Maxalt Drug Information

Dosing Information in Adults

The recommended starting dose of rizatriptan benzoate is either 5 mg or 10 mg for the acute treatment of migraines in adults. The 10-mg dose may provide a greater effect than the 5-mg dose, but may have a greater risk of adverse reactions . Redosing in Adults Although the effectiveness of a second dose or subsequent doses has not been established in placebo-controlled trials, if the migraine headache returns, a second dose may be administered 2 hours after the first dose. The maximum daily dose should not exceed 30 mg in any 24-hour period.

The safety of treating, on average, more than four headaches in a 30-day period has not been established.

Dosing Information in Pediatric Patients (Age 6 to 17 Years) Dosing in

pediatric patients is based on the patient's body weight. The recommended dose of rizatriptan benzoate is 5 mg in patients weighing less than 40 kg (88 lb), and 10 mg in patients weighing 40 kg (88 lb) or more. The efficacy and safety of treatment with more than one dose of rizatriptan benzoate within 24 hours in pediatric patients 6 to 17 years of age have not been established.

Administration of

MAXALT-MLT Orally Disintegrating Tablets For MAXALT-MLT Orally Disintegrating Tablets, administration with liquid is not necessary. Orally disintegrating tablets are packaged in a blister within an outer aluminum pouch and patients should not remove the blister from the outer pouch until just prior to dosing. The blister pack should then be peeled open with dry hands and the orally disintegrating tablet placed on the tongue, where it will dissolve and be swallowed with the saliva.

Dosage Adjustment for Patients on Propranolol Adult Patients

In adult patients taking propranolol, only the 5-mg dose of rizatriptan benzoate is recommended, up to a maximum of 3 doses in any 24-hour period (15 mg). Pediatric Patients For pediatric patients weighing 40 kg (88 lb) or more, taking propranolol, only a single 5-mg dose of rizatriptan benzoate is recommended (maximum dose of 5 mg in a 24-hour period). Rizatriptan benzoate should not be prescribed to propranolol-treated pediatric patients who weigh less than 40 kg (88 lb).

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. Adults Incidence in Controlled Clinical Trials Adverse reactions to MAXALT were assessed in controlled clinical trials that included over 3700 adult patients who received single or multiple doses of MAXALT Tablets. The most common adverse reactions during treatment with MAXALT (≥5% in either treatment group and greater than placebo) were asthenia/fatigue, somnolence, pain/pressure sensation and dizziness.

These adverse reactions appeared to be dose related. Table 1 lists the adverse reactions (incidence ≥2% and greater than placebo) after a single dose of MAXALT in adults. Table 1: Incidence (≥2% and Greater than Placebo) of Adverse Reactions After a Single Dose of MAXALT Tablets or Placebo in Adults % of Patients Adverse Reactions MAXALT 5 mg (N=977) MAXALT 10 mg (N=1167) Placebo (N=627) Atypical Sensations 4 5 4 Paresthesia 3 4 <2 Pain and other Pressure Sensations 6 9 3 Chest Pain: tightness/pressure and/or heaviness <2 3 1 Neck/throat/jaw: pain/tightness/pressure <2 2 1 Regional Pain: tightness/pressure and/or heaviness <1 2 0 Pain, location unspecified 3 3 <2 Digestive 9 13 8 Dry Mouth 3 3 1 Nausea 4 6 4 Neurological 14 20 11 Dizziness 4 9 5 Headache <2 2 <1 Somnolence 4 8 4 Other Asthenia/fatigue 4 7 2 The frequencies of adverse reactions in clinical trials did not increase when up to three doses were taken within 24 hours.

Adverse reaction frequencies were also unchanged by concomitant use of drugs commonly taken for migraine prophylaxis (including propranolol), oral contraceptives, or analgesics. The incidences of adverse reactions were not affected by age or gender. There were insufficient data to assess the impact of race on the incidence of adverse reactions.

Other Events Observed in Association with the Administration of MAXALT in Adults In the following section, the frequencies of less commonly reported adverse events are presented that were not reported in other sections of the labeling. Because the reports include events observed in open studies, the role of MAXALT in their causation cannot be reliably determined. Furthermore, variability associated with adverse event reporting, the terminology used to describe adverse events, limit the value of the quantitative frequency estimates provided.

Event frequencies are calculated as the number of patients who used MAXALT and reported an event divided by the total number of patients exposed to MAXALT (N=3716). All reported events occurred at an incidence ≥1%, or are believed to be reasonably associated with the use of the drug. Events are further classified within body system categories and enumerated in order of decreasing frequency using the following definitions: frequent adverse events are those defined as those occurring in at least (>)1/100 patients; infrequent adverse experiences are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1000 patients; and rare adverse experiences are those occurring in fewer than 1/1000 patients. General: Infrequent was facial edema.

Rare were syncope and edema/swelling. Atypical Sensations: Frequent were warm sensations. Cardiovascular: Frequent was palpitation.

Infrequent were tachycardia, cold extremities, and bradycardia. Digestive: Frequent were diarrhea and vomiting. Infrequent were dyspepsia, tongue edema and abdominal distention.

Musculoskeletal: Infrequent were muscle weakness, stiffness, myalgia and muscle cramp/spasm. Neurological/Psychiatric: Frequent were hypoesthesia, euphoria and tremor. Infrequent were vertigo, insomnia, confusion/disorientation, gait abnormality, memory impairment, and agitation.

Respiratory: Frequent was dyspnea. Infrequent was pharyngeal edema. Special Senses: Infrequent were blurred vision and tinnitus.

Rare was eye swelling. Skin and Skin Appendage: Frequent was flushing. Infrequent were sweating, pruritus, rash, and urticaria.

Rare was erythema, hot flashes. The adverse reaction profile seen with MAXALT-MLT Orally Disintegrating Tablets was similar to that seen with MAXALT Tablets. Pediatric Patients 6 to 17 Years of Age Incidence in Controlled Clinical Trials in Pediatric Patients Adverse reactions to MAXALT-MLT were assessed in a controlled clinical trial in the acute treatment of migraines (Study 7) that included a total of 1382 pediatric patients 6-17 years of age, of which 977 (72%) administered at least one dose of study treatment (MAXALT-MLT and/or placebo). The incidence of adverse reactions reported for pediatric patients in the acute clinical trial was similar in patients who received MAXALT to those who received placebo.

The adverse reaction pattern in pediatric patients is expected to be similar to that in adults. Other Events Observed in Association with the Administration of MAXALT-MLT in Pediatric Patients In the following section, the frequencies of less commonly reported adverse events are presented. Because the reports include events observed in open studies, the role of MAXALT-MLT in their causation cannot be reliably determined.

Furthermore, variability associated with adverse event reporting, the terminology used to describe adverse events, limit the value of the quantitative frequency estimates provided. Event frequencies are calculated as the number of pediatric patients 6 to 17 years of age who used MAXALT-MLT and reported an event divided by the total number of patients exposed to MAXALT-MLT (N=1068). All reported events occurred at an incidence ≥1%, or are believed to be reasonably associated with the use of the drug. Events are further classified within system organ class and enumerated in order of decreasing frequency using the following definitions: frequent adverse events are those occurring in (>)1/100 pediatric patients; infrequent adverse experiences are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1000 pediatric patients; and rare adverse experiences are those occurring in fewer than 1/1000 patients.

General: Frequent was fatigue. Ear and labyrinth disorders: Infrequent was hypoacusis. Gastrointestinal disorders: Frequent was abdominal discomfort.

Nervous system disorders: Infrequent were coordination abnormal, disturbance in attention, and presyncope. Psychiatric disorders: Infrequent was hallucination.

Postmarketing Experience

The following section enumerates potentially important adverse events that have occurred in clinical practice and which have been reported spontaneously to various surveillance systems. The events enumerated include all except those already listed in other sections of the labeling or those too general to be informative. Because the reports cite events reported spontaneously from worldwide postmarketing experience, frequency of events and the role of MAXALT in their causation cannot be reliably determined.

Neurological/Psychiatric: Seizure. General: Allergic conditions including anaphylaxis/anaphylactoid reaction, angioedema, wheezing, and toxic epidermal necrolysis. Special Senses: Dysgeusia.

Propranolol

The dose of MAXALT should be adjusted in propranolol-treated patients, as propranolol has been shown to increase the plasma AUC of rizatriptan by 70% .

Ergot-Containing Drugs Ergot-containing drugs have been reported to cause prolonged vasospastic reactions.

Because these effects may be additive, use of ergotamine-containing or ergot-type medications (like dihydroergotamine or methysergide) and MAXALT within 24 hours is contraindicated .

Other 5-HT 1 Agonists

Because their vasospastic effects may be additive, co-administration of MAXALT and other 5-HT 1 agonists within 24 hours of each other is contraindicated .

SSRIs/SNRIs and

Serotonin Syndrome Cases of serotonin syndrome have been reported during co-administration of triptans and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) .

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors

MAXALT is contraindicated in patients taking MAO-A inhibitors and non-selective MAO inhibitors. A specific MAO-A inhibitor increased the systemic exposure of rizatriptan and its metabolite .

Pregnancy Risk Summary Available human data on the use of MAXALT in pregnant women are not sufficient to draw conclusions about drug-associated risk for major birth defects and miscarriage. In animal studies, developmental toxicity was observed following oral administration of rizatriptan during pregnancy (decreased fetal body weight in rats) or throughout pregnancy and lactation (increased mortality, decreased body weight, and neurobehavioral impairment in rat offspring) at maternal plasma exposures greater than that expected at therapeutic doses in humans . In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively. The reported rate of major birth defects among deliveries to women with migraine range from 2.2% to 2.9% and the reported rate of miscarriage was 17%, which are similar to rates reported in women without migraine.

Clinical Considerations Disease-Associated Maternal and/or Embryo/Fetal Risk In women with migraine, there is an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in the mother, including pre-eclampsia and gestational hypertension. Data Human Data The Pregnancy Registry for MAXALT did not identify any pattern of congenital anomalies or other adverse birth outcomes over the period of 1998 to 2018. However, the lack of identification of any pattern should be viewed with caution, as the number of prospective reports with outcome information was low and did not provide sufficient power to detect an increased risk of individual birth defects associated with the use of MAXALT. Additionally, there was significant loss to follow-up in the prospective pregnancy reports, further complicating this assessment of an association between MAXALT and any pattern of congenital anomalies or other adverse birth outcomes. In a study using data from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, live births to women who reported using triptans or ergots during pregnancy were compared with those of women who did not.

Of the 157 births with first-trimester exposure to rizatriptan, 7 infants were born with malformations (relative risk 1.01 ). A study using linked data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway to the Norwegian Prescription Database compared pregnancy outcomes in women who redeemed prescriptions for triptans during pregnancy, as well as a migraine disease comparison group who redeemed prescriptions for triptans before pregnancy only, compared with a population control group. Of the 310 women who redeemed prescriptions for rizatriptan during the first trimester, 10 had infants with major congenital malformations (OR 1.03 ), while for the 271 women who redeemed prescriptions for rizatriptan before, but not during, pregnancy, 12 had infants with major congenital malformations (OR 1.48 ), each compared with the population comparison group. Animal Data When rizatriptan (0, 2, 10, or 100 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to pregnant rats throughout organogenesis, a decrease in fetal body weight was observed at the highest doses tested.

At the mid dose (10 mg/kg/day), which was a no-effect dose for adverse effects on embryofetal development, plasma exposure (AUC) was approximately 15 times that in humans at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 30 mg/day. When rizatriptan (0, 5, 10, or 50 mg/kg/day) was administered orally to pregnant rabbits throughout organogenesis, no adverse fetal effects were observed. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the highest dose tested was 115 times that in humans at the MRHD. Placental transfer of drug to the fetus was demonstrated in both species.

Oral administration of rizatriptan (0, 2, 10, or 100 mg/kg/day) to female rats prior to and during mating and continuing throughout gestation and lactation resulted in reduced body weight in offspring from birth and throughout lactation at all but the lowest dose tested (2 mg/kg/day). Plasma exposure (AUC) at the no-effect dose (2 mg/kg/day) for adverse effects on postnatal development was similar to that in humans at the MRHD. Oral administration of rizatriptan (0, 5, 100, or 250 mg/kg/day) throughout organogenesis and lactation resulted in neonatal mortality, reduced body weight (which persisted into adulthood), and impaired neurobehavioral function in offspring at all but the lowest dose tested. Plasma exposure (AUC) at the no-effect dose for adverse effects on postnatal development (5 mg/kg/day) was approximately 8 times that in humans at the MRHD.

Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients under 6 years of age have not been established. The efficacy and safety of MAXALT in the acute treatment of migraine in patients aged 6 to 17 years was established in an adequate and well-controlled study . The incidence of adverse reactions reported for pediatric patients in the acute clinical trial was similar in patients who received MAXALT to those who received placebo. The adverse reaction pattern in pediatric patients is expected to be similar to that in adults.

is contraindicated in patients with: Ischemic coronary artery disease (angina pectoris, history of myocardial infarction, or documented silent ischemia), or other significant underlying cardiovascular disease . Coronary artery vasospasm including Prinzmetal's angina . History of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) . Peripheral vascular disease (PVD) . Ischemic bowel disease . Uncontrolled hypertension . Recent use (i.e., within 24 hours) of another 5-HT 1 agonist, ergotamine-containing medication, or ergot-type medication (such as dihydroergotamine or methysergide) . Hemiplegic or basilar migraine . Concurrent administration or recent discontinuation (i.e., within 2 weeks) of a MAO-A inhibitor . Hypersensitivity to rizatriptan or any of the excipients (angioedema and anaphylaxis seen) . History of ischemic heart disease or coronary artery vasospasm History of stroke or transient ischemic attack Peripheral vascular disease Ischemic bowel disease Uncontrolled hypertension Recent (within 24 hours) use of another 5-HT 1 agonist (e.g., another triptan), or of an ergotamine-containing medication Hemiplegic or basilar migraine MAO-A inhibitor used in the past 2 weeks Hypersensitivity to rizatriptan or any of the excipients

No overdoses of MAXALT were reported during clinical trials in adults. Some adult patients who received 40 mg of MAXALT either a single dose or as two doses with a 2-hour interdose interval had dizziness and somnolence. In a clinical pharmacology study in which 12 adult subjects received MAXALT, at total cumulative doses of 80 mg (given within four hours), two of the subjects experienced syncope, dizziness, bradycardia including third degree AV block, vomiting, and/or incontinence.

In the long-term, open label study, involving 606 treated pediatric migraineurs 12 to 17 years of age (of which 432 were treated for at least 12 months), 151 patients (25%) took two 10-mg doses of MAXALT-MLT within a 24-hour period. Adverse reactions for 3 of these patients included abdominal discomfort, fatigue, and dyspnea. In addition, based on the pharmacology of MAXALT, hypertension or myocardial ischemia could occur after overdosage.

Gastrointestinal decontamination, (i.e., gastric lavage followed by activated charcoal) should be considered in patients suspected of an overdose with MAXALT. Clinical and electrocardiographic monitoring should be continued for at least 12 hours, even if clinical symptoms are not observed. The effects of hemo- or peritoneal dialysis on serum concentrations of rizatriptan are unknown.