Invega sustenna

Overdose

No cases of overdose were reported in premarketing studies with INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Because INVEGA SUSTENNA® is to be administered by health care professionals, the potential for overdosage by patients is low.

While experience with paliperidone overdose is limited, among the few cases of overdose reported in premarketing trials with oral paliperidone, the highest estimated ingestion was 405 mg. Observed signs and symptoms included extrapyramidal symptoms and gait unsteadiness. Other potential signs and symptoms include those resulting from an exaggeration of paliperidone's known pharmacological effects, i.e., drowsiness and sedation, tachycardia and hypotension, and QT prolongation. Torsades de pointes and ventricular fibrillation have been reported in a patient in the setting of overdose with oral paliperidone.

Paliperidone is the major active metabolite of risperidone. Overdose experience reported with risperidone can be found in the OVERDOSAGE section of the risperidone package insert.

Contact a Certified Poison Control Center for the most up to date information on the management of INVEGA SUSTENNA® overdosage (1-800-222-1222 or www.poison.org). Provide supportive care, including close medical supervision and monitoring. Treatment should consist of general measures employed in the management of overdosage with any drug. Consider the possibility of multiple drug overdosage. Ensure an adequate airway, oxygenation, and ventilation. Monitor cardiac rhythm and vital signs. Use supportive and symptomatic measures. There is no specific antidote to paliperidone.

Consider the prolonged-release characteristics of INVEGA SUSTENNA® and the long apparent half-life of paliperidone when assessing treatment needs and recovery.

Contraindications

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to either paliperidone or risperidone, or to any of the excipients in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® formulation. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic reactions and angioedema, have been reported in patients treated with risperidone and in patients treated with paliperidone. Paliperidone palmitate is converted to paliperidone, which is a metabolite of risperidone.

Undesirable effects

The following are discussed in more detail in other sections of the labeling:

• Increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis
• Cerebrovascular adverse reactions, including stroke, in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• QT prolongation
• Tardive dyskinesia
• Metabolic changes
• Orthostatic hypotension and syncope
• Falls
• Leukopenia, neutropenia, and agranulocytosis
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Potential for cognitive and motor impairment
• Seizures
• Dysphagia
• Priapism
• Disruption of body temperature regulation

The most common (at least 5% in any INVEGA SUSTENNA® group) and likely drug-related (adverse events for which the drug rate is at least twice the placebo rate) adverse reactions from the double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia were injection site reactions, somnolence/sedation, dizziness, akathisia, and extrapyramidal disorder. No occurrences of adverse events reached this threshold in the long-term double-blind, placebo-controlled study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder.

The data described in this section are derived from a clinical trial database consisting of a total of 3817 subjects (approximately 1705 patient-years exposure) with schizophrenia who received at least one dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the recommended dose range of 39 mg to 234 mg and a total of 510 subjects with schizophrenia who received placebo. Among the 3817 INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects, 1293 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (one 9-week and three 13-week studies), 849 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the maintenance trial (median exposure 229 days during the initial 33-week open-label phase of this study, of whom 205 continued to receive INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the double-blind placebo-controlled phase of this study [median exposure 171 days]), and 1675 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in five non-placebo controlled trials (three noninferiority active-comparator trials, one long-term open-label pharmacokinetic and safety study, and an injection site [deltoid-gluteal] cross-over trial). One of the 13-week studies included a 234 mg INVEGA SUSTENNA® initiation dose followed by treatment with either 39 mg, 156 mg, or 234 mg every 4 weeks.

The safety of INVEGA SUSTENNA® was also evaluated in a long-term study in adult subjects with schizoaffective disorder. A total of 667 subjects received INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the initial 25-week open-label period of this study (median exposure 147 days); 164 subjects continued to receive INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the 15-month double-blind placebo-controlled period of this study (median exposure 446 days). Adverse reactions that occurred more frequently in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® than the placebo group (a 2% difference or more between groups) were weight increased, nasopharyngitis, headache, hyperprolactinemia, and pyrexia.

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 clinical practice.

Table 10 lists the adverse reactions reported in 2% or more of INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects and at a greater proportion than in the placebo group with schizophrenia in the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

Table 10: Incidence of Adverse Reactions in ≥ 2% of INVEGA SUSTENNA®-Treated Subjects (and greater than Placebo) with Schizophrenia in Four Fixed-Dose, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials

The following list does not include reactions: 1) already listed in previous tables or elsewhere in labeling, 2) for which a drug cause was remote, 3) which were so general as to be uninformative, or 4) which were not considered to have significant clinical implications.

Cardiac disorders: atrioventricular block first degree, bradycardia, bundle branch block, palpitations, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, tachycardia

Ear and labyrinth disorders: vertigo

Eye disorders: eye movement disorder, eye rolling, oculogyric crisis, vision blurred

Gastrointestinal disorders: constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, salivary hypersecretion

Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity

Investigations: alanine aminotransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, electrocardiogram abnormal

Metabolism and nutrition disorders: decreased appetite, hyperinsulinemia, increased appetite

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: arthralgia, joint stiffness, muscle rigidity, muscle spasms, muscle tightness, muscle twitching, nuchal rigidity

Nervous system disorders: bradykinesia, cerebrovascular accident, convulsion, dizziness postural, drooling, dysarthria, dyskinesia, dystonia, hypertonia, lethargy, oromandibular dystonia, parkinsonism, psychomotor hyperactivity, syncope

Psychiatric disorders: insomnia, restlessness

Reproductive system and breast disorders: amenorrhea, breast discharge, erectile dysfunction, galactorrhea, gynecomastia, menstrual disorder, menstruation delayed, menstruation irregular, sexual dysfunction

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: nasal congestion

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: drug eruption, pruritus, pruritus generalized, rash, urticaria

The percentage of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events in the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled schizophrenia trials were similar for INVEGA SUSTENNA®and placebo-treated subjects.

The percentage of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events in the open-label period of the long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder was 7.5%. During the double-blind, placebo-controlled period of that study, the percentages of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events were 5.5% and 1.8% in INVEGA SUSTENNA®-and placebo-treated subjects, respectively.

Based on the pooled data from the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia, among the adverse reactions that occurred at ≥ 2% incidence in the subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA® , only akathisia increased with dose. Hyperprolactinemia also exhibited a dose relationship, but did not occur at ≥ 2% incidence in INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects from the four fixed-dose studies.

An examination of population subgroups in the double-blind placebo-controlled trials did not reveal any evidence of differences in safety on the basis of age, gender, or race alone; however, there were few subjects ≥ 65 years of age.

Pooled data from the two double-blind, placebo-controlled, 13-week, fixed-dose trials in adult subjects with schizophrenia provided information regarding EPS. Several methods were used to measure EPS: (1) the Simpson-Angus global score (mean change from baseline or score at the end of trial) which broadly evaluates Parkinsonism, (2) the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale global clinical rating score (mean change from baseline or score at the end of trial) which evaluates akathisia, (3) use of anticholinergic medications to treat EPS, (4) the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores (mean change from baseline or scores at the end of trial) (Table 11), and (5) incidence of spontaneous reports of EPS (Table 12).

Table 11: Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) Assessed by Incidence of Rating Scales and Use of Anticholinergic Medication - Schizophrenia Studies in Adults

Table 12: Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS)-Related Events by MedDRA Preferred Term - Schizophrenia Studies in Adults

The results across all phases of the maintenance trial in subjects with schizophrenia exhibited comparable findings. In the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the proportions of Parkinsonism and akathisia assessed by incidence of rating scales were higher in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 156 mg group (18% and 11%, respectively) than in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 78 mg group (9% and 5%, respectively) and placebo group (7% and 4%, respectively).

In the 13-week study in subjects with schizophrenia involving 234 mg initiation dosing, the incidence of any EPS was similar to that of the placebo group (8%), but exhibited a dose-related pattern with 6%, 10%, and 11% in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 234/39 mg, 234/156 mg, and 234/234 mg groups, respectively. Hyperkinesia was the most frequent category of EPS-related adverse events in this study, and was reported at a similar rate between the placebo (4.9%) and INVEGA SUSTENNA® 234/156 mg (4.8%) and 234/234 mg (5.5%) groups, but at a lower rate in the 234/39 mg group (1.3%).

In the long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder, the EPS during the 25-week open-label INVEGA SUSTENNA® treatment were hyperkinesia (12.3%), parkinsonism (8.7%), tremor (3.4%), dyskinesia (2.5%), and dystonia (2.1%). During the 15-month double-blind treatment, the incidence of any EPS was similar to that of the placebo group (8.5% and 7.1% respectively). The most commonly reported treatment-emergent EPS-related adverse events ( > 2%) in any treatment group in the double-blind phase of the study (INVEGA SUSTENNA® versus placebo) were hyperkinesia (3.7% vs. 2.9%), parkinsonism (3.0% vs. 1.8%), and tremor (1.2% vs. 2.4%).

Symptoms of dystonia, prolonged abnormal contractions of muscle groups, may occur in susceptible individuals during the first few days of treatment. Dystonic symptoms include: spasm of the neck muscles, sometimes progressing to tightness of the throat, swallowing difficulty, difficulty breathing, and/or protrusion of the tongue. While these symptoms can occur at low doses, they occur more frequently and with greater severity with high potency and at higher doses of first generation antipsychotic drugs. An elevated risk of acute dystonia is observed in males and younger age groups.

In the pooled data from the two double-blind, placebo-controlled, 13-week, fixed-dose trials in subjects with schizophrenia, a between-group comparison revealed no medically important differences between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo in the proportions of subjects experiencing potentially clinically significant changes in routine serum chemistry, hematology, or urinalysis parameters. Similarly, there were no differences between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo in the incidence of discontinuations due to changes in hematology, urinalysis, or serum chemistry, including mean changes from baseline in fasting glucose, insulin, c-peptide, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol measurements. However, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with increases in serum prolactin. The results from the 13-week study involving 234 mg initiation dosing, the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, and the double-blind phase of the maintenance trial in subjects with schizophrenia exhibited comparable findings.

In the pooled data from the two 13-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia, the mean intensity of injection pain reported by subjects using a visual analog scale (0 = no pain to 100 = unbearably painful) decreased in all treatment groups from the first to the last injection (placebo: 10.9 to 9.8; 39 mg: 10.3 to 7.7; 78 mg: 10.0 to 9.2; 156 mg: 11.1 to 8.8). The results from both the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and the double-blind phase of the maintenance trial exhibited comparable findings.

In the 13-week study involving 234 mg initiation dosing in subjects with schizophrenia, occurrences of induration, redness, or swelling, as assessed by blinded study personnel, were infrequent, generally mild, decreased over time, and similar in incidence between the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups. Investigator ratings of injection pain were similar for the placebo and INVEGA SUSTENNA® groups. Investigator evaluations of the injection site after the first injection for redness, swelling, induration, and pain were rated as absent for 69-100% of subjects in both the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups. At Day 92, investigators rated absence of redness, swelling, induration, and pain in 95-100% of subjects in both the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups.

The following is a list of additional adverse reactions that have been reported in clinical trials with oral paliperidone:

Cardiac disorders: bundle branch block left, sinus arrhythmia

Gastrointestinal disorders: abdominal pain, small intestinal obstruction

General disorders and administration site conditions: edema, edema peripheral

Immune system disorders: anaphylactic reaction

Infections and infestations: rhinitis

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: musculoskeletal pain, torticollis, trismus

Nervous system disorders: cogwheel rigidity, grand mal convulsion, parkinsonian gait, transient ischemic attack

Psychiatric disorders: sleep disorder

Reproductive system and breast disorders: breast engorgement, breast tenderness/breast pain, retrograde ejaculation

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: pharyngolaryngeal pain, pneumonia aspiration

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: rash papular

Vascular disorders: hypotension, ischemia

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of paliperidone; because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Reactions already listed in other parts of ADVERSE REACTIONS (6), or those considered in WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5) are not listed here.

Blood disorders: thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Gastrointestinal disorders: ileus

Genitourinary disorders: urinary incontinence, urinary retention

Immune system disorders: angioedema, swollen tongue

Cases of anaphylactic reaction after injection with INVEGA SUSTENNA® have been reported during postmarketing experience in patients who have previously tolerated oral risperidone or oral paliperidone.

Paliperidone is the major active metabolite of risperidone. Adverse reactions reported with oral risperidone and risperidone long-acting injection can be found in the ADVERSE REACTIONS sections of the package inserts for those products.

Invega Sustenna price

Therapeutic indications

INVEGA SUSTENNA® (paliperidone palmitate) is indicated for the treatment of:

• Schizophrenia.
• Schizoaffective disorder as monotherapy and as an adjunct to mood stabilizers or antidepressants.

Pharmacodynamic properties

Paliperidone is a centrally active dopamine Type 2 (D2) receptor antagonist and a serotonin Type 2 (5HT2A) receptor antagonist. Paliperidone is also active as an antagonist at α1 and α2 adrenergic receptors and H1 histaminergic receptors, which may explain some of the other effects of the drug. Paliperidone has no affinity for cholinergic muscarinic or β1-and β2-adrenergic receptors. The pharmacological activity of the (+)-and (-)-paliperidone enantiomers is qualitatively and quantitatively similar in vitro.

Pharmacokinetic properties

Due to its extremely low water solubility, paliperidone palmitate dissolves slowly after intramuscular injection before being hydrolyzed to paliperidone and absorbed into the systemic circulation. Following a single intramuscular dose, the plasma concentrations of paliperidone gradually rise to reach maximum plasma concentrations at a median Tmax of 13 days. The release of the drug starts as early as day 1 and lasts for as long as 126 days.

Following intramuscular injection of single doses (39 mg -234 mg) in the deltoid muscle, on average, a 28% higher Cmax was observed compared with injection in the gluteal muscle. The two initial deltoid intramuscular injections of 234 mg on day 1 and 156 mg on day 8 help attain therapeutic concentrations rapidly. The release profile and dosing regimen of INVEGA SUSTENNA® results in sustained therapeutic concentrations. The AUC of paliperidone following INVEGA SUSTENNA® administration was dose-proportional over a 39 mg-234 mg dose range, and less than dose-proportional for Cmax for doses exceeding 78 mg. The mean steady-state peak:trough ratio for an INVEGA SUSTENNA® dose of 156 mg was 1.8 following gluteal administration and 2.2 following deltoid administration.

Following administration of paliperidone palmitate the (+) and (-) enantiomers of paliperidone interconvert, reaching an AUC (+) to (-) ratio of approximately 1.6-1.8.

Based on a population analysis, the apparent volume of distribution of paliperidone is 391 L. The plasma protein binding of racemic paliperidone is 74%.

In a study with oral immediate-release 14C-paliperidone, one week following administration of a single oral dose of 1 mg immediate-release 14C-paliperidone, 59% of the dose was excreted unchanged into urine, indicating that paliperidone is not extensively metabolized in the liver. Approximately 80% of the administered radioactivity was recovered in urine and 11% in the feces. Four metabolic pathways have been identified in vivo, none of which accounted for more than 10% of the dose: dealkylation, hydroxylation, dehydrogenation, and benzisoxazole scission. Although in vitro studies suggested a role for CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 in the metabolism of paliperidone, there is no evidence in vivo that these isozymes play a significant role in the metabolism of paliperidone. Population pharmacokinetics analyses indicated no discernible difference on the apparent clearance of paliperidone after administration of oral paliperidone between extensive metabolizers and poor metabolizers of CYP2D6 substrates.

The median apparent half-life of paliperidone following INVEGA SUSTENNA® single-dose administration over the dose range of 39 mg -234 mg ranged from 25 days -49 days.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is designed to deliver paliperidone over a monthly period while extended-release oral paliperidone is administered on a daily basis. The initiation regimen for INVEGA SUSTENNA® (234 mg/156 mg in the deltoid muscle on Day 1/Day 8) was designed to rapidly attain steady-state paliperidone concentrations when initiating therapy without the use of oral supplementation.

In general, overall initiation plasma levels with INVEGA SUSTENNA® were within the exposure range observed with 6-12 mg extended-release oral paliperidone. The use of the INVEGA SUSTENNA® initiation regimen allowed patients to stay in this exposure window of 6-12 mg extended-release oral paliperidone even on trough pre-dose days (Day 8 and Day 36). The intersubject variability for paliperidone pharmacokinetics following delivery from INVEGA SUSTENNA® was lower relative to the variability determined from extended-release oral paliperidone tablets. Because of the difference in median pharmacokinetic profiles between the two products, caution should be exercised when making a direct comparison of their pharmacokinetic properties.

Date of revision of the text

Name of the medicinal product

Fertility, pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy Category C.

Adequate and well controlled studies with INVEGA SUSTENNA® have not been conducted in pregnant women. Neonates exposed to antipsychotic drugs during the third trimester of pregnancy are at risk for extrapyramidal and/or withdrawal symptoms following delivery. INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions

Monitor neonates exhibiting extrapyramidal or withdrawal symptoms. Some neonates recover within hours or days without specific treatment; others may require prolonged hospitalization.

Human Data

There have been reports of agitation, hypertonia, hypotonia, tremor, somnolence, respiratory distress, and feeding disorder in neonates following in utero exposure to antipsychotics in the third trimester. These complications have varied in severity; while in some cases symptoms have been self-limited, in other cases neonates have required intensive care unit support and prolonged hospitalization.

Animal Data

There were no treatment-related effects on the offspring when pregnant rats were injected intramuscularly with paliperidone palmitate during the period of organogenesis at doses up to 250 mg/kg, which is 10 times the maximum recommended human 234 mg dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® on a mg/m² body surface area basis.

In studies in pregnant rats and rabbits in which paliperidone was given orally during the period of organogenesis, there were no increases in fetal abnormalities up to the highest doses tested (10 mg/kg/day in rats and 5 mg/kg/day in rabbits, which are each 8 times the maximum recommended human dose of 12 mg/day of orally administered paliperidone [INVEGA®] on a mg/m² body surface area basis).

In rat reproduction studies with risperidone, which is extensively converted to paliperidone in rats and humans, increases in pup deaths were seen at oral doses which are less than the maximum recommended human dose of risperidone on a mg/m² body surface area basis (see RISPERDAL® package insert).

Qualitative and quantitative composition

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is available as a white to off-white aqueous extended-release injectable suspension for intramuscular injection in dose strengths of 39 mg, 78 mg, 117 mg, 156 mg, and 234 mg paliperidone palmitate.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is available as a white to off-white sterile aqueous extended-release suspension for intramuscular injection in dose strengths of 39 mg, 78 mg, 117 mg, 156 mg, and 234 mg paliperidone palmitate. The kit contains a prefilled syringe and 2 safety needles (a 1 ½-inch 22 gauge safety needle and a 1-inch 23 gauge safety needle).

39 mg paliperidone palmitate kit (NDC 50458-560-01)
78 mg paliperidone palmitate kit (NDC 50458-561-01)
117 mg paliperidone palmitate kit (NDC 50458-562-01)
156 mg paliperidone palmitate kit (NDC 50458-563-01)
234 mg paliperidone palmitate kit (NDC 50458-564-01)

Store at room temperature (25°C, 77°F); excursions between 15°C and 30°C (between 59°F and 86°F) are permitted.

Manufactured by: Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V. Beerse, Belgium. Manufactured for: Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Titusville, NJ 08560. Revised: Feb 2017

Special warnings and precautions for use

Included as part of the PRECAUTIONS section.

Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of 17 placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the rate of death in drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to a rate of about 2.6% in the placebo group. Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature. Observational studies suggest that, similar to atypical antipsychotic drugs, treatment with conventional antipsychotic drugs may increase mortality. The extent to which the findings of increased mortality in observational studies may be attributed to the antipsychotic drug as opposed to some characteristic(s) of the patients is not clear. INVEGA SUSTENNA® (paliperidone palmitate) is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.

In placebo-controlled trials with risperidone, aripiprazole, and olanzapine in elderly subjects with dementia, there was a higher incidence of cerebrovascular adverse reactions (cerebrovascular accidents and transient ischemic attacks) including fatalities compared to placebo-treated subjects. Oral paliperidone and INVEGA SUSTENNA® were not marketed at the time these studies were performed and are not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis.

A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with antipsychotic drugs, including INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis, and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis), and acute renal failure.

The diagnostic evaluation of patients with this syndrome is complicated. In arriving at a diagnosis, it is important to identify cases in which the clinical presentation includes both serious medical illness (e.g., pneumonia, systemic infection, etc.) and untreated or inadequately treated extrapyramidal signs and symptoms (EPS). Other important considerations in the differential diagnosis include central anticholinergic toxicity, heat stroke, drug fever, and primary central nervous system pathology.

The management of NMS should include: (1) immediate discontinuation of antipsychotic drugs and other drugs not essential to concurrent therapy; (2) intensive symptomatic treatment and medical monitoring; and (3) treatment of any concomitant serious medical problems for which specific treatments are available. There is no general agreement about specific pharmacological treatment regimens for uncomplicated NMS.

If a patient appears to require antipsychotic drug treatment after recovery from NMS, reintroduction of drug therapy should be closely monitored, since recurrences of NMS have been reported.

Paliperidone causes a modest increase in the corrected QT (QTc) interval. The use of paliperidone should be avoided in combination with other drugs that are known to prolong QTc including Class 1A (e.g., quinidine, procainamide) or Class III (e.g., amiodarone, sotalol) antiarrhythmic medications, antipsychotic medications (e.g., chlorpromazine, thioridazine), antibiotics (e.g., gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin), or any other class of medications known to prolong the QTc interval. Paliperidone should also be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome and in patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias.

Certain circumstances may increase the risk of the occurrence of Torsades de pointes and/or sudden death in association with the use of drugs that prolong the QTc interval, including (1) bradycardia; (2) hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia; (3) concomitant use of other drugs that prolong the QTc interval; and (4) presence of congenital prolongation of the QT interval.

The effects of oral paliperidone on the QT interval were evaluated in a double-blind, active-controlled (moxifloxacin 400 mg single dose), multicenter QT study in adults with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, and in three placebo-and active-controlled 6-week, fixed-dose efficacy trials in adults with schizophrenia.

In the QT study (n=141), the 8 mg dose of immediate-release oral paliperidone (n=50) showed a mean placebo-subtracted increase from baseline in QTcLD of 12.3 msec (90% CI: 8.9; 15.6) on day 8 at 1.5 hours post-dose. The mean steady-state peak plasma concentration for this 8 mg dose of paliperidone immediate release (Cmax ss = 113 ng/mL) was more than 2-fold the exposure observed with the maximum recommended 234 mg dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® administered in the deltoid muscle (predicted median Cmax ss = 50 ng/mL). In this same study, a 4 mg dose of the immediate-release oral formulation of paliperidone, for which Cmax ss = 35 ng/mL, showed an increased placebo-subtracted QTcLD of 6.8 msec (90% CI: 3.6; 10.1) on day 2 at 1.5 hours post-dose.

In the three fixed-dose efficacy studies of oral paliperidone extended release in subjects with schizophrenia, electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements taken at various time points showed only one subject in the oral paliperidone 12 mg group had a change exceeding 60 msec at one time-point on Day 6 (increase of 62 msec).

In the four fixed-dose efficacy studies of INVEGA SUSTENNA® in subjects with schizophrenia and in the long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder, no subject experienced a change in QTcLD exceeding 60 msec and no subject had a QTcLD value of > 500 msec at any time point. In the maintenance study in subjects with schizophrenia, no subject had a QTcLD change > 60 msec, and one subject had a QTcLD value of 507 msec (Bazett's QT corrected interval [QTcB] value of 483 msec); this latter subject also had a heart rate of 45 beats per minute.

A syndrome of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. Although the prevalence of the syndrome appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, it is impossible to predict which patients will develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drug products differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown.

The risk of developing tardive dyskinesia and the likelihood that it will become irreversible appear to increase as the duration of treatment and the total cumulative dose of antipsychotic drugs administered to the patient increase, but the syndrome can develop after relatively brief treatment periods at low doses, although this is uncommon.

There is no known treatment for established tardive dyskinesia, although the syndrome may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is withdrawn. Antipsychotic treatment itself may suppress (or partially suppress) the signs and symptoms of the syndrome and may thus mask the underlying process. The effect of symptomatic suppression on the long-term course of the syndrome is unknown.

Given these considerations, INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be prescribed in a manner that is most likely to minimize the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who suffer from a chronic illness that is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs. In patients who do require chronic treatment, the smallest dose and the shortest duration of treatment producing a satisfactory clinical response should be sought. The need for continued treatment should be reassessed periodically.

If signs and symptoms of tardive dyskinesia appear in a patient treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA®, drug discontinuation should be considered. However, some patients may require treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA® despite the presence of the syndrome.

Atypical antipsychotic drugs have been associated with metabolic changes that may increase cardiovascular/cerebrovascular risk. These metabolic changes include hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and body weight gain. While all of the drugs in the class have been shown to produce some metabolic changes, each drug has its own specific risk profile.

Hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma or death, have been reported in patients treated with all atypical antipsychotics. These cases were, for the most part, seen in post-marketing clinical use and epidemiologic studies, not in clinical trials, and there have been few reports of hyperglycemia or diabetes in trial subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Assessment of the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and glucose abnormalities is complicated by the possibility of an increased background risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with schizophrenia and the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given these confounders, the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and hyperglycemia-related adverse reactions is not completely understood. However, epidemiological studies suggest an increased risk of hyperglycemia-related adverse reactions in patients treated with the atypical antipsychotics. Because INVEGA SUSTENNA® was not marketed at the time these studies were performed, it is not known if INVEGA SUSTENNA® is associated with this risk.

Patients with an established diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who are started on atypical antipsychotics should be monitored regularly for worsening of glucose control. Patients with risk factors for diabetes mellitus (e.g., obesity, family history of diabetes) who are starting treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing at the beginning of treatment and periodically during treatment. Any patient treated with atypical antipsychotics should be monitored for symptoms of hyperglycemia including polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, and weakness. Patients who develop symptoms of hyperglycemia during treatment with atypical antipsychotics should undergo fasting blood glucose testing. In some cases, hyperglycemia has resolved when the atypical antipsychotic was discontinued; however, some patients required continuation of anti-diabetic treatment despite discontinuation of the suspect drug.

Pooled data from the four placebo-controlled (one 9-week and three 13-week), fixed-dose studies in subjects with schizophrenia are presented in Table 5.

Table 5: Change in Fasting Glucose from Four Placebo-Controlled, 9-to 13-Week, Fixed-Dose Studies in Subjects with Schizophrenia

In a long-term open-label pharmacokinetic and safety study in subjects with schizophrenia in which the highest dose available (234 mg) was evaluated, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with a mean change in glucose of -0.4 mg/dL at Week 29 (n=109) and +6.8 mg/dL at Week 53 (n=100).

During the initial 25-week open-label period of a long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with mean change in glucose of +5.3 mg/dL (n=518). At the endpoint of the subsequent 15-month double-blind period of the study, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with a mean change in glucose of +0.3 mg/dL (n=131) compared with a mean change of +4.0 mg/dL in the placebo group (n=120).

Undesirable alterations in lipids have been observed in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics.

Pooled data from the four placebo-controlled (one 9-week and three 13-week), fixed-dose studies in subjects with schizophrenia are presented in Table 6.

Table 6: Change in Fasting Lipids from Four Placebo-Controlled, 9-to 13-Week, Fixed-Dose Studies in Subjects with Schizophrenia

In a long-term open-label pharmacokinetic and safety study in subjects with schizophrenia in which the highest dose available (234 mg) was evaluated, the mean changes from baseline in lipid values are presented in Table 7.

Table 7: Change in Fasting Lipids from Long-term Open-label Pharmacokinetic and Safety Study in Subjects with Schizophrenia

The mean changes from baseline in lipid values during the initial 25-week open-label period and at the endpoint of the subsequent 15-month double-blind period in a long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder are presented in Table 8.

Table 8: Change in Fasting Lipids from an Open-Label and Double-Blind Periods of a Long-Term Study in Subjects with Schizoaffective Disorder

Weight gain has been observed with atypical antipsychotic use. Clinical monitoring of weight is recommended.

Data on mean changes in body weight and the proportion of subjects meeting a weight gain criterion of ≥ 7% of body weight from the four placebo-controlled (one 9-week and three 13-week), fixed-dose studies in subjects with schizophrenia are presented in Table 9.

Table 9: Mean Change in Body Weight (kg) and the Proportion of Subjects with ≥ 7% Gain in Body Weight from Four Placebo-Controlled, 9-to 13-Week, Fixed-Dose Studies in Subjects with Schizophrenia

In a long-term open-label pharmacokinetic and safety study in which the highest dose available (234 mg) was evaluated, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with a mean change in weight of +2.4 kg at Week 29 (n=134) and +4.3 kg at Week 53 (n=113).

During the initial 25-week open-label period of a long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with a mean change in weight of +2.2 kg and 18.4% of subjects had an increase in body weight of ≥ 7% (n=653). At the endpoint of the subsequent 15-month double-blind period of the study, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with a mean change in weight of -0.2 kg and 13.0% of subjects had an increase in body weight of ≥ 7% (n=161); the placebo group had a mean change in weight of -0.8 kg and 6.0% of subjects had an increase in body weight of ≥ 7% (n=168).

Paliperidone can induce orthostatic hypotension and syncope in some patients because of its alpha-blocking activity. Syncope was reported in < 1% (4/1293) of subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the recommended dose range of 39 mg to 234 mg in the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials compared with 0% (0/510) of subjects treated with placebo. In the four fixed-dose efficacy studies in subjects with schizophrenia, orthostatic hypotension was reported as an adverse event by < 1% (2/1293) of INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects compared to 0% (0/510) with placebo. Incidences of orthostatic hypotension and syncope in the long-term studies in subjects with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder were similar to those observed in the short-term studies.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be used with caution in patients with known cardiovascular disease (e.g., heart failure, history of myocardial infarction or ischemia, conduction abnormalities), cerebrovascular disease, or conditions that predispose the patient to hypotension (e.g., dehydration, hypovolemia, and treatment with antihypertensive medications). Monitoring of orthostatic vital signs should be considered in patients who are vulnerable to hypotension.

Somnolence, postural hypotension, motor and sensory instability have been reported with the use of antipsychotics, including INVEGA SUSTENNA®, which may lead to falls and, consequently, fractures or other fall-related injuries. For patients, particularly the elderly, with diseases, conditions, or medications that could exacerbate these effects, assess the risk of falls when initiating antipsychotic treatment and recurrently for patients on long-term antipsychotic therapy.

In clinical trial and/or postmarketing experience, events of leukopenia/neutropenia have been reported temporally related to antipsychotic agents, including INVEGA® , an oral form of paliperidone. Agranulocytosis has also been reported.

Possible risk factors for leukopenia/neutropenia include pre-existing low white blood cell count (WBC) and history of drug-induced leukopenia/neutropenia. Patients with a history of a clinically significant low WBC or a drug-induced leukopenia/neutropenia should have their complete blood count (CBC) monitored frequently during the first few months of therapy and discontinuation of INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be considered at the first sign of a clinically significant decline in WBC in the absence of other causative factors.

Patients with clinically significant neutropenia should be carefully monitored for fever or other symptoms or signs of infection and treated promptly if such symptoms or signs occur. Patients with severe neutropenia (absolute neutrophil count < 1000/mm³) should discontinue INVEGA SUSTENNA® and have their WBC followed until recovery.

Like other drugs that antagonize dopamine D2 receptors, paliperidone elevates prolactin levels and the elevation persists during chronic administration. Paliperidone has a prolactin-elevating effect similar to that seen with risperidone, a drug that is associated with higher levels of prolactin than other antipsychotic drugs.

Hyperprolactinemia, regardless of etiology, may suppress hypothalamic GnRH, resulting in reduced pituitary gonadotrophin secretion. This, in turn, may inhibit reproductive function by impairing gonadal steroidogenesis in both female and male patients. Galactorrhea, amenorrhea, gynecomastia, and impotence have been reported in patients receiving prolactin-elevating compounds. Long-standing hyperprolactinemia when associated with hypogonadism may lead to decreased bone density in both female and male subjects.

Tissue culture experiments indicate that approximately one-third of human breast cancers are prolactin dependent in vitro, a factor of potential importance if the prescription of these drugs is considered in a patient with previously detected breast cancer. An increase in the incidence of pituitary gland, mammary gland, and pancreatic islet cell neoplasia (mammary adenocarcinomas, pituitary and pancreatic adenomas) was observed in the risperidone carcinogenicity studies conducted in mice and rats. Neither clinical studies nor epidemiologic studies conducted to date have shown an association between chronic administration of this class of drugs and tumorigenesis in humans, but the available evidence is too limited to be conclusive.

Somnolence, sedation, and dizziness were reported as adverse reactions in subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Antipsychotics, including INVEGA SUSTENNA®, have the potential to impair judgment, thinking, or motor skills. Patients should be cautioned about performing activities requiring mental alertness, such as operating hazardous machinery or operating a motor vehicle, until they are reasonably certain that paliperidone therapy does not adversely affect them.

In the four fixed-dose double-blind placebo-controlled studies in subjects with schizophrenia, < 1% (1/1293) of subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the recommended dose range of 39 mg to 234 mg experienced an adverse event of convulsion compared with < 1% (1/510) of placebo-treated subjects who experienced an adverse event of grand mal convulsion.

Like other antipsychotic drugs, INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be used cautiously in patients with a history of seizures or other conditions that potentially lower the seizure threshold. Conditions that lower the seizure threshold may be more prevalent in patients 65 years or older.

Esophageal dysmotility and aspiration have been associated with antipsychotic drug use. Aspiration pneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with advanced Alzheimer's dementia. INVEGA SUSTENNA® and other antipsychotic drugs should be used cautiously in patients at risk for aspiration pneumonia.

Drugs with alpha-adrenergic blocking effects have been reported to induce priapism. Although no cases of priapism have been reported in clinical trials with INVEGA SUSTENNA®, priapism has been reported with oral paliperidone during postmarketing surveillance. Severe priapism may require surgical intervention.

Disruption of the body's ability to reduce core body temperature has been attributed to antipsychotic agents. Appropriate care is advised when prescribing INVEGA SUSTENNA® to patients who will be experiencing conditions which may contribute to an elevation in core body temperature, e.g., exercising strenuously, exposure to extreme heat, receiving concomitant medication with anticholinergic activity, or being subject to dehydration.

See FDA-approved patient labeling (PATIENT INFORMATION)

Physicians are advised to discuss the following issues with patients for whom they prescribe INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

Patients should be advised that there is risk of orthostatic hypotension, particularly at the time of initiating treatment, re-initiating treatment, or increasing the dose.

Patients should be cautioned about operating hazardous machinery, including automobiles, until they are reasonably certain that INVEGA SUSTENNA® therapy does not affect them adversely, as INVEGA SUSTENNA® has the potential to impair judgment, thinking, or motor skills.

Patients should be advised to notify their physician if they become pregnant or intend to become pregnant during treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

Inform patients and caregivers that INVEGA SUSTENNA® is present in human breast milk; there is a potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants. Advise patients that the decision whether to discontinue n

Dosage (Posology) and method of administration

Each injection must be administered only by a health care professional.

Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for foreign matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever product and container permit.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is intended for intramuscular use only. Do not administer by any other route. Avoid inadvertent injection into a blood vessel. Administer the dose in a single injection; do not administer the dose in divided injections. Inject slowly, deep into the muscle.

The recommended needle size for administration of INVEGA SUSTENNA® into the deltoid muscle is determined by the patient's weight:

• For patients weighing less than 90 kg, the 1-inch, 23 gauge needle is recommended.
• For patients weighing 90 kg or more, the 1½-inch, 22 gauge needle is recommended.

Deltoid injections should be alternated between the two deltoid muscles.

The recommended needle size for administration of INVEGA SUSTENNA® into the gluteal muscle is the 1½-inch, 22 gauge needle regardless of patient weight.

Administer into the upper-outer quadrant of the gluteal muscle. Gluteal injections should be alternated between the two gluteal muscles.

For patients who have never taken oral paliperidone or oral or injectable risperidone, it is recommended to establish tolerability with oral paliperidone or oral risperidone prior to initiating treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

The recommended dosing of INVEGA SUSTENNA® for each approved indication is displayed in Table 1. The recommended initiation of INVEGA SUSTENNA® is with a dose of 234 mg on treatment day 1 and 156 mg one week later, both administered in the deltoid muscle. Following the second initiation dose, monthly maintenance doses can be administered in either the deltoid or gluteal muscle.

Table 1: Recommended Dosing of INVEGA SUSTENNA® for Adults with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder

Adjustment of the maintenance dose may be made monthly. When making dose adjustments, the prolonged-release characteristics of INVEGA SUSTENNA® should be considered , as the full effect of the dose adjustment may not be evident for several months.

It is recommended that the second initiation dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® be given one week after the first dose. To avoid a missed dose, patients may be given the second dose 4 days before or after the one-week time point. Similarly, the third and subsequent injections after the initiation regimen are recommended to be given monthly. To avoid a missed monthly dose, patients may be given the injection up to 7 days before or after the monthly time point.

If the target date for the second INVEGA SUSTENNA® injection (one week ± 4 days) is missed, the recommended reinitiation depends on the length of time which has elapsed since the patient's first injection. In case of a missed second initiation dose follow the dosing instructions provided in Table 2.

Table 2: Management of a Missed Second Initiation Dose

In case of a missed maintenance dose follow the dosing instructions provided in Table 3.

Table 3: Management of a Missed Maintenance Dose

Since paliperidone is the major active metabolite of risperidone, caution should be exercised when INVEGA SUSTENNA® is coadministered with risperidone or with oral paliperidone for extended periods of time. Safety data involving concomitant use of INVEGA SUSTENNA® with other antipsychotics is limited.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® has not been systematically studied in patients with renal impairment. For patients with mild renal impairment (creatinine clearance ≥ 50 mL/min to < 80 mL/min [Cockcroft-Gault Formula]), initiate INVEGA SUSTENNA® with a dose of 156 mg on treatment day 1 and 117 mg one week later. Administer both doses in the deltoid muscle. Thereafter, follow with monthly injections of 78 mg in either the deltoid or gluteal muscle.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is not recommended in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 50 mL/min).

It may be necessary to increase the dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® when a strong inducer of both CYP3A4 and P-gp (e.g., carbamazepine, rifampin, St John's wort) is co-administered. Conversely, on discontinuation of the strong inducer, it may be necessary to decrease the dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® .

There are no systematically collected data to specifically address switching patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder from other antipsychotics to INVEGA SUSTENNA® , or concerning concomitant administration with other antipsychotics.

For patients who have never taken oral paliperidone or oral or injectable risperidone, tolerability should be established with oral paliperidone or oral risperidone prior to initiating treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

Previous oral antipsychotics can be gradually discontinued at the time of initiation of treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Recommended initiation of INVEGA SUSTENNA® is with a dose of 234 mg on treatment day 1 and 156 mg one week later, both administered in the deltoid muscle. Patients previously stabilized on different doses of INVEGA® Extended-Release tablets can attain similar paliperidone steady-state exposure during maintenance treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA® monthly doses as depicted in Table 4.

Table 4: Doses of INVEGA® and INVEGA SUSTENNA® needed to attain similar steady-state paliperidone exposure during maintenance treatment

For patients who have never taken oral paliperidone or oral or injectable risperidone, tolerability should be established with oral paliperidone or oral risperidone prior to initiating treatment with INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

When switching patients currently at steady-state on a long-acting injectable antipsychotic, initiate INVEGA SUSTENNA® therapy in place of the next scheduled injection. INVEGA SUSTENNA® should then be continued at monthly intervals. The one-week initiation dosing regimen as described in Section 2.2 is not required. See Table 1 above for recommended monthly maintenance dosing. Based on previous clinical history of tolerability and/or efficacy, some patients may benefit from lower or higher maintenance doses within the available strengths (39 mg, 78 mg, 117 mg, 156 mg, and 234 mg). The 39 mg strength was not studied in the long-term schizoaffective disorder study. Monthly maintenance doses can be administered in either the deltoid or gluteal muscle.

If INVEGA SUSTENNA® is discontinued, its prolonged-release characteristics must be considered. As recommended with other antipsychotic medications, the need for continuing existing extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) medication should be re-evaluated periodically.

Each injection must be administered only by a health care professional.

The kit contains a prefilled syringe and 2 safety needles (a 1 ½-inch 22 gauge needle and a 1-inch 23 gauge needle) for intramuscular injection.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® is for single use only.

a. Shake the syringe vigorously for a minimum of 10 seconds to ensure a homogeneous suspension.

b. Select the appropriate needle. For DELTOID injection:

• If the patient weighs less than 90 kg, use the 1-inch 23 gauge needle (needle with blue colored hub).
• If the patient weighs 90 kg or more, use the 1 ½-inch 22 gauge needle (needle with gray colored hub).

For GLUTEAL injection:

Use the 1 ½-inch 22 gauge needle (needle with gray colored hub) regardless of patient's weight.

c. While holding the syringe upright, remove the rubber tip cap with an easy clockwise twisting motion.

d. Peel the safety needle pouch half way open. Grasp the needle sheath using the plastic peel pouch. Attach the safety needle to the luer connection of the syringe with an easy clockwise twisting motion.

e. Pull the needle sheath away from the needle with a straight pull. Do not twist the sheath as the needle may be loosened from the syringe.

f. Bring the syringe with the attached needle in upright position to de-aerate. De-aerate the syringe by moving the plunger rod carefully forward.

g. Inject the entire contents intramuscularly slowly, deep into the selected deltoid or gluteal muscle of the patient. Do not administer by any other route.

h. After the injection is complete, use either thumb or finger of one hand (h1, h2) or a flat surface (h3) to activate the needle protection system. The needle protection system is fully activated when a ‘click' is heard. Discard the syringe with needle appropriately.

Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

The following are discussed in more detail in other sections of the labeling:

• Increased mortality in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis
• Cerebrovascular adverse reactions, including stroke, in elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis
• Neuroleptic malignant syndrome
• QT prolongation
• Tardive dyskinesia
• Metabolic changes
• Orthostatic hypotension and syncope
• Falls
• Leukopenia, neutropenia, and agranulocytosis
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Potential for cognitive and motor impairment
• Seizures
• Dysphagia
• Priapism
• Disruption of body temperature regulation

The most common (at least 5% in any INVEGA SUSTENNA® group) and likely drug-related (adverse events for which the drug rate is at least twice the placebo rate) adverse reactions from the double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia were injection site reactions, somnolence/sedation, dizziness, akathisia, and extrapyramidal disorder. No occurrences of adverse events reached this threshold in the long-term double-blind, placebo-controlled study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder.

The data described in this section are derived from a clinical trial database consisting of a total of 3817 subjects (approximately 1705 patient-years exposure) with schizophrenia who received at least one dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the recommended dose range of 39 mg to 234 mg and a total of 510 subjects with schizophrenia who received placebo. Among the 3817 INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects, 1293 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (one 9-week and three 13-week studies), 849 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in the maintenance trial (median exposure 229 days during the initial 33-week open-label phase of this study, of whom 205 continued to receive INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the double-blind placebo-controlled phase of this study [median exposure 171 days]), and 1675 received INVEGA SUSTENNA® in five non-placebo controlled trials (three noninferiority active-comparator trials, one long-term open-label pharmacokinetic and safety study, and an injection site [deltoid-gluteal] cross-over trial). One of the 13-week studies included a 234 mg INVEGA SUSTENNA® initiation dose followed by treatment with either 39 mg, 156 mg, or 234 mg every 4 weeks.

The safety of INVEGA SUSTENNA® was also evaluated in a long-term study in adult subjects with schizoaffective disorder. A total of 667 subjects received INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the initial 25-week open-label period of this study (median exposure 147 days); 164 subjects continued to receive INVEGA SUSTENNA® during the 15-month double-blind placebo-controlled period of this study (median exposure 446 days). Adverse reactions that occurred more frequently in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® than the placebo group (a 2% difference or more between groups) were weight increased, nasopharyngitis, headache, hyperprolactinemia, and pyrexia.

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 clinical practice.

Table 10 lists the adverse reactions reported in 2% or more of INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects and at a greater proportion than in the placebo group with schizophrenia in the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials.

Table 10: Incidence of Adverse Reactions in ≥ 2% of INVEGA SUSTENNA®-Treated Subjects (and greater than Placebo) with Schizophrenia in Four Fixed-Dose, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials

The following list does not include reactions: 1) already listed in previous tables or elsewhere in labeling, 2) for which a drug cause was remote, 3) which were so general as to be uninformative, or 4) which were not considered to have significant clinical implications.

Cardiac disorders: atrioventricular block first degree, bradycardia, bundle branch block, palpitations, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, tachycardia

Ear and labyrinth disorders: vertigo

Eye disorders: eye movement disorder, eye rolling, oculogyric crisis, vision blurred

Gastrointestinal disorders: constipation, dyspepsia, flatulence, salivary hypersecretion

Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity

Investigations: alanine aminotransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, electrocardiogram abnormal

Metabolism and nutrition disorders: decreased appetite, hyperinsulinemia, increased appetite

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: arthralgia, joint stiffness, muscle rigidity, muscle spasms, muscle tightness, muscle twitching, nuchal rigidity

Nervous system disorders: bradykinesia, cerebrovascular accident, convulsion, dizziness postural, drooling, dysarthria, dyskinesia, dystonia, hypertonia, lethargy, oromandibular dystonia, parkinsonism, psychomotor hyperactivity, syncope

Psychiatric disorders: insomnia, restlessness

Reproductive system and breast disorders: amenorrhea, breast discharge, erectile dysfunction, galactorrhea, gynecomastia, menstrual disorder, menstruation delayed, menstruation irregular, sexual dysfunction

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: nasal congestion

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: drug eruption, pruritus, pruritus generalized, rash, urticaria

The percentage of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events in the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled schizophrenia trials were similar for INVEGA SUSTENNA®and placebo-treated subjects.

The percentage of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events in the open-label period of the long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder was 7.5%. During the double-blind, placebo-controlled period of that study, the percentages of subjects who discontinued due to adverse events were 5.5% and 1.8% in INVEGA SUSTENNA®-and placebo-treated subjects, respectively.

Based on the pooled data from the four fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia, among the adverse reactions that occurred at ≥ 2% incidence in the subjects treated with INVEGA SUSTENNA® , only akathisia increased with dose. Hyperprolactinemia also exhibited a dose relationship, but did not occur at ≥ 2% incidence in INVEGA SUSTENNA®-treated subjects from the four fixed-dose studies.

An examination of population subgroups in the double-blind placebo-controlled trials did not reveal any evidence of differences in safety on the basis of age, gender, or race alone; however, there were few subjects ≥ 65 years of age.

Pooled data from the two double-blind, placebo-controlled, 13-week, fixed-dose trials in adult subjects with schizophrenia provided information regarding EPS. Several methods were used to measure EPS: (1) the Simpson-Angus global score (mean change from baseline or score at the end of trial) which broadly evaluates Parkinsonism, (2) the Barnes Akathisia Rating Scale global clinical rating score (mean change from baseline or score at the end of trial) which evaluates akathisia, (3) use of anticholinergic medications to treat EPS, (4) the Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale scores (mean change from baseline or scores at the end of trial) (Table 11), and (5) incidence of spontaneous reports of EPS (Table 12).

Table 11: Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS) Assessed by Incidence of Rating Scales and Use of Anticholinergic Medication - Schizophrenia Studies in Adults

Table 12: Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS)-Related Events by MedDRA Preferred Term - Schizophrenia Studies in Adults

The results across all phases of the maintenance trial in subjects with schizophrenia exhibited comparable findings. In the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, the proportions of Parkinsonism and akathisia assessed by incidence of rating scales were higher in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 156 mg group (18% and 11%, respectively) than in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 78 mg group (9% and 5%, respectively) and placebo group (7% and 4%, respectively).

In the 13-week study in subjects with schizophrenia involving 234 mg initiation dosing, the incidence of any EPS was similar to that of the placebo group (8%), but exhibited a dose-related pattern with 6%, 10%, and 11% in the INVEGA SUSTENNA® 234/39 mg, 234/156 mg, and 234/234 mg groups, respectively. Hyperkinesia was the most frequent category of EPS-related adverse events in this study, and was reported at a similar rate between the placebo (4.9%) and INVEGA SUSTENNA® 234/156 mg (4.8%) and 234/234 mg (5.5%) groups, but at a lower rate in the 234/39 mg group (1.3%).

In the long-term study in subjects with schizoaffective disorder, the EPS during the 25-week open-label INVEGA SUSTENNA® treatment were hyperkinesia (12.3%), parkinsonism (8.7%), tremor (3.4%), dyskinesia (2.5%), and dystonia (2.1%). During the 15-month double-blind treatment, the incidence of any EPS was similar to that of the placebo group (8.5% and 7.1% respectively). The most commonly reported treatment-emergent EPS-related adverse events ( > 2%) in any treatment group in the double-blind phase of the study (INVEGA SUSTENNA® versus placebo) were hyperkinesia (3.7% vs. 2.9%), parkinsonism (3.0% vs. 1.8%), and tremor (1.2% vs. 2.4%).

Symptoms of dystonia, prolonged abnormal contractions of muscle groups, may occur in susceptible individuals during the first few days of treatment. Dystonic symptoms include: spasm of the neck muscles, sometimes progressing to tightness of the throat, swallowing difficulty, difficulty breathing, and/or protrusion of the tongue. While these symptoms can occur at low doses, they occur more frequently and with greater severity with high potency and at higher doses of first generation antipsychotic drugs. An elevated risk of acute dystonia is observed in males and younger age groups.

In the pooled data from the two double-blind, placebo-controlled, 13-week, fixed-dose trials in subjects with schizophrenia, a between-group comparison revealed no medically important differences between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo in the proportions of subjects experiencing potentially clinically significant changes in routine serum chemistry, hematology, or urinalysis parameters. Similarly, there were no differences between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo in the incidence of discontinuations due to changes in hematology, urinalysis, or serum chemistry, including mean changes from baseline in fasting glucose, insulin, c-peptide, triglycerides, HDL, LDL, and total cholesterol measurements. However, INVEGA SUSTENNA® was associated with increases in serum prolactin. The results from the 13-week study involving 234 mg initiation dosing, the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, and the double-blind phase of the maintenance trial in subjects with schizophrenia exhibited comparable findings.

In the pooled data from the two 13-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in subjects with schizophrenia, the mean intensity of injection pain reported by subjects using a visual analog scale (0 = no pain to 100 = unbearably painful) decreased in all treatment groups from the first to the last injection (placebo: 10.9 to 9.8; 39 mg: 10.3 to 7.7; 78 mg: 10.0 to 9.2; 156 mg: 11.1 to 8.8). The results from both the 9-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial and the double-blind phase of the maintenance trial exhibited comparable findings.

In the 13-week study involving 234 mg initiation dosing in subjects with schizophrenia, occurrences of induration, redness, or swelling, as assessed by blinded study personnel, were infrequent, generally mild, decreased over time, and similar in incidence between the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups. Investigator ratings of injection pain were similar for the placebo and INVEGA SUSTENNA® groups. Investigator evaluations of the injection site after the first injection for redness, swelling, induration, and pain were rated as absent for 69-100% of subjects in both the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups. At Day 92, investigators rated absence of redness, swelling, induration, and pain in 95-100% of subjects in both the INVEGA SUSTENNA® and placebo groups.

The following is a list of additional adverse reactions that have been reported in clinical trials with oral paliperidone:

Cardiac disorders: bundle branch block left, sinus arrhythmia

Gastrointestinal disorders: abdominal pain, small intestinal obstruction

General disorders and administration site conditions: edema, edema peripheral

Immune system disorders: anaphylactic reaction

Infections and infestations: rhinitis

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: musculoskeletal pain, torticollis, trismus

Nervous system disorders: cogwheel rigidity, grand mal convulsion, parkinsonian gait, transient ischemic attack

Psychiatric disorders: sleep disorder

Reproductive system and breast disorders: breast engorgement, breast tenderness/breast pain, retrograde ejaculation

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: pharyngolaryngeal pain, pneumonia aspiration

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: rash papular

Vascular disorders: hypotension, ischemia

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of paliperidone; because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. Reactions already listed in other parts of ADVERSE REACTIONS (6), or those considered in WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS (5) are not listed here.

Blood disorders: thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura

Gastrointestinal disorders: ileus

Genitourinary disorders: urinary incontinence, urinary retention

Immune system disorders: angioedema, swollen tongue

Cases of anaphylactic reaction after injection with INVEGA SUSTENNA® have been reported during postmarketing experience in patients who have previously tolerated oral risperidone or oral paliperidone.

Paliperidone is the major active metabolite of risperidone. Adverse reactions reported with oral risperidone and risperidone long-acting injection can be found in the ADVERSE REACTIONS sections of the package inserts for those products.

Because paliperidone palmitate is hydrolyzed to paliperidone , results from studies with oral paliperidone should be taken into consideration when assessing drug-drug interaction potential.

Paliperidone may antagonize the effect of levodopa and other dopamine agonists.

Because of its potential for inducing orthostatic hypotension, an additive effect may occur when INVEGA SUSTENNA® is administered with other therapeutic agents that have this potential.

No dose adjustment is necessary for lithium when it is coadministered with INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Pharmacokinetic interaction between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and lithium is unlikely.

No dose adjustment is necessary for valproate when INVEGA SUSTENNA® is added to the therapy. Steady-state pharmacokinetics of valproate was not affected when patients were coadministered oral paliperidone extended-release tablets.

Paliperidone is not expected to cause clinically important pharmacokinetic interactions with drugs that are metabolized by cytochrome P450 isozymes.

On initiation of strong inducers of both CYP3A4 and P-gp (e.g., carbamazepine, rifampin, or St John's wort), it may be necessary to increase the dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA®. Conversely, on discontinuation of the strong inducer, it may be necessary to decrease the dose of INVEGA SUSTENNA®.

No dose adjustment is necessary for INVEGA SUSTENNA® when valproate is added to treatment.

No dose adjustment is necessary for INVEGA SUSTENNA® when it is coadministered with lithium. Pharmacokinetic interaction between INVEGA SUSTENNA® and lithium is unlikely.

In vitro studies indicate that CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 may be involved in paliperidone metabolism; however, there is no evidence in vivo that inhibitors of these enzymes significantly affect the metabolism of paliperidone. Paliperidone is not a substrate of CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2C9, and CYP2C19; an interaction with inhibitors or inducers of these isozymes is unlikely.

INVEGA SUSTENNA® (paliperidone) is not a controlled substance.

Paliperidone has not been systematically studied in animals or humans for its potential for abuse.

Paliperidone has not been systematically studied in animals or humans for its potential for tolerance or physical dependence.