EVISTA Film-coated tablet Ref.[10560] Active ingredients: Raloxifene

5.1 Venous Thromboembolism

In clinical trials, EVISTA-treated women had an increased risk of venous thromboembolism (deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism). Other venous thromboembolic events also could occur. A less serious event, superficial thrombophlebitis, also has been reported more frequently with EVISTA than with placebo. The greatest risk for deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism occurs during the first 4 months of treatment, and the magnitude of risk appears to be similar to the reported risk associated with use of hormone therapy. Because immobilization increases the risk for venous thromboembolic events independent of therapy, EVISTA should be discontinued at least 72 hours prior to and during prolonged immobilization (e.g., post-surgical recovery, prolonged bed rest), and EVISTA therapy should be resumed only after the patient is fully ambulatory. In addition, women taking EVISTA should be advised to move about periodically during prolonged travel. The risk-benefit balance should be considered in women at risk of thromboembolic disease for other reasons, such as congestive heart failure, superficial thrombophlebitis, and active malignancy [see Contraindications (4.1) and Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

5.2 Death Due to Stroke

In a clinical trial of postmenopausal women with documented coronary heart disease or at increased risk for coronary events, an increased risk of death due to stroke was observed after treatment with EVISTA. During an average follow-up of 5.6 years, 59 (1.2%) EVISTA-treated women died due to a stroke compared to 39 (0.8%) placebo-treated women (22 versus 15 per 10,000 women-years; hazard ratio 1.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-2.24; p=0.0499). There was no statistically significant difference between treatment groups in the incidence of stroke (249 in EVISTA [4.9%] versus 224 placebo [4.4%]). EVISTA had no significant effect on all-cause mortality. The risk-benefit balance should be considered in women at risk for stroke, such as prior stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA), atrial fibrillation, hypertension, or cigarette smoking [see Clinical Studies (14.5)].

5.3 Cardiovascular Disease

EVISTA should not be used for the primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. In a clinical trial of postmenopausal women with documented coronary heart disease or at increased risk for coronary events, no cardiovascular benefit was demonstrated after treatment with raloxifene for 5 years [see Clinical Studies (14.5)].

5.4 Premenopausal Use

There is no indication for premenopausal use of EVISTA. Safety of EVISTA in premenopausal women has not been established and its use is not recommended. Additionally, there is concern regarding inadvertent drug exposure in pregnancy in women of reproductive potential who become pregnant, due to risk of fetal harm [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1)].

5.5 Hepatic Impairment

EVISTA should be used with caution in patients with hepatic impairment. Safety and efficacy have not been established in patients with hepatic impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

5.6 Concomitant Estrogen Therapy

The safety of concomitant use of EVISTA with systemic estrogens has not been established and its use is not recommended.

5.7 History of Hypertriglyceridemia when Treated with Estrogens

Limited clinical data suggest that some women with a history of marked hypertriglyceridemia (>5.6 mmol/L or >500 mg/dL) in response to treatment with oral estrogen or estrogen plus progestin may develop increased levels of triglycerides when treated with EVISTA. Women with this medical history should have serum triglycerides monitored when taking EVISTA.

5.8 Renal Impairment

EVISTA should be used with caution in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment. Safety and efficacy have not been established in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

5.9 History of Breast Cancer

EVISTA has not been adequately studied in women with a prior history of breast cancer.

5.10 Use in Men

There is no indication for the use of EVISTA in men. EVISTA has not been adequately studied in men and its use is not recommended.

5.11 Unexplained Uterine Bleeding

Any unexplained uterine bleeding should be investigated as clinically indicated. EVISTA-treated and placebo-treated groups had similar incidences of endometrial proliferation [see Clinical Studies (14.1, 14.2)].

5.12 Breast Abnormalities

Any unexplained breast abnormality occurring during EVISTA therapy should be investigated. EVISTA does not eliminate the risk of breast cancer [see Clinical Studies (14.4)].

Because clinical studies 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 data described below reflect exposure to EVISTA in 8429 patients who were enrolled in placebo-controlled trials, including 6666 exposed for 1 year and 5685 for at least 3 years.

Osteoporosis Treatment Clinical Trial (MORE): The safety of raloxifene in the treatment of osteoporosis was assessed in a large (7705 patients) multinational, placebo-controlled trial. Duration of treatment was 36 months, and 5129 postmenopausal women were exposed to raloxifene hydrochloride (2557 received 60 mg/day, and 2572 received 120 mg/day). The incidence of all-cause mortality was similar among groups: 23 (0.9%) placebo, 13 (0.5%) EVISTA-treated (raloxifene HCl 60 mg), and 28 (1.1%) raloxifene HCl 120 mg women died. Therapy was discontinued due to an adverse reaction in 10.9% of EVISTA-treated women and 8.8% of placebo-treated women.

Venous Thromboembolism: The most serious adverse reaction related to EVISTA was VTE (deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and retinal vein thrombosis). During an average of study-drug exposure of 2.6 years, VTE occurred in about 1 out of 100 patients treated with EVISTA. Twenty-six EVISTA-treated women had a VTE compared to 11 placebo-treated women, the hazard ratio was 2.4 (95% confidence interval, 1.2, 4.5), and the highest VTE risk was during the initial months of treatment.

Common adverse reactions considered to be related to EVISTA therapy were hot flashes and leg cramps. Hot flashes occurred in about one in 10 patients on EVISTA and were most commonly reported during the first 6 months of treatment and were not different from placebo thereafter. Leg cramps occurred in about one in 14 patients on EVISTA.

Placebo-Controlled Osteoporosis Prevention Clinical Trials: The safety of raloxifene has been assessed primarily in 12 Phase 2 and Phase 3 studies with placebo, estrogen, and estrogen-progestin therapy control groups. The duration of treatment ranged from 2 to 30 months, and 2036 women were exposed to raloxifene HCl (371 patients received 10 to 50 mg/day, 828 received 60 mg/day, and 837 received from 120 to 600 mg/day).

Therapy was discontinued due to an adverse reaction in 11.4% of 581 EVISTA-treated women and 12.2% of 584 placebo-treated women. Discontinuation rates due to hot flashes did not differ significantly between EVISTA and placebo groups (1.7% and 2.2%, respectively).

Common adverse reactions considered to be drug-related were hot flashes and leg cramps. Hot flashes occurred in about one in four patients on EVISTA versus about one in six on placebo. The first occurrence of hot flashes was most commonly reported during the first 6 months of treatment.

Table 1 lists adverse reactions occurring in either the osteoporosis treatment or in five prevention placebo-controlled clinical trials at a frequency ≥2.0% in either group and in more EVISTA-treated women than in placebo-treated women. Adverse reactions are shown without attribution of causality. The majority of adverse reactions occurring during the studies were mild and generally did not require discontinuation of therapy.

Table 1. Adverse Reactions Occurring in Placebo-Controlled Osteoporosis Clinical Trials at a Frequency ≥2.0% and in More EVISTA-Treated (60 mg Once Daily) Women than Placebo-Treated Women^a:

^a A: Placebo incidence greater than or equal to EVISTA incidence; B: Less than 2% incidence and more frequent with EVISTA.
^b Includes only patients with an intact uterus: Prevention Trials: EVISTA, n=354, Placebo, n=364; Treatment Trial: EVISTA, n=1948, Placebo, n=1999.
^c Actual terms most frequently referred to endometrial fluid.

Comparison of EVISTA and Hormone Therapy: EVISTA was compared with estrogen-progestin therapy in three clinical trials for prevention of osteoporosis. Table 2 shows adverse reactions occurring more frequently in one treatment group and at an incidence ≥2.0% in any group. Adverse reactions are shown without attribution of causality.

Table 2. Adverse Reactions Reported in the Clinical Trials for Osteoporosis Prevention with EVISTA (60 mg Once Daily) and Continuous Combined or Cyclic Estrogen Plus Progestin (Hormone Therapy) at an Incidence ≥2.0% in any Treatment Group^a:

^a These data are from both blinded and open-label studies.
^b Continuous Combined Hormone Therapy = 0.625 mg conjugated estrogens plus 2.5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate.
^c Cyclic Hormone Therapy = 0.625 mg conjugated estrogens for 28 days with concomitant 5 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate or 0.15 mg norgestrel on Days 1 through 14 or 17 through 28.
^d Includes only patients with an intact uterus: EVISTA, n=290; Hormone Therapy-Continuous Combined, n=67; Hormone Therapy-Cyclic, n=217.

Breast Pain: Across all placebo-controlled trials, EVISTA was indistinguishable from placebo with regard to frequency and severity of breast pain and tenderness. EVISTA was associated with less breast pain and tenderness than reported by women receiving estrogens with or without added progestin.

Gynecologic Cancers: EVISTA-treated and placebo-treated groups had similar incidences of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer.

Placebo-Controlled Trial of Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk for Major Coronary Events (RUTH): The safety of EVISTA (60 mg once daily) was assessed in a placebo-controlled multinational trial of 10,101 postmenopausal women (age range 55-92) with documented coronary heart disease (CHD) or multiple CHD risk factors. Median study drug exposure was 5.1 years for both treatment groups [see Clinical Studies (14.3)]. Therapy was discontinued due to an adverse reaction in 25% of 5044 EVISTA-treated women and 24% of 5057 placebo-treated women. The incidence per year of all-cause mortality was similar between the raloxifene (2.07%) and placebo (2.25%) groups.

Adverse reactions reported more frequently in EVISTA-treated women than in placebo-treated women included peripheral edema (14.1% raloxifene versus 11.7% placebo), muscle spasms/leg cramps (12.1% raloxifene versus 8.3% placebo), hot flashes (7.8% raloxifene versus 4.7% placebo), venous thromboembolic events (2.0% raloxifene versus 1.4% placebo), and cholelithiasis (3.3% raloxifene versus 2.6% placebo) [see Clinical Studies (14.3, 14.5)].

Tamoxifen-Controlled Trial of Postmenopausal Women at Increased Risk for Invasive Breast Cancer (STAR): The safety of EVISTA 60 mg/day versus tamoxifen 20 mg/day over 5 years was assessed in 19,747 postmenopausal women (age range 35-83 years) in a randomized, double-blind trial. As of 31 December 2005, the median follow-up was 4.3 years. The safety profile of raloxifene was similar to that in the placebo-controlled raloxifene trials [see Clinical Studies (14.4)].

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.

Adverse reactions reported very rarely since market introduction include retinal vein occlusion, stroke, and death associated with venous thromboembolism (VTE).

7.1 Cholestyramine

Concomitant administration of cholestyramine with EVISTA is not recommended. Although not specifically studied, it is anticipated that other anion exchange resins would have a similar effect. EVISTA should not be co-administered with other anion exchange resins [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

7.2 Warfarin

If EVISTA is given concomitantly with warfarin or other warfarin derivatives, prothrombin time should be monitored more closely when starting or stopping therapy with EVISTA [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

7.3 Other Highly Protein-Bound Drugs

EVISTA should be used with caution with certain other highly protein-bound drugs such as diazepam, diazoxide, and lidocaine. Although not examined, EVISTA might affect the protein binding of other drugs. Raloxifene is more than 95% bound to plasma proteins [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

7.4 Systemic Estrogens

The safety of concomitant use of EVISTA with systemic estrogens has not been established and its use is not recommended.

7.5 Other Concomitant Medications

EVISTA can be concomitantly administered with ampicillin, amoxicillin, antacids, corticosteroids, and digoxin [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

The concomitant use of EVISTA and lipid-lowering agents has not been studied.

Risk Summary

EVISTA is contraindicated for use in pregnant women, and is not indicated for use in females of reproductive potential. Based on mechanism of action, EVISTA may block the important functions that estrogen has during all stages of pregnancy [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1)]. Limited data with EVISTA use in pregnant women are insufficient to inform any drug associated risks for births defects or miscarriage.

In rabbits and rats dosed during organogenesis or during gestation and lactation, EVISTA produced multiple adverse reproductive and developmental effects, including abortion; fetal anomalies; and delayed or disrupted parturition leading to maternal and neonatal mortality, at doses less than or similar to the maximum recommended human dose (based on human body surface area comparison).

Data

Animal Data

In the developmental and reproductive toxicity studies conducted with EVISTA, numerous adverse effects were observed in multiple animal species. In rabbits dosed during organogenesis, abortion and a low rate of fetal heart anomalies (ventricular septal defects) occurred at doses ≥0.1 mg/kg (≥0.04 times the human dose based on surface area, mg/m²). In rats dosed during organogenesis, retardation of fetal growth and developmental abnormalities (wavy ribs, kidney cavitation) occurred at doses ≥1 mg/kg (≥0.2 times the human dose based on surface area, mg/m²). Treatment of rats during gestation and lactation with doses of 0.1 to 10 mg/kg (0.02 to 1.6 times the human dose based on surface area, mg/m²) produced effects that included delayed and disrupted parturition, decreased neonatal survival and altered physical development, sex- and age-specific reductions in growth and changes in pituitary hormone content, and decreased lymphoid compartment size in offspring. At 10 mg/kg, the disruption of parturition resulted in maternal and progeny morbidity and death. Effects in adult offspring (4 months of age) included uterine hypoplasia and reduced fertility; however, no ovarian or vaginal pathology was observed.

Risk Summary

EVISTA is not indicated for use in females of reproductive potential. There is no information on the presence of raloxifene in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. However, based on mechanism of action, EVISTA may block the important functions that estrogen has in mammary tissue during lactation [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1)].

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.

Of the total number of patients in placebo-controlled clinical studies of EVISTA, 61% were 65 and over, while 15.5% were 75 and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out. Based on clinical trials, there is no need for dose adjustment for geriatric patients [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

EVISTA should be used with caution in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

EVISTA should be used with caution in patients with hepatic impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].