Proair Drug Information
Generic name: ALBUTEROL SULFATE
Uses of Proair
Bronchospasm ProAir ® Digihaler ® is indicated for the treatment or prevention
of bronchospasm in patients 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease.
Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm ProAir Digihaler is indicated for the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm
in patients 4 years of age and older.
Dosage & Administration of Proair
Recommended Dosage for Bronchospasm
The recommended dosage is 2 inhalations every 4 to 6 hours by oral inhalation. More frequent administration or a larger number of inhalations is not recommended. In some patients, 1 inhalation every 4 hours may be sufficient.
Recommended Dosage for Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm
The recommended dosage is 2 inhalations 15 to 30 minutes before exercise by oral inhalation.
Administration and Maintenance Information Administer ProAir Digihaler by oral inhalation only. ProAir
Digihaler inhaler does not require priming. Do not use ProAir Digihaler with a spacer or volume holding chamber. Keep the inhaler clean and dry at all times.
Never wash or put any part of your inhaler in water. Routine maintenance is not required. If the mouthpiece needs cleaning, gently wipe the mouthpiece with a dry cloth or tissue as needed.
Dose Counter ProAir Digihaler inhaler has a dose counter attached to the
actuator. When the patient receives the inhaler: For the 200 dose canister, the number 200 will be displayed. For the 30 dose canister, the number 30 will be displayed.
The dose counter will count down each time the inhaler is actuated. When the dose counter reaches 20, the color of the numbers will change to red to remind the patient to contact their pharmacist for a refill of medication or consult their physician for a prescription refill. When the dose counter reaches 0, the background will change to solid red.
Discard ProAir Digihaler 13 months after opening the foil pouch, when the dose counter displays 0 or after the expiration date on the product, whichever comes first.
Storage of Data on Inhaler Events ProAir Digihaler contains a built-in electronic
module which detects, records, and stores data on inhaler events, including peak inspiratory flow rate (L/min), for transmission to the mobile App where inhaler events are categorized. Use of the App is not required for administration of albuterol sulfate to the patient. There is no evidence the use of the App leads to improved clinical outcomes, including safety and effectiveness.
Side Effects of Proair
Clinical Trials Experience
A total of 1289 subjects were treated with albuterol sulfate inhalation powder (ProAir RespiClick hereafter referred to as albuterol sulfate MDPI) during the clinical development program. The most common adverse reactions (≥1% and >placebo) were back pain, pain, gastroenteritis viral, sinus headache, and urinary tract infection. 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.
Adults and Adolescents 12 years of Age and Older: The adverse reaction information presented in Table 1 below concerning albuterol sulfate MDPI is derived from the 12-week blinded treatment period of three studies which compared albuterol sulfate MDPI 180 mcg four times daily with a double-blinded matched placebo in 653 asthmatic patients 12 to 76 years of age. Table 1: Adverse Reactions Experienced by Greater Than or Equal to 1.0% of Adult and Adolescent Patients in the Albuterol sulfate MDPI Group and Greater Than Placebo in three 12-Week Clinical Trials 1 Preferred Term Number (%) of patients Albuterol sulfate MDPI 180 mcg QID N=321 Placebo N=333 Back pain 6 (2%) 4 (1%) Pain 5 (2%) 2 (<1%) Gastroenteritis viral 4 (1%) 3 (<1%) Sinus headache 4 (1%) 3 (<1%) Urinary tract infection 4 (1%) 3 (<1%) This table includes all adverse events (whether considered by the investigator drug related or unrelated to drug) which occurred at an incidence rate of greater than or equal to 1.0% in the albuterol sulfate MDPI group and greater than placebo. In a long-term study of 168 patients treated with albuterol sulfate MDPI for up to 52 weeks (including a 12-week double-blind period), the most commonly reported adverse events greater than or equal to 5% were upper respiratory infection, nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, cough, oropharyngeal pain, headache, and pyrexia.
In a small cumulative dose study, tremor, palpitations, and headache were the most frequently occurring (≥5%) adverse events. Pediatric Patients 4 to 11 Years of Age: The adverse reaction information presented in Table 2 below concerning albuterol sulfate MDPI is derived from a 3‑week pediatric clinical trial which compared albuterol sulfate MDPI 180 mcg four times daily with a double‑blinded matched placebo in 185 asthmatic patients 4 to 11 years of age. Table 2: Adverse Reactions Experienced by Greater Than or Equal to 2.0% of Patients 4 to 11 Years of Age in the Albuterol sulfate MDPI Group and Greater Than Placebo in the 3 Week Trial Preferred Term Number (%) of patients Albuterol sulfate MDPI 180 mcg QID N=93 Placebo N=92 Nasopharyngitis 2 (2%) 1 (1%) Oropharyngeal pain 2 (2%) 1 (1%) Vomiting 3 (3%) 1 (1%)
Postmarketing Experience
In addition to the adverse reactions reported from clinical trials with albuterol sulfate MDPI, the following adverse events have been reported during use of other inhaled albuterol sulfate products: Urticaria, angioedema, rash, bronchospasm, hoarseness, oropharyngeal edema, and arrhythmias (including atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, extrasystoles), rare cases of aggravated bronchospasm, lack of efficacy, asthma exacerbation (potentially fatal), muscle cramps, and various oropharyngeal side-effects such as throat irritation, altered taste, glossitis, tongue ulceration, and gagging. 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. In addition, albuterol, like other sympathomimetic agents, can cause adverse reactions such as: angina, hypertension or hypotension, palpitations, central nervous system stimulation, insomnia, headache, nervousness, tremor, muscle cramps, drying or irritation of the oropharynx, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, and metabolic acidosis.
Warnings & Cautions for Proair
Paradoxical Bronchospasm ProAir Digihaler can produce paradoxical bronchospasm that may be life
threatening. If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs, ProAir Digihaler should be discontinued immediately and alternative therapy instituted.
Deterioration of Asthma Asthma may deteriorate acutely over a period of hours
or chronically over several days or longer. If the patient needs more doses of ProAir Digihaler, this may be a marker of destabilization of asthma and requires re-evaluation of the patient and treatment regimen, giving special consideration to the possible need for anti-inflammatory treatment, e.g., corticosteroids.
Use of Anti-Inflammatory Agents
The use of beta-adrenergic-agonist bronchodilators alone may not be adequate to control asthma in many patients. Early consideration should be given to adding anti-inflammatory agents, e.g., corticosteroids, to the therapeutic regimen.
Cardiovascular Effects ProAir Digihaler, like other beta-adrenergic agonists, can produce clinically significant
cardiovascular effects in some patients as measured by pulse rate, blood pressure, and/or symptoms. Although such effects are uncommon after administration of ProAir Digihaler at recommended doses, if they occur, the drug may need to be discontinued. In addition, beta-agonists have been reported to produce ECG changes, such as flattening of the T-wave, prolongation of the QTc interval, and ST segment depression.
The clinical significance of these findings is unknown. Therefore, ProAir Digihaler, like all sympathomimetic amines, should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension.
Do Not Exceed Recommended Dose Fatalities have been reported in association with
excessive use of inhaled sympathomimetic drugs in patients with asthma. The exact cause of death is unknown, but cardiac arrest following an unexpected development of a severe acute asthmatic crisis and subsequent hypoxia is suspected.
Hypersensitivity Reactions including Anaphylaxis Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur after administration of
albuterol sulfate, as demonstrated by rare cases of urticaria, angioedema, rash, bronchospasm, anaphylaxis, and oropharyngeal edema. ProAir Digihaler contains small amounts of lactose, which may contain trace levels of milk proteins. Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis, angioedema, pruritus, and rash have been reported with the use of therapies containing lactose (lactose is an inactive ingredient in ProAir Digihaler). The potential for hypersensitivity must be considered in the clinical evaluation of patients who experience immediate hypersensitivity reactions while receiving ProAir Digihaler.
Coexisting Conditions ProAir Digihaler, like all sympathomimetic amines, should be used with
caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension; in patients with convulsive disorders, hyperthyroidism, or diabetes mellitus; and in patients who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines. Clinically significant changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure have been seen in individual patients and could be expected to occur in some patients after use of any beta-adrenergic bronchodilator. Large doses of intravenous albuterol have been reported to aggravate preexisting diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis.
Hypokalemia As with other beta-agonists, ProAir Digihaler may produce significant hypokalemia in
some patients, possibly through intracellular shunting, which has the potential to produce adverse cardiovascular effects. The decrease is usually transient, not requiring supplementation.
Drug Interactions with Proair
Beta-Blockers Beta-adrenergic-receptor blocking agents not only block the pulmonary effect of beta-agonists
such as ProAir Digihaler, but may produce severe bronchospasm in asthmatic patients. Therefore, patients with asthma should not normally be treated with beta-blockers. However, under certain circumstances, e.g., as prophylaxis after myocardial infarction, there may be no acceptable alternatives to the use of beta-adrenergic-blocking agents in patients with asthma.
In this setting, consider cardioselective beta-blockers, although they should be administered with caution.
Diuretics
The ECG changes and/or hypokalemia which may result from the administration of non-potassium sparing diuretics (such as loop or thiazide diuretics) can be acutely worsened by beta-agonists, especially when the recommended dose of the beta-agonist is exceeded. Although the clinical significance of these effects is not known, caution is advised in the coadministration of beta-agonists with non-potassium sparing diuretics. Consider monitoring potassium levels.
Digoxin Mean decreases of 16% and 22% in serum digoxin levels were
demonstrated after single dose intravenous and oral administration of albuterol, respectively, to normal volunteers who had received digoxin for 10 days. The clinical significance of these findings for patients with obstructive airway disease who are receiving albuterol and digoxin on a chronic basis is unclear. Nevertheless, it would be prudent to carefully evaluate the serum digoxin levels in patients who are currently receiving digoxin and ProAir Digihaler.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors or Tricyclic Antidepressants ProAir Digihaler should be administered with
extreme caution to patients being treated with monoamine oxidase inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants, or within 2 weeks of discontinuation of such agents, because the action of albuterol on the cardiovascular system may be potentiated. Consider alternative therapy in patients taking MAO inhibitors or tricyclic antidepressants.
Pregnancy Safety for Proair
Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no randomized clinical studies of use of albuterol during pregnancy. Available data from published epidemiological studies and postmarketing case reports of pregnancy outcomes following inhaled albuterol use do not consistently demonstrate a risk of major birth defects or miscarriage. There are clinical considerations with use of albuterol in pregnant women . In animal reproduction studies, when albuterol sulfate was administered subcutaneously to pregnant mice there was evidence of cleft palate at less than and up to 9 times the maximum recommended human daily inhalation dose (MRHDID) . The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population(s) are unknown.
In the U.S. general population, the estimated risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. Clinical Considerations Disease-Associated Maternal and/or Embryo/Fetal Risk In women with poorly or moderately controlled asthma, there is an increased risk of preeclampsia in the mother and prematurity, low birth weight, and small for gestational age in the neonate. Pregnant women should be closely monitored and medication adjusted as necessary to maintain optimal control.
Labor or Delivery Because of the potential for beta-agonist interference with uterine contractility, use of ProAir Digihaler for relief of bronchospasm during labor should be restricted to those patients in whom the benefits clearly outweigh the risk. ProAir Digihaler has not been approved for the management of pre-term labor. Serious adverse reactions, including pulmonary edema, have been reported during or following treatment of premature labor with beta 2 -agonists, including albuterol.
Data Animal Data In a mouse reproduction study, subcutaneously administered albuterol sulfate produced cleft palate formation in 5 of 111 (4.5%) fetuses at an exposure nine-tenths the maximum recommended human dose (MRHDID) for adults (on a mg/m 2 basis at a maternal dose of 0.25 mg/kg) and in 10 of 108 (9.3%) fetuses at approximately 9 times the MRHDID (on a mg/m 2 basis at a maternal dose of 2.5 mg/kg). Similar effects were not observed at approximately one-eleventh the MRHDID for adults (on a mg/m 2 basis at a maternal dose of 0.025 mg/kg). Cleft palate also occurred in 22 of 72 (30.5%) fetuses from females treated subcutaneously with isoproterenol (positive control). In a rabbit reproduction study, orally administered albuterol sulfate induced cranioschisis in 7 of 19 fetuses (37%) at approximately 750 times the MRHDID (on a mg/m 2 basis at a maternal dose of 50 mg/kg). In a rat reproduction study, an albuterol sulfate/HFA-134a formulation administered by inhalation did not produce any teratogenic effects at exposures approximately 80 times the MRHDID (on a mg/m 2 basis at a maternal dose of 10.5 mg/kg). A study in which pregnant rats were dosed with radiolabeled albuterol sulfate demonstrated that drug-related material is transferred from the maternal circulation to the fetus.
Pediatric Use of Proair
Pediatric Use The safety and effectiveness of ProAir Digihaler for the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm with reversible obstructive airway disease have been established in pediatric patients 12 to 17 years of age. Use of ProAir Digihaler for this indication is supported by evidence from two 12-week clinical trials in 318 patients 12 years of age and older with asthma comparing doses of 180 mcg four times daily with placebo, one long-term safety study in children 12 years of age and older, and one single-dose crossover study comparing doses of 90 and 180 mcg with albuterol sulfate inhalation aerosol (ProAir ® HFA) in 71 patients. The safety and effectiveness of ProAir Digihaler for treatment of exercise-induced bronchospasm have been established in children 12 years of age and older.
Use of ProAir Digihaler for this indication is supported from one single-dose crossover study in 38 patients age 16 and older with exercise-induced bronchospasm comparing doses of 180 mcg with placebo . The safety profile for patients ages 12 to 17 was consistent with the overall safety profile seen in these studies. The safety of ProAir Digihaler in children 4 to 11 years of age is based on two single-dose, controlled, crossover studies: one with 61 patients comparing doses of 90 and 180 mcg with matched placebo and albuterol HFA MDI and one with 15 patients comparing a dose of 180 mcg with matched albuterol HFA MDI; and one 3‑week clinical trial in 185 patients 4 to 11 years of age with asthma comparing a dose of 180 mcg four times daily with matched albuterol HFA MDI. The effectiveness of albuterol sulfate MDPI in children 4 to 11 years with exercise-induced bronchospasm is extrapolated from clinical trials in patients 12 years of age and older with asthma and exercise-induced bronchospasm, based on data from a single-dose study comparing the bronchodilatory effect of albuterol sulfate MDPI 90 mcg and 180 mcg with placebo in 61 patients with asthma, and data from a 3‑week clinical trial in 185 asthmatic children 4 to 11 years of age comparing a dose of 180 mcg albuterol 4 times daily with placebo . The safety and effectiveness of ProAir Digihaler in pediatric patients below the age of 4 years have not been established.
Contraindications for Proair
ProAir Digihaler is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to albuterol and/or severe hypersensitivity to milk proteins. Rare cases of hypersensitivity reactions, including urticaria, angioedema, and rash have been reported after the use of albuterol sulfate. There have been reports of anaphylactic reactions in patients using inhalation therapies containing lactose . Patients with hypersensitivity to albuterol.
Patients with severe hypersensitivity to milk proteins.
Overdosage Information for Proair
The expected symptoms with overdosage are those of excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation and/or occurrence or exaggeration of any of the symptoms listed under ADVERSE REACTIONS, e.g., seizures, angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia with rates up to 200 beats per minute, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, palpitation, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, and insomnia. Hypokalemia may also occur. As with all sympathomimetic medications, cardiac arrest and even death may be associated with abuse of ProAir Digihaler.
Treatment consists of discontinuation of ProAir Digihaler together with appropriate symptomatic therapy. The judicious use of a cardioselective beta-receptor blocker may be considered, bearing in mind that such medication can produce bronchospasm. There is insufficient evidence to determine if dialysis is beneficial for overdosage of ProAir Digihaler.
Clinical Studies of Proair
Overview of Clinical Studies
The safety and effectiveness of ProAir Digihaler has been established in the treatment or prevention of bronchospasm in patients 4 years of age and older with reversible obstructive airway disease and in the prevention of exercise-induced bronchospasm in patients 4 years of age and older. The use of ProAir Digihaler for these indications is supported by adequate and well-controlled studies in adults and pediatric patients of albuterol sulfate inhalation powder (ProAir RespiClick hereafter referred to as albuterol sulfate MDPI).
Bronchospasm Associated with Asthma Adult and Adolescent Patients 12 Years of Age
and Older In two 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of identical design (Study 1 and Study 2), albuterol sulfate MDPI (153 patients) was compared to a matched placebo dry powder inhaler (163 patients) in asthmatic patients 12 to 76 years of age at a dose of 180 mcg albuterol four times daily. Patients were maintained on inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Serial FEV 1 measurements, shown below in Figure 1 as average of the mean changes from test-day baseline at Day 1 and Day 85, demonstrated that two inhalations of albuterol sulfate MDPI produced significantly greater improvement in FEV 1 AUC 0‑6hr over the pre-treatment value than placebo in Study 1. Consistent results were observed in Study 2. Figure 1: FEV 1 as Mean Change from Test-Day, Pre-Dose Baseline in a 12-Week Clinical Trial (Study 1) In Study 1, 44 of 78 patients treated with albuterol sulfate MDPI achieved a 15% increase in FEV 1 within 30 minutes post‑dose on Day 1. The median time to onset was 5.7 minutes, and median duration of effect as measured by a 15% increase was approximately 2 hours.
Consistent results were observed in Study 2. In a double‑blind, randomized, placebo–controlled, single‑dose crossover study evaluating albuterol sulfate MDPI and ProAir HFA in 71 adult and adolescent subjects ages 12 and older with persistent asthma, ProAir RespiClick had bronchodilator efficacy that was significantly greater than placebo at administered doses of 90 and 180 mcg. Pediatric Patients 4 to 11 Years of Age In a 3‑week, randomized, double‑blind, placebo-controlled trial, albuterol sulfate MDPI (92 patients) was compared to a matched placebo (92 patients) in asthmatic children 4 to 11 years of age at a dose of 180 mcg albuterol four times daily. Serial FEV 1 measurements, expressed as the baseline-adjusted percent-predicted FEV 1 AUC 0‑6h over the 3‑week treatment period, demonstrated that 2 inhalations of albuterol sulfate MDPI produced significantly greater improvement in FEV 1 over the pre-treatment value than the matched placebo.
In this study, 48 of 92 patients treated with albuterol sulfate MDPI achieved a 15% increase in FEV 1 within 30 minutes post-dose on Day 1. The median time to onset was 5.9 minutes, and the median duration of effect as measured by a 15% increase was approximately 1 hour. In a placebo-controlled, single-dose, crossover study in 61 patients 4 to 11 years of age, albuterol sulfate MDPI, administered at albuterol doses of 90 and 180 mcg, was compared with a matched placebo and with albuterol HFA MDI. Albuterol sulfate MDPI provided similar bronchodilation when administered as one or two inhalations (baseline-adjusted percent-predicted serial FEV 1 observed over 6 hours post-dose), whereas two inhalations from albuterol HFA MDI provided significantly greater bronchodilation compared to a single inhalation. Figure 1
Exercise-Induced Bronchospasm
In a randomized, single-dose, crossover study in 38 adult and adolescent patients with exercise-induced bronchospasm (EIB), two inhalations of albuterol sulfate MDPI taken 30 minutes before exercise prevented EIB for the hour following exercise (defined as the maintenance of FEV 1 within 80% of post-dose, pre-exercise baseline values) in 97% (37 of 38) of patients as compared to 42% (16 of 38) of patients when they received placebo. Patients who participated in these clinical trials were allowed to use concomitant steroid therapy.
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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