Rytary Drug Information
Generic name: CARBIDOPA AND LEVODOPA
Aromatic Amino Acid [EPC]
Uses of Rytary
is indicated for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, post-encephalitic parkinsonism, and parkinsonism that may follow carbon monoxide intoxication or manganese intoxication. RYTARY is a combination of carbidopa (an aromatic amino acid decarboxylation inhibitor) and levodopa (an aromatic amino acid) indicated for the treatment of Parkinson's disease, post-encephalitic parkinsonism, and parkinsonism that may follow carbon monoxide intoxication or manganese intoxication.
Dosage & Administration of Rytary
| 400 mg to 549 mg | 855 mg |
|---|---|
| 550 mg to 749 mg | 1,140 mg |
| 750 mg to 949 mg | 1,305 mg |
| 950 mg to 1,249 mg | 1,755 mg |
| Equal to or greater than 1,250 mg | 2,340 mg or |
| 2,205 mg | 3 capsules RYTARY 61.25 mg/245 mg taken TID |
| a TID: three times a day | |
Side Effects of Rytary
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 clinical practice. The safety population consisted of a total of 978 Parkinson’s disease patients who received at least one dose of RYTARY, and had an average duration of exposure of 40 weeks. Adverse Reactions in Early Parkinson’s Disease In a placebo-controlled clinical study in patients with early Parkinson’s disease (Study 1), the most common adverse reactions with RYTARY (in at least 5% of patients and more frequently than in placebo) were nausea, dizziness, headache, insomnia, abnormal dreams, dry mouth, dyskinesia, anxiety, constipation, vomiting, and orthostatic hypotension.
Table 2 lists adverse reactions occurring in at least 5% of RYTARY-treated patients and at a higher rate than placebo in Study 1. Table 2: Adverse Reactions in Study 1 in Patients with Early Stage Parkinson’s Disease Placebo RYTARY 36.25 mg Carbidopa 145 mg Levodopa TID RYTARY 61.25 mg Carbidopa 245 mg Levodopa TID RYTARY 97.5 mg Carbidopa 390 mg Levodopa TID (N=92) % (N=87) % (N=104) % (N=98) % Nausea 9 14 19 20 Dizziness 5 9 19 12 Headache 11 7 13 17 Insomnia 3 2 9 6 Abnormal Dreams 0 2 6 5 Dry Mouth 1 3 2 7 Dyskinesia 0 2 4 5 Anxiety 0 2 3 5 Constipation 1 2 6 2 Vomiting 3 2 2 5 Orthostatic Hypotension 1 1 1 5 Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation in Study 1 In Study 1, 12% of patients discontinued RYTARY early due to adverse reactions; a higher proportion of patients in the 61.25 mg/245 mg RYTARY-treated group (14%) and in the 97.5 mg/390 mg RYTARY-treated group (15%) experienced adverse reactions leading to early discontinuation compared to (4%) in the placebo group. The most common adverse reactions resulting in early discontinuation were nausea, dizziness, and vomiting. Adverse Reactions in Advanced Parkinson’s Disease In an active-controlled clinical study in patients with advanced Parkinson’s disease (Study 2), the most common adverse reactions with RYTARY that occurred during dose conversion or maintenance (in at least 5% of patients and more frequently than on oral immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa) were nausea and headache.
Table 3 lists adverse reactions occurring in at least 5% of RYTARY-treated patients and at a higher rate than oral immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa in Study 2. Table 3: Adverse Reactions in Study 2 in Patients with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease RYTARY (N=201) Immediate-Release Carbidopa-Levodopa (N=192) Period Dose Conversion a % Maintenance % Dose Conversion a % Maintenance % Nausea 4 3 6 2 Headache 5 1 3 2 a All patients were converted to RYTARY in the open-label Dose Conversion period and then received randomized treatment during maintenance. Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation in Study 2 In Study 2, 5% of patients discontinued treatment due to adverse reactions during conversion to RYTARY. The common adverse reactions leading to discontinuation during dose conversion were dyskinesia, anxiety, dizziness, and on and off phenomenon.
Post-marketing Experience
The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of RYTARY. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of unknown size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish causal relationship to RYTARY exposure. Psychiatric: Suicide attempt, suicidal ideation.
Warnings & Cautions for Rytary
Falling Asleep During Activities of Daily Living and Somnolence Patients treated with
levodopa, a component of RYTARY, have reported falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living, including the operation of motor vehicles, which sometimes resulted in accidents. Although many of these patients reported somnolence while on levodopa, some perceived that they had no warning signs (sleep attack), such as excessive drowsiness, and believed that they were alert immediately prior to the event. Some of these events have been reported more than 1 year after initiation of treatment.
It has been reported that falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living usually occurs in a setting of pre-existing somnolence, although patients may not give such a history. For this reason, prescribers should reassess patients for drowsiness or sleepiness in RYTARY-treated patients, especially since some of the events occur well after the start of treatment. Prescribers should also be aware that patients may not acknowledge drowsiness or sleepiness until directly questioned about drowsiness or sleepiness during specific activities.
Before initiating treatment with RYTARY, advise patients of the potential to develop drowsiness and specifically ask about factors that may increase the risk for somnolence with RYTARY such as concomitant sedating medications or the presence of a sleep disorder. Consider discontinuing RYTARY in patients who report significant daytime sleepiness or episodes of falling asleep during activities that require active participation (e.g., conversations, eating, etc.). If a decision is made to continue RYTARY, patients should be advised not to drive and to avoid other potentially dangerous activities that might result in harm if the patients become somnolent. There is insufficient information to establish that dose reduction will eliminate episodes of falling asleep while engaged in activities of daily living.
Withdrawal-Emergent Hyperpyrexia and Confusion
A symptom complex that resembles neuroleptic malignant syndrome (characterized by elevated temperature, muscular rigidity, altered consciousness, and autonomic instability), with no other obvious etiology, has been reported in association with rapid dose reduction, withdrawal of, or changes in dopaminergic therapy. Avoid sudden discontinuation or rapid dose reduction in patients taking RYTARY. If the decision is made to discontinue RYTARY, the dose should be tapered to reduce the risk of hyperpyrexia and confusion .
Cardiovascular Ischemic Events Cardiovascular ischemic events have occurred in patients taking
RYTARY. In a placebo controlled clinical study in patients with early Parkinson's disease, 7/289 (2.4%) of RYTARY-treated patients experienced cardiovascular ischemic adverse reactions compared to 1/92 (1.1%) of placebo-treated patients. In an active-controlled clinical study in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, 3/450 (0.7%) of RYTARY-treated patients experienced cardiovascular ischemic adverse reactions compared to 0/471 oral immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa-treated patients. These patients all had a previous history of ischemic heart disease or risk factors for ischemic heart disease.
In patients with a history of myocardial infarction who have residual atrial, nodal, or ventricular arrhythmias, cardiac function should be monitored in an intensive cardiac care facility during the period of initial dosage adjustment.
Hallucinations/Psychosis
There is an increased risk for hallucinations and psychosis in patients taking RYTARY. In a controlled clinical trial in patients with advanced Parkinson's disease, 9/201 (4%) of RYTARY-treated patients reported hallucinations or psychosis compared to 2/192 (1%) of oral immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa-treated patients. Hallucinations present shortly after the initiation of therapy and may be responsive to dose reduction in levodopa. Hallucinations may be accompanied by confusion, insomnia, and excessive dreaming.
Abnormal thinking and behavior may present with one or more symptoms, including paranoid ideation, delusions, hallucinations, confusion, psychotic-like behavior, disorientation, aggressive behavior, agitation, and delirium. Because of the risk of exacerbating psychosis, patients with a major psychotic disorder should not be treated with RYTARY. In addition, medications that antagonize the effects of dopamine used to treat psychosis may exacerbate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease and may decrease the effectiveness of RYTARY .
Impulse Control/Compulsive Behaviors Case reports suggest that patients can experience intense urges
to gamble, increased sexual urges, intense urges to spend money, binge eating, and/or other intense urges, and the inability to control these urges while taking one or more of the medications, including RYTARY, that increase central dopaminergic tone and that are generally used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. In some cases, although not all, these urges were reported to have stopped when the dose was reduced or the medication was discontinued. Because patients may not recognize these behaviors as abnormal, it is important for prescribers to specifically ask patients or their caregivers about the development of new or increased gambling urges, sexual urges, uncontrolled spending or other urges while being treated with RYTARY. Consider a dose reduction or stopping the medication if a patient develops such urges while taking RYTARY.
Dyskinesia
RYTARY can cause dyskinesias that may require a dosage reduction of RYTARY or other medications used for the treatment of Parkinson's disease.
Vitamin B6 Deficiency and Seizures Treatment with carbidopa/levodopa, including
RYTARY, may contribute to reduced vitamin B6 levels. Higher doses of carbidopa/levodopa may increase the risk of vitamin B6 deficiency. Seizures associated with vitamin B6 deficiency have been reported in the postmarketing setting in patients taking RYTARY. In these reported cases, seizures were refractory to traditional anti-seizure medications and only resolved after vitamin B6 administration.
Other symptoms of vitamin B6 deficiency may occur, including depression, confusion, cheilosis, glossitis, dermatitis, anemia, and/or neuropathy. Evaluate vitamin B6 levels prior to initiation of RYTARY and periodically while on treatment or if symptoms associated with vitamin B6 deficiency are identified. Supplement with vitamin B6 as necessary.
Peptic Ulcer Disease Treatment with
RYTARY may increase the possibility of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage in patients with a history of peptic ulcer.
Glaucoma
RYTARY may cause increased intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. Monitor intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma after starting RYTARY.
Drug Interactions with Rytary
Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) Inhibitors
The use of nonselective MAO inhibitors with RYTARY is contraindicated . Discontinue use of any nonselective MAO inhibitors at least two weeks prior to initiating RYTARY. The use of selective MAO-B inhibitors (e.g., rasagiline and selegiline) with RYTARY may be associated with orthostatic hypotension. Monitor patients who are taking these drugs concurrently.
Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonists and Isoniazid Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists (e.g., phenothiazines
butyrophenones, risperidone, metoclopramide) and isoniazid may reduce the effectiveness of levodopa. Monitor patients for worsening Parkinson's symptoms.
Iron Salts Iron salts or multivitamins containing iron salts can form chelates
with levodopa and carbidopa and can cause a reduction in the bioavailability of RYTARY. If iron salts or multivitamins containing iron salts are co-administered with RYTARY, monitor patients for worsening Parkinson's symptoms.
Pregnancy Safety for Rytary
Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with the use of RYTARY in pregnant women. In animal studies, carbidopa-levodopa has been shown to be developmentally toxic (including teratogenic effects) at clinically relevant doses (see Data). The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. 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.
Data Animal Data When administered to pregnant rabbits throughout organogenesis, carbidopa-levodopa caused both visceral and skeletal malformation in fetuses at all doses and ratios of carbidopa-levodopa tested. No teratogenic effects were observed when carbidopa-levodopa was administered to pregnant mice throughout organogenesis. There was a decrease in the number of live pups delivered by rats receiving carbidopa-levodopa during organogenesis.
Pediatric Use of Rytary
Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.
Contraindications for Rytary
is contraindicated in patients: Currently taking a nonselective monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor (e.g., phenelzine and tranylcypromine) or have recently (within 2 weeks) taken a nonselective MAO inhibitor. Hypertension can occur if these drugs are used concurrently . Nonselective MAO inhibitors.
Overdosage Information for Rytary
In the active-controlled clinical study, a patient accidentally ingested 4.68 grams of carbidopa/18.7 grams of levodopa contained in RYTARY over a 2-day period. The patient experienced acute psychosis and dyskinesias. The patient recovered and completed the study on a reduced dose of RYTARY. Based on the limited available information, the acute symptoms of levodopa/dopa decarboxylase inhibitor overdosage can be expected to arise from dopaminergic overstimulation.
Doses of a few grams may result in CNS disturbances, with an increasing likelihood of cardiovascular disturbance (e.g., hypotension, tachycardia) and more severe psychiatric problems at higher doses. An isolated report of rhabdomyolysis and another of transient renal insufficiency suggest that levodopa overdosage may give rise to systemic complications, secondary to dopaminergic overstimulation. Monitor patients and provide supportive care.
Patients should receive electrocardiographic monitoring for the development of arrhythmias; if needed, appropriate antiarrhythmic therapy should be given. The possibility that the patient may have taken other drugs, increasing the risk of drug interactions (especially catechol-structured drugs) should be taken into consideration.
Clinical Studies of Rytary
Patients with Early Parkinson's Disease
The effectiveness of RYTARY in patients with early Parkinson’s disease was established in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, parallel-group, 30-week clinical trial (Study 1). Patients enrolled in Study 1 (n=381) were Hoehn and Yahr Stage I–III with a median disease duration of 1 year, and had limited or no prior exposure to levodopa and dopamine agonists. Patients continued taking concomitant selective monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors, amantadine, and anticholinergics provided the doses were stable for at least 4 weeks before screening. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1:1:1) to placebo or one of three fixed doses of RYTARY (carbidopa/levodopa doses of 36.25 mg/145 mg, 61.25 mg/245 mg, or 97.5 mg/390 mg, three times a day). Patients were not allowed to receive supplemental levodopa or catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitors.
Patients receiving RYTARY initiated treatment at 23.75 mg/95 mg three times daily (TID). The dose was increased on Day 4 and the maximum study dose (97.5 mg/390 mg TID) was achieved by Day 22. The clinical outcome measure in Study 1 was the mean change from baseline in the sum of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part II (activities of daily living) score, and UPDRS Part III (motor score) for RYTARY, compared to placebo at Week 30 (or early termination). The mean score decrease (i.e., improvement) from baseline to Week 30 for each of the three RYTARY dosage groups was significantly greater than for placebo. The results of Study 1 are shown in Table 4. Table 4: Study 1: Change from Baseline in UPDRS Part II plus Part III Score at Week 30 (or at Early Termination) in Levodopa-Naïve Patients with Early Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Mean UPDRS (Part II and Part III) Score a Baseline b Week 30 Change from Baseline at Week 30 c Placebo 36.5 35.9 −
RYTARY 36.25 mg/145 mg
TID 36.1 24.4 −11.7 d RYTARY 61.25 mg/245 mg TID 38.2 25.3 −12.9 d RYTARY 97.5 mg/390 mg TID 36.3 21.4 −14.9 d a For the UPDRS, higher scores indicate greater severity of impairment. b All values based on 361 patients who had valid End-of-Study values. c Negative numbers indicate improvement as compared with the baseline value. d P-value is less than 0.05.
Patients with Advanced Parkinson's Disease Study 2 was a 22-week trial consisting
of a 3-week dose adjustment of current levodopa treatment prior to a 6-week conversion to RYTARY, which was followed by a 13-week, randomized, multicenter, double-blind, levodopa-containing active control, double-dummy, parallel group trial. The study enrolled 471 (393 randomized) patients (Hoehn & Yahr Stages I-IV) who had been maintained on a stable regimen of at least 400 mg per day of levodopa prior to entry into the trial. Patients were continued on concomitant dopamine agonists, selective monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B) inhibitors, amantadine, and anticholinergics provided the doses were stable for at least 4 weeks prior to screening.
Patients were randomized to receive either RYTARY or immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa at the dose determined during the adjustment or conversion phases. Patients were not allowed to receive supplemental carbidopa-levodopa or catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) inhibitor products during the trial. In Study 2, approximately 60% of patients required further up titration and approximately 16% of patients required down titration compared to the recommended starting dose of RYTARY. The final total daily dose of levodopa from RYTARY was approximately double that of the final total daily dose of levodopa from immediate-release tablets.
The majority (88%) of patients in Study 2 received less than 2,400 mg; the median dose was 1,365 mg. The clinical outcome measure in Study 2 was the percentage of “off” time during waking hours at Week 22 (or at early termination), as assessed by the patient’s Parkinson’s Disease Diary. The “off” time was significantly improved in RYTARY-treated patients compared to immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa-treated patients (Table 5). The decrease in “off” time observed with RYTARY occurred with a concomitant increase in “on time” without troublesome dyskinesia.
Table 5 : Study 2: Parkinson’s Disease Diary Measures in Patients with Advanced Parkinson’s Disease Percentage of waking hours spent in “Off” Baseline Week 22 (or Early Termination) RYTARY 36.9% 23.8% a Immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa 36.0% 29.8% “Off” Time (hours) RYTARY 6.1 hours 3.9 hours a Immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa 5.9 hours 4.9 hours “On” Time with no or non-troublesome dyskinesia (hours) RYTARY 10.0 hours 11.8 hours a Immediate-release carbidopa-levodopa 10.1 hours 10.9 hours a P-value is less than 0.05.
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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