Bendamustine Drug Information

• Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen. Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is an alkylating drug indicated for treatment of adult patients with:
• Indolent B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) that has progressed during or within six months of treatment with rituximab or a rituximab-containing regimen.

Admixture Stability

Bendamustine hydrochloride injection contains no antimicrobial preservative. The admixture should be prepared as close as possible to the time of patient administration. If diluted with 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP, or 2.5% Dextrose/0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP, the final admixture is stable for 24 hours when stored refrigerated (2°C to 8°C or 36°F to 46°F) or for 3 hours when stored at room temperature (15°C to 30°C or 59°F to 86°F) and room light.

Administration of diluted bendamustine hydrochloride injection must be completed within this period of time. Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is supplied in a multiple-dose vial. Retain the partially used vial in original package to protect from light and store refrigerated (2°C to 8°C or 36°F to 46°F) if additional dose withdrawal from the same vial is intended.

Stability of Partially Used Vials (Needle Punched Vials)

Although it does not contain any antimicrobial preservative, bendamustine hydrochloride injection is bacteriostatic. The partially used vials are stable for up to 28 days when stored in its original carton under refrigeration (2°C to 8°C or 36°F to 46°F). Each vial is not recommended for more than a total of six dose withdrawals.

After first use, store the partially used vial in original carton at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F), and then discard after 28 days.

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Clinical Trials Experience in NHL The data described below reflect exposure to bendamustine hydrochloride in 176 patients with indolent B-cell NHL treated in two single-arm studies. The adverse reactions occurring in at least 5% of the NHL patients, regardless of severity, are shown in Table 3.

NOTE: Patients counted only once in each preferred term category and once in each system organ class category. Hematologic toxicities, based on laboratory values and CTC grade, in NHL patients treated in both single arm studies combined are described in Table 4. Table 4: Incidence of Hematology Laboratory Abnormalities in Patients Who Received Bendamustine Hydrochloride in the NHL Studies In both studies, serious adverse reactions, regardless of causality, were reported in 37% of patients receiving bendamustine hydrochloride.

The most common serious adverse reactions occurring in ≥5% of patients were febrile neutropenia and pneumonia. Other important serious adverse reactions reported in clinical trials and/or post-marketing experience were acute renal failure, cardiac failure, hypersensitivity, skin reactions, pulmonary fibrosis, and myelodysplastic syndrome. Serious drug-related adverse reactions reported in clinical trials included myelosuppression, infection, pneumonia, tumor lysis syndrome and infusion reactions.

Adverse reactions occurring less frequently but possibly related to bendamustine hydrochloride treatment were hemolysis, dysgeusia/taste disorder, atypical pneumonia, sepsis, herpes zoster, erythema, dermatitis, and skin necrosis.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of bendamustine hydrochloride. Because these reactions are 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. Blood and lymphatic systems disorders: Pancytopenia Cardiovascular disorders: Atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure (some fatal), myocardial infarction (some fatal), palpitation General disorders and administration site conditions: Injection site reactions (including phlebitis, pruritus, irritation, pain, swelling), infusion site reactions (including phlebitis, pruritus, irritation, pain, swelling) Immune system disorders: Anaphylaxis Infections and infestations: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) Renal and urinary disorders: Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: Pneumonitis Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN).

Effect of Other Drugs on Bendamustine Hydrochloride Injection CYP1A2 Inhibitors The coadministration of bendamustine hydrochloride injection with CYP1A2 inhibitors may increase bendamustine plasma concentrations and may result in increased incidence of adverse reactions with bendamustine hydrochloride injection. Consider alternative therapies that are not CYP1A2 inhibitors during treatment with bendamustine hydrochloride injection. CYP1A2 Inducers The coadministration of bendamustine hydrochloride injection with CYP1A2 inducers may decrease bendamustine plasma concentrations and may result in decreased efficacy of bendamustine hydrochloride injection.

Pregnancy Risk Summary In animal reproduction studies, intraperitoneal administration of bendamustine to pregnant mice and rats during organogenesis at doses 0.6 to 1.8 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) resulted in embryo-fetal and/or infant mortality, structural abnormalities, and alterations to growth (see Data). There are no available data on bendamustine hydrochloride use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus.

The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is respectively.

Data Animal Data Bendamustine hydrochloride was intraperitoneally administered once to mice from 210 mg/m 2 (approximately 1.8 times the MRHD) during organogenesis and caused an increase in resorptions, skeletal and visceral malformations (exencephaly, cleft palates, accessory rib, and spinal deformities) and decreased fetal body weights. This dose did not appear to be maternally toxic and lower doses were not evaluated. Bendamustine hydrochloride was intraperitoneally administered once to rats from 120 mg/m 2 (approximately the MRHD) on gestation days and caused embryo and fetal lethality as indicated by increased resorptions and a decrease in live fetuses.

A significant increase in external (effect on tail, head, and herniation of external organs ) and internal (hydronephrosis and hydrocephalus) malformations were seen in dosed rats.

Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established. Safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy were assessed in a single open-label trial (NCT01088984) in patients aged 1 to 19 years with relapsed or refractory acute leukemia, including 27 patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and 16 patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Bendamustine hydrochloride was administered as an intravenous infusion over 60 minutes on Days 1 and 2 of each 21-day cycle.

There was no treatment response (CR+ CRp) in any patient. The safety profile in these patients was consistent with that seen in adults, and no new safety signals were identified. The pharmacokinetics of bendamustine in 43 patients, aged 1 to 19 years (median age of 10 years) were within range of values previously observed in adults given the same dose based on body surface area.

Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity (e.g., anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions) to bendamustine, polyethylene glycol 400, absolute ethanol, sodium hydroxide and monothioglycerol. Bendamustine hydrochloride injection is contraindicated in patients with a history of a hypersensitivity reaction to bendamustine, polyethylene glycol 400, absolute ethanol, sodium hydroxide and monothioglycerol. Reactions to bendamustine hydrochloride have included anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions.

The intravenous LD 50 of bendamustine hydrochloride is 240 mg/m 2 in the mouse and rat. Toxicities included sedation, tremor, ataxia, convulsions and respiratory distress. Across all clinical experience, the reported maximum single dose received was 280 mg/m 2.

Three of four patients treated at this dose showed ECG changes considered dose-limiting at 7 and 21 days post-dosing. These changes included QT prolongation (one patient), sinus tachycardia (one patient), ST and T wave deviations (two patients) and left anterior fascicular block (one patient). Cardiac enzymes and ejection fractions remained normal in all patients.

No specific antidote for bendamustine hydrochloride overdose is known. Management of overdosage should include general supportive measures, including monitoring of hematologic parameters and ECGs.