Thymoglobulin Drug Information

THYMOGLOBULIN is indicated for the prophylaxis and treatment of acute rejection in adult and pediatric patients receiving a kidney transplant in conjunction with concomitant immunosuppression.

Dosing Information

For intravenous use only Prophylaxis of Acute Rejection The recommended dosage of THYMOGLOBULIN for prophylaxis of acute rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant is 1.5 mg/kg of body weight administered daily with the first dose initiated prior to reperfusion of the donor kidney. The usual duration of administration is 4 to 7 days. Treatment of Acute Rejection The recommended dosage of THYMOGLOBULIN for treatment of acute rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant is 1.5 mg/kg of body weight administered daily for 7 to 14 days.

Dosing for THYMOGLOBULIN is different from dosing for other anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) products because protein composition and concentrations vary depending on the source of ATG. The prescribing physician must ensure that the dose prescribed is appropriate for the ATG product being administered.

Recommended Dosing Regimen Administer the first dose of THYMOGLOBULIN over a minimum of 6 hours; administer doses on subsequent days over at least 4 hours. Premedicate with corticosteroids, acetaminophen, and/or an antihistamine 1 hour prior to each infusion of THYMOGLOBULIN to reduce the incidence and intensity of infusion-related reactions.

Dose Modifications

Monitor patients for adverse reactions during and after infusion. Monitor total white blood cell and platelet counts during and after THYMOGLOBULIN therapy. Administer prophylactic antifungal and antibacterial therapy if clinically indicated.

Antiviral prophylactic therapy is recommended for patients who are seropositive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) at the time of transplant and for CMV-seronegative patients scheduled to receive a kidney from a CMV-seropositive donor.

Instructions for Dilution and Administration Reconstitution

After calculating the number of vials needed, using aseptic technique, reconstitute each vial of THYMOGLOBULIN with 5 mL of Sterile Water for Injection, USP (SWFI). Allow THYMOGLOBULIN vials to reach room temperature before reconstituting the lyophilized product. Aseptically remove caps to expose rubber stoppers.

Clean stoppers with germicidal or alcohol swab. Aseptically reconstitute each vial of THYMOGLOBULIN lyophilized powder with the 5 mL of SWFI. Rotate vial gently until powder is completely dissolved.

Each reconstituted vial contains 25 mg or 5 mg/mL of THYMOGLOBULIN. Inspect solution for particulate matter after reconstitution. Should some particulate matter remain, continue to gently rotate the vial until no particulate matter is visible.

If particulate matter persists, discard this vial. Dilution Transfer the contents of the calculated number of THYMOGLOBULIN vials into the bag of infusion solution (saline or dextrose). Recommended volume: per one vial of THYMOGLOBULIN use 50 mL of infusion solution (total volume usually between 50 to 500 mL).

Discard unused portion. Mix the solution by inverting the bag gently only once or twice. Infusion Administer THYMOGLOBULIN under strict medical supervision in a hospital setting, and carefully monitor patients during the infusion.

THYMOGLOBULIN is less likely to produce side effects when administered at the recommended flow rate. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for the infusion administration set. Infuse through a 0.22 micrometer filter into a high-flow vein.

Set the flow rate to deliver the dose over a minimum of 6 hours for the first dose and over at least 4 hours for subsequent doses.

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. The most common adverse reactions and laboratory abnormalities (incidence >5% higher than comparator) are urinary tract infection, abdominal pain, hypertension, nausea, shortness of breath, fever, headache, anxiety, chills, increased potassium levels in the blood, and low counts of platelets and white blood cells. Prophylaxis of Acute Rejection The safety of THYMOGLOBULIN compared to Active Comparator for the prophylaxis of acute rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant were evaluated in a randomized, open-label, international, multicenter trial in patients receiving solitary kidneys from deceased donors (n=278; Study 1).

Table 1: Adverse Reactions Adverse reactions are treatment emergent adverse events (TEAE) reported as related to the study agent in at least 1 patient. and Laboratory Abnormalities Reported More Frequently (incidence Number (percentage) is shown regardless of causal relationship. >5%) Following THYMOGLOBULIN versus Active Comparator basiliximab Malignancies Six patients in the THYMOGLOBULIN group developed malignancies (Epstein-Barr virus-induced lymphoma of the cavum, Epstein-Barr virus-positive large B-cell lung lymphoma, Epstein-Barr virus-induced lymphoma of the brain, squamous cell carcinoma, renal cancer, and recurrent basal cell carcinoma). Infections occurring in ≥5% of the patients in either treatment group during the 12-month follow-up are summarized in Table 2. Urinary tract infection was the most frequent type of infection, and was reported as severe in 9% of THYMOGLOBULIN-treated patients and in 2% of Active Comparator-treated patients.

Patients who were CMV-positive at the time of transplant, as well as CMV-negative recipients of transplants from CMV-positive donors, were required to receive antiviral prophylaxis for 3 months after transplant. Table 3: Adverse Drug Reactions Adverse reactions that occurred during or within 24 hours of an infusion, and where the incidence was higher in the THYMOGLOBULIN group. Occurring within 24 Hours of Infusion and with >5% Incidence in Patients who Received THYMOGLOBULIN Infusion-related reactions Adverse reactions that occurred within 24 hours after the completion of the THYMOGLOBULIN administration and are considered as possible infusion related reactions (IARs) include the following: anxiety, confusional state, agitation, restlessness, headache, lethargy, dizziness, decreased sensitivity, fast heart rate, myocardial infarction, elevated blood pressure, decreased blood pressure, cough, throat irritation, reduced oxygen supply to tissues, shortness of breath, pulmonary edema, pain in mouth and throat, diarrhea, upper abdominal pain, abdominal tenderness, abdominal discomfort, nausea, pruritus, rash, joint pain, fever, chills, lack of energy, localized edema, malaise, and chest pain.

Serum sickness was reported in 6 of 405 patients enrolled across completed studies where patients had been treated with THYMOGLOBULIN for the prophylaxis of acute rejection in patients receiving a kidney transplant. Anaphylactic shock was reported in 2 of 405 patients enrolled across completed studies. Treatment of acute rejection In the US Phase 3 randomized controlled clinical trial (n=163; Study 3) comparing the efficacy and safety of THYMOGLOBULIN and Active Comparator in the treatment of acute rejection in kidney transplant patients, adverse reactions occurring at least 5% more frequently in the THYMOGLOBULIN group than in the Active Comparator group are shown in Table 4.

Malignancies were reported in 3 patients who received THYMOGLOBULIN and in 3 patients who received Active Comparator during the one-year follow-up period. These included two cases of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) in the THYMOGLOBULIN group and two cases of PTLD in the Active Comparator group. Table 4: Adverse Reactions Treatment-emergent adverse events/reactions (TEAE) are summarized.

Infections occurring more frequently in the THYMOGLOBULIN group during the 3-month follow-up are summarized in Table 5. No significant differences were seen between the THYMOGLOBULIN and Active Comparator groups for all types of infections. The incidence of CMV infection was the same in both groups.

Viral prophylaxis was by the center's discretion during antibody treatment, but all centers used ganciclovir infusion during treatment. Table Adverse reactions occurring during or within 24 hours of infusion in at least 5% of patients in the THYMOGLOBULIN group are listed in Table 6. Table 6: Adverse Reactions Treatment-emergent adverse events that occurred during or within 24 hours of an infusion are summarized.

Occurring within 24 Hours of Infusion and with >5% Incidence in THYMOGLOBULIN Patients Treatment-emergent serum sickness was reported in 2 (2%) of patients following THYMOGLOBULIN infusion and in no patients following Active Comparator infusion.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of THYMOGLOBULIN. Because these adverse 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. Hepatobiliary disorders: Hepatic dysfunction including transient reversible elevations in aminotransferases without any clinical signs or symptoms, hepatic failure, hyperbilirubinemia.

Blood and lymphatic system disorders: Febrile neutropenia, coagulopathy without clinical signs or symptoms of bleeding, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, anemia including hemolytic anemia, thrombotic microangiopathy. Immune system disorders: Hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis, CRS.

No drug interaction studies have been performed. THYMOGLOBULIN can stimulate the production of antibodies that cross-react with rabbit immune globulins.

Pregnancy Risk Summary Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with THYMOGLOBULIN. It is also not known whether THYMOGLOBULIN can cause fetal harm. THYMOGLOBULIN should be given to a pregnant woman only if the benefit outweighs the risk.

Pediatric Use The safety and effectiveness of THYMOGLOBULIN in pediatric patients have been established in pediatric patients for the prophylaxis and treatment of acute rejection. The use of THYMOGLOBULIN in pediatric patients was supported by extrapolation of adult data from Study 1, Study 2 and Study 3.

THYMOGLOBULIN is contraindicated in patients with history of allergy or anaphylactic reaction to rabbit proteins or to any product excipients, or who have active acute or chronic infections that contraindicate any additional immunosuppression.

THYMOGLOBULIN overdosage may result in leukopenia (including lymphopenia and neutropenia) and/ or thrombocytopenia, which can be managed with dose reduction.