Onureg Drug Information

Generic name: AZACITIDINE

Nucleoside Metabolic Inhibitor [EPC]

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Uses of Onureg

ONUREG is indicated for continued treatment of adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia who achieved first complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) following intensive induction chemotherapy and are not able to complete intensive curative therapy.

Dosage & Administration of Onureg

Important Administration Information

Do not substitute ONUREG for intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine. The indications and dosing regimen for ONUREG differ from that of intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine.

Recommended Dosage

The recommended dosage of ONUREG is 300 mg orally once daily with or without food on Days 1 through 14 of each 28-day cycle. Continue ONUREG until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Administer an antiemetic 30 minutes prior to each dose of ONUREG for the first 2 cycles.

Antiemetic prophylaxis may be omitted after 2 cycles if there has been no nausea and vomiting. If the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is less than 0.5 Gi/L on Day 1 of a cycle, do not administer ONUREG. Delay the start of the cycle until the ANC is 0.5 Gi/L or more.

Instruct patients on the following: • Swallow tablets whole. Do not cut, crush, or chew the tablets. • Take a dose about the same time each day. • If a dose of ONUREG is missed, or not taken at the usual time, take the dose as soon as possible on the same day, and resume the normal schedule the following day. Do not take 2 doses on the same day. • If a dose is vomited, do not take another dose on the same day.

Resume the normal schedule the following day. ONUREG is a hazardous drug. Follow applicable special handling and disposal procedures. 1

Monitoring and Dosage Modifications for Adverse Reactions

Monitor complete blood count every other week for the first 2 cycles and prior to the start of each cycle thereafter. Increase monitoring to every other week for the 2 cycles after any dose reduction for myelosuppression. The recommended dosage modifications for adverse reactions are provided in Table 1.

Table 1:

Table 1: Recommended Dosage Modifications for Adverse Reactions
Adverse ReactionSeverityRecommended Dosage Modification
Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ]Neutrophils less than 0.5 Gi/L on Cycle Day 1• Interrupt treatment. Resume at the same dose once neutrophils return to 0.5 Gi/L or higher.
Neutrophils less than 1 Gi/L with fever at anytimeFirst Occurrence • Interrupt treatment. Resume at the same dose once neutrophils return to 1 Gi/L or higher. Occurrence in 2 Consecutive Cycles • Interrupt treatment. After neutrophils return to 1 Gi/L or higher, resume at reduced dose of 200 mg. • If a patient continues to experience febrile neutropenia after dose reduction, reduce the treatment duration by 7 days. • If febrile neutropenia reoccurs after dose and schedule reduction, discontinue ONUREG.
Platelets less than 50 Gi/L with bleedingFirst Occurrence • Interrupt dose. Resume at the same dose once platelets return to 50 Gi/L or higher. Occurrence in 2 Consecutive Cycles • Interrupt dose. After platelets return to 50 Gi/L or higher, resume at reduced dose of 200 mg. • If a patient continues to experience thrombocytopenia with bleeding after dose reduction, reduce the treatment duration by 7 days. • If thrombocytopenia with bleeding reoccurs after dose and schedule reduction, discontinue ONUREG.
Gastrointestinal Toxicity [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ]Grade 3 or 4 Nausea or Vomiting• Interrupt dose. Resume at the same dose once toxicity has resolved to Grade 1 or lower. • If toxicity reoccurs, interrupt dose until resolved to Grade 1 or lower. Resume at reduced dose of 200 mg. • If a patient continues to experience the toxicity after dose reduction, reduce the treatment duration by 7 days. • If the toxicity continues or reoccurs after dose and schedule reduction, discontinue ONUREG.
Grade 3 or 4 Diarrhea• Interrupt dose. Resume at the same dose once toxicity has resolved to Grade 1 or lower. • If toxicity reoccurs, interrupt dose until resolved to Grade 1 or lower. Resume at reduced dose of 200 mg. • If a patient continues to experience the toxicity after dose reduction, reduce the treatment duration by 7 days. • If the toxicity continues or reoccurs after dose and schedule reduction, discontinue ONUREG.
Other Adverse Reactions [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) ]Grade 3 or 4• Interrupt dose and provide medical support. Resume at the same dose once toxicity has resolved to Grade 1 or lower. • If toxicity re-occurs, interrupt dose until resolved to Grade 1 or lower. Resume at reduced dose of 200 mg. • If a patient continues to experience the toxicity after dose reduction, reduce the treatment duration by 7 days. • If the toxicity continues or reoccurs after dose and schedule reduction, discontinue ONUREG.

Side Effects of Onureg

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. Acute Myeloid Leukemia The safety of ONUREG was evaluated in QUAZAR. Patients received ONUREG 300 mg (N=236) or placebo (N=233) orally once daily on Days 1 through 14 of each 28-day cycle.

Among patients who received ONUREG, 71% were exposed for 6 months or longer, and 49% were exposed for greater than one year. Serious adverse reactions occurred in 15% of patients who received ONUREG. Serious adverse reactions in ≥ 2% of patients who received ONUREG were pneumonia (8%) and febrile neutropenia (7%).

One fatal adverse reaction (sepsis) occurred in a patient who received ONUREG. Permanent discontinuation of ONUREG due to an adverse reaction occurred in 8% of patients. Interruptions of ONUREG due to an adverse reaction occurred in 35% of patients.

Dose reductions of ONUREG due to an adverse reaction occurred in 14% of patients. The most common (≥ 10%) adverse reactions were nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue/asthenia, constipation, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, abdominal pain, arthralgia, decreased appetite, febrile neutropenia, dizziness, skin infection, and pain in extremity. Table 2 summarizes the adverse reactions in QUAZAR.

Table 2: Adverse Reactions (≥ 5%) in Patients with AML Who Received ONUREG with a Difference Between Arms of > 2% Compared to 0 9 0 e Broad scope term includes cellulitis, erythema migrans, folliculitis, fungal skin infection, furuncle, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, nail bed infection, nail infection, onychomycosis, skin infection, staphylococcal skin infection. f Grouped term includes: Sepsis, bacterial sepsis, neutropenic sepsis, device related sepsis, Klebsiella sepsis, Septic shock, Staphylococcal sepsis, and urosepsis. g Includes 1 fatal adverse reaction. Clinically relevant adverse reactions in less than 5% of patients who received ONUREG included Investigations: Weight decreased Neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia of any grade occurred in 74%, 65%, and 25% of patients who received ONUREG. Table 3 summarizes select Grades 3 or 4 hematological laboratory abnormalities in QUAZAR.

Table 3: Selected Hematological Laboratory Abnormalities That Worsened from Baseline in Patients Who Received 7

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine. 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. • Hypersensitivity reaction • Interstitial lung disease • Tumor lysis syndrome • Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) • Necrotizing fasciitis (including fatal cases) • Differentiation syndrome

Table 2: Adverse Reactions (≥ 5%) in Patients with AML Who Received ONUREG with a Difference Between Arms of > 2% Compared to Placebo in QUAZAR
Adverse ReactionONUREG (N=236)Placebo (N=233)
All Grades (%)Grade 3 or 4 (%)All Grades (%)Grade 3 or 4 (%)
a Grouped term includes abdominal pain, abdominal pain upper, abdominal discomfort, and gastrointestinal pain. b Grouped term includes fatigue and asthenia. c Broad scope term includes acute sinusitis, adenoviral upper respiratory infection, chronic tonsillitis, influenza, nasopharyngitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis, sinusitis, sinusitis fungal, tonsillitis, tracheitis, upper respiratory tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection bacterial, viral pharyngitis, viral rhinitis, viral upper respiratory tract infection.
d Broad scope term includes influenza, pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, respiratory tract infection viral, bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, lung infection, Staphylococcal infection, atypical pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infection, lung abscess, Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, pneumonia bacterial, pneumonia fungal, Pseudomonas infection, hemoptysis, productive cough, pleural effusion, atelectasis, pleuritic pain, rales, Enterobacter test positive, and Hemophilus test positive.
Gastrointestinal disorders
Nausea65324< 1
Vomiting603100
Diarrhea505211
Constipation391240
Abdominal pain a22213< 1
General disorders and administration site conditions
Fatigue / asthenia b444251
Infections
Upper respiratory tract infection c342280
Pneumonia d279175
Skin infection e11381
Sepsis f6 g533
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Arthralgia14110< 1
Pain in extremity11< 150
Metabolism and nutrition disorders
Decreased appetite13161
Blood and lymphatic disorders
Febrile neutropenia121188
Nervous system disorders
Dizziness11090
Table 3: Selected Hematological Laboratory Abnormalities That Worsened from Baseline in Patients Who Received ONUREG in QUAZAR
ONUREGPlacebo
Laboratory AbnormalityBaseline Grade 0-2 NPost-Baseline Grade 3 or 4 n (%)Baseline Grade 0-2 NPost-Baseline Grade 3 or 4 n (%)
Neutropenia223109 (49)21750 (23)
Thrombocytopenia22246 (21)21222 (10)
Anemia22910 (4)2237 (3)

Warnings & Cautions for Onureg

Risks of Substitution with Other Azacitidine Products Due to substantial differences in the pharmacokinetic parameters, the recommended dose and schedule for ONUREG are different from those for the intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine products. Treatment of patients using intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine at the recommended dosage of ONUREG may result in a fatal adverse reaction. Treatment of patients using ONUREG at the doses recommended for intravenous or subcutaneous azacitidine may not be effective.

Febrile neutropenia occurred in 12%, and sepsis was reported in 6%, including 1 fatal case. A dose reduction was required for 7% and 2% of patients due to neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, respectively. Less than 1% of patients discontinued ONUREG due to either neutropenia or thrombocytopenia.

Monitor complete blood counts and modify the dosage as recommended. Provide standard supportive care, including hematopoietic growth factors, if myelosuppression occurs.

Increased Early Mortality in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes In AZA-MDS-003 (NCT01566695), 216 patients with red blood cell transfusion-dependent anemia and thrombocytopenia due to myelodysplastic syndromes were randomized to ONUREG or placebo. One-hundred and seven patients received a median of 5 cycles of ONUREG 300 mg daily for 21 days of a 28-day cycle. Enrollment was discontinued early due to a higher incidence of early fatal and/or serious adverse reactions in patients who received ONUREG compared with placebo.

The most frequent fatal adverse reaction was sepsis. The safety and effectiveness of ONUREG for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes have not been established. Treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes with ONUREG is not recommended outside of controlled trials.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on the mechanism of action and findings in animals, ONUREG can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Azacitidine administered to pregnant rats via a single intraperitoneal dose less than the recommended human daily dose of oral azacitidine on a mg/m 2 basis caused fetal death and anomalies. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus.

Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with ONUREG and for at least 6 months after the last dose.

Pregnancy Safety for Onureg

Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on its mechanism of action and findings in animals, ONUREG can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. There are no available data on ONUREG use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk. Azacitidine was teratogenic and caused embryo-fetal lethality in animals at doses less than the recommended human daily dose of oral azacitidine on a mg/m 2 basis (see Data ).

Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to the fetus. The estimated background 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 No reproductive or developmental toxicity studies have been conducted with oral azacitidine. Early embryotoxicity studies in mice revealed a 44% frequency of intrauterine embryonal death (increased resorption) after a single intraperitoneal injection of 6 mg/m 2 azacitidine (at doses less than the recommended human daily dose of oral azacitidine on a mg/m 2 basis) on gestation Day 10.

Azacitidine caused multiple fetal abnormalities in rats after a single intraperitoneal dose of 3 to 12 mg/m 2 (at doses less than the recommended human daily dose on a mg/m 2 basis) given on gestation Days Fetal anomalies included: CNS anomalies (exencephaly/encephalocele), limb anomalies (micromelia, club foot, syndactyly, oligodactyly), and others (micrognathia, gastroschisis, edema, and rib abnormalities).

Pediatric Use of Onureg

Pediatric Use The safety and effectiveness of ONUREG in pediatric patients have not been established.

Contraindications for Onureg

ONUREG is contraindicated in patients with known severe hypersensitivity to azacitidine or its components. History of severe hypersensitivity to azacitidine or its components.

Clinical Studies of Onureg

The efficacy of Onureg was evaluated in QUAZAR (NCT01757535), a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Eligible patients were ages 55 years or older, had AML, and were within 4 months of achieving first complete remission (CR) or complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery (CRi) with intensive induction chemotherapy. Patients may have received consolidation (see Table 4 ).

Patients were excluded if they were candidates for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation at the time of screening. Randomization was stratified by age at time of induction therapy (55 to 64 vs. ≥ 65 years), cytogenetic risk category at time of induction therapy (intermediate risk vs. poor risk), prior history of MDS/CMML (yes vs. no), and received consolidation therapy following induction therapy (yes vs. no). Baseline demographic and disease characteristics are shown in Table 4.

Table 4: Baseline Demographics and Disease-Related Characteristics in QUAZAR Parameter Onureg (N=238) Placebo (N=234) AML=Acute Myeloid Leukemia, MDS=Myelodysplastic Syndrome, CMML=Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, ECOG=Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, CR=Morphologic Complete Remission, CRi=Morphologic complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery. 1 Intermediate risk was defined as normal cytogenetics +8, t(9;11), or Other undefined. 2 Poor risk was defined as Complex (≥ 3 abnormalities): -5; 5q-; -7; 7q-; 11q23 - non t(9;11); inv; t(3;3); t(6;9); or t(9;22). 0 2 The efficacy of Onureg was established on the basis of overall survival (OS). The trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in OS for patients randomized to Onureg compared to placebo. A subgroup analysis showed consistency in the OS benefit for patients in either CR or CRi.

The efficacy results are summarized in Table 5 and Figure 1. Table 5: Efficacy Results (ITT Population) in QUAZAR (ITT Population) in QUAZAR onureg-os-quazar

Table 4: Baseline Demographics and Disease-Related Characteristics in QUAZAR
ParameterOnureg (N=238)Placebo (N=234)
AML=Acute Myeloid Leukemia, MDS=Myelodysplastic Syndrome, CMML=Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia, ECOG=Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, CR=Morphologic Complete Remission, CRi=Morphologic complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery. 1 Intermediate risk was defined as normal cytogenetics +8, t(9;11), or Other undefined. 2 Poor risk was defined as Complex (≥ 3 abnormalities): -5; 5q-; -7; 7q-; 11q23 - non t(9;11); inv(3); t(3;3); t(6;9); or t(9;22).
Source for Intermediate and Poor Risk: National Comprehensive Cancer Network Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. National Comprehensive Cancer Network website. Available at http://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/PDF/aml.pdf. Accessed 01 Mar 2011.
Age (years)
Median (Min, Max)68.0 (55, 86)68.0 (55, 82)
Age Category, n (%)
< 65 years66 (28)68 (29)
65 years to < 75 years144 (61)142 (61)
≥ 75 years28 (12)24 (10)
Sex, n (%)
Male118 (50)127 (54)
Female120 (50)107 (46)
Race, n (%)
White216 (91)197 (84)
Black or African American2 (1)6 (3)
Asian6 (3)20 (9)
Other12 (5)11 (5)
Not Collected or Reported2 (1)0 (0)
ECOG Performance Status, n (%)
0116 (49)111 (47)
1101 (42)106 (45)
221 (9)15 (6)
30 (0)2 (1)
Cytogenetic Risk Status at Diagnosis, n (%)
Intermediate Risk 1203 (85)203 (87)
Poor Risk 235 (15)31 (13)
Initial AML Classification, n (%)
AML with recurrent genetic abnormalities39 (16)46 (20)
AML with myelodysplasia-related changes49 (21)42 (18)
Therapy related myeloid neoplasms2 (1)0 (0)
AML not otherwise specified148 (62)145 (62)
Missing0 (0)1 (< 1)
Type of AML, n (%)
Primary (de novo)213 (89)216 (92)
Secondary25 (11)18 (8)
Induction Response
CR187 (79)197 (84)
CRi51 (21)37 (16)
Consolidation following induction therapy
None52 (22)42 (18)
1 cycle110 (46)102 (44)
2 cycles70 (29)77 (33)
3 cycles6 (3)13 (6)
Disease status at study baseline
CR185 (78)181 (77)
CRi44 (18)38 (16)
Not in CR or CRi9 (4)13 (6)
Not Reported02 (1)
Table 5: Efficacy Results (ITT Population) in QUAZAR
Onureg (N=238)Placebo (N=234)
1 The hazard ratio is from a Cox proportional hazards model stratified by age (55 to 64 vs. ≥65 years), cytogenetic risk category at time of induction therapy (intermediate risk vs. poor risk), and received consolidation therapy (yes vs. no). The p-value is two-sided from a log-rank test stratified by the same factors.
Overall Survival
OS Events, n (%)158 (66)171 (73)
Median OS (95% CI) Months24.7 (18.7, 30.5)14.8 (11.7, 17.6)
Hazard Ratio (95% CI) 10.69 (0.55, 0.86)
p value 10.0009

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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