ANGIOMAX Solution for injection Ref.[27743] Active ingredients: Bivalirudin

5.1 Bleeding Events

Angiomax increases the risk of bleeding [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. An unexplained fall in blood pressure or hematocrit should lead to serious consideration of a hemorrhagic event and cessation of Angiomax administration. Monitor patients receiving Angiomax for signs and symptoms of bleeding. Monitor patients with disease states associated with an increased risk of bleeding more frequently for bleeding.

5.2 Acute Stent Thrombosis in Patients with STEMI Undergoing PCI

Acute stent thrombosis (AST) (<4 hours) has been observed at a greater frequency in Angiomax treated patients (1.2%, 36/2889) compared to heparin treated patients (0.2%, 6/2911) with STEMI undergoing primary PCI. Among patients who experienced an AST, one fatality (0.03%) occurred in an Angiomax treated patient and one fatality (0.03%) in a heparin treated patient. These patients have been managed by Target Vessel Revascularization (TVR). Patients should remain for at least 24 hours in a facility capable of managing ischemic complications and should be carefully monitored following primary PCI for signs and symptoms consistent with myocardial ischemia.

5.3 Thrombotic Risk with Coronary Artery Brachytherapy

An increased risk of thrombus formation, including fatal outcomes, has been associated with the use of Angiomax in gamma brachytherapy.

If a decision is made to use Angiomax during brachytherapy procedures, maintain meticulous catheter technique, with frequent aspiration and flushing, paying special attention to minimizing conditions of stasis within the catheter or vessels [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

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.

In the BAT trials, 79 of the 2161 (3.7%) patients undergoing PCI for treatment of unstable angina and randomized to Angiomax experienced major bleeding events which consisted of: intracranial bleeding, retroperitoneal bleeding, and clinically overt bleeding with a decrease in hemoglobin >3 g/dL or leading to a transfusion of >2 units of blood.

As with all peptides, there is potential for immunogenicity. The detection of antibody formation is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors including assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies to Angiomax in the studies described below with the incidence of antibodies in other studies or to other products may be misleading.

In in vitro studies, Angiomax exhibited no platelet aggregation response against sera from patients with a history of HIT/HITTS.

Among 494 subjects who received Angiomax in clinical trials and were tested for antibodies, 2 subjects had treatment-emergent positive bivalirudin antibody tests. Neither subject demonstrated clinical evidence of allergic or anaphylactic reactions and repeat testing was not performed. Nine additional patients who had initial positive tests were negative on repeat testing.

Because postmarketing 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.

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of Angiomax: fatal bleeding; hypersensitivity and allergic reactions including reports of anaphylaxis; lack of anticoagulant effect; thrombus formation during PCI with and without intracoronary brachytherapy, including reports of fatal outcomes; pulmonary hemorrhage; cardiac tamponade; and INR increased.

In clinical trials in patients undergoing PCI/percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), co-administration of Angiomax with heparin, warfarin, thrombolytics, or GPIs was associated with increased risks of major bleeding events compared to patients not receiving these concomitant medications.

Risk Summary

There are no data available on use of Angiomax in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk of adverse developmental outcomes. Reproduction studies in rats and rabbits administered subcutaneously doses up to 1.6 times and 3.2 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 15 mg/kg/day based on body surface area (BSA) during organogenesis, respectively, revealed no evidence of fetal harm.

All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for 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 2–4% and 15–20%, respectively.

Data

Animal Data

Reproductive studies have been performed in rats at subcutaneous doses up to 150 mg/kg/day (1.6 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area) and rabbits at subcutaneous doses up to 150 mg/kg/day (3.2 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area). These studies revealed no harm to the fetus attributable to bivalirudin.

At 500 mg/kg/day (equivalent to 5.4 times the maximum recommended human dose based on body surface area) subcutaneously, litter sizes and live fetuses in rats were reduced. Fetal skeletal variations were also noted. Some of these changes could be attributed to maternal toxicity observed at high doses.

There is no study covering the peri-natal period because of the potential complications of drug-induced hemorrhage during delivery.

Risk Summary

It is not known whether bivalirudin is present in human milk. No data are available on the effects on the breastfed child or on milk production.

Bivalirudin was administered to lactating rats in reproduction studies (see Data). The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for Angiomax and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from Angiomax or from the underlying maternal condition.

Data

Animal Data

Reproduction studies conducted in lactating female rats dosed subcutaneously daily with bivalirudin at doses up to 150 mg/kg/day (1.6 times the maximum recommended human dose, based on body surface area) from day 2 through day 20 of lactation revealed no adverse developmental outcomes to the pups.

The safety and effectiveness of Angiomax in pediatric patients have not been established.

In studies of patients undergoing PCI, 44% were ≥65 years of age and 12% of patients were ≥75 years old. Elderly patients experienced more bleeding events than younger patients.

The disposition of Angiomax was studied in PTCA patients with mild, moderate and severe renal impairment. The clearance of Angiomax was reduced approximately 21% in patients with moderate and severe renal impairment and was reduced approximately 70% in dialysis-dependent patients [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. Reduce the infusion dose of Angiomax and monitor the anticoagulant status more frequently in patients with renal impairment creatinine clearance less than 30mL/min (by Cockcroft Gault equation) [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)].