Pregabalin Drug Information

• Pregabalin capsules are indicated for: Management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy Management of postherpetic neuralgia Adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older Management of fibromyalgia Management of neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury Pregabalin capsules are indicated for: Neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) Postherpetic neuralgia (PHN) Adjunctive therapy for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older Fibromyalgia Neuropathic pain associated with spinal cord injury

Important Administration Instructions

Pregabalin capsules are given orally with or without food. When discontinuing pregabalin capsules, taper gradually over a minimum of 1 week. Because pregabalin is eliminated primarily by renal excretion, adjust the dose in adult patients with reduced renal function.

Neuropathic Pain Associated with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy in Adults The maximum recommended dose of pregabalin capsules is 100 mg three times a day (300 mg/day) in patients with creatinine clearance of at least 60 mL/min. Begin dosing at 50 mg three times a day (150 mg/day). The dose may be increased to 300 mg/day within 1 week based on efficacy and tolerability.

Although pregabalin was also studied at 600 mg/day, there is no evidence that this dose confers additional significant benefit and this dose was less well tolerated. In view of the dose-dependent adverse reactions and the higher rate of treatment discontinuation due to adverse reactions, reserve dosing above 300 mg/day for those patients who have on-going pain and are tolerating 300 mg daily.

Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Patients 1 Month of Age and Older The recommended dosages for adults and pediatric patients 1 month of age and older are included in Table 1. Administer the total daily dosage orally in two or three divided doses as indicated in Table 1. In pediatric patients, the recommended dosing regimen is dependent upon body weight.

Based on clinical response and tolerability, dosage may be increased, approximately weekly. Table 1. Recommended Dosage for Adults and Pediatric Patients 1 Month and Older Both the efficacy and adverse event profiles of pregabalin have been shown to be dose-related.

The effect of dose escalation rate on the tolerability of pregabalin has not been formally studied. The efficacy of adjunctive pregabalin in patients taking gabapentin has not been evaluated in controlled trials. Consequently, dosing recommendations for the use of pregabalin with gabapentin cannot be offered.

Management of Fibromyalgia in Adults

The recommended dose of pregabalin capsules for fibromyalgia is mg/day within 1 week based on efficacy and tolerability. Patients who do not experience sufficient benefit with 300 mg/day may be further increased to 225 mg two times a day (450 mg/day). In view of the dose-dependent adverse reactions, treatment with doses above 450 mg/day is not recommended.

Patients who do not experience sufficient pain relief after 2 to 3 weeks of treatment with 150 mg two times a day and who tolerate pregabalin may be treated with up to 300 mg two times a day.

Dosing for Adult Patients with Renal Impairment

The use of pregabalin capsules in pediatric patients with compromised renal function has not been studied. Base the dose adjustment in patients with renal impairment on creatinine clearance (CLcr), as indicated in Table 2. To use this dosing table, an estimate of the patient's CLcr in mL/min is needed.

CLcr in mL/min may be estimated from serum creatinine (mg/dL) determination using the Cockcroft and Gault equation: Next, refer to the Dosage and Administration section to determine the recommended total daily dose based on indication, for a patient with normal renal function (CLcr greater than or equal to 60 mL/min). Then refer to Table 2 to determine the corresponding renal adjusted dose. (For example: A patient initiating pregabalin therapy for postherpetic neuralgia with normal renal function (CLcr greater than or equal to 60 mL/min), receives a total daily dose of 150 mg/day pregabalin. Therefore, a renal impaired patient with a CLcr of 50 mL/min would receive a total daily dose of 75 mg/day pregabalin administered in two or three divided doses.) For patients undergoing hemodialysis, adjust the pregabalin daily dose based on renal function.

In addition to the daily dose adjustment, administer a supplemental dose immediately following every 4-hour hemodialysis treatment (see Table 2). Table 2. Pregabalin Dosage Adjustment Based on Renal Function TID = Three divided doses; BID = Two divided doses; QD = Single daily dose. Total daily dose (mg/day) should be divided as indicated by dose regimen to provide mg/dose. Supplementary dose is a single additional dose.

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. In all controlled and uncontrolled trials across various patient populations during the premarketing development of pregabalin, more than 10,000 patients have received pregabalin. Adverse Reactions Most Commonly Leading to Discontinuation in All Premarketing Controlled Clinical Studies In premarketing controlled trials of all adult populations combined, 14% of patients treated with pregabalin and 7% of patients treated with placebo discontinued prematurely due to adverse reactions.

In the pregabalin treatment group, the adverse reactions most frequently leading to discontinuation were dizziness (4%) and somnolence (4%). In the placebo group, 1% of patients withdrew due to dizziness and less than 1% withdrew due to somnolence. Other adverse reactions that led to discontinuation from controlled trials more frequently in the pregabalin group compared to the placebo group were ataxia, confusion, asthenia, thinking abnormal, blurred vision, incoordination, and peripheral edema (1% each).

Most Common Adverse Reactions in All Controlled Clinical Studies in Adults In premarketing controlled trials of all adult patient populations combined (including DPN, PHN, and adult patients with partial-onset seizures), dizziness, somnolence, dry mouth, edema, blurred vision, weight gain, and "thinking abnormal" (primarily difficulty with concentration/attention) were more commonly reported by subjects treated with pregabalin than by subjects treated with placebo (greater than or equal to 5% and twice the rate of that seen in placebo). Controlled Studies with Neuropathic Pain Associated with Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation In clinical trials in adults with neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, 9% of patients treated with pregabalin and 4% of patients treated with placebo discontinued prematurely due to adverse reactions. In the pregabalin treatment group, the most common reasons for discontinuation due to adverse reactions were dizziness (3%) and somnolence (2%).

Other reasons for discontinuation from the trials, occurring with greater frequency in the pregabalin group than in the placebo group, were asthenia, confusion, and peripheral edema. Each of these events led to withdrawal in approximately 1% of patients. Most Common Adverse Reactions Table 4 lists all adverse reactions, regardless of causality, occurring in greater than or equal to 1% of patients with neuropathic pain associated with diabetic neuropathy in the combined pregabalin group for which the incidence was greater in this combined pregabalin group than in the placebo group.

A majority of pregabalin-treated patients in clinical studies had adverse reactions with a maximum intensity of "mild" or "moderate". Table 4. In addition, an event is included, even if the incidence in the all pregabalin group is not greater than in the placebo group, if the incidence of the event in the 600 mg/day group is more than twice that in the placebo group.

Overall, 12.4% of all pregabalin-treated patients and 9.0% of all placebo-treated patients had at least one severe event while 8% of pregabalin-treated patients and 4.3% of placebo-treated patients had at least one severe treatment-related adverse event. Table 5. Adverse Reaction Incidence in Controlled Trials in Neuropathic Pain Associated with Postherpetic Neuralgia Body system Preferred term 75 mg/d % 150 mg/d % 300 mg/d % 600 mg/d % All PGB* % Placebo % PGB: pregabalin Thinking abnormal primarily consists of events related to difficulty with concentration/attention but also includes events related to cognition and language problems and slowed thinking. Investigator term; summary level term is amblyopia Controlled Studies of Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Adult Patients Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation Approximately 15% of patients receiving pregabalin and 6% of patients receiving placebo in trials of adjunctive therapy for partial-onset seizures discontinued prematurely due to adverse reactions.

In comparison, less than 1% of patients in the placebo group withdrew due to each of these events. Other adverse reactions that led to discontinuation of at least 1% of patients in the pregabalin group and at least twice as frequently compared to the placebo group were asthenia, diplopia, blurred vision, thinking abnormal, nausea, tremor, vertigo, headache, and confusion (which each led to withdrawal in 2% or less of patients). Most Common Adverse Reactions Table 6 lists all dose-related adverse reactions occurring in at least 2% of all pregabalin-treated patients.

Dose-relatedness was defined as the incidence of the adverse event in the 600 mg/day group was at least 2% greater than the rate in both the placebo and 150 mg/day groups. In these studies, 758 patients received pregabalin and 294 patients received placebo for up to 12 weeks. Table 6.

Dose-related Adverse Reaction Incidence in Controlled Trials of Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Adult Patients Body System Preferred Term 150 mg/d % 300 mg/d % 600 mg/d % All PGB % Placebo % PGB: pregabalin Excludes patients who received the 50 mg dose in Study E1. Thinking abnormal primarily consists of events related to difficulty with concentration/attention but also includes events related to cognition and language problems and slowed thinking. § Investigator term; summary level term is amblyopia. Controlled Study of Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Patients 4 to Less Than 17 Years of Age Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation Approximately 2.5% of patients receiving pregabalin and no patients receiving placebo in trials of adjunctive therapy for partial-onset seizures discontinued prematurely due to adverse reactions. In the pregabalin treatment group, the adverse reactions leading to discontinuation were somnolence (3 patients), worsening of epilepsy (1 patient), and hallucination (1 patient).

In this study, 201 patients received pregabalin and 94 patients received placebo for up to 12 weeks. Table 7. Dose-related Adverse Reaction Incidence in a Controlled Trial in Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Patients 4 to Less Than Abbreviations: N=number of patients; PGB = pregabalin. a. 2.5 mg/kg/day: Maximum dose 150 mg/day.

Includes patients less than 30 kg for whom dose was adjusted to 14 mg/kg/day. In this study, 105 patients received pregabalin and 70 patients received placebo for up to 14 days. Table 8.

Dose-related Adverse Reaction Incidence in a Controlled Trial in Adjunctive Therapy for Partial-Onset Seizures in Patients 1 Month to Less Than 4 Years of Age Abbreviations: N=number of patients; PGB=pregabalin. includes related terms including lethargy, sluggishness, and hypersomnia. Controlled Studies with Fibromyalgia Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation In clinical trials of patients with fibromyalgia, 19% of patients treated with pregabalin (150 to 600 mg/day) and 10% of patients treated with placebo discontinued prematurely due to adverse reactions. In comparison, less than 1% of placebo-treated patients withdrew due to dizziness and somnolence.

Other reasons for discontinuation from the trials, occurring with greater frequency in the pregabalin treatment group than in the placebo treatment group, were fatigue, headache, balance disorder, and weight increased. Most Common Adverse Reactions Table 9 lists all adverse reactions, regardless of causality, occurring in greater than or equal to 2% of patients with fibromyalgia in the ‘all pregabalin’ treatment group for which the incidence was greater than in the placebo treatment group. Table 9.

In comparison, none of the placebo-treated patients withdrew due to somnolence and edema. Each of these adverse reactions led to withdrawal in less than 2% of patients. Table 10.

Adverse Reaction Incidence in Controlled Trials in Neuropathic 0 PGB: Pregabalin Other Adverse Reactions Observed During the Clinical Studies of Pregabalin Following is a list of treatment-emergent adverse reactions reported by patients treated with pregabalin during all clinical trials. The listing does not include those events already listed in the previous tables or elsewhere in labeling, those events for which a drug cause was remote, those events which were so general as to be uninformative, and those events reported only once which did not have a substantial probability of being acutely life-threatening. Events are categorized by body system and listed in order of decreasing frequency according to the following definitions: frequent adverse reactions are those occurring on one or more occasions in at least 1/100 patients; infrequent adverse reactions are those occurring in 1/100 to 1/1,000 patients; rare reactions are those occurring in fewer than 1/1,000 patients.

Events of major clinical importance are described in the Warnings and Precautions section. Body as a Whole – Frequent: Abdominal pain, Allergic reaction, Fever, Infrequent: Abscess, Cellulitis, Chills, Malaise, Neck rigidity, Overdose, Pelvic pain, Photosensitivity reaction, Rare: Anaphylactoid reaction, Ascites, Granuloma, Hangover effect, Intentional Injury, Retroperitoneal Fibrosis, Shock Cardiovascular System – Infrequent: Deep thrombophlebitis, Heart failure, Hypotension, Postural hypotension, Retinal vascular disorder, Syncope; Rare: ST Depressed, Ventricular Fibrillation Digestive System – Frequent: Gastroenteritis, Increased appetite; Infrequent: Cholecystitis, Cholelithiasis, Colitis, Dysphagia, Esophagitis, Gastritis, Gastrointestinal hemorrhage, Melena, Mouth ulceration, Pancreatitis, Rectal hemorrhage, Tongue edema; Rare: Aphthous stomatitis, Esophageal Ulcer, Periodontal abscess Hemic and Lymphatic System – Frequent: Ecchymosis; Infrequent: Anemia, Eosinophilia, Hypochromic anemia, Leukocytosis, Leukopenia, Lymphadenopathy, Thrombocytopenia; Rare: Myelofibrosis, Polycythemia, Prothrombin decreased, Purpura, Thrombocythemia, Alanine aminotransferase increased, Aspartate aminotransferase increased Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders – Rare: Glucose Tolerance Decreased, Urate Crystalluria Musculoskeletal System – Frequent: Arthralgia, Leg cramps, Myalgia, Myasthenia; Infrequent: Arthrosis; Rare: Chondrodystrophy, Generalized Spasm Nervous System – Frequent: Anxiety, Depersonalization, Hypertonia, Hypoesthesia, Libido decreased, Nystagmus, Paresthesia, Sedation, Stupor, Twitching; Infrequent: Abnormal dreams, Agitation, Apathy, Aphasia, Circumoral paresthesia, Dysarthria, Hallucinations, Hostility, Hyperalgesia, Hyperesthesia, Hyperkinesia, Hypokinesia, Hypotonia, Libido increased, Myoclonus, Neuralgia; Rare: Addiction, Cerebellar syndrome, Cogwheel rigidity, Coma, Delirium, Delusions, Dysautonomia, Dyskinesia, Dystonia, Encephalopathy, Extrapyramidal syndrome, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hypalgesia, Intracranial hypertension, Manic reaction, Paranoid reaction, Peripheral neuritis, Personality disorder, Psychotic depression, Schizophrenic reaction, Sleep disorder, Torticollis, Trismus Respiratory System – Rare: Apnea, Atelectasis, Bronchiolitis, Hiccup, Laryngismus, Lung edema, Lung fibrosis, Yawn Skin and Appendages – Frequent: Pruritus, Infrequent: Alopecia, Dry skin, Eczema, Hirsutism, Skin ulcer, Urticaria, Vesiculobullous rash; Rare: Angioedema, Exfoliative dermatitis, Lichenoid dermatitis, Melanosis, Nail Disorder, Petechial rash, Purpuric rash, Pustular rash, Skin atrophy, Skin necrosis, Skin nodule, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, Subcutaneous nodule Special senses – Frequent: Conjunctivitis, Diplopia, Otitis media, Tinnitus; Infrequent: Abnormality of accommodation, Blepharitis, Dry eyes, Eye hemorrhage, Hyperacusis, Photophobia, Retinal edema, Taste loss, Taste perversion; Rare: Anisocoria, Blindness, Corneal ulcer, Exophthalmos, Extraocular palsy, Iritis, Keratitis, Keratoconjunctivitis, Miosis, Mydriasis, Night blindness, Ophthalmoplegia, Optic atrophy, Papilledema, Parosmia, Ptosis, Uveitis Urogenital System – Frequent: Anorgasmia, Impotence, Urinary frequency, Urinary incontinence; Infrequent: Abnormal ejaculation, Albuminuria, Amenorrhea, Dysmenorrhea, Dysuria, Hematuria, Kidney calculus, Leukorrhea, Menorrhagia, Metrorrhagia, Nephritis, Oliguria, Urinary retention, Urine abnormality; Rare: Acute kidney failure, Balanitis, Bladder Neoplasm, Cervicitis, Dyspareunia, Epididymitis, Female lactation, Glomerulitis, Ovarian disorder, Pyelonephritis Comparison of Gender and Race The overall adverse event profile of pregabalin was similar between women and men. There are insufficient data to support a statement regarding the distribution of adverse experience reports by race.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of pregabalin. 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. Nervous System Disorders – Headache Gastrointestinal Disorders – Nausea, Diarrhea Reproductive System and Breast Disorders – Gynecomastia, Breast Enlargement Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders – Bullous pemphigoid There are postmarketing reports of life-threatening or fatal respiratory depression in patients taking pregabalin with opioids or other CNS depressants, or in the setting of underlying respiratory impairment.

In addition, there are postmarketing reports of events related to reduced lower gastrointestinal tract function (e.g., intestinal obstruction, paralytic ileus, constipation) when pregabalin was co-administered with medications that have the potential to produce constipation, such as opioid analgesics.

Since pregabalin is predominantly excreted unchanged in the urine, undergoes negligible metabolism in humans (less than 2% of a dose recovered in urine as metabolites), and does not bind to plasma proteins, its pharmacokinetics are unlikely to be affected by other agents through metabolic interactions or protein binding displacement. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that pregabalin is unlikely to be involved in significant pharmacokinetic drug interactions. Specifically, there are no pharmacokinetic interactions between pregabalin and the following antiepileptic drugs: carbamazepine, valproic acid, lamotrigine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, and topiramate.

Important pharmacokinetic interactions would also not be expected to occur between pregabalin and commonly used antiepileptic drugs. Pharmacodynamics Multiple oral doses of pregabalin were co-administered with oxycodone, lorazepam, or ethanol. Although no pharmacokinetic interactions were seen, additive effects on cognitive and gross motor functioning were seen when pregabalin was co-administered with these drugs.

No clinically important effects on respiration were seen.

Pregabalin capsules are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to pregabalin or any of its components. Angioedema and hypersensitivity reactions have occurred in patients receiving pregabalin therapy.

Signs, Symptoms and Laboratory Findings of Acute Overdosage in Humans In the postmarketing experience, the most commonly reported adverse events observed with pregabalin when taken in overdose include reduced consciousness, depression/anxiety, confusional state, agitation, and restlessness. Seizures and heart block have also been reported. Deaths have been reported in the setting of lone pregabalin overdose and in combination with other CNS depressants.

Treatment or Management of Overdose There is no specific antidote for overdose with pregabalin. If indicated, elimination of unabsorbed drug may be attempted by emesis or gastric lavage; observe usual precautions to maintain the airway. General supportive care of the patient is indicated including monitoring of vital signs and observation of the clinical status of the patient.

Contact a Certified Poison Control Center for up-to-date information on the management of overdose with pregabalin. Pregabalin can be removed by hemodialysis. Standard hemodialysis procedures result in significant clearance of pregabalin (approximately 50% in 4 hours).