Udenyca Drug Information

Generic name: PEGFILGRASTIM-CBQV

Leukocyte Growth Factor [EPC]

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Uses of Udenyca

Patients with Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy UDENYCA is indicated to decrease the incidence of infection, as manifested by febrile neutropenia, in patients with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive anti-cancer drugs associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia. Limitations of Use UDENYCA is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Patients with Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome UDENYCA is indicated to increase survival in patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation.

Dosage & Administration of Udenyca

Patients with Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy

The recommended dosage of UDENYCA is a single subcutaneous injection of 6 mg administered once per chemotherapy cycle. For dosing in pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg, refer to Table 1. Do not administer UDENYCA between 14 days before and 24 hours after administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Patients with Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome The recommended dose of UDENYCA is two doses, 6 mg each, administered subcutaneously one week apart. Administer the first dose as soon as possible after suspected or confirmed exposure to radiation levels greater than 2 gray (Gy). Administer the second dose one week after the first dose.

Obtain a baseline complete blood count (CBC). Do not delay administration of UDENYCA if a CBC is not readily available. Estimate a patient’s absorbed radiation dose (i.e., level of radiation exposure) based on information from public health authorities, biodosimetry if available, or clinical findings such as time to onset of vomiting or lymphocyte depletion kinetics.

Administration UDENYCA is administered subcutaneously via a single-dose prefilled autoinjector, a single-dose prefilled syringe for manual use or for use with the on-body injector (OBI) for UDENYCA, which is co-packaged with a single dose prefilled syringe for OBI. Use of the OBI for UDENYCA is not recommended for patients with Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome. Use of the OBI has not been studied in pediatric patients.

Prior to use‚ remove the carton from the refrigerator and allow UDENYCA to reach room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes. Discard any UDENYCA left at room temperature for greater than 48 hours. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.

Do not administer UDENYCA if discoloration or particulates are observed. The needle cap on the prefilled syringe and prefilled autoinjector is not made with natural rubber latex. Pediatric Patients Weighing Less than 45 kg The UDENYCA prefilled syringe is not designed to allow for direct administration of doses less than 0.6 mL (6 mg).

The syringe does not bear graduation marks which are necessary to accurately measure doses of UDENYCA less than 0.6 mL (6 mg) for direct administration to patients. Thus, the direct administration to patients requiring dosing of less than 0.6 mL (6 mg) is not recommended due to the potential for dosing errors. Refer to Table 1.

Table 1. Dosing of UDENYCA for pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg The UDENYCA prefilled autoinjector is not suitable for use in pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg. The UDENYCA prefilled autoinjector delivers the entire contents (6 mg in 0.6 mL) in a single injection and is not adjustable.

Advice to Give to Patients or Caregivers Regarding

Administration via the Prefilled Autoinjector Only adults can self-administer UDENYCA with the prefilled autoinjector. If subcutaneous injections can be given at home, refer the patient or caregiver to the dose delivery information provided in the Instructions for Use. Provide training to patients or caregivers to ensure they understand how to administer UDENYCA via the prefilled autoinjector.

Ensure patients or caregivers understand how to identify that a full dose has been administered by listening for the second 'click' and checking that the 'Orange Indicator' completely blocks the viewing window. Instruct patients or caregivers using the prefilled autoinjector to notify their healthcare provider immediately in order to determine the need for a replacement dose of UDENYCA if they suspect that the full dose may not have been administered.

Special Healthcare Provider Instructions for the On-body Injector for UDENYCA A healthcare provider must fill the on-body injector (OBI) with UDENYCA using the prefilled syringe and then apply the OBI for UDENYCA to the patient's skin (abdomen or back of arm). The back of the arm may only be used if there is a caregiver available to monitor the status of the OBI for UDENYCA. Approximately 27 hours after the OBI for UDENYCA is applied to the patient's skin, UDENYCA will be delivered over approximately 5 minutes.

A healthcare provider may initiate administration with the OBI for UDENYCA on the same day as the administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy, as long as the OBI for UDENYCA delivers UDENYCA no less than 24 hours after administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy. The prefilled syringe co-packaged in UDENYCA ONBODY must only be used with the OBI for UDENYCA. The prefilled syringe contains additional solution to compensate for liquid loss during filling of the OBI and delivery through the OBI for UDENYCA.

If the prefilled syringe co-packaged in UDENYCA ONBODY is used for manual subcutaneous injection, the patient will receive an overdose. If the single-dose prefilled syringe for manual use is used with the OBI for UDENYCA, the patient may receive less than the recommended dose. Do not use the OBI for UDENYCA to deliver any other drug product except the UDENYCA prefilled syringe co-packaged with the OBI for UDENYCA.

The OBI for UDENYCA should be applied to intact, non-irritated skin on the arm or abdomen. A missed dose could occur due to an OBI for UDENYCA failure or leakage. If the patient misses a dose, a new dose should be administered by single-dose prefilled syringe for manual use, as soon as possible after detection.

Refer to the Healthcare Provider Instructions for Use for the OBI for UDENYCA for full administration information.

Advice to give to Patients Regarding

Administration via the On-body Injector for UDENYCA Advise patients to avoid activities such as traveling, driving, or operating heavy machinery during hours 26-29 following application of the on-body injector (OBI) for UDENYCA (this includes the 5-minute delivery period plus an hour post-delivery). Patients should have a caregiver nearby for the first use. Refer the patient to the dose delivery information written on the Patient Instructions for Use.

Provide training to patients to ensure they understand when the dose delivery of UDENYCA will begin and how to monitor the OBI for UDENYCA for completed delivery. Ensure patients understand how to identify signs of malfunction of OBI for UDENYCA. Instruct patients using the OBI to notify their healthcare professional immediately in order to determine the need for a replacement dose of UDENYCA if they suspect that the device may not have performed as intended.

Table 1. Dosing of UDENYCA for pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg
Body WeightUDENYCA DoseVolume to Administer
Less than 10 kg For pediatric patients weighing less than 10 kg, administer 0.1 mg/kg (0.01 mL/kg) of UDENYCASee belowSee below
10 - 20 kg1.5 mg0.15 mL
21 - 30 kg2.5 mg0.25 mL
31 - 44 kg4 mg0.4 mL

Side Effects of Udenyca

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 with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. Pegfilgrastim clinical trials safety data are based upon 932 patients receiving pegfilgrastim in seven randomized clinical trials. The population was 21 to 88 years of age and 92% female.

Patients with breast (n = 823), lung and thoracic tumors (n = 53) and lymphoma (n = 56) received pegfilgrastim after nonmyeloablative cytotoxic chemotherapy. The patients were 21 to 88 years of age and 99% female. The most common adverse reactions occurring in ≥ 5% of patients and with a between-group difference of ≥ 5% higher in the pegfilgrastim arm in placebo controlled clinical trials are bone pain and pain in extremity.

Table 2. No complications attributable to leukocytosis were reported in clinical studies.

Immunogenicity

The observed incidence of anti-drug antibodies is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Differences in assay methods preclude meaningful comparisons of the incidence of anti-drug antibodies in the studies described below with the incidence of anti-drug antibodies in other studies, including those of pegfilgrastim or of other pegfilgrastim products. Binding antibodies to pegfilgrastim were detected using a BIAcore assay.

The approximate limit of detection for this assay is 500 ng/mL. Pre-existing binding antibodies were detected in approximately 6% (51/849) of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Four of 521 pegfilgrastim-treated subjects who were negative at baseline developed binding antibodies to pegfilgrastim following treatment.

None of these 4 patients had evidence of neutralizing antibodies detected using a cell-based bioassay.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of pegfilgrastim products. 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. Splenic rupture and splenomegaly (enlarged spleen) Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) Allergic reactions/hypersensitivity, including anaphylaxis, skin rash, urticaria, generalized erythema and flushing Sickle cell crisis Glomerulonephritis Leukocytosis Thrombocytopenia Capillary leak syndrome Injection site reactions Sweet’s syndrome ( acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis ), cutaneous vasculitis Application site reactions (including events such as application site hemorrhage, application site pain, application site discomfort, application site bruise, and application site erythema) have been reported with the use of the on-body-injector for UDENYCA.

Contact dermatitis and local skin reactions such as rash, pruritus, and urticaria have been reported with the use of the on-body-injector for UDENYCA, possibly indicating a hypersensitivity reaction to the adhesive. Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in patients with breast and lung cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy Aortitis Alveolar hemorrhage

Table 2. Adverse Reactions with ≥ 5% Higher Incidence in pegfilgrastim Patients Compared to Placebo in Study 3
Body System Adverse ReactionPlacebo (N = 461)pegfilgrastim 6 mg SC on Day 2 (N = 467)
Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders
Bone pain26%31%
Pain in extremity4%9%

Warnings & Cautions for Udenyca

Splenic Rupture

Splenic rupture, including fatal cases, can occur following the administration of pegfilgrastim products. Evaluate for an enlarged spleen or splenic rupture in patients who report left upper abdominal or shoulder pain after receiving UDENYCA.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) can occur in patients receiving pegfilgrastim products. Evaluate patients who develop fever and lung infiltrates or respiratory distress after receiving UDENYCA for ARDS. Discontinue UDENYCA in patients with ARDS.

Serious Allergic Reactions

Serious allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can occur in patients receiving pegfilgrastim products. The majority of reported events occurred upon initial exposure. Allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, can recur within days after the discontinuation of initial anti-allergic treatment.

Permanently discontinue UDENYCA in patients with serious allergic reactions. Do not administer UDENYCA to patients with a history of serious allergic reactions to pegfilgrastim products or filgrastim products.

Allergies to Acrylics

The on-body injector (OBI) for UDENYCA uses acrylic adhesive. For patients who have reactions to acrylic adhesives, use of this product may result in a significant reaction.

Use in Patients with Sickle Cell Disorders Severe and sometimes fatal sickle cell crises can occur in patients with sickle cell disorders receiving pegfilgrastim products. Discontinue UDENYCA if sickle cell crisis occurs.

Glomerulonephritis Glomerulonephritis has occurred in patients receiving pegfilgrastim products. The diagnoses were based upon azotemia, hematuria (microscopic and macroscopic), proteinuria, and renal biopsy. Generally, events of glomerulonephritis resolved after dose reduction or discontinuation of pegfilgrastim products.

If glomerulonephritis is suspected, evaluate for cause. Monitoring of complete blood count (CBC) during UDENYCA therapy is recommended.

Thrombocytopenia Thrombocytopenia has been reported in patients receiving pegfilgrastim products. Monitor platelet counts.

Capillary Leak Syndrome

Capillary leak syndrome has been reported after G-CSF administration, including pegfilgrastim products, and is characterized by hypotension, hypoalbuminemia, edema, and hemoconcentration. Episodes vary in frequency, severity and may be life-threatening if treatment is delayed. Patients who develop symptoms of capillary leak syndrome should be closely monitored and receive standard symptomatic treatment, which may include a need for intensive care.

Potential for Tumor Growth Stimulatory Effects on Malignant Cells The granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor through which pegfilgrastim products and filgrastim products act has been found on tumor cell lines. The possibility that pegfilgrastim products act as a growth factor for any tumor type, including myeloid malignancies and myelodysplasia, diseases for which pegfilgrastim products are not approved, cannot be excluded.

Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) in Patients with Breast and Lung Cancer MDS and AML have been associated with the use of pegfilgrastim products in conjunction with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy in patients with breast and lung cancer. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of MDS/AML in these settings.

Potential

Device failures Missed or partial doses have been reported in patients receiving UDENYCA via the on-body injector (OBI) due to the device not performing as intended. In the event of a missed or partial dose, patients may be at increased risk of events such as neutropenia, febrile neutropenia and/or infection than if the dose had been correctly delivered. Instruct patients using the OBI to notify their healthcare professional immediately in order to determine the need for a replacement dose of UDENYCA if they suspect that the device may not have performed as intended.

Aortitis Aortitis has been reported in patients receiving pegfilgrastim products. It may occur as early as the first week after start of therapy. Manifestations may include generalized signs and symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, malaise, back pain, and increased inflammatory markers (e.g., c-reactive protein and white blood cell count).

Consider aortitis in patients who develop these signs and symptoms without known etiology. Discontinue UDENYCA if aortitis is suspected.

Nuclear Imaging

Increased hematopoietic activity of the bone marrow in response to growth factor therapy has been associated with transient positive bone imaging changes. This should be considered when interpreting bone imaging results.

Pregnancy Safety for Udenyca

Pregnancy Risk Summary Although available data with UDENYCA or pegfilgrastim product use in pregnant women are insufficient to establish whether there is a drug associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes, there are available data from published studies in pregnant women exposed to filgrastim products. These studies have not established an association of filgrastim product use during pregnancy with major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. In animal studies, no evidence of reproductive/developmental toxicity occurred in the offspring of pregnant rats that received cumulative doses of pegfilgrastim approximately 10 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area).

In pregnant rabbits, increased embryo lethality and spontaneous abortions occurred at 4 times the maximum recommended human dose simultaneously with signs of maternal toxicity (see Data ). The estimated background risk 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 risks of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. Data Animal Data Pregnant rabbits were dosed with pegfilgrastim subcutaneously every other day during the period of organogenesis. At cumulative doses ranging from the approximate human dose to approximately 4 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area), the treated rabbits exhibited decreased maternal food consumption, maternal weight loss, as well as reduced fetal body weights and delayed ossification of the fetal skull; however, no structural anomalies were observed in the offspring from either study.

Increased incidences of post-implantation losses and spontaneous abortions (more than half the pregnancies) were observed at cumulative doses approximately 4 times the recommended human dose, which were not seen when pregnant rabbits were exposed to the recommended human dose. Three studies were conducted in pregnant rats dosed with pegfilgrastim at cumulative doses up to approximately 10 times the recommended human dose at the following stages of gestation: during the period of organogenesis, from mating through the first half of pregnancy, and from the first trimester through delivery and lactation. No evidence of fetal loss or structural malformations was observed in any study.

Cumulative doses equivalent to approximately 3 and 10 times the recommended human dose resulted in transient evidence of wavy ribs in fetuses of treated mothers (detected at the end of gestation but no longer present in pups evaluated at the end of lactation).

Pediatric Use of Udenyca

No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between patients age 65 and older and younger patients.

Contraindications for Udenyca

UDENYCA is contraindicated in patients with a history of serious allergic reactions to pegfilgrastim products or filgrastim products. Reactions have included anaphylaxis. Patients with a history of serious allergic reaction to human granulocyte colony-stimulating factors such as pegfilgrastim products or filgrastim products.

Overdosage Information for Udenyca

Overdosage of pegfilgrastim products may result in leukocytosis and bone pain. Events of edema, dyspnea, and pleural effusion have been reported in a single patient who administered pegfilgrastim on 8 consecutive days in error. In the event of overdose, the patient should be monitored for adverse reactions.

Clinical Studies of Udenyca

Patients with Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy Pegfilgrastim was evaluated in three randomized, double-blind, controlled studies. Study 1 investigated the utility of a fixed dose of pegfilgrastim. Study 2 employed a weight-adjusted dose.

Based on the correlation between the duration of severe neutropenia and the incidence of febrile neutropenia found in studies with filgrastim, duration of severe neutropenia was chosen as the primary endpoint in both studies, and the efficacy of pegfilgrastim was demonstrated by establishing comparability to filgrastim-treated patients in the mean days of severe neutropenia. Both studies met the major efficacy outcome measure of demonstrating that the mean days of severe neutropenia of pegfilgrastim-treated patients did not exceed that of filgrastim-treated patients by more than 1 day in cycle 1 of chemotherapy. A secondary endpoint in both studies was days of severe neutropenia in cycles 2 through 4 with results similar to those for cycle 1.

In this study, 928 patients were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous injection of pegfilgrastim (6 mg) or placebo on day 2 of each chemotherapy cycle. Study 3 met the major trial outcome measure of demonstrating that the incidence of febrile neutropenia (defined as temperature ≥ 38.2°C and ANC ≤ 0.5 x109/L) was lower for pegfilgrastim-treated patients as compared to placebo-treated patients (1% versus 17%, respectively, p < 0.001). Study 4 was a multicenter, randomized, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of pegfilgrastim in pediatric and young adult patients with sarcoma.

Patients with sarcoma receiving chemotherapy age 0 to 21 years were eligible. Patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous pegfilgrastim as a single dose of 100 mcg/kg (n= 37) or subcutaneous filgrastim at a dose 5 mcg/kg/day (n=6) following myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Recovery of neutrophil counts was similar in the pegfilgrastim and filgrastim groups.

The most common adverse reaction reported was bone pain.

Patients with Hematopoietic Subsyndrome of Acute Radiation Syndrome Efficacy studies of pegfilgrastim products could not be conducted in humans with acute radiation syndrome for ethical and feasibility reasons. Approval of this indication was based on efficacy studies conducted in animals and data supporting pegfilgrastim's effect on severe neutropenia in patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. The recommended dose of UDENYCA is two doses, 6 mg each, administered one week apart for humans exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation.

For pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg, dosing of UDENYCA is weight based and is provided in Table 1. This dosing regimen is based on population modeling and simulation analyses. The exposure associated with this dosing regimen is expected to provide sufficient pharmacodynamic activity to treat humans exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation.

The safety of pegfilgrastim at a dose of 6 mg has been assessed on the basis of clinical experience in patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. The efficacy of pegfilgrastim for the acute radiation syndrome setting was studied in a randomized, placebo- controlled non-human primate model of radiation injury. Rhesus macaques were randomized to either a control (n = 23) or treated (n = 23) cohort.

Animals were administered subcutaneous injections of a blinded treatment (control article or pegfilgrastim ) on study day 1 and on study day 8. The primary endpoint was survival. Animals received medical management consisting of intravenous fluids, antibiotics, blood transfusions, and other support as required.

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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