Femara Drug Information

Generic name: LETROZOLE

Aromatase Inhibitor [EPC]

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Uses of Femara

Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer Femara (letrozole) is indicated for the

adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.

Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer Femara is indicated for the

extended adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer in postmenopausal women, who have received 5 years of adjuvant tamoxifen therapy. The effectiveness of Femara in extended adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer is based on an analysis of disease-free survival (DFS) in patients treated with Femara for a median of 60 months .

First and Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer Femara is indicated for

first-line treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor positive or unknown, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. Femara is also indicated for the treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression following antiestrogen therapy.

Dosage & Administration of Femara

Recommended Dose

The recommended dose of Femara is one 2.5 mg tablet administered once a day, without regard to meals.

Use in Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

In the adjuvant setting, the optimal duration of treatment with letrozole is unknown. In both the adjuvant study and the post approval adjuvant study, median treatment duration was 5 years. Treatment should be discontinued at relapse .

Use in Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

In the extended adjuvant setting, the optimal treatment duration with Femara is not known. The planned duration of treatment in the study was 5 years. In the final updated analysis, conducted at a median follow-up of 62 months, the median treatment duration for Femara was 60 months.

Seventy-one percent (71%) of patients were treated for at least 3 years and 58% of patients completed at least 4.5 years of extended adjuvant treatment. The treatment should be discontinued at tumor relapse .

Use in First and Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer

In patients with advanced disease, treatment with Femara should continue until tumor progression is evident .

Use in Hepatic Impairment No dosage adjustment is recommended for patients with

mild to moderate hepatic impairment, although Femara blood concentrations were modestly increased in subjects with moderate hepatic impairment due to cirrhosis. The dose of Femara in patients with cirrhosis and severe hepatic dysfunction should be reduced by 50% . The recommended dose of Femara for such patients is 2.5 mg administered every other day. The effect of hepatic impairment on Femara exposure in noncirrhotic cancer patients with elevated bilirubin levels has not been determined.

Use in Renal Impairment No dosage adjustment is required for patients with

renal impairment if creatinine clearance is greater than or equal to 10 mL/min .

Side Effects of Femara

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reactions 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. Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer In study, BIG 1-98, the median treatment duration of adjuvant treatment was 60 months and the median duration of follow-up for safety was 96 months for patients receiving Femara and tamoxifen. Certain adverse reactions were prospectively specified for analysis (see Table 1), based on the known pharmacologic properties and side effect profiles of the two drugs.

Adverse reactions were analyzed irrespective of whether a symptom was present or absent at baseline. Most adverse reactions reported (approximately 75% of patients who reported AEs) were Grade 1 or Grade 2 applying the Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC) Version 2.0/Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), Version 3.0. Table 1 describes adverse reactions (Grades 1-4 and Grades 3-4) irrespective of relationship to study treatment in the adjuvant trial for the monotherapy arms analysis (safety population). Table 1: Patients With Adverse Reactions (CTC Grades 1-4) in the Adjuvant Study – Monotherapy Arms Analysis (Median Follow-up 96 Months; Median Treatment 60 Months) Grades 1-4 Grades 3-4 Femara Tamoxifen Femara Tamoxifen Adverse R eaction s N = 2448 N = 2447 N = 2448 N = 2447 n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%) Patients with any adverse reaction 2309 2212 636 606 Hypercholesterolemia* 1280 700 11 6 Hot flashes* 819 929 - - - - Arthralgia/arthritis* 621 504 84 50 Bone fractures 1 361 280 - - - - Night sweats* 356 426 - - - - Weight increase* 317 378 27 39 Nausea* 284 277 6 9 Bone fractures** 2 249 175 - - - - Fatigue (lethargy, malaise, asthenia)* 235 250 6 7 Myalgia* 221 212 18 14 Vaginal bleeding* 129 320 1 (< 0.1) 8 Edema* 164 160 3 1 (< 0.1) Weight decrease 140 129 8 5 Osteoporosis** 126 67 10 5 Back pain 125 136 7 11 Bone pain 123 109 6 4 Depression 119 114 16 14 Vaginal irritation* 112 77 2 (< 0.1) 2 (< 0.1) Headache* 105 94 8 4 Pain in extremity 103 79 6 4 Osteopenia* 87 76 0 - 3 Dizziness/light-headedness* 84 80 1 (< 0.1) 6 Alopecia 83 84 - - - - Vomiting* 80 80 3 5 Cataract* 49 54 16 17 Constipation* 49 71 3 1 (< 0.1) Myocardial infarction 1 42 28 - - - - Breast pain* 37 43 1 (< 0.1) - - Anorexia* 20 20 1 (< 0.1) 1 (< 0.1) Endometrial proliferation disorders* 14 86 0 - 14 Ovarian cyst* 11 18 4 4 Endometrial hyperplasia/cancer** 1 11 72 - - - - Endometrial hyperplasia/cancer**, 3 6/1909 57/1943 - - - - Other endometrial disorders* 2 (< 0.1) 3 0 - 0 - Myocardial infarction** 2 24 12 - - - - Myocardial ischemia 6 9 - - - - Cerebrovascular accident/TIA** 1 74 68 - - - - Cerebrovascular accident/TIA** 2 51 47 - - - - Angina requiring surgery** 1 35 33 - - - - Angina requiring surgery** 2 25 25 - - - - Thromboembolic event** 1 79 113 - - - - Thromboembolic event** 2 51 89 - - - - Cardiac failure 1 39 34 - - - - Cardiac failure 2 27 15 - - - - Hypertension 1 160 175 - - - - Hypertension 2 138 139 - - - - Other cardiovascular** 1 172 174 - - - - Other cardiovascular** 2 120 119 - - - - Second primary malignancy 1 129 150 - - - - Second primary malignancy 2 54 79 - - - - *Target events pre-specified for analysis **Events pre-printed on CRF 1 At median follow-up of 96 months (i.e., any time after randomization) for Femara (range up to 144 months) and 95 months for tamoxifen (range up to 143 months). 2 At median treatment duration of 60 months (i.e. during treatment + 30 days after discontinuation of treatment) for Femara and tamoxifen (range up to 68 months). 3 Excluding women who had undergone hysterectomy before study entry. TIA = Transient ischemic attack.

Note: Cardiovascular events (including cerebrovascular and thromboembolic events), skeletal and urogenital/endometrial events and second primary malignancies were collected life -long. All of these events were assumed to be of CTC Grade 3 to 5 and were not individually graded. When considering all grades during study treatment, a higher incidence of events was seen for Femara regarding fractures (10.1% vs 7.1%), myocardial infarctions (1.0% vs 0.5%), and arthralgia (25.2% vs 20.4%) (Femara vs tamoxifen respectively). A higher incidence was seen for tamoxifen regarding thromboembolic events (2.1% vs 3.6%), endometrial hyperplasia/cancer (0.3% vs 2.9%), and endometrial proliferation disorders (0.3% vs 1.8%) (Femara vs tamoxifen respectively). At a median follow-up of 96 months, a higher incidence of events was seen for Femara (14.7%) than for tamoxifen (11.4%) regarding fractures.

A higher incidence was seen for tamoxifen compared to Femara regarding thromboembolic events (4.6% vs 3.2%), and endometrial hyperplasia or cancer (2.9% vs 0.4%) (tamoxifen vs Femara, respectively). Bone Study : Results of a safety trial in 263 postmenopausal women with resected receptor positive early breast cancer in the adjuvant setting comparing the effect on lumbar spine (L2-L4) BMD of adjuvant treatment with letrozole to that with tamoxifen showed at 24 months a median decrease in lumbar spine BMD of 4.1% in the letrozole arm compared to a median increase of 0.3% in the tamoxifen arm (difference = 4.4%) ( P < 0.0001). No patients with a normal BMD at baseline became osteoporotic over the 2 years and only 1 patient with osteopenia at baseline (T score of -1.9) developed osteoporosis during the treatment period (assessment by central review). The results for total hip BMD were similar, although the differences between the two treatments were less pronounced. During the 2 year period, fractures were reported by 4 of 103 patients (4%) in the letrozole arm, and 6 of 97 patients (6%) in the tamoxifen arm. Lipid Study : In a safety trial in 263 postmenopausal women with resected receptor positive early breast cancer at 24 months comparing the effects on lipid profiles of adjuvant letrozole to tamoxifen, 12% of patients on letrozole had at least one total cholesterol value of a higher CTCAE grade than at baseline compared with 4% of patients on tamoxifen.

In another postapproval randomized, multicenter, open label, study of letrozole vs anastrozole in the adjuvant treatment of postmenopausal women with hormone receptor and node positive breast cancer (FACE, NCT00248170), the median duration of treatment was 60 months for both treatment arms. Table 2 describes adverse reactions (Grades 1-4 and Grades 3-4) irrespective of relationship to study treatment in the adjuvant study (safety population). Table 2: Adverse Reactions (CTC Grades 1-4), Occurring in at Least 5% of Patients in Either Treatment Arm, by Preferred Term (Safety set) Adverse Reactions Letrozole N = 2049 n (%) Anastrozole N = 2062 n (%) Grade 3/4 n (%) All Grades n (%) Grade 3/4 n (%) All Grades n (%) Patients with at least one AR 628 2049 591 2062 Arthralgia 80 987 69 987 Hot flush 17 666 9 666 Fatigue 8 345 10 343 Osteoporosis 5 223 11 225 Myalgia 16 233 15 212 Back pain 11 212 17 193 Osteopenia 4 203 1 173 Pain in extremity 9 168 3 174 Lymphoedema 5 159 2 179 Insomnia 7 160 3 149 Hypercholesterolaemia 2 155 1 151 Hypertension 25 156 20 149 Depression 16 147 13 137 Bone pain 10 138 9 122 Nausea 6 137 5 152 Headache 3 130 5 168 Alopecia 2 127 0 134 Musculoskeletal pain 6 123 9 147 Radiation skin injury 11 120 6 88 Dyspnea 16 118 10 96 Cough 1 106 1 120 Musculoskeletal stiffness 2 102 2 84 Dizziness 2 94 7 109 The following adverse reactions were also identified in less than 5% of the 2049 patients treated with letrozole and not included in the table: fall, vertigo, hyperbilirubinemia, jaundice, and chest pain. Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer, Median Treatment Duration of 24 M onths In study MA-17, the median duration of extended adjuvant treatment was 24 months and the median duration of follow-up for safety was 28 months for patients receiving Femara and placebo.

Table 3 describes the adverse reactions occurring at a frequency of at least 5% in any treatment group during treatment. Most adverse reactions reported were Grade 1 and Grade 2 based on the CTC Version 2.0. In the extended adjuvant setting, the reported drug-related adverse reactions that were significantly different from placebo were hot flashes, arthralgia/arthritis, and myalgia. Table 3: Adverse Reactions Occurring in at Least 5% of Patients in Either Treatment Arm Number (%) of Patients with Grade 1-4 Adverse Reaction s Number (%) of Patients with Grade 3-4 Adverse Reaction s Femara Placebo Femara Placebo N = 2563 N = 2573 N = 2563 N = 2573 Any Adverse Reaction s 2232 2174 419 389 Vascular Disorders 1375 1230 59 74 Flushing 1273 1114 3 0 General Disorders 1154 1090 30 28 Asthenia 862 826 16 7 Edema NOS 471 416 4 3 Musculoskeletal Disorders 978 836 71 50 Arthralgia 565 465 25 20 Arthritis NOS 173 124 10 5 Myalgia 171 122 8 6 Back Pain 129 112 8 7 Nervous System Disorders 863 819 65 58 Headache 516 508 18 17 Dizziness 363 342 9 6 Skin Disorders 830 787 17 16 Sweating Increased 619 577 1 (< 0.1) 0 Gastrointestinal Disorders 725 731 43 42 Constipation 290 304 6 2 (< 0.1) Nausea 221 212 3 10 Diarrhea NOS 128 143 12 8 Metabolic Disorders 551 537 24 32 Hypercholesterolemia 401 398 2 (< 0.1) 5 Reproductive Disorders 303 357 9 8 Vaginal Hemorrhage 123 171 2 (< 0.1) 5 Vulvovaginal Dryness 137 127 0 0 Psychiatric Disorders 320 276 21 16 Insomnia 149 120 2 (< 0.1) 2 (< 0.1) Respiratory Disorders 279 260 30 28 Dyspnea 140 137 21 18 Investigations 184 147 13 13 Infections and Infestations 166 163 40 33 Renal Disorders 130 100 12 6 Based on a median follow-up of patients for 28 months, the incidence of clinical fractures from the core randomized study in patients who received Femara was 5.9% and placebo was 5.5%. The incidence of self-reported osteoporosis was higher in patients who received Femara 6.9% than in patients who received placebo 5.5%. Bisphosphonates were administered to 21.1% of the patients who received Femara and 18.7% of the patients who received placebo.

The incidence of cardiovascular ischemic events from the core randomized study was comparable between patients who received Femara 6.8% and placebo 6.5%. A patient-reported measure that captures treatment impact on important symptoms associated with estrogen deficiency demonstrated a difference in favor of placebo for vasomotor and sexual symptom domains. Bone Substudy : Lipid Substudy : In the extended adjuvant setting, based on a median duration of follow-up of 62 months, there was no significant difference between Femara and placebo in total cholesterol or in any lipid fraction at any time over 5 years. Use of lipid lowering drugs or dietary management of elevated lipids was allowed . Updated Analy s is, Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer, Median Treatment Duration of 60 Months The extended adjuvant treatment trial (MA-17) was unblinded early . At the updated (final analysis), overall the side effects seen were consistent to those seen at a median treatment duration of 24 months.

During treatment or within 30 days of stopping treatment (median duration of treatment 60 months) a higher rate of fractures was observed for Femara (10.4%) compared to placebo (5.8%), as also a higher rate of osteoporosis (Femara 12.2% vs placebo 6.4%). Based on 62 months median duration of follow-up in the randomized letrozole arm in the safety population the incidence of new fractures at any time after randomization was 13.3% for letrozole and 7.8% for placebo. The incidence of new osteoporosis was 14.5% for letrozole and 7.8% for placebo. During treatment or within 30 days of stopping treatment (median duration of treatment 60 months), the incidence of cardiovascular events was 9.8% for Femara and 7.0% for placebo.

Based on 62 months median duration of follow-up in the randomized letrozole arm in the safety population the incidence of cardiovascular disease at any time after randomization was 14.4% for letrozole and 9.8% for placebo. Lipid Substudy : In the extended adjuvant setting (MA-17), based on a median duration of follow-up of 62 months, there was no significant difference between Femara and placebo in total cholesterol or in any lipid fraction over 5 years. Use of lipid lowering drugs or dietary management of elevated lipids was allowed . First-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer In study P025 a total of 455 patients were treated for a median time of exposure of 11 months in the Femara arm (median 6 months in the tamoxifen arm). The incidence of adverse reactions was similar for Femara and tamoxifen.

The most frequently reported adverse reactions were bone pain, hot flushes, back pain, nausea, arthralgia, and dyspnea. Discontinuations for adverse reactions other than progression of tumor occurred in 10/455 (2%) of patients on Femara and in 15/455 (3%) of patients on tamoxifen. Adverse reactions that were reported in at least 5% of the patients treated with Femara 2.5 mg or tamoxifen 20 mg in the first-line treatment study are shown in Table 4. Table 4: Adverse Reactions Occurring in at Least 5% of Patients in Either Treatment Arm Adverse Reactions Femara Tamoxifen 2.5 mg 20 mg (N = 455) (N = 455) % % General Disorders Fatigue 13 13 Chest Pain 8 9 Edema Peripheral 5 6 Pain NOS 5 7 Weakness 6 4 Investigations Weight Decreased 7 5 Vascular Disorders Hot Flushes 19 16 Hypertension 8 4 Gastrointestinal Disorders Nausea 17 17 Constipation 10 11 Diarrhea 8 4 Vomiting 7 8 Infections/Infestations Influenza 6 4 Urinary Tract Infection NOS 6 3 Injury, Poisoning and Procedural Complications Post-Mastectomy Lymphedema 7 7 Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders Anorexia 4 6 Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders Bone Pain 22 21 Back Pain 18 19 Arthralgia 16 15 Pain in Limb 10 8 Nervous System Disorders Headache NOS 8 7 Psychiatric Disorders Insomnia 7 4 Reproductive System and Breast Disorders Breast Pain 7 7 Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders Dyspnea 18 17 Cough 13 13 Chest Wall Pain 6 6 Other less frequent (less than or equal to 2%) adverse reactions considered consequential for both treatment groups, included peripheral thromboembolic events, cardiovascular events, and cerebrovascular events.

Peripheral thromboembolic events included venous thrombosis, thrombophlebitis, portal vein thrombosis, and pulmonary embolism. Cardiovascular events included angina, myocardial infarction, myocardial ischemia, and coronary heart disease. Cerebrovascular events included transient ischemic attacks, thrombotic or hemorrhagic strokes, and development of hemiparesis.

Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer Study discontinuations in the megestrol acetate comparison study (AR/BC2) for adverse reactions other than progression of tumor were 5/188 (2.7%) on Femara 0.5 mg, in 4/174 (2.3%) on Femara 2.5 mg, and in 15/190 (7.9%) on megestrol acetate. There were fewer thromboembolic events at both Femara doses than on the megestrol acetate arm (0.6% vs 4.7%). There was also less vaginal bleeding (0.3% vs 3.2%) on Femara than on megestrol acetate. In the aminoglutethimide comparison study (AR/BC3), discontinuations for reasons other than progression occurred in 6/193 (3.1%) on 0.5 mg Femara, 7/185 (3.8%) on 2.5 mg Femara, and 7/178 (3.9%) of patients on aminoglutethimide.

Comparisons of the incidence of adverse reactions revealed no significant differences between the high and low dose Femara groups in either study. Most of the adverse reactions observed in all treatment groups were mild to moderate in severity and it was generally not possible to distinguish adverse reactions due to treatment from the consequences of the patient’s metastatic breast cancer, the effects of estrogen deprivation, or intercurrent illness. Adverse reactions that were reported in at least 5% of the patients treated with Femara 0.5 mg, Femara 2.5 mg, megestrol acetate, or aminoglutethimide in the two controlled trials AR/BC2 and AR/BC3 are shown in Table 5. Table 5: Adverse Reactions Occurring at a Frequency of at Least 5% of Patients in Either Treatment Arm 1 Includes peripheral edema, leg edema, dependent edema, edema. 2 Includes musculoskeletal pain, skeletal pain, back pain, arm pain, leg pain. 3 Includes rash, erythematous rash, maculopapular rash, psoriasiform rash, vesicular rash.

Adverse Reactions Pooled Pooled Megestrol Femara Femara Acetate Aminoglutethimide 2.5 mg 0.5 mg 160 mg 500 mg (N = 359) (N = 380) (N = 189) (N = 178) % % % % Body as a Whole Chest Pain 6 3 7 3 Peripheral Edema 1 5 5 8 3 Asthenia 4 5 4 5 Weight Increase 2 2 9 3 Cardiovascular Hypertension 5 7 5 6 Digestive System Nausea 13 15 9 14 Vomiting 7 7 5 9 Constipation 6 7 9 7 Diarrhea 6 5 3 4 Pain-Abdominal 6 5 9 8 Anorexia 5 3 5 5 Dyspepsia 3 4 6 5 Infections/Infestations Viral Infection 6 5 6 3 Lab Abnormality Hypercholesterolemia 3 3 0 6 Musculoskeletal System Musculoskeletal 2 21 22 30 14 Arthralgia 8 8 8 3 Nervous System Headache 9 12 9 7 Somnolence 3 2 2 9 Dizziness 3 5 7 3 Respiratory System Dyspnea 7 9 16 5 Coughing 6 5 7 5 Skin and Appendages Hot Flushes 6 5 4 3 Rash 3 5 4 3 12 Pruritus 1 2 5 3 Other less frequent (less than 5%) adverse reactions considered consequential and reported in at least 3 patients treated with Femara, included hypercalcemia, fracture, depression, anxiety, pleural effusion, alopecia, increased sweating, and vertigo. First and Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer In the combined analysis of the first- and second-line metastatic trials and postmarketing experiences other adverse reactions that were reported were cataract, eye irritation, palpitations, cardiac failure, tachycardia, dysesthesia (including hypesthesia/paresthesia), arterial thrombosis, memory impairment, irritability, nervousness, urticaria, increased urinary frequency, leukopenia, stomatitis cancer pain, pyrexia, vaginal discharge, appetite increase, dryness of skin and mucosa (including dry mouth), and disturbances of taste and thirst.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of Femara. 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. Eye Disorders: blurred vision Hepatobiliary Disorders: increased hepatic enzymes, hepatitis Immune System Disorders: anaphylactic reactions, hypersensitivity reactions Nervous System Disorders: carpal tunnel syndrome Pregnancy: spontaneous abortions, congenital birth defects Skin and subcutaneous disorders: angioedema, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: tendon disorders including tendon rupture, tendonitis, tenosynovitis, and tenosynovitis stenosans (trigger finger)

Warnings & Cautions for Femara

Bone Effects Use of Femara may cause decreases in bone mineral density

(BMD). Consideration should be given to monitoring BMD. Results of a safety study to evaluate safety in the adjuvant setting comparing the effect on lumbar spine (L2-L4) BMD of adjuvant treatment with letrozole to that with tamoxifen showed at 24 months a median decrease in lumbar spine BMD of 4.1% in the letrozole arm compared to a median increase of 0.3% in the tamoxifen arm (difference = 4.4%) ( P < 0.0001) . Updated results from the BMD substudy (MA-17B) in the extended adjuvant setting demonstrated that at 2 years patients receiving letrozole had a median decrease from baseline of 3.8% in hip BMD compared to a median decrease of 2.0% in the placebo group. The changes from baseline in lumbar spine BMD in letrozole and placebo treated groups were not significantly different. In the adjuvant trial (BIG 1-98) the incidence of bone fractures at any time after randomization was 14.7% for letrozole and 11.4% for tamoxifen at a median follow-up of 96 months.

The incidence of osteoporosis was 5.1% for letrozole and 2.7% for tamoxifen . In the extended adjuvant trial (MA-17), the incidence of bone fractures at any time after randomization was 13.3% for letrozole and 7.8% for placebo at a median follow-up of 62 months. The incidence of new osteoporosis was 14.5% for letrozole and 7.8% for placebo .

Cholesterol Consideration should be given to monitoring serum cholesterol.

In the adjuvant trial (BIG 1-98), hypercholesterolemia was reported in 52.3% of letrozole patients and 28.6% of tamoxifen patients. Grade 3-4 hypercholesterolemia was reported in 0.4% of letrozole patients and 0.1% of tamoxifen patients. Also in the adjuvant setting, an increase of greater than or equal to 1.5 x upper limit of normal (ULN) in total cholesterol (generally nonfasting) was observed in patients on monotherapy who had baseline total serum cholesterol within the normal range (i.e., less than = 1.5 x ULN) in 155/1843 (8.4%) patients on letrozole vs 71/1840 (3.9%) patients on tamoxifen Lipid lowering medications were required for 29% of patients on letrozole and 20% on tamoxifen.

Hepatic Impairment Subjects with cirrhosis and severe hepatic impairment who were dosed

with 2.5 mg of Femara experienced approximately twice the exposure to Femara as healthy volunteers with normal liver function . Therefore, a dose reduction is recommended for this patient population. The effect of hepatic impairment on Femara exposure in cancer patients with elevated bilirubin levels has not been determined .

Fatigue and Dizziness

Because fatigue, dizziness, and somnolence have been reported with the use of Femara, caution is advised when driving or using machinery until it is known how the patient reacts to Femara use.

Laboratory Test Abnormalities No dose-related effect of Femara on any hematologic or

clinical chemistry parameter was evident. Moderate decreases in lymphocyte counts, of uncertain clinical significance, were observed in some patients receiving Femara 2.5 mg. This depression was transient in about half of those affected.

Two patients on Femara developed thrombocytopenia; relationship to the study drug was unclear. Patient withdrawal due to laboratory abnormalities, whether related to study treatment or not was infrequent.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Based on post-marketing reports, findings from animal studies and the mechanism of action, Femara can cause fetal harm and is contraindicated for use in pregnant women. In post-marketing reports, use of letrozole during pregnancy resulted in cases of spontaneous abortions and congenital birth defects. Letrozole caused embryo-fetal toxicities in rats and rabbits at maternal exposures that were below the maximum recommended human dose (MHRD) on a mg/m 2 basis.

Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during therapy with Femara and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose .

Drug Interactions with Femara

Tamoxifen Coadministration of Femara and tamoxifen 20 mg daily resulted in a reduction of letrozole plasma levels of 38% on average (Study P015). Clinical experience in the second-line breast cancer trials (AR/BC2 and AR/BC3) indicates that the therapeutic effect of Femara therapy is not impaired if Femara is administered immediately after tamoxifen. Cimetidine A pharmacokinetic interaction study with cimetidine (Study P004) showed no clinically significant effect on letrozole pharmacokinetics. Warfarin An interaction study (P017) with warfarin showed no clinically significant effect of letrozole on warfarin pharmacokinetics.

Other Anticancer Agents There is no clinical experience to date on the use of Femara in combination with other anticancer agents.

Pregnancy Safety for Femara

Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on postmarketing reports, findings from animal studies and the mechanism of action, Femara can cause fetal harm and is contraindicated for use in pregnant women. In post-marketing reports, use of letrozole during pregnancy resulted in cases of spontaneous abortions and congenital birth defects; however, the data are insufficient to inform a drug-associated risk . In animal reproduction studies, administration of letrozole to pregnant animals during organogenesis resulted in increased post-implantation pregnancy loss and resorption, fewer live fetuses, and fetal malformation affecting the renal and skeletal systems in rats and rabbits at doses approximately 0.1 times the daily maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) on a mg/m 2 basis (see Data). The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. However, the background risk in the U.S. general population of major birth defects is 2% to 4% and of miscarriage is 15% to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies.

Data Animal Data In a fertility and early embryonic development toxicity study in female rats, oral administration of letrozole starting 2 weeks before mating until pregnancy day 6 resulted in an increase in pre-implantation loss at doses ≥ 0.003 mg/kg/day (approximately 0.01 times the maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis). In an embryo-fetal developmental toxicity study in rats, daily administration of oral letrozole during the period of organogenesis at doses ≥ 0.003 mg/kg (approximately 0.01 time the maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) resulted in embryo-fetal toxicity including intrauterine mortality, increased resorptions and postimplantation loss, decreased numbers of live fetuses and fetal anomalies, including absence and shortening of renal papilla, dilation of ureter, edema, and incomplete ossification of frontal skull and metatarsals. Letrozole was teratogenic to rats at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg (approximately 0.01 times the maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) and caused fetal domed head and cervical/centrum vertebral fusion. In the embryo-fetal development toxicity study in rabbits, daily administration of oral letrozole during the period of organogenesis at doses ≥ 0.002 mg/kg (approximately 0.01 times the maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis) resulted in embryo-fetal toxicity, including intrauterine mortality, increased resorption, increased postimplantation loss and decreased numbers of live fetuses.

Fetal anomalies included incomplete ossification of the skull, sternebrae, and fore- and hind legs.

Pediatric Use of Femara

Pediatric Use The safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established. Letrozole administration to young (postnatal day 7) rats for 12 weeks duration at 0.003, 0.03, 0.3 mg/kg/day by oral gavage resulted in adverse skeletal/growth effects (bone maturation, bone mineral density) and neuroendocrine and reproductive developmental perturbations of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Administration of 0.3 mg/kg/day resulted in AUC values that were similar to the AUC in adult patients receiving the recommended dose of 2.5 mg/day.

Decreased fertility was accompanied by hypertrophy of the hypophysis and testicular changes that included degeneration of the seminiferous tubular epithelium and atrophy of the female reproductive tract. Young rats in this study were allowed to recover following discontinuation of letrozole treatment for 42 days. Histopathological changes were not reversible at clinically relevant exposures.

Contraindications for Femara

Pregnancy: Letrozole can cause fetal harm . Known hypersensitivity to the active substance, or to any of the excipients . Pregnancy. Known hypersensitivity to the active substance, or to any of the excipients.

Overdosage Information for Femara

E Isolated cases of Femara overdose have been reported. In these instances, the highest single dose ingested was 62.5 mg or 25 tablets. While no serious adverse reactions were reported in these cases, because of the limited data available, no firm recommendations for treatment can be made.

However, emesis could be induced if the patient is alert. In general, supportive care and frequent monitoring of vital signs are also appropriate. In single-dose studies, the highest dose used was 30 mg, which was well tolerated; in multiple-dose trials, the largest dose of 10 mg was well tolerated.

Lethality was observed in mice and rats following single oral doses that were equal to or greater than 2,000 mg/kg (about 4,000 to 8,000 times the daily maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis); death was associated with reduced motor activity, ataxia and dyspnea. Lethality was observed in cats following single IV doses that were equal to or greater than 10 mg/kg (about 50 times the daily maximum recommended human dose on a mg/m 2 basis); death was preceded by depressed blood pressure and arrhythmias.

Clinical Studies of Femara

Updated Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer

In a multicenter study (BIG 1-98, NCT00004205) enrolling over 8,000 postmenopausal women with resected, receptor-positive early breast cancer, one of the following treatments was randomized in a double-blind manner: Option 1: Tamoxifen for 5 years Femara for 5 years Tamoxifen for 2 years followed by Femara for 3 years Femara for 2 years followed by tamoxifen for 3 years Option 2: A. Tamoxifen for 5 years B. Femara for 5 years The study in the adjuvant setting, BIG 1-98 was designed to answer two primary questions: whether Femara for 5 years was superior to Tamoxifen for 5 years (Primary Core Analysis) and whether switching endocrine treatments at 2 years was superior to continuing the same agent for a total of 5 years (Sequential Treatments Analysis). Selected baseline characteristics for the study population are shown in Table 6. The primary endpoint of this trial was DFS (i.e., interval between randomization and earliest occurrence of a local, regional, or distant recurrence, or invasive contralateral breast cancer, or death from any cause). The secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), systemic disease-free survival (SDFS), invasive contralateral breast cancer, time to breast cancer recurrence (TBR) and time to distant metastasis (TDM). The Primary Core Analysis (PCA) included all patients and all follow-up in the monotherapy arms in both randomization options, but follow-up in the two sequential treatments arms was truncated 30 days after switching treatments. The PCA was conducted at a median treatment duration of 24 months and a median follow-up of 26 months. Femara was superior to tamoxifen in all endpoints except overall survival and contralateral breast cancer Femara 3 years versus tamoxifen beyond 2 years, DFS HR 0.89; 97.5% CI 0.68, 1.15 and tamoxifen 3 years versus Femara beyond 2 years, DFS HR 0.93; 97.5% CI 0.71, 1.22). There were no significant differences in DFS, OS, SDFS, and Distant DFS from randomization in the Sequential Treatments Analyses.

Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer, Median Treatment Duration of 24

Months A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (MA-17, NCT00003140) of Femara was performed in over 5,100 postmenopausal women with receptor-positive or unknown primary breast cancer who were disease free after 5 years of adjuvant treatment with tamoxifen. The planned duration of treatment for patients in the study was 5 years, but the trial was terminated early because of an interim analysis showing a favorable Femara effect on time without recurrence or contralateral breast cancer. At the time of unblinding, women had been followed for a median of 28 months, 30% of patients had completed 3 or more years of follow-up and less than 1% of patients had completed 5 years of follow-up.

Selected baseline characteristics for the study population are shown in Table 8. Table 8: Selected Study Population Demographics (Modified ITT Population) Baseline Status Femara Placebo N = 2582 N = 2586 Hormone Receptor Status (%) ER+ and/or PgR+ 98 98 Both Unknown 2 2 Nodal Status (%) Node Negative 50 50 Node Positive 46 46 Nodal Status Unknown 4 4 Chemotherapy 46 46 Table 9 shows the study results. Disease-free survival was measured as the time from randomization to the earliest event of loco-regional or distant recurrence of the primary disease or development of contralateral breast cancer or death. Disease-free survival by hormone receptor status, nodal status and adjuvant chemotherapy were similar to the overall results.

Data were premature for an analysis of survival. Table 9: Extended Adjuvant Study Results Femara N = 2582 Placebo N = 2586 Hazard Ratio (95% CI) P -Value Disease Free Survival (DFS) 1 Events 122 (4.7%) 193 (7.5%) 0.62 2 0.00003 Local Breast Recurrence 9 22 Local Chest Wall Recurrence 2 8 Regional Recurrence 7 4 Distant Recurrence 55 92 0.61 (0.44 - 0.84) 0.003 Contralateral Breast Cancer 19 29 Deaths Without Recurrence or Contralateral Breast Cancer 30 38 CI = confidence interval for hazard ratio. Hazard ratio of less than 1.0 indicates difference in favor of Femara (lesser risk of recurrence); hazard ratio greater than 1.0 indicates difference in favor of placebo (higher risk of recurrence with Femara). 1 First event of loco-regional recurrence, distant relapse, contralateral breast cancer or death from any cause. 2 Analysis stratified by receptor status, nodal status and prior adjuvant chemotherapy (stratification factors as at randomization). P -value based on stratified log-rank test.

Updated Analyses of Extended Adjuvant Treatment of Early Breast Cancer, Median Treatment

Duration of 60 Months Table 10: Update of Extended Adjuvant Study Results Femara N = 2582 (%) Placebo N = 2586 (%) Hazard Ratio 1 (95% CI) P -Value 2 Disease Free Survival (DFS) events 3 344 402 0.89 0.12 Breast cancer recurrence (Protocol definition of DFS events 4 ) 209 286 0.75 0.001 Local Breast Recurrence 15 44 Local Chest Wall Recurrence 6 14 Regional Recurrence 10 8 Distant Recurrence 140 167 Distant Recurrence (first or subsequent events) Contralateral Breast Cancer 142 37 169 53 0.88 0.246 Deaths Without Recurrence or Contralateral Breast Cancer 135 116 1 Adjusted by receptor status, nodal status and prior chemotherapy. 2 Stratified log-rank test, stratified by receptor status, nodal status and prior chemotherapy. 3 DFS events defined as earliest of loco-regional recurrence, distant metastasis, contralateral breast cancer or death from any cause, and ignoring switches to Femara in 60% of the placebo arm. 4 Protocol definition does not include deaths from any cause. Updated analyses were conducted at a median follow-up of 62 months. In the Femara arm, 71% of the patients were treated for a least 3 years and 58% of patients completed at least 4.5 years of extended adjuvant treatment.

After the unblinding of the study at a median follow-up of 28 months, approximately 60% of the selected patients in the placebo arm opted to switch to Femara. In this updated analysis shown in Table 10 Femara significantly reduced the risk of breast cancer recurrence or contralateral breast cancer compared with placebo (HR 0.75; 95% CI 0.63, 0.89; P = 0.001). However, in the updated DFS analysis (interval between randomization and earliest event of loco-regional recurrence, distant metastasis, contralateral breast cancer, or death from any cause) the treatment difference was heavily diluted by 60% of the patients in the placebo arm switching to Femara and accounting for 64% of the total placebo patient-years of follow-up. Ignoring these switches, the risk of DFS event was reduced by a non-significant 11% (HR 0.89; 95% CI 0.77, 1.03). There was no significant difference in distant DFS or overall survival.

First-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer

A randomized, double-blind, multinational trial (P025) compared Femara 2.5 mg with tamoxifen 20 mg in 916 postmenopausal patients with locally advanced (Stage IIIB or loco-regional recurrence not amenable to treatment with surgery or radiation) or metastatic breast cancer. Time to progression (TTP) was the primary endpoint of the trial. Selected baseline characteristics for this study are shown in Table 11. Table 11: Selected Study Population Demographics Baseline Status Femara Tamoxifen N = 458 N = 458 Stage of Disease IIIB 6% 7% IV 93% 92% Receptor Status ER and PgR Positive 38% 41% ER or PgR Positive 26% 26% Both Unknown 34% 33% ER - or PgR - /Other Unknown < 1% 0 Previous Antiestrogen Therapy Adjuvant 19% 18% None 81% 82% Dominant Site of Disease Soft Tissue 25% 25% Bone 32% 29% Viscera 43% 46% Femara was superior to tamoxifen in TTP and rate of objective tumor response (see Table 12). Table 12 summarizes the results of the trial, with a total median follow-up of approximately 32 months. (All analyses are unadjusted and use 2-sided P -values.) Table 12: Results of First-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer 1 Hazard ratio. 2 Odds ratio. 3 Overall log-rank test.

Femara T amoxifen Hazard or Odds 2.5 mg 20 mg Ratio (95% CI) N = 453 N = 454 P -Value (2-sided) Median Time to Progression 9.4 months 6.0 months 0.72 1 P < 0.0001 Objective Response Rate (CR + PR) 145 (32%) 95 (21%) 1.77 2 P = 0.0002 (CR) 42 (9%) 15 (3%) 2.99 2 P = 0.0004 Duration of Objective Response Median 18 months 16 months (N = 145) (N = 95) Overall Survival 35 months 32 months (N = 458) (N = 458) P = 0.5136 3 Figure 2 shows the Kaplan-Meier curves for TTP. Figure 2: Kaplan-Meier Estimates of Time to Progression (Study P025) Table 13 shows results in the subgroup of women who had received prior antiestrogen adjuvant therapy, Table 14, results by disease site and Table 15, the results by receptor status. Table 13: Efficacy in Patients Who Received Prior Antiestrogen Therapy Variable Femara Tamoxifen 2.5 mg 20 mg N = 84 N = 83 Median Time to Progression (95% CI) 8.9 months 5.9 months Hazard Ratio for TTP (95% CI) 0.60 Objective Response Rate (CR + PR) 22 (26%) 7 (8%) Odds Ratio for Response (95% CI) 3.85 Hazard ratio less than 1 or odds ratio greater than 1 favors Femara; hazard ratio greater than 1 or odds ratio less than 1 favors tamoxifen. Table 14: Efficacy by Disease Site Femara Tamoxifen 2.5 mg 20 mg Dominant Disease Site Soft Tissue: N = 113 N = 115 Median TTP 12.1 months 6.4 months Objective Response Rate 50% 34% Bone: N = 145 N = 131 Median TTP 9.5 months 6.3 months Objective Response Rate 23% 15% Viscera: N = 195 N = 208 Median TTP 8.3 months 4.6 months Objective Response Rate 28% 17% Table 15: Efficacy by Receptor Status Variable Femara Tamoxifen 2.5 mg 20 mg Receptor Positive N = 294 N = 305 Median Time to Progression (95% CI) 9.4 months 6.0 months Hazard Ratio for TTP (95% CI) 0.69 Objective Response Rate (CR+PR) 97 (33%) 66 (22%) Odds Ratio for Response 95% CI) 1.78 Receptor Unknown N = 159 N = 149 Median Time to Progression (95% CI) 9.2 months 6.0 months Hazard Ratio for TTP (95% CI) 0.77 Objective Response Rate (CR+PR) 48 (30%) 29 (20%) Odds Ratio for Response (95% CI) 1.79 Hazard ratio less than 1 or odds ratio greater than 1 favors Femara; hazard ratio greater than 1 or odds ratio less than 1 favors tamoxifen.

Figure 3 shows the Kaplan-Meier curves for survival. Figure 3: Survival by Randomized Treatment Arm Legend: Randomized Femara: n = 458, events 57%, median overall survival 35 months (95% CI 32 to 38 months) Randomized tamoxifen: n = 458, events 57%, median overall survival 32 months (95% CI 28 to 37 months) Overall log-rank P = 0.5136 (i.e., there was no significant difference between treatment arms in overall survival). The median overall survival was 35 months for the Femara group and 32 months for the tamoxifen group, with a P -value 0.5136. Study design allowed patients to cross over upon progression to the other therapy. Approximately 50% of patients crossed over to the opposite treatment arm and almost all patients who crossed over had done so by 36 months.

The median time to crossover was 17 months (Femara to tamoxifen) and 13 months (tamoxifen to Femara). In patients who did not cross over to the opposite treatment arm, median survival was 35 months with Femara (n = 219, 95% CI, 29 to 43 months) vs 20 months with tamoxifen (n = 229, 95% CI, 16 to 26 months).

Second-Line Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer Femara was initially studied at doses

of 0.1 mg to 5.0 mg daily in six noncomparative trials (AR/BC1, P01, AR/ST1, AR/PS1, AR/ES1, and NJO-03) in 181 postmenopausal estrogen/progesterone receptor positive or unknown advanced breast cancer patients previously treated with at least antiestrogen therapy. Patients had received other hormonal therapies and also may have received cytotoxic therapy. Eight (20%) of forty patients treated with Femara 2.5 mg daily in trials achieved an objective tumor response (complete or partial response). Two large randomized, controlled, multinational (predominantly European) trials (AR/BC2, AR/BC3) were conducted in patients with advanced breast cancer who had progressed despite antiestrogen therapy.

Patients were randomized to Femara 0.5 mg daily, Femara 2.5 mg daily, or a comparator. In each study over 60% of the patients had received therapeutic antiestrogens, and about one-fifth of these patients had an objective response. The megestrol acetate controlled study was double-blind; the other study was open label.

Selected baseline characteristics for each study are shown in Table 16. Table 16: Selected Study Population Demographics Parameter Megestrol Acetate Aminoglutethimide Study Study No. of Participants 552 557 Receptor Status ER/PR Positive 57% 56% ER/PR Unknown 43% 44% Previous Therapy Adjuvant Only 33% 38% Therapeutic +/- Adj. 66% 62% Sites of Disease Soft Tissue 56% 50% Bone 50% 55% Viscera 40% 44% Confirmed objective tumor response (complete response plus partial response) was the primary endpoint of the trials. Responses were measured according to the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) criteria and verified by independent, blinded review. All responses were confirmed by a second evaluation 4 to 12 weeks after the documentation of the initial response.

Table 17 shows the results for the first trial (AR/BC2), with a minimum follow-up of 15 months that compared Femara 0.5 mg, Femara 2.5 mg, and megestrol acetate 160 mg daily (All analyses are unadjusted). Table 17: Megestrol Acetate Study Results *Two-sided P -value. Femara Femara Megestrol 0.5 mg 2.5 mg Acetate N = 188 N = 174 N = 190 Objective Response (CR + PR) 22 (11.7%) 41 (23.6%) 31 (16.3%) Median Duration of Response 552 days (Not reached) 561 days Median Time to Progression 154 days 170 days 168 days Median Survival 633 days 730 days 659 days Odds Ratio for Response Femara 2.5: Femara 0.5 = 2.33 Femara 2.5: megestrol = 1.58 (95% CI: 1.32, 4.17); P = 0.004* (95% CI: 0.94, 2.66); P = 0.08* Relative Risk of Progression Femara 2.5: Femara 0.5 = 0.81 Femara 2.5: megestrol = 0.77 (95% CI: 0.63, 1.03); P = 0.09* (95% CI: 0.60, 0.98); P = 0.03* The Kaplan-Meier curves for progression for the megestrol acetate study are shown in Figure 4. Figure 4: Kaplan-Meier Estimates of Time to Progression (Megestrol Acetate Study) The results for the study comparing Femara to aminoglutethimide (AR/BC3), with a minimum follow-up of 9 months, are shown in Table 18 (Unadjusted analyses are used). Table 18: Aminoglutethimide Study Results *Two-sided P -value. Femara Femara 0.5 mg 2.5 mg Aminoglutethimide N = 193 N = 185 N = 179 Objective Response (CR + PR) 34 (17.6%) 34 (18.4%) 22 (12.3%) Median Duration of Response 619 days 706 days 450 days Median Time to Progression 103 days 123 days 112 days Median Survival 636 days 792 days 592 days Odds Ratio for Response Femara 2.5: Femara 2.5: Femara 0.5 = 1.05 Aminoglutethimide = 1.61 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.79); P = 0.85* (95% CI: 0.90, 2.87); P = 0.11* Relative Risk of Progression Femara 2.5: Femara 2.5: Femara 0.5 = 0.86 Aminoglutethimide = 0.74 (95% CI: 0.68, 1.11); P = 0.25* (95% CI: 0.57, 0.94); P = 0.02* The Kaplan-Meier curves for progression for the aminoglutethimide study is shown in Figure 5. Figure 5: Kaplan-Meier Estimates of Time to Progression (Aminoglutethimide Study)

Drug information sourced from the FDA. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional before making any medication decisions.

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