Horizant Drug Information

Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome

HORIZANT ® is indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe primary Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) in adults. HORIZANT is not recommended for patients who are required to sleep during the daytime and remain awake at night.

Management of Postherpetic Neuralgia

HORIZANT is indicated for the management of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) in adults.

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 with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In all controlled and uncontrolled trials across various patient populations, more than 2,300 patients have received HORIZANT orally in daily doses ranging from 600 to 3,600 mg. Restless Legs Syndrome The exposure to HORIZANT in 1,201 patients with RLS included 613 exposed for at least 6 months and 371 exposed for at least 1 year.

HORIZANT in the treatment of RLS was studied primarily in placebo-controlled trials (n = 642), and in long- term follow-up studies. The population with RLS ranged from 18 to 82 years of age, with 60% being female and 95% being Caucasian. The safety of HORIZANT in doses ranging from 600 to 2,400 mg has been evaluated in 515 patients with RLS in 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week clinical trials.

The 600-mg dose was studied in 2 of the 3 studies. Eleven out of 163 (7%) patients treated with 600 mg of HORIZANT discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions compared with 10 of the 245 (4%) patients who received placebo. The most commonly observed adverse reactions (≥5% and at least 2 times the rate of placebo) in these trials for the 600-mg dose of HORIZANT were somnolence/sedation and dizziness (see Table 4 ). Table 4 lists treatment-emergent adverse reactions that occurred in ≥2% of patients with RLS treated with HORIZANT and numerically greater than placebo.

Table 4. Incidence of Adverse Reactions in 12-Week RLS Studies Reported in ≥2% of Patients Treated With 600 or 1,200 mg of HORIZANT and Numerically Greater Than Placebo Body System/Adverse Reaction Placebo a (N = 245) % HORIZANT 600 mg/day b (N = 163) % HORIZANT 1,200 mg/day c (N = 269) % Nervous system disorders Somnolence/sedation 6 20 27 Dizziness 4 13 22 Headache 11 12 15 Gastrointestinal disorders Nausea 5 6 7 Dry mouth 2 3 4 Flatulence <1 3 2 General disorders and administration site conditions Fatigue 4 6 7 Irritability 1 4 4 Feeling drunk 0 1 3 Feeling abnormal <1 <1 3 Peripheral edema 1 <1 3 Metabolism and nutritional disorders Weight increased 2 2 3 Increased appetite <1 2 2 Ear and labyrinth disorders Vertigo 0 1 3 Psychiatric disorders Depression <1 <1 3 Libido decreased <1 <1 2 a Placebo was a treatment arm in each of the 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week clinical trials. b The 600-mg dose of HORIZANT was a treatment arm in 2 of the 3 double-blind, placebo- controlled, 12-week clinical trials. c The 1,200-mg dose of HORIZANT was a treatment arm in each of the 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12-week clinical trials. Adverse reactions reported in these three 12-week studies in <2% of patients treated with 600 mg of HORIZANT and numerically greater than placebo were balance disorder, blurred vision, disorientation, feeling drunk, lethargy, and vertigo. The following adverse reactions were dose-related: somnolence/sedation, dizziness, feeling drunk, libido decreased, depression, headache, peripheral edema, and vertigo.

Postherpetic Neuralgia The exposure to HORIZANT in 417 patients with PHN included 207 patients exposed for at least 3 months. Overall, the mean age of patients in the PHN studies ranged from 61 to 64 years of age across dose groups; the majority of patients were male (45% to 61%) and Caucasian (80% to 98%). The safety of HORIZANT in doses ranging from 1,200 to 3,600 mg has been evaluated in 417 patients with PHN in 3 clinical studies. The principal efficacy study evaluating the efficacy and safety of HORIZANT in the management of PHN was a 12-week, double-blind, multicenter study comparing 1,200 mg/day, 2,400 mg/day and 3,600 mg/day to placebo.

Six out of 107 (6%) patients treated with 1,200 mg of HORIZANT discontinued treatment due to adverse events compared with 12 of the 95 (13%) patients who received placebo. The most commonly observed adverse reactions (≥10% and greater than placebo) in this trial for the 1,200 mg dose of HORIZANT were dizziness, somnolence, and headache (see Table 5). Table 5 lists treatment-emergent adverse reactions that occurred in ≥2% of patients with PHN treated with HORIZANT 1,200 mg/day and numerically greater than placebo. Table 5. Incidence of Adverse Reactions (in At Least 2% of Patients Treated With 1,200 mg/day of HORIZANT and Numerically Greater Than the Placebo Rate) Reported in All Patients in the 12-Week PHN Study Body System/Adverse Reaction Placebo (N = 95) % HORIZANT 1,200 mg/day (N = 107) % HORIZANT 2,400 mg/day (N = 82) % HORIZANT 3,600 mg/day (N = 87) % Nervous System Dizziness 15 17 26 30 Somnolence 8 10 11 14 Headache 9 10 10 7 Gastrointestinal disorders Nausea 5 8 4 9 General disorders and administration site conditions Fatigue/Asthenia 1 6 4 10 Peripheral edema 0 6 7 6 Psychiatric disorders Insomnia 2 3 5 7 Metabolism and nutritional disorders Weight increased 1 3 5 5 Eye disorders Blurred vision 0 2 5 2 The following adverse reactions were also reported as ≥2% at 2,400 mg/day and/or 3,600 mg/day and appeared to be dose-related but were <2% at 1,200 mg/day: balance disorder, confusional state, depression, dry mouth, flatulence, increased appetite, irritability, and vertigo.

Dizziness, somnolence, fatigue, and insomnia appeared to show a dose relationship.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been reported in patients receiving gabapentin and have been identified during postapproval use of HORIZANT. 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: breast enlargement, gynecomastia, elevated creatine kinase, bullous pemphigoid. There are postmarketing reports of life-threatening or fatal respiratory depression in patients taking gabapentin with opioids or other CNS depressants, or in the setting of underlying respiratory impairment. There are postmarketing reports of withdrawal symptoms after discontinuation of gabapentin.

Reported adverse reactions include, but are not limited to, seizures, depression, suicidal ideation and behavior, agitation, confusion, disorientation, psychotic symptoms, anxiety, insomnia, nausea, pain, sweating, tremor, headache, dizziness, and malaise.

Gabapentin enacarbil is released faster from HORIZANT Extended-Release tablets in the presence of alcohol. Consumption of alcohol is not recommended when taking HORIZANT . Morphine: HORIZANT taken in conjunction with morphine causes increased somnolence/sedation, dizziness, and nausea when compared with either drug alone.

Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with the use of HORIZANT in pregnant women. In nonclinical studies in rats and rabbits, administration of gabapentin enacarbil was developmentally toxic when administered to pregnant animals at doses and gabapentin exposures greater than those used clinically . Postmarketing data suggest that extended gabapentin use with opioids close to delivery may increase the risk of neonatal withdrawal versus opioids alone. Although there is at least one report of neonatal withdrawal syndrome in an infant exposed to gabapentin alone during pregnancy, there are no comparative epidemiologic studies evaluating this association.

Therefore, whether exposure to gabapentin alone late in pregnancy may cause withdrawal signs and symptoms is not known. In the US general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown.

Clinical Considerations Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions Neonatal withdrawal syndrome has been reported in newborns exposed to gabapentin in utero for an extended period of time when also exposed to opioids close to delivery. Neonatal withdrawal signs and symptoms reported have included tachypnea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypertonia, irritability, sneezing, poor feeding, hyperactivity, abnormal sleep pattern, and tremor. Reported signs and symptoms that may also be related to withdrawal include tongue thrusting, wandering eye movements while awake, back arching, and continuous extremity movements.

Observe neonates exposed to HORIZANT and opioids for signs and symptoms of neonatal withdrawal and manage accordingly. Data Animal data When pregnant rats were administered gabapentin enacarbil (oral doses of 200, 1,000, or 5,000 mg/kg/day) throughout the period of organogenesis, embryofetal mortality was increased at the 2 highest doses and fetal body weights were decreased at the high dose. The no-effect dose for embryofetal developmental toxicity in rats (200 mg/kg/day) represents approximately 2 times the gabapentin exposure associated with the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 1,200 mg/day gabapentin enacarbil on an area under the curve (AUC) basis.

When pregnant rabbits were administered gabapentin enacarbil (oral doses of 200, 500, or 2,500 mg/kg/day) throughout the period of organogenesis, embryofetal mortality was increased and fetal body weights were decreased at the high dose. The no-effect dose for embryofetal developmental toxicity in rabbits (500 mg/kg/day) represents approximately 9 times the gabapentin exposure associated with the MRHD of 1,200 mg/day gabapentin enacarbil on an AUC basis. When female rats were administered gabapentin enacarbil (oral doses of 200, 1,000, or 5,000 mg/kg/day) throughout the pregnancy and lactation periods, offspring growth and survival were decreased at the two highest doses.

The no-effect dose for pre- and post-natal developmental toxicity in rats is approximately 2 times the MRHD on an AUC basis. In reproductive and developmental studies of gabapentin, developmental toxicity was observed at all doses tested. Increased incidences of hydroureter and/or hydronephrosis were observed in rat offspring following treatment of pregnant animals in studies of fertility and general reproductive performance, embryofetal development, and peri- and post-natal development.

Overall, a no-effect dose was not established. In mice, treatment of pregnant animals with gabapentin during the period of organogenesis resulted in delayed fetal skeletal ossification at all but the lowest dose tested. When pregnant rabbits were treated with gabapentin during the period of organogenesis, an increase in embryofetal mortality was observed at all doses of gabapentin tested.

In a published study, gabapentin (400 mg/kg/day) was administered by intraperitoneal injection to neonatal mice during the first postnatal week, a period of synaptogenesis in rodents (corresponding to the last trimester of pregnancy in humans). Gabapentin caused a marked decrease in neuronal synapse formation in brains of intact mice and abnormal neuronal synapse formation in a mouse model of synaptic repair. Gabapentin has been shown in vitro to interfere with activity of the α2δ subunit of voltage-activated calcium channels, a receptor involved in neuronal synaptogenesis. The clinical significance of these findings is unknown.

Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been studied.

Human Overdose Experience

The incidence of central nervous system adverse reactions, particularly dizziness and somnolence/sedation, is increased with HORIZANT doses greater than 600 mg daily. Acute oral overdoses of gabapentin have been reported. Symptoms have included double vision, tremor, slurred speech, drowsiness, altered mental status, dizziness, lethargy, and diarrhea.

Fatal respiratory depression has been reported with gabapentin overdose, alone and in combination with other CNS depressants.

Overdosage Management

In the event of an overdose, the patient should be treated supportively with appropriate monitoring as necessary. Gabapentin derived from gabapentin enacarbil can be removed from plasma by hemodialysis. The mean percentage of gabapentin recovered following hemodialysis in patients with end-stage renal disease was 29% (expressed as a proportion of the gabapentin released from HORIZANT). Further management should be as clinically indicated or as recommended by a poison control center.