |
| Uncommon: | Stomatitis, mouth ulceration, gastrointestinal haemorrhage7, eructation, melaena, oesophagitis, ascites, gastric ulcer, haematemesis, cheilitis, dysphagia, pancreatitis |
| Rare: | Colitis, ileus, inflammatory bowel disease |
| Not known: | Ileus/intestinal obstruction*, gastrointestinal perforation*, diverticulitis*, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE)* |
| Hepatobiliary disorders | |
| Common: | Increased hepatic enzymes |
| Uncommon: | Hyperbilirubinaemia, hepatitis, jaundice |
| Rare: | Hepatic failure8, hepatic necrosis |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | |
| Very common: | Periorbital oedema, dermatitis/eczema/rash |
| Common: | Pruritus, face oedema, dry skin, erythema, alopecia, night sweats, photosensitivity reaction |
| Uncommon: | Rash pustular, contusion, sweating increased, urticaria, ecchymosis, increased tendency to bruise, hypotrichosis, skin hypopigmentation, dermatitis exfoliative, onychoclasis, folliculitis, petechiae, psoriasis, purpura, skin hyperpigmentation, bullous eruptions |
| Rare: | Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome), nail discolouration, angioneurotic oedema, rash vesicular, erythema multiforme, leucocytoclastic vasculitis, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) |
| Not known: | Palmoplantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome*, lichenoid keratosis*, lichen planus*, toxic epidermal necrolysis*, drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS)*, pseudoporphyria* |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders | |
| Very common: | Muscle spasm and cramps, musculoskeletal pain including myalgia9, arthralgia, bone pain10 |
| Common: | Joint swelling |
| Uncommon: | Joint and muscle stiffness |
| Rare: | Muscular weakness, arthritis, rhabdomyolysis/myopathy |
| Not known: | Avascular necrosis/hip necrosis*, growth retardation in children* |
| Renal and urinary disorders | |
| Uncommon: | Renal pain, haematuria, renal failure acute, urinary frequency increased |
| Not known: | Renal failure chronic |
| Reproductive system and breast disorders | |
| Uncommon: | Gynaecomastia, erectile dysfunction, menorrhagia, menstruation irregular, sexual dysfunction, nipple pain, breast enlargement, scrotal oedema |
| Rare: | Haemorrhagic corpus luteum/haemorrhagic ovarian cyst |
| General disorders and administration site conditions | |
| Very common: | Fluid retention and oedema, fatigue |
| Common: | Weakness, pyrexia, anasarca, chills, rigors |
| Uncommon: | Chest pain, malaise |
| Investigations | |
| Very common: | Weight increased |
| Common: | Weight decreased |
| Uncommon: | Blood creatinine increased, blood creatine phosphokinase increased, blood lactate dehydrogenase increased, blood alkaline phosphatase increased |
| Rare: | Blood amylase increased |
* These types of reactions have been reported mainly from post-marketing experience with Imatinib Teva Pharma. This includes spontaneous case reports as well as serious adverse events from ongoing studies, the expanded access programmes, clinical pharmacology studies and exploratory studies in unapproved indications. Because these reactions are reported from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to imatinib exposure.
1 Pneumonia was reported most commonly in patients with transformed CML and in patients with GIST.
2 Headache was the most common in GIST patients.
3 On a patient-year basis, cardiac events including congestive heart failure were more commonly observed in patients with transformed CML than in patients with chronic CML.
4 Flushing was most common in GIST patients and bleeding (haematoma, haemorrhage) was most common in patients with GIST and with transformed CML (CML-AP and CML-BC).
5 Pleural effusion was reported more commonly in patients with GIST and in patients with transformed CML (CML-AP and CML-BC) than in patients with chronic CML.
6+7 Abdominal pain and gastrointestinal haemorrhage were most commonly observed in GIST patients.
8 Some fatal cases of hepatic failure and of hepatic necrosis have been reported.
9 Musculoskeletal pain during treatment with imatinib or after discontinuation has been observed in post-marketing.
10 Musculoskeletal pain and related events were more commonly observed in patients with CML than in GIST patients.
11 Fatal cases have been reported in patients with advanced disease, severe infections, severe neutropenia and other serious concomitant conditions.
Laboratory test abnormalities
Haematology
In CML, cytopenias, particularly neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, have been a consistent finding in all studies, with the suggestion of a higher frequency at high doses > 750 mg (phase I study). However, the occurrence of cytopenias was also clearly dependent on the stage of the disease, the frequency of grade 3 or 4 neutropenias (ANC < 1.0 x 109/l) and thrombocytopenias (platelet count < 50 x 109/l) being between 4 and 6 times higher in blast crisis and accelerated phase (59-64% and 44-63% for neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, respectively) as compared to newly diagnosed patients in chronic phase CML (16.7% neutropenia and 8.9% thrombocytopenia). In newly diagnosed chronic phase CML grade 4 neutropenia (ANC < 0.5 x 109/l) and thrombocytopenia (platelet count < 10 x 109/l) were observed in 3.6% and < 1% of patients, respectively. The median duration of the neutropenic and thrombocytopenic episodes usually ranged from 2 to 3 weeks, and from 3 to 4 weeks, respectively. These events can usually be managed with either a reduction of the dose or an interruption of treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma, but can in rare cases lead to permanent discontinuation of treatment. In paediatric CML patients the most frequent toxicities observed were grade 3 or 4 cytopenias involving neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and anaemia. These generally occur within the first several months of therapy.
In the study in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GIST, grade 3 and 4 anaemia was reported in 5.4% and 0.7% of patients, respectively, and may have been related to gastrointestinal or intra-tumoural bleeding in at least some of these patients. Grade 3 and 4 neutropenia was seen in 7.5% and 2.7% of patients, respectively, and grade 3 thrombocytopenia in 0.7% of patients. No patient developed grade 4 thrombocytopenia. The decreases in white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts occurred mainly during the first six weeks of therapy, with values remaining relatively stable thereafter.
Biochemistry
Severe elevation of transaminases (<5%) or bilirubin (<1%) was seen in CML patients and was usually managed with dose reduction or interruption (the median duration of these episodes was approximately one week). Treatment was discontinued permanently because of liver laboratory abnormalities in less than 1% of CML patients. In GIST patients (study B2222), 6.8% of grade 3 or 4 ALT (alanine aminotransferase) elevations and 4.8% of grade 3 or 4 AST (aspartate aminotransferase) elevations were observed. Bilirubin elevation was below 3%.
There have been cases of cytolytic and cholestatic hepatitis and hepatic failure; in some of them outcome was fatal, including one patient on high dose paracetamol.
Description of selected adverse reactions
Hepatitis B reactivation
Hepatitis B reactivation has been reported in association with BCR-ABL TKIs. Some cases resulted in acute hepatic failure or fulminant hepatitis leading to liver transplantation or a fatal outcome.
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store
The preclinical safety profile of imatinib was assessed in rats, dogs, monkeys and rabbits.
Multiple dose toxicity studies revealed mild to moderate haematological changes in rats, dogs and monkeys, accompanied by bone marrow changes in rats and dogs.
The liver was a target organ in rats and dogs. Mild to moderate increases in transaminases and slight decreases in cholesterol, triglycerides, total protein and albumin levels were observed in both species. No histopathological changes were seen in rat liver. Severe liver toxicity was observed in dogs treated for 2 weeks, with elevated liver enzymes, hepatocellular necrosis, bile duct necrosis, and bile duct hyperplasia.
Renal toxicity was observed in monkeys treated for 2 weeks, with focal mineralisation and dilation of the renal tubules and tubular nephrosis. Increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine were observed in several of these animals. In rats, hyperplasia of the transitional epithelium in the renal papilla and in the urinary bladder was observed at doses > 6 mg/kg in the 13-week study, without changes in serum or urinary parameters. An increased rate of opportunistic infections was observed with chronic imatinib treatment.
In a 39-week monkey study, no NOAEL (no observed adverse effect level) was established at the lowest dose of 15 mg/kg, approximately one-third the maximum human dose of 800 mg based on body surface. Treatment resulted in worsening of normally suppressed malarial infections in these animals.
Imatinib was not considered genotoxic when tested in an in vitro bacterial cell assay (Ames test), an in vitro mammalian cell assay (mouse lymphoma) and an in vivo rat micronucleus test. Positive genotoxic effects were obtained for imatinib in an in vitro mammalian cell assay (Chinese hamster ovary) for clastogenicity (chromosome aberration) in the presence of metabolic activation. Two intermediates of the manufacturing process, which are also present in the final product, are positive for mutagenesis in the Ames assay. One of these intermediates was also positive in the mouse lymphoma assay.
In a study of fertility, in male rats dosed for 70 days prior to mating, testicular and epididymal weights and percent motile sperm were decreased at 60 mg/kg, approximately equal to the maximum clinical dose of 800 mg/day, based on body surface area. This was not seen at doses ≤ 20 mg/kg. A slight to moderate reduction in spermatogenesis was also observed in the dog at oral doses > 30 mg/kg. When female rats were dosed 14 days prior to mating and through to gestational day 6, there was no effect on mating or on number of pregnant females. At a dose of 60 mg/kg, female rats had significant post-implantation foetal loss and a reduced number of live foetuses. This was not seen at doses ≤ 20 mg/kg.
In an oral pre- and postnatal development study in rats, red vaginal discharge was noted in the 45 mg/kg/day group on either day 14 or day 15 of gestation. At the same dose, the number of stillborn pups as well as those dying between postpartum days 0 and 4 was increased. In the F1 offspring, at the same dose level, mean body weights were reduced from birth until terminal sacrifice and the number of litters achieving criterion for preputial separation was slightly decreased. F1 fertility was not affected, while an increased number of resorptions and a decreased number of viable foetuses was noted at 45 mg/kg/day. The no observed effect level (NOEL) for both the maternal animals and the F1 generation was 15 mg/kg/day (one quarter of the maximum human dose of 800 mg).
Imatinib was teratogenic in rats when administered during organogenesis at doses > 100 mg/kg, approximately equal to the maximum clinical dose of 800 mg/day, based on body surface area. Teratogenic effects included exencephaly or encephalocele, absent/reduced frontal and absent parietal bones. These effects were not seen at doses ≤ 30 mg/kg.
No new target organs were identified in the rat juvenile development toxicology study (day 10 to 70 postpartum) with respect to the known target organs in adult rats. In the juvenile toxicology study, effects upon growth, delay in vaginal opening and preputial separation were observed at approximately 0.3 to 2 times the average paediatric exposure at the highest recommended dose of 340 mg/m2. In addition, mortality was observed in juvenile animals (around weaning phase) at approximately 2 times the average paediatric exposure at the highest recommended dose of 340 mg/m2.
In the 2-year rat carcinogenicity study administration of imatinib at 15, 30 and 60 mg/kg/day resulted in a statistically significant reduction in the longevity of males at 60 mg/kg/day and females at >30 mg/kg/day. Histopathological examination of decedents revealed cardiomyopathy (both sexes), chronic progressive nephropathy (females) and preputial gland papilloma as principal causes of death or reasons for sacrifice. Target organs for neoplastic changes were the kidneys, urinary bladder, urethra, preputial and clitoral gland, small intestine, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands and non-glandular stomach.
Papilloma/carcinoma of the preputial/clitoral gland were noted from 30 mg/kg/day onwards, representing approximately 0.5 or 0.3 times the human daily exposure (based on AUC) at 400 mg/day or 800 mg/day, respectively, and 0.4 times the daily exposure in children (based on AUC) at 340 mg/m2/day. The no observed effect level (NOEL) was 15 mg/kg/day. The renal adenoma/carcinoma, the urinary bladder and urethra papilloma, the small intestine adenocarcinomas, the parathyroid glands adenomas, the benign and malignant medullary tumours of the adrenal glands and the non-glandular stomach papillomas/carcinomas were noted at 60 mg/kg/day, representing approximately 1.7 or 1 times the human daily exposure (based on AUC) at 400 mg/day or 800 mg/day, respectively, and 1.2 times the daily exposure in children (based on AUC) at 340 mg/m2/day. The no observed effect level (NOEL) was 30 mg/kg/day.
The mechanism and relevance of these findings in the rat carcinogenicity study for humans are not yet clarified.
Non-neoplastic lesions not identified in earlier preclinical studies were the cardiovascular system, pancreas, endocrine organs and teeth. The most important changes included cardiac hypertrophy and dilatation, leading to signs of cardiac insufficiency in some animals.
The active substance imatinib demonstrates an environmental risk for sediment organisms.
Imatinib Teva Pharma is indicated for the treatment of
- adult and paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome (bcr-abl) positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) for whom bone marrow transplantation is not considered as the first line of treatment.
- adult and paediatric patients with Ph+ CML in chronic phase after failure of interferon-alpha therapy, or in accelerated phase or blast crisis.
- adult and paediatric patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (Ph+ ALL) integrated with chemotherapy.
- adult patients with relapsed or refractory Ph+ ALL as monotherapy.
- adult patients with myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases (MDS/MPD) associated with platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) gene re-arrangements.
- adult patients with advanced hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) and/or chronic eosinophilic leukaemia (CEL) with FIP1L1-PDGFRα rearrangement.
The effect of Imatinib Teva Pharma on the outcome of bone marrow transplantation has not been determined.
Imatinib Teva Pharma is indicated for
- the treatment of adult patients with Kit (CD 117) positive unresectable and/or metastatic malignant gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST).
- the adjuvant treatment of adult patients who are at significant risk of relapse following resection of Kit (CD117)-positive GIST. Patients who have a low or very low risk of recurrence should not receive adjuvant treatment.
- the treatment of adult patients with unresectable dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) and adult patients with recurrent and/or metastatic DFSP who are not eligible for surgery.
In adult and paediatric patients, the effectiveness of Imatinib Teva Pharma is based on overall haematological and cytogenetic response rates and progression-free survival in CML, on haematological and cytogenetic response rates in Ph+ ALL, MDS/MPD, on haematological response rates in HES/CEL and on objective response rates in adult patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GIST and DFSP and on recurrence-free survival in adjuvant GIST. The experience with Imatinib Teva Pharma in patients with MDS/MPD associated with PDGFR gene re-arrangements is very limited. Except in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, there are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit or increased survival for these diseases.
Pharmacotherapeutic group: protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, ATC code: L01XE01
Mechanism of action
Imatinib is a small molecule protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor that potently inhibits the activity of the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase (TK), as well as several receptor TKs: Kit, the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF) coded for by the c-Kit proto-oncogene, the discoidin domain receptors (DDR1 and DDR2), the colony stimulating factor receptor (CSF-1R) and the platelet-derived growth factor receptors alpha and beta (PDGFR-alpha and PDGFR-beta). Imatinib can also inhibit cellular events mediated by activation of these receptor kinases.
Pharmacodynamic effects
Imatinib is a protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitor which potently inhibits the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase at the in vitro, cellular and in vivo levels. The compound selectively inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in Bcr-Abl positive cell lines as well as fresh leukaemic cells from Philadelphia chromosome positive CML and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) patients.
In vivo the compound shows anti-tumour activity as a single agent in animal models using Bcr-Abl positive tumour cells.
Imatinib is also an inhibitor of the receptor tyrosine kinases for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), PDGF-R, and stem cell factor (SCF), c-Kit, and inhibits PDGF- and SCF-mediated cellular events. In vitro, imatinib inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) cells, which express an activating kit mutation. Constitutive activation of the PDGF receptor or the Abl protein tyrosine kinases as a consequence of fusion to diverse partner proteins or constitutive production of PDGF have been implicated in the pathogenesis of MDS/MPD, HES/CEL and DFSP. Imatinib inhibits signalling and proliferation of cells driven by dysregulated PDGFR and Abl kinase activity.
Clinical studies in chronic myeloid leukaemia
The effectiveness of Imatinib Teva Pharma is based on overall haematological and cytogenetic response rates and progression-free survival. Except in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML, there are no controlled trials demonstrating a clinical benefit, such as improvement in disease-related symptoms or increased survival.
Three large, international, open-label, non-controlled phase II studies were conducted in patients with Philadelphia chromosome positive (Ph+) CML in advanced, blast or accelerated phase disease, other Ph+ leukaemias or with CML in the chronic phase but failing prior interferon-alpha (IFN) therapy. One large, open-label, multicentre, international randomised phase III study has been conducted in patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ CML. In addition, children have been treated in two phase I studies and one phase II study.
In all clinical studies 38-40% of patients were > 60 years of age and 10-12% of patients were > 70 years of age.
Chronic phase, newly diagnosed: This phase III study in adult patients compared treatment with either single-agent Imatinib Teva Pharma or a combination of interferon-alpha (IFN) plus cytarabine (Ara-C). Patients showing lack of response (lack of complete haematological response (CHR) at 6 months, increasing WBC, no major cytogenetic response (MCyR) at 24 months), loss of response (loss of CHR or MCyR) or severe intolerance to treatment were allowed to cross over to the alternative treatment arm. In the Imatinib Teva Pharma arm, patients were treated with 400 mg daily. In the IFN arm, patients were treated with a target dose of IFN of 5 MIU/m2/day subcutaneously in combination with subcutaneous Ara-C 20 mg/m2/day for 10 days/month.
A total of 1,106 patients were randomised, 553 to each arm. Baseline characteristics were well balanced between the two arms. Median age was 51 years (range 18-70 years), with 21.9% of patients > 60 years of age. There were 59% males and 41% females; 89.9% caucasian and 4.7% black patients. Seven years after the last patient had been recruited, the median duration of first-line treatment was 82 and 8 months in the Imatinib Teva Pharma and IFN arms, respectively. The median duration of second-line treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma was 64 months. Overall, in patients receiving first-line Imatinib Teva Pharma, the average daily dose delivered was 406 ± 76 mg. The primary efficacy endpoint of the study is progression-free survival. Progression was defined as any of the following events: progression to accelerated phase or blast crisis, death, loss of CHR or MCyR, or in patients not achieving a CHR an increasing WBC despite appropriate therapeutic management. Major cytogenetic response, haematological response, molecular response (evaluation of minimal residual disease), time to accelerated phase or blast crisis and survival are main secondary endpoints. Response data are shown in Table 2.
Table 2 Response in newly diagnosed CML Study (84-month data)
| (Best response rates) | Imatinib Teva Pharma n=553 | IFN+Ara-C n=553 |
| Haematological response | ||
| CHR rate n (%) | 534 (96.6%)* | 313 (56.6%)* |
| [95% CI] | [94.7%, 97.9%] | [52.4%, 60.8%] |
| Cytogenetic response | ||
| Major response n (%) | 490 (88.6%)* | 129 (23.3%)* |
| [95% CI] | [85.7%, 91.1%] | [19.9%, 27.1%] |
| Complete CyR n (%) | 456 (82.5%)* | 64 (11.6%)* |
| Partial CyR n (%) | 34 (6.1%) | 65 (11.8%) |
| Molecular response** | ||
| Major response at 12 months (%) | 153/305=50.2% | 8/83=9.6% |
| Major response at 24 months (%) | 73/104=70.2% | 3/12=25% |
| Major response at 84 months (%) | 102/116=87.9% | 3/4=75% |
| * p<0.001, Fischer's exact test ** molecular response percentages are based on available samples Haematological response criteria (all responses to be confirmed after > 4 weeks): WBC < 10 x 109/l, platelet < 450 x 109/l, myelocyte+metamyelocyte < 5% in blood, no blasts and promyelocytes in blood, basophils < 20%, no extramedullary involvement Cytogenetic response criteria: complete (0% Ph+ metaphases), partial (1-35%), minor (36-65%) or minimal (66-95%). A major response (0-35%) combines both complete and partial responses. Major molecular response criteria: in the peripheral blood reduction of > 3 logarithms in the amount of Bcr-Abl transcripts (measured by real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR assay) over a standardised baseline. | ||
Rates of complete haematological response, major cytogenetic response and complete cytogenetic response on first-line treatment were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier approach, for which non-responses were censored at the date of last examination. Using this approach, the estimated cumulative response rates for first-line treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma improved from 12 months of therapy to 84 months of therapy as follows: CHR from 96.4% to 98.4% and CCyR from 69.5% to 87.2%, respectively.
With 7 years follow-up, there were 93 (16.8%) progression events in the Imatinib Teva Pharma arm: 37 (6.7%) involving progression to accelerated phase/blast crisis, 31 (5.6%) loss of MCyR, 15 (2.7%) loss of CHR or increase in WBC, and 10 (1.8%) CML unrelated deaths. In contrast, there were 165 (29.8%) events in the IFN+Ara-C arm, of which 130 occurred during first-line treatment with IFN+Ara-C.
The estimated rate of patients free of progression to accelerated phase or blast crisis at 84 months was significantly higher in the Imatinib Teva Pharma arm compared to the IFN arm (92.5% versus 85.1%, p<0.001). The annual rate of progression to accelerated phase or blast crisis decreased with time on therapy and was less than 1% annually in the fourth and fifth years. The estimated rate of progression-free survival at 84 months was 81.2% in the Imatinib Teva Pharma arm and 60.6% in the control arm (p<0.001). The yearly rates of progression of any type for Imatinib Teva Pharma also decreased over time.
A total of 71 (12.8%) and 85 (15.4%) patients died in the Imatinib Teva Pharma and IFN+Ara-C groups, respectively. At 84 months the estimated overall survival is 86.4% (83, 90) vs. 83.3% (80, 87) in the randomised Imatinib Teva Pharma and the IFN+Ara-C groups, respectively (p=0.073, log-rank test). This time-to-event endpoint is strongly affected by the high crossover rate from IFN+Ara-C to Imatinib Teva Pharma. The effect of Imatinib Teva Pharma treatment on survival in chronic phase, newly diagnosed CML has been further examined in a retrospective analysis of the above reported Imatinib Teva Pharma data with the primary data from another Phase III study using IFN+Ara-C (n=325) in an identical regimen. In this retrospective analysis, the superiority of Imatinib Teva Pharma over IFN+Ara-C in overall survival was demonstrated (p<0.001); within 42 months, 47 (8.5%) Imatinib Teva Pharma patients and 63 (19.4%) IFN+Ara-C patients had died.
The degree of cytogenetic response and molecular response had a clear effect on long-term outcomes in patients on Imatinib Teva Pharma. Whereas an estimated 96% (93%) of patients with CCyR (PCyR) at 12 months were free of progression to accelerated phase/blast crisis at 84 months, only 81% of patients without MCyR at 12 months were free of progression to advanced CML at 84 months (p<0.001 overall, p=0.25 between CCyR and PCyR). For patients with reduction in Bcr-Abl transcripts of at least 3 logarithms at 12 months, the probability of remaining free from progression to accelerated phase/blast crisis was 99% at 84 months. Similar findings were found based on a 18-months landmark analysis.
In this study, dose escalations were allowed from 400 mg daily to 600 mg daily, then from 600 mg daily to 800 mg daily. After 42 months of follow-up, 11 patients experienced a confirmed loss (within 4 weeks) of their cytogenetic response. Of these 11 patients, 4 patients escalated up to 800 mg daily, 2 of whom regained a cytogenetic response (1 partial and 1 complete, the latter also achieving a molecular response), while of the 7 patients who did not escalate the dose, only one regained a complete cytogenetic response. The percentage of some adverse reactions was higher in the 40 patients in whom the dose was increased to 800 mg daily compared to the population of patients before dose increase (n=551). The more frequent adverse reactions included gastrointestinal haemorrhages, conjunctivitis and elevation of transaminases or bilirubin. Other adverse reactions were reported with lower or equal frequency.
Chronic phase, Interferon failure: 532 adult patients were treated at a starting dose of 400 mg. The patients were distributed in three main categories: haematological failure (29%), cytogenetic failure (35%), or intolerance to interferon (36%). Patients had received a median of 14 months of prior IFN therapy at doses > 25 x 106 IU/week and were all in late chronic phase, with a median time from diagnosis of 32 months. The primary efficacy variable of the study was the rate of major cytogenetic response (complete plus partial response, 0 to 35% Ph+ metaphases in the bone marrow).
In this study 65% of the patients achieved a major cytogenetic response that was complete in 53% (confirmed 43%) of patients (Table 3). A complete haematological response was achieved in 95% of patients.
Accelerated phase: 235 adult patients with accelerated phase disease were enrolled. The first 77 patients were started at 400 mg, the protocol was subsequently amended to allow higher dosing and the remaining 158 patients were started at 600 mg.
The primary efficacy variable was the rate of haematological response, reported as either complete haematological response, no evidence of leukaemia (i.e. clearance of blasts from the marrow and the blood, but without a full peripheral blood recovery as for complete responses), or return to chronic phase CML. A confirmed haematological response was achieved in 71.5% of patients (Table 3). Importantly, 27.7% of patients also achieved a major cytogenetic response, which was complete in 20.4% (confirmed 16%) of patients. For the patients treated at 600 mg, the current estimates for median progression-free-survival and overall survival were 22.9 and 42.5 months, respectively.
Myeloid blast crisis: 260 patients with myeloid blast crisis were enrolled. 95 (37%) had received prior chemotherapy for treatment of either accelerated phase or blast crisis (“pretreated patientsâ€) whereas 165 (63%) had not (“untreated patientsâ€). The first 37 patients were started at 400 mg, the protocol was subsequently amended to allow higher dosing and the remaining 223 patients were started at 600 mg.
The primary efficacy variable was the rate of haematological response, reported as either complete haematological response, no evidence of leukaemia, or return to chronic phase CML using the same criteria as for the study in accelerated phase. In this study, 31% of patients achieved a haematological response (36% in previously untreated patients and 22% in previously treated patients). The rate of response was also higher in the patients treated at 600 mg (33%) as compared to the patients treated at 400 mg (16%, p=0.0220). The current estimate of the median survival of the previously untreated and treated patients was 7.7 and 4.7 months, respectively.
Lymphoid blast crisis: a limited number of patients were enrolled in phase I studies (n=10). The rate of haematological response was 70% with a duration of 2-3 months.
Table 3 Response in adult CML studies
| Study 0110 37-month data Chronic phase, IFN failure (n=532) | Study 0109 40.5-month data Accelerated phase (n=235) | Study 0102 38-month data Myeloid blast crisis (n=260) | |
| % of patients (CI95%) | |||
| Haematological response1 | 95% (92.3-96.3) | 71% (65.3-77.2) | 31% (25.2-36.8) |
| Complete haematological response (CHR) | 95% | 42% | 8% |
| No evidence of leukaemia (NEL) | Not applicable | 12% | 5% |
| Return to chronic phase (RTC) | Not applicable | 17% | 18% |
| Major cytogenetic response2 | 65% (61.2-69.5) | 28% (22.0-33.9) | 15% (11.2-20.4) |
| Complete | 53% | 20% | 7% |
| (Confirmed3) [95% CI] | (43%) [38.6-47.2] | (16%) [11.3-21.0] | (2%) [0.6-4.4] |
| Partial | 12% | 7% | 8% |
| 1 Haematological response criteria (all responses to be confirmed after > 4 weeks): CHR: Study 0110 [WBC < 10 x 109/l, platelets < 450 x 109/l, myelocyte+metamyelocyte < 5% in blood, no blasts and promyelocytes in blood, basophils < 20%, no extramedullary involvement] and in studies 0102 and 0109 [ANC > 1.5 x 109/l, platelets > 100 x 109/l, no blood blasts, BM blasts < 5% and no extramedullary disease] NEL Same criteria as for CHR but ANC > 1 x 109/l and platelets > 20 x 109/l (0102 and 0109 only) RTC < 15% blasts BM and PB, < 30% blasts+promyelocytes in BM and PB, < 20% basophils in PB, no extramedullary disease other than spleen and liver (only for 0102 and 0109). BM = bone marrow, PB = peripheral blood 2 Cytogenetic response criteria: A major response combines both complete and partial responses: complete (0% Ph+ metaphases), partial (1-35%) 3 Complete cytogenetic response confirmed by a second bone marrow cytogenetic evaluation performed at least one month after the initial bone marrow study. | |||
Paediatric patients: A total of 26 paediatric patients of age < 18 years with either chronic phase CML (n=11) or CML in blast crisis or Ph+ acute leukaemias (n=15) were enrolled in a dose-escalation phase I trial. This was a population of heavily pretreated patients, as 46% had received prior BMT and 73% a prior multi-agent chemotherapy. Patients were treated at doses of Imatinib Teva Pharma of 260 mg/m2/day (n=5), 340 mg/m2/day (n=9), 440 mg/m2/day (n=7) and 570 mg/m2/day (n=5). Out of 9 patients with chronic phase CML and cytogenetic data available, 4 (44%) and 3 (33%) achieved a complete and partial cytogenetic response, respectively, for a rate of MCyR of 77%.
A total of 51 paediatric patients with newly diagnosed and untreated CML in chronic phase have been enrolled in an open-label, multicentre, single-arm phase II trial. Patients were treated with Imatinib Teva Pharma 340 mg/m2/day, with no interruptions in the absence of dose limiting toxicity. Imatinib Teva Pharma treatment induces a rapid response in newly diagnosed paediatric CML patients with a CHR of 78% after 8 weeks of therapy. The high rate of CHR is accompanied by the development of a complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) of 65% which is comparable to the results observed in adults. Additionally, partial cytogenetic response (PCyR) was observed in 16% for a MCyR of 81%. The majority of patients who achieved a CCyR developed the CCyR between months 3 and 10 with a median time to response based on the Kaplan-Meier estimate of 5.6 months.
Clinical studies in Ph+ ALL
Newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL: In a controlled study (ADE10) of imatinib versus chemotherapy induction in 55 newly diagnosed patients aged 55 years and over, imatinib used as single agent induced a significantly higher rate of complete haematological response than chemotherapy (96.3% vs. 50%; p=0.0001). When salvage therapy with imatinib was administered in patients who did not respond or who responded poorly to chemotherapy, it resulted in 9 patients (81.8%) out of 11 achieving a complete haematological response. This clinical effect was associated with a higher reduction in bcr-abl transcripts in the imatinib-treated patients than in the chemotherapy arm after 2 weeks of therapy (p=0.02). All patients received imatinib and consolidation chemotherapy (see Table 4) after induction and the levels of bcr-abl transcripts were identical in the two arms at 8 weeks. As expected on the basis of the study design, no difference was observed in remission duration, disease-free survival or overall survival, although patients with complete molecular response and remaining in minimal residual disease had a better outcome in terms of both remission duration (p=0.01) and disease-free survival (p=0.02).
The results observed in a population of 211 newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL patients in four uncontrolled clinical studies (AAU02, ADE04, AJP01 and AUS01) are consistent with the results described above. Imatinib in combination with chemotherapy induction (see Table 4) resulted in a complete haematological response rate of 93% (147 out of 158 evaluable patients) and in a major cytogenetic response rate of 90% (19 out of 21 evaluable patients). The complete molecular response rate was 48% (49 out of 102 evaluable patients). Disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) constantly exceeded 1 year and were superior to historical control (DFS p<0.001; OS p<0.0001) in two studies (AJP01 and AUS01).
Table 4 Chemotherapy regimen used in combination with imatinib
| Study ADE10 | |
| Prephase | DEX 10 mg/m2 oral, days 1-5; CP 200 mg/m2 i.v., days 3, 4, 5; MTX 12 mg intrathecal, day 1 |
| Remission induction | DEX 10 mg/m2 oral, days 6-7, 13-16; VCR 1 mg i.v., days 7, 14; IDA 8 mg/m2 i.v. (0.5 h), days 7, 8, 14, 15; CP 500 mg/m2 i.v.(1 h) day 1; Ara-C 60 mg/m2 i.v., days 22-25, 29-32 |
| Consolidation therapy I, III, V | MTX 500 mg/m2 i.v. (24 h), days 1, 15; 6-MP 25 mg/m2 oral, days 1-20 |
| Consolidation therapy II, IV | Ara-C 75 mg/m2 i.v. (1 h), days 1-5; VM26 60 mg/m2 i.v. (1 h), days 1-5 |
| Study AAU02 | |
| Induction therapy (de novo Ph+ ALL) | Daunorubicin 30 mg/m2 i.v., days 1-3, 15-16; VCR 2 mg total dose i.v., days 1, 8, 15, 22; CP 750 mg/m2 i.v., days 1, 8; Prednisone 60 mg/m2 oral, days 1-7, 15-21; IDA 9 mg/m2 oral, days 1-28; MTX 15 mg intrathecal, days 1, 8, 15, 22; Ara-C 40 mg intrathecal, days 1, 8, 15, 22; Methylprednisolone 40 mg intrathecal, days 1, 8, 15, 22 |
| Consolidation (de novo Ph+ ALL) | Ara-C 1,000 mg/m2/12 h i.v.(3 h), days 1-4; Mitoxantrone 10 mg/m2 i.v. days 3-5; MTX 15 mg intrathecal, day 1; Methylprednisolone 40 mg intrathecal, day 1 |
| Study ADE04 | |
| Prephase | DEX 10 mg/m2 oral, days 1-5; CP 200 mg/m2 i.v., days 3-5; MTX 15 mg intrathecal, day 1 |
| Induction therapy I | DEX 10 mg/m2 oral, days 1-5; VCR 2 mg i.v., days 6, 13, 20; Daunorubicin 45 mg/m2 i.v., days 6-7, 13-14 |
| Induction therapy II | CP 1 g/m2 i.v. (1 h), days 26, 46; Ara-C 75 mg/m2 i.v. (1 h), days 28-31, 35-38, 42-45; 6-MP 60 mg/m2 oral, days 26-46 |
| Consolidation therapy | DEX 10 mg/m2 oral, days 1-5; Vindesine 3 mg/m2 i.v., day 1; MTX 1.5 g/m2 i.v. (24 h), day 1; Etoposide 250 mg/m2 i.v. (1 h) days 4-5; Ara-C 2x 2 g/m2 i.v. (3 h, q 12 h), day 5 |
| Study AJP01 | |
| Induction therapy | CP 1.2 g/m2 i.v. (3 h), day 1; Daunorubicin 60 mg/m2 i.v. (1 h), days 1-3; Vincristine 1.3 mg/m2 i.v., days 1, 8, 15, 21; Prednisolone 60 mg/m2/day oral |
| Consolidation therapy | Alternating chemotherapy course: high dose chemotherapy with MTX 1 g/m2 i.v. (24 h), day 1, and Ara-C 2 g/m2 i.v. (q 12 h), days 2-3, for 4 cycles |
| Maintenance | VCR 1.3 g/m2 i.v., day 1; Prednisolone 60 mg/m2 oral, days 1-5 |
| Study AUS01 | |
| Induction-consolidation therapy | Hyper-CVAD regimen: CP 300 mg/m2 i.v. (3 h, q 12 h), days 1-3; Vincristine 2 mg i.v., days 4, 11; Doxorubicine 50 mg/m2 i.v. (24 h), day 4; DEX 40 mg/day on days 1-4 and 11-14, alternated with MTX 1 g/m2 i.v. (24 h), day 1, Ara-C 1 g/m2 i.v. (2 h, q 12 h), days 2-3 (total of 8 courses) |
| Maintenance | VCR 2 mg i.v. monthly for 13 months; Prednisolone 200 mg oral, 5 days per month for 13 months |
| All treatment regimens include administration of steroids for CNS prophylaxis. | |
| Ara-C: cytosine arabinoside; CP: cyclophosphamide; DEX: dexamethasone; MTX: methotrexate; 6-MP: 6-mercaptopurine VM26: Teniposide; VCR: vincristine; IDA: idarubicine; i.v.: intravenous | |
Paediatric patients: In study I2301, a total of 93 paediatric, adolescent and young adult patients (from 1 to 22 years old) with Ph+ ALL were enrolled in an open-label, multicentre, sequential cohort, non-randomised phase III trial, and were treated with Imatinib Teva Pharma (340 mg/m2/day) in combination with intensive chemotherapy after induction therapy. Imatinib Teva Pharma was administered intermittently in cohorts 1-5, with increasing duration and earlier start of Imatinib Teva Pharma from cohort to cohort; cohort 1 receiving the lowest intensitiy and cohort 5 receiving the highest intensity of Imatinib Teva Pharma (longest duration in days with continuous daily Imatinib Teva Pharma dosing during the first chemotherapy treatment courses). Continuous daily exposure to Imatinib Teva Pharma early in the course of treatment in combination with chemotherapy in cohort 5-patients (n=50) improved the 4-year event-free survival (EFS) compared to historical controls (n=120), who received standard chemotherapy without Imatinib Teva Pharma (69.6% vs. 31.6%, respectively). The estimated 4-year OS in cohort 5-patients was 83.6% compared to 44.8% in the historical controls. 20 out of the 50 (40%) patients in cohort 5 received haematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Table 5 Chemotherapy regimen used in combination with imatinib in study I2301
| Consolidation block 1 (3 weeks) | VP-16 (100 mg/m2/day, IV): days 1-5 Ifosfamide (1.8 g/m2/day, IV): days 1-5 MESNA (360 mg/m2/dose q3h, x 8 doses/day, IV): days 1-5 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 6-15 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir IT Methotrexate (age-adjusted): day 1 ONLY Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): day 8, 15 |
| Consolidation block 2 (3 weeks) | Methotrexate (5 g/m2 over 24 hours, IV): day 1 Leucovorin (75 mg/m2 at hour 36, IV; 15 mg/m2 IV or PO q6h x 6 doses)iii: Days 2 and 3 Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): day 1 ARA-C (3 g/m2/dose q 12 h x 4, IV): days 2 and 3 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 4-13 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir |
| Reinduction block 1 (3 weeks) | VCR (1.5 mg/m2/day, IV): days 1, 8, and 15 DAUN (45 mg/m2/day bolus, IV): days 1 and 2 CPM (250 mg/m2/dose q12h x 4 doses, IV): days 3 and 4 PEG-ASP (2500 IUnits/m2, IM): day 4 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 5-14 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): days 1 and 15 DEX (6 mg/m2/day, PO): days 1-7 and 15-21 |
| Intensification block 1 (9 weeks) | Methotrexate (5 g/m2 over 24 hours, IV): days 1 and 15 Leucovorin (75 mg/m2 at hour 36, IV; 15 mg/m2 IV or PO q6h x 6 doses)iii: Days 2, 3, 16, and 17 Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): days 1 and 22 VP-16 (100 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 CPM (300 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 MESNA (150 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 27-36 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir ARA-C (3 g/m2, q12h, IV): days 43, 44 L-ASP (6000 IUnits/m2, IM): day 44 |
| Reinduction block 2 (3 weeks) | VCR (1.5 mg/m2/day, IV): days 1, 8 and 15 DAUN (45 mg/m2/day bolus, IV): days 1 and 2 CPM (250 mg/m2/dose q12h x 4 doses, iv): Days 3 and 4 PEG-ASP (2500 IUnits/m2, IM): day 4 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 5-14 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): days 1 and 15 DEX (6 mg/m2/day, PO): days 1-7 and 15-21 |
| Intensification block 2 (9 weeks) | Methotrexate (5 g/m2 over 24 hours, IV): days 1 and 15 Leucovorin (75 mg/m2 at hour 36, IV; 15 mg/m2 IV or PO q6h x 6 doses)iii: days 2, 3, 16, and 17 Triple IT therapy (age-adjusted): days 1 and 22 VP-16 (100 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 CPM (300 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 MESNA (150 mg/m2/day, IV): days 22-26 G-CSF (5 μg/kg, SC): days 27-36 or until ANC > 1500 post nadir ARA-C (3 g/m |
Pharmacokinetics of Imatinib Teva Pharma
The pharmacokinetics of Imatinib Teva Pharma have been evaluated over a dosage range of 25 to 1,000 mg. Plasma pharmacokinetic profiles were analysed on day 1 and on either day 7 or day 28, by which time plasma concentrations had reached steady state.
Absorption
Mean absolute bioavailability for imatinib is 98%. There was high between-patient variability in plasma imatinib AUC levels after an oral dose. When given with a high-fat meal, the rate of absorption of imatinib was minimally reduced (11% decrease in Cmax and prolongation of tmax by 1.5 h), with a small reduction in AUC (7.4%) compared to fasting conditions. The effect of prior gastrointestinal surgery on drug absorption has not been investigated.
Distribution
At clinically relevant concentrations of imatinib, binding to plasma proteins was approximately 95% on the basis of in vitro experiments, mostly to albumin and alpha-acid-glycoprotein, with little binding to lipoprotein.
Biotransformation
The main circulating metabolite in humans is the N-demethylated piperazine derivative, which shows similar in vitro potency to the parent. The plasma AUC for this metabolite was found to be only 16% of the AUC for imatinib. The plasma protein binding of the N-demethylated metabolite is similar to that of the parent compound.
Imatinib and the N-demethyl metabolite together accounted for about 65% of the circulating radioactivity (AUC(0-48h)). The remaining circulating radioactivity consisted of a number of minor metabolites.
The in vitro results showed that CYP3A4 was the major human P450 enzyme catalysing the biotransformation of imatinib. Of a panel of potential comedications (acetaminophen, aciclovir, allopurinol, amphotericin, cytarabine, erythromycin, fluconazole, hydroxyurea, norfloxacin, penicillin V) only erythromycin (IC50 50 µM) and fluconazole (IC50 118 µM) showed inhibition of imatinib metabolism which could have clinical relevance.
Imatinib was shown in vitro to be a competitive inhibitor of marker substrates for CYP2C9, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4/5. Ki values in human liver microsomes were 27, 7.5 and 7.9 μmol/l, respectively. Maximal plasma concentrations of imatinib in patients are 2-4 μmol/l, consequently an inhibition of CYP2D6 and/or CYP3A4/5-mediated metabolism of co-administered drugs is possible. Imatinib did not interfere with the biotransformation of 5-fluorouracil, but it inhibited paclitaxel metabolism as a result of competitive inhibition of CYP2C8 (Ki = 34.7 µM). This Ki value is far higher than the expected plasma levels of imatinib in patients, consequently no interaction is expected upon co-administration of either 5-fluorouracil or paclitaxel and imatinib.
Elimination
Based on the recovery of compound(s) after an oral 14C-labelled dose of imatinib, approximately 81% of the dose was recovered within 7 days in faeces (68% of dose) and urine (13% of dose). Unchanged imatinib accounted for 25% of the dose (5% urine, 20% faeces), the remainder being metabolites.
Plasma pharmacokinetics
Following oral administration in healthy volunteers, the t½ was approximately 18 h, suggesting that once-daily dosing is appropriate. The increase in mean AUC with increasing dose was linear and dose proportional in the range of 25-1,000 mg imatinib after oral administration. There was no change in the kinetics of imatinib on repeated dosing, and accumulation was 1.5-2.5-fold at steady state when dosed once daily.
Pharmacokinetics in GIST patients
In patients with GIST steady-state exposure was 1.5-fold higher than that observed for CML patients for the same dosage (400 mg daily). Based on preliminary population pharmacokinetic analysis in GIST patients, there were three variables (albumin, WBC and bilirubin) found to have a statistically significant relationship with imatinib pharmacokinetics. Decreased values of albumin caused a reduced clearance (CL/f); and higher levels of WBC led to a reduction of CL/f. However, these associations are not sufficiently pronounced to warrant dose adjustment. In this patient population, the presence of hepatic metastases could potentially lead to hepatic insufficiency and reduced metabolism.
Population pharmacokinetics
Based on population pharmacokinetic analysis in CML patients, there was a small effect of age on the volume of distribution (12% increase in patients > 65 years old). This change is not thought to be clinically significant. The effect of bodyweight on the clearance of imatinib is such that for a patient weighing 50 kg the mean clearance is expected to be 8.5 l/h, while for a patient weighing 100 kg the clearance will rise to 11.8 l/h. These changes are not considered sufficient to warrant dose adjustment based on kg bodyweight. There is no effect of gender on the kinetics of imatinib.
Pharmacokinetics in children
As in adult patients, imatinib was rapidly absorbed after oral administration in paediatric patients in both phase I and phase II studies. Dosing in children at 260 and 340 mg/m2/day achieved the same exposure, respectively, as doses of 400 mg and 600 mg in adult patients. The comparison of AUC(0-24) on day 8 and day 1 at the 340 mg/m2/day dose level revealed a 1.7-fold drug accumulation after repeated once-daily dosing.
Based on pooled population pharmacokinetic analysis in paediatric patients with haematological disorders (CML, Ph+ALL, or other haematological disorders treated with imatinib), clearance of imatinib increases with increasing body surface area (BSA). After correcting for the BSA effect, other demographics such as age, body weight and body mass index did not have clinically significant effects on the exposure of imatinib. The analysis confirmed that exposure of imatinib in paediatric patients receiving 260 mg/m2 once daily (not exceeding 400 mg once daily) or 340 mg/m2 once daily (not exceeding 600 mg once daily) were similar to those in adult patients who received imatinib 400 mg or 600 mg once daily.
Organ function impairment
Imatinib and its metabolites are not excreted via the kidney to a significant extent. Patients with mild and moderate impairment of renal function appear to have a higher plasma exposure than patients with normal renal function. The increase is approximately 1.5- to 2-fold, corresponding to a 1.5-fold elevation of plasma AGP, to which imatinib binds strongly. The free drug clearance of imatinib is probably similar between patients with renal impairment and those with normal renal function, since renal excretion represents only a minor elimination pathway for imatinib.
Although the results of pharmacokinetic analysis showed that there is considerable inter-subject variation, the mean exposure to imatinib did not increase in patients with varying degrees of liver dysfunction as compared to patients with normal liver function.
When Imatinib Teva Pharma is co-administered with other medicinal products, there is a potential for drug interactions. Caution should be used when taking Imatinib Teva Pharma with protease inhibitors, azole antifungals, certain macrolides , CYP3A4 substrates with a narrow therapeutic window (e.g. cyclosporine, pimozide, tacrolimus, sirolimus, ergotamine, diergotamine, fentanyl, alfentanil, terfenadine, bortezomib, docetaxel, quinidine) or warfarin and other coumarin derivatives.
Concomitant use of imatinib and medicinal products that induce CYP3A4 (e.g. dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampicin, phenobarbital or Hypericum perforatum, also known as St. John's Wort) may significantly reduce exposure to Imatinib Teva Pharma, potentially increasing the risk of therapeutic failure. Therefore, concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inducers and imatinib should be avoided.
Hypothyroidism
Clinical cases of hypothyroidism have been reported in thyroidectomy patients undergoing levothyroxine replacement during treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma. Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels should be closely monitored in such patients.
Hepatotoxicity
Metabolism of Imatinib Teva Pharma is mainly hepatic, and only 13% of excretion is through the kidneys. In patients with hepatic dysfunction (mild, moderate or severe), peripheral blood counts and liver enzymes should be carefully monitored. It should be noted that GIST patients may have hepatic metastases which could lead to hepatic impairment.
Cases of liver injury, including hepatic failure and hepatic necrosis, have been observed with imatinib. When imatinib is combined with high dose chemotherapy regimens, an increase in serious hepatic reactions has been detected. Hepatic function should be carefully monitored in circumstances where imatinib is combined with chemotherapy regimens also known to be associated with hepatic dysfunction.
Fluid retention
Occurrences of severe fluid retention (pleural effusion, oedema, pulmonary oedema, ascites, superficial oedema) have been reported in approximately 2.5% of newly diagnosed CML patients taking Imatinib Teva Pharma. Therefore, it is highly recommended that patients be weighed regularly. An unexpected rapid weight gain should be carefully investigated and if necessary appropriate supportive care and therapeutic measures should be undertaken. In clinical trials, there was an increased incidence of these events in older people and those with a prior history of cardiac disease. Therefore, caution should be exercised in patients with cardiac dysfunction.
Patients with cardiac disease
Patients with cardiac disease, risk factors for cardiac failure or history of renal failure should be monitored carefully, and any patient with signs or symptoms consistent with cardiac or renal failure should be evaluated and treated.
In patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) with occult infiltration of HES cells within the myocardium, isolated cases of cardiogenic shock/left ventricular dysfunction have been associated with HES cell degranulation upon the initiation of imatinib therapy. The condition was reported to be reversible with the administration of systemic steroids, circulatory support measures and temporarily withholding imatinib. As cardiac adverse events have been reported uncommonly with imatinib, a careful assessment of the benefit/risk of imatinib therapy should be considered in the HES/CEL population before treatment initiation.
Myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative diseases with PDGFR gene re-arrangements could be associated with high eosinophil levels. Evaluation by a cardiology specialist, performance of an echocardiogram and determination of serum troponin should therefore be considered in patients with HES/CEL, and in patients with MDS/MPD associated with high eosinophil levels before imatinib is administered. If either is abnormal, follow-up with a cardiology specialist and the prophylactic use of systemic steroids (1-2 mg/kg) for one to two weeks concomitantly with imatinib should be considered at the initiation of therapy.
Gastrointestinal haemorrhage
In the study in patients with unresectable and/or metastatic GIST, both gastrointestinal and intra-tumoural haemorrhages were reported. Based on the available data, no predisposing factors (e.g. tumour size, tumour location, coagulation disorders) have been identified that place patients with GIST at a higher risk of either type of haemorrhage. Since increased vascularity and propensity for bleeding is a part of the nature and clinical course of GIST, standard practices and procedures for the monitoring and management of haemorrhage in all patients should be applied.
In addition, gastric antral vascular ectasia (GAVE), a rare cause of gastrointestinal haemorrhage, has been reported in post-marketing experience in patients with CML, ALL and other diseases. When needed, discontinuation of Imatinib Teva Pharma treatment may be considered.
Tumour lysis syndrome
Due to the possible occurrence of tumour lysis syndrome (TLS), correction of clinically significant dehydration and treatment of high uric acid levels are recommended prior to initiation of Imatinib Teva Pharma.
Hepatitis B reactivation
Reactivation of hepatitis B in patients who are chronic carriers of this virus has occurred after these patients received BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Some cases resulted in acute hepatic failure or fulminant hepatitis leading to liver transplantation or a fatal outcome.
Patients should be tested for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma. Experts in liver disease and in the treatment of hepatitis B should be consulted before treatment is initiated in patients with positive hepatitis B serology (including those with active disease) and for patients who test positive for HBV infection during treatment. Carriers of HBV who require treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of active HBV infection throughout therapy and for several months following termination of therapy.
Phototoxicity
Exposure to direct sunlight should be avoided or minimised due to the risk of phototoxicity associated with imatinib treatment. Patients should be instructed to use measures such as protective clothing and sunscreen with high sun protection factor (SPF).
Laboratory tests
Complete blood counts must be performed regularly during therapy with Imatinib Teva Pharma.
Liver function (transaminases, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase) should be monitored regularly in patients receiving Imatinib Teva Pharma.
In patients with impaired renal function, imatinib plasma exposure seems to be higher than that in patients with normal renal function, probably due to an elevated plasma level of alpha-acid glycoprotein (AGP), an imatinib-binding protein, in these patients. Patients with renal impairment should be given the minimum starting dose. Patients with severe renal impairment should be treated with caution. The dose can be reduced if not tolerated.
Long-term treatment with imatinib may be associated with a clinically significant decline in renal function. Renal function should, therefore, be evaluated prior to the start of imatinib therapy and closely monitored during therapy, with particular attention to those patients exhibiting risk factors for renal dysfunction. If renal dysfunction is observed, appropriate management and treatment should be prescribed in accordance with standard treatment guidelines.
Paediatric population
There have been case reports of growth retardation occurring in children and pre-adolescents receiving imatinib. In an observational study in the CML paediatric population, a statistically significant decrease (but of uncertain clinical relevance) in median height standard deviation scores after 12 and 24 months of treatment was reported in two small subsets irrespective of pubertal status or gender. Close monitoring of growth in children under imatinib treatment is recommended.
Patients should be advised that they may experience undesirable effects such as dizziness, blurred vision or somnolence during treatment with imatinib. Therefore, caution should be recommended when driving a car or operating machinery.
Therapy should be initiated by a physician experienced in the treatment of patients with haematological malignancies and malignant sarcomas, as appropriate.
For doses other than 400 mg and 800 mg (see dosage recommendation below) a 100 mg divisible tablet is available.
For doses of 400 mg and above (see dosage recommendation below) a 400 mg tablet (not divisible) is available.
The prescribed dose should be administered orally with a meal and a large glass of water to minimise the risk of gastrointestinal irritations. Doses of 400 mg or 600 mg should be administered once daily, whereas a daily dose of 800 mg should be administered as 400 mg twice a day, in the morning and in the evening.
For patients unable to swallow the film-coated tablets, the tablets may be dispersed in a glass of still water or apple juice. The required number of tablets should be placed in the appropriate volume of beverage (approximately 50 ml for a 100 mg tablet, and 200 ml for a 400 mg tablet) and stirred with a spoon. The suspension should be administered immediately after complete disintegration of the tablet(s).
Posology for CML in adult patients
The recommended dosage of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 400 mg/day for adult patients in chronic phase CML. Chronic phase CML is defined when all of the following criteria are met: blasts < 15% in blood and bone marrow, peripheral blood basophils < 20%, platelets > 100 x 109/l.
The recommended dosage of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 600 mg/day for adult patients in accelerated phase. Accelerated phase is defined by the presence of any of the following: blasts > 15% but < 30% in blood or bone marrow, blasts plus promyelocytes > 30% in blood or bone marrow (providing < 30% blasts), peripheral blood basophils > 20%, platelets < 100 x 109/l unrelated to therapy.
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 600 mg/day for adult patients in blast crisis. Blast crisis is defined as blasts > 30% in blood or bone marrow or extramedullary disease other than hepatosplenomegaly.
Treatment duration: In clinical trials, treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma was continued until disease progression. The effect of stopping treatment after the achievement of a complete cytogenetic response has not been investigated.
Dose increases from 400 mg to 600 mg or 800 mg in patients with chronic phase disease, or from 600 mg to a maximum of 800 mg (given as 400 mg twice daily) in patients with accelerated phase or blast crisis may be considered in the absence of severe adverse drug reaction and severe non-leukaemia-related neutropenia or thrombocytopenia in the following circumstances: disease progression (at any time); failure to achieve a satisfactory haematological response after at least 3 months of treatment; failure to achieve a cytogenetic response after 12 months of treatment; or loss of a previously achieved haematological and/or cytogenetic response. Patients should be monitored closely following dose escalation given the potential for an increased incidence of adverse reactions at higher dosages.
Posology for CML in children
Dosing for children should be on the basis of body surface area (mg/m2). The dose of 340 mg/m2 daily is recommended for children with chronic phase CML and advanced phase CML (not to exceed the total dose of 800 mg). Treatment can be given as a once daily dose or alternatively the daily dose may be split into two administrations - one in the morning and one in the evening. The dose recommendation is currently based on a small number of paediatric patients. There is no experience with the treatment of children below 2 years of age.
Dose increases from 340 mg/m2 daily to 570 mg/m2 daily (not to exceed the total dose of 800 mg) may be considered in children in the absence of severe adverse drug reaction and severe non-leukaemia-related neutropenia or thrombocytopenia in the following circumstances: disease progression (at any time); failure to achieve a satisfactory haematological response after at least 3 months of treatment; failure to achieve a cytogenetic response after 12 months of treatment; or loss of a previously achieved haematological and/or cytogenetic response. Patients should be monitored closely following dose escalation given the potential for an increased incidence of adverse reactions at higher dosages.
Posology for Ph+ ALL in adult patients
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 600 mg/day for adult patients with Ph+ ALL. Haematological experts in the management of this disease should supervise the therapy throughout all phases of care.
Treatment schedule: On the basis of the existing data, Imatinib Teva Pharma has been shown to be effective and safe when administered at 600 mg/day in combination with chemotherapy in the induction phase, the consolidation and maintenance phases of chemotherapy for adult patients with newly diagnosed Ph+ ALL. The duration of Imatinib Teva Pharma therapy can vary with the treatment programme selected, but generally longer exposures to Imatinib Teva Pharma have yielded better results.
For adult patients with relapsed or refractory Ph+ALL Imatinib Teva Pharma monotherapy at 600 mg/day is safe, effective and can be given until disease progression occurs.
Posology for Ph+ ALL in children
Dosing for children should be on the basis of body surface area (mg/m2). The dose of 340 mg/m2 daily is recommended for children with Ph+ ALL (not to exceed the total dose of 600 mg).
Posology for MDS/MPD
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 400 mg/day for adult patients with MDS/MPD.
Treatment duration: In the only clinical trial performed up to now, treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma was continued until disease progression. At the time of analysis, the treatment duration was a median of 47 months (24 days - 60 months).
Posology for HES/CEL
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 100 mg/day for adult patients with HES/CEL.
Dose increase from 100 mg to 400 mg may be considered in the absence of adverse drug reactions if assessments demonstrate an insufficient response to therapy.
Treatment should be continued as long as the patient continues to benefit.
Posology for GIST
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 400 mg/day for adult patients with unresectable and/or metastatic malignant GIST.
Limited data exist on the effect of dose increases from 400 mg to 600 mg or 800 mg in patients progressing at the lower dose.
Treatment duration: In clinical trials in GIST patients, treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma was continued until disease progression. At the time of analysis, the treatment duration was a median of 7 months (7 days to 13 months). The effect of stopping treatment after achieving a response has not been investigated.
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 400 mg/day for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients following resection of GIST. Optimal treatment duration is not yet established. Length of treatment in the clinical trial supporting this indication was 36 months.
Posology for DFSP
The recommended dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma is 800 mg/day for adult patients with DFSP.
Dose adjustment for adverse reactions
Non-haematological adverse reactions
If a severe non-haematological adverse reaction develops with Imatinib Teva Pharma use, treatment must be withheld until the event has resolved. Thereafter, treatment can be resumed as appropriate depending on the initial severity of the event.
If elevations in bilirubin > 3 x institutional upper limit of normal (IULN) or in liver transaminases > 5 x IULN occur, Imatinib Teva Pharma should be withheld until bilirubin levels have returned to < 1.5 x IULN and transaminase levels to < 2.5 x IULN. Treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma may then be continued at a reduced daily dose. In adults the dose should be reduced from 400 to 300 mg or from 600 to 400 mg, or from 800 mg to 600 mg, and in children from 340 to 260 mg/m2/day.
Haematological adverse reactions
Dose reduction or treatment interruption for severe neutropenia and thrombocytopenia are recommended as indicated in the table below.
Dose adjustments for neutropenia and thrombocytopenia:
| HES/CEL (starting dose 100 mg) | ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l | 1. Stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1.5 x 109/l and platelets > 75 x 109/l. 2. Resume treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma at previous dose (i.e. before severe adverse reaction). |
| Chronic phase CML, MDS/MPD and GIST (starting dose 400 mg) HES/CEL (at dose 400 mg) | ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l | 1. Stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1.5 x 109/l and platelets > 75 x 109/l. 2. Resume treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma at previous dose (i.e. before severe adverse reaction). 3. In the event of recurrence of ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l, repeat step 1 and resume Imatinib Teva Pharma at reduced dose of 300 mg. |
| Paediatric chronic phase CML (at dose 340 mg/m2) | ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l | 1. Stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1.5 x 109/l and platelets > 75 x 109/l. 2. Resume treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma at previous dose (i.e. before severe adverse reaction). 3. In the event of recurrence of ANC < 1.0 x109/l and/or platelets < 50 x109/l, repeat step 1 and resume Imatinib Teva Pharma at reduced dose of 260 mg/m2. |
| Accelerated phase CML and blast crisis and Ph+ ALL (starting dose 600 mg) | aANC < 0.5 x 109/l and/or platelets < 10 x 109/l | 1. Check whether cytopenia is related to leukaemia (marrow aspirate or biopsy). 2. If cytopenia is unrelated to leukaemia, reduce dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma to 400 mg. 3. If cytopenia persists for 2 weeks, reduce further to 300 mg. 4. If cytopenia persists for 4 weeks and is still unrelated to leukaemia, stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1 x 109/l and platelets > 20 x 109/l, then resume treatment at 300 mg. |
| Paediatric accelerated phase CML and blast crisis (starting dose 340 mg/m2) | aANC < 0.5 x 109/l and/or platelets < 10 x 109/l | 1. Check whether cytopenia is related to leukaemia (marrow aspirate or biopsy). 2. If cytopenia is unrelated to leukaemia, reduce dose of Imatinib Teva Pharma to 260 mg/m2. 3. If cytopenia persists for 2 weeks, reduce further to 200 mg/m2. 4. If cytopenia persists for 4 weeks and is still unrelated to leukaemia, stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1 x 109/l and platelets > 20 x 109/l, then resume treatment at 200 mg/m2. |
| DFSP (at dose 800 mg) | ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l | 1. Stop Imatinib Teva Pharma until ANC > 1.5 x 109/l and platelets > 75 x 109/l. 2. Resume treatment with Imatinib Teva Pharma at 600 mg. 3. In the event of recurrence of ANC < 1.0 x 109/l and/or platelets < 50 x 109/l, repeat step 1 and resume Imatinib Teva Pharma at reduced dose of 400 mg. |
| ANC = absolute neutrophil count a occurring after at least 1 month of treatment | ||
Special populations
Paediatric use: There is no experience in children with CML below 2 years of age and with Ph+ALL below 1 year of age. There is very limited experience in children with MDS/MPD, DFSP, GIST and HES/CEL.
The safety and efficacy of imatinib in children with MDS/MPD, DFSP, GIST and HES/CEL aged less than 18 years of age have not been established in clinical trials.
Hepatic insufficiency: Imatinib is mainly metabolised through the liver. Patients with mild, moderate or severe liver dysfunction should be given the minimum recommended dose of 400 mg daily. The dose can be reduced if not tolerated.
Liver dysfunction classification:
| Liver dysfunction | Liver function tests |
| Mild | Total bilirubin: = 1.5 ULN AST: >ULN (can be normal or <ULN if total bilirubin is >ULN) |
| Moderate | Total bilirubin: >1.5-3.0 ULN AST: any |
| Severe | Total bilirubin: >3-10 ULN AST: any |
ULN = upper limit of normal for the institution
AST = aspartate aminotransferase
Renal insufficiency: Patients with renal dysfunction or on dialysis should be given the minimum recommended dose of 400 mg daily as starting dose. However, in these patients caution is recommended. The dose can be reduced if not tolerated. If tolerated, the dose can be increased for lack of efficacy.
Older people: Imatinib pharmacokinetics have not been specifically studied in older people. No significant age-related pharmacokinetic differences have been observed in adult patients in clinical trials which included over 20% of patients age 65 and older. No specific dose recommendation is necessary in older people.
Any unused medicinal product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.
