ASPARLAS Solution for injection Ref.[10016] Active ingredients:

5.1 Hypersensitivity

Grade 3 and 4 hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis have been reported in clinical trials with ASPARLAS with an incidence between 7 to 21% [see Contraindications (4), Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. Hypersensitivity reactions observed with other asparaginases include angioedema, lip swelling, eye swelling, erythema, blood pressure decreased, bronchospasm, dyspnea, pruritus and rash.

Because of the risk of serious allergic reactions (e.g., life-threatening anaphylaxis), administer ASPARLAS in a clinical setting with resuscitation equipment and other agents necessary to treat anaphylaxis (e.g., epinephrine, oxygen, intravenous steroids, antihistamines) [see Dosage and Administration (2)] and observe patients for 1 hour after administration. Discontinue ASPARLAS in patients with serious hypersensitivity reactions.

5.2 Pancreatitis

Cases of pancreatitis have been reported in clinical trials with ASPARLAS with an incidence between 12 to 16% [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. Hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis have been reported with other asparaginases.

Inform patients of the signs and symptoms of pancreatitis, which, if left untreated, could be fatal. Assess serum amylase and/or lipase levels to identify early signs of pancreatic inflammation. Discontinue ASPARLAS if pancreatitis is suspected; if pancreatitis is confirmed, do not resume ASPARLAS [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)].

5.3 Thrombosis

Serious thrombotic events, including sagittal sinus thrombosis, have been reported in clinical trials with ASPARLAS with an incidence of 9 to 12%. Discontinue ASPARLAS in patients experiencing serious thrombotic events [see Dosage and Administration (2.2), Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

5.4 Hemorrhage

Hemorrhage associated with increased prothrombin time (PT), increased partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and hypofibrinogenemia have been reported in patients receiving ASPARLAS [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. Evaluate patients with signs and symptoms of hemorrhage with coagulation parameters including PT, PTT, fibrinogen. Consider appropriate replacement therapy in patients with severe or symptomatic coagulopathy [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)].

5.5 Hepatotoxicity

Hepatotoxicity and abnormal liver function, including elevations of transaminase, bilirubin (direct and indirect), reduced serum albumin, and plasma fibrinogen can occur. Evaluate bilirubin and transaminases at least weekly, during cycles of treatment that include ASPARLAS through 6 weeks after the last dose of ASPARLAS. In the event of serious liver toxicity, discontinue treatment with ASPARLAS and provide supportive care [see Dosage and Administration (2.2), Contraindications (4), Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling:

• Hypersensitivity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
• Pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].
• Thrombosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].
• Hemorrhage [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].
• Hepatotoxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)].

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.

Study DFCI 11-001

The safety of ASPARLAS was investigated in Study DFCI 11-001, an open-label, randomized, active-controlled multicenter clinical trial that treated 237 children and adolescents with newly-diagnosed ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma, with ASPARLAS 2,500 U/m² (n=118) or pegaspargase 2,500 U/m² (n=119) as part of a Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) ALL Consortium backbone therapy. The median age on enrollment was 5 years (range, 1-20) years. The majority of patients were male (62%) and white (70%). Most patients were considered standard risk (SR, 59%) and had B-cell lineage ALL (87%).

The median number of doses during the study was 11 doses for ASPARLAS (administered every three weeks) and 16 doses for pegaspargase (administered every two weeks). The median duration of exposure was 8 months for both ASPARLAS and pegaspargase.

There was 1 fatal adverse reaction (multi-organ failure in the setting of chronic pancreatitis associated with a pancreatic pseudocyst).

Table 2 summarizes the incidence of selected Grades ≥3 adverse reactions that occurred in 2 or more patients receiving ASPARLAS. Because not all grade 1 and 2 adverse reactions were collected prospectively, only grade 3 and 4 adverse events are presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Selected Grades ≥3 Adverse Reactions in Patients Receiving ASPARLAS With Multi-Agent Chemotherapy (Study DFCI 11-001)^*

^* ASPARLAS or pegaspargase were administered as a component of multi-agent chemotherapy regimens.
^† Grouped terms: Elevated transaminas e: Alanine aminotransferase increased, Aspartate aminotransferase increased, Transaminases increased; Bilirubin increas ed: Bilirubin conjugated increased, Blood bilirubin increased; Pancreatitis: Amylase increased, Lipase increased, Pancreatic necrosis, Pancreatitis, Pancreatitis relapsing; Abnormal clotting studies: Activated partial thromboplastin time prolonged, Blood fibrinogen decreased; Diarrhea: Colitis, Diarrhea, Enterocolitis, Neutropenic colitis; Hypers ensitivity: Anaphylactic reaction, Drug hypersensitivity, Hypersensitivity; Embolic and thrombotic events SMQ: Device related thrombosis, Disseminated intravascular coagulation, Embolism, Intracardiac thrombus, Intracranial venous sinus thrombosis, Pulmonary embolism, Superior sagittal sinus thrombosis, Thrombosis in device, Venous thrombosis, Venous thrombosis limb; Sepsis: Bacterial sepsis, Sepsis; Dyspnea: Hypoxia, Respiratory failure; Hemorrhag es SMQ (excludes laboratory terms): Disseminated intravascular coagulation, Epistaxis, Hematoma, Hemorrhage intracranial, Melena, Esophageal ulcer hemorrhage, Small intestinal hemorrhage, Upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage; Fung al infection: Fungal infection, Hepatic infection fungal, Respiratory tract infection fungal, Splenic infection fungal, Systemic candida; Pneumonia: Lung infection, Pneumonia, Pneumonitis; Arrhythmia: Atrioventricular block complete, Sinus tachycardia, Ventricular arrhythmia; Cardiac failure: Ejection fraction decreased, Left ventricular dysfunction.
^‡ Grading is based on the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v4.0.

In the subgroup of patients with B-cell lineage ALL, the complete remission rate in the ASPARLAS arm was 98% (95/97), compared to 99% in the pegaspargase arm; the Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival of the treatment arms were comparable.

Study AALL07P4

The safety of ASPARLAS was also evaluated in Study AALL07P4, an open-label, randomized, active-controlled, multicenter clinical trial that treated patients with newly-diagnosed high-risk B-precursor ALL using ASPARLAS 2,500 U/m² (n=43) or 2,100 U/m² (n=68), or pegaspargase 2,500 U/m² (n=52), as a component of an augmented Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) therapy regimen. The median age was 11 years (range 1 to 26 years); the median duration of exposure was 7 months for both ASPARLAS and pegaspargase. In this study, the induction mortality of patients treated with ASPARLAS was 2.8% (3 out of 111); there were no induction deaths among 52 patients treated with pegaspargase.

As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a 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 ASPARLAS in the studies described below with the incidence of antibodies in other studies or to other asparaginase products may be misleading.

Immunogenicity was assessed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in Study DFCI 11-001. Of 98 evaluable patients treated with ASPARLAS, 15 (15%) patients developed new or an increased titer of anti-drug antibodies (ADA) during treatment; 14 of these 15 patients were positive for anti-PEG antibodies. The presence of ADA correlated with the occurrence of hypersensitivity reactions. There is insufficient information to determine whether the development of antibodies is associated with altered pharmacokinetics (i.e., loss of asparaginase activity).

Risk Summary

Based on published literature studies with L-asparaginase in pregnant animals, ASPARLAS can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. There are no available data on ASPARLAS use in pregnant women to evaluate for a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. In animal reproduction studies, intravenous administration of calaspargase pegol-mknl to pregnant rats during organogenesis at doses 0.2 to 1 times the maximum recommended human doses did not result in adverse developmental outcomes. Published literature studies in pregnant rabbits, however, suggest asparagine depletion may cause harm to the animal offspring (see Data). Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus.

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 risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2%-4% and 15%-20%, respectively.

Data

Animal Data

In an embryofetal development study, calaspargase pegol-mknl was administered intravenously at doses of 75, 150, and 300 U/kg (0.2, 0.6 and 1 times the maximum recommended human dose, respectively, based on AUC) to pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis. Maternal toxicity of decreased body weight and food consumption was seen at all dose levels resulting in reductions in gravid uterine and placental weights, and slight reductions in fetal body weights. No evidence of structural abnormalities or embryo-fetal mortality were observed in this study at any of the doses tested. Published literature studies in which pregnant rabbits were administered L-asparaginase suggested harm to the animal offspring.

Risk Summary

There are no data on the presence of calaspargase pegol-mknl in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because of the potential for adverse reactions in the breastfed child, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with ASPARLAS and for 3 months after the last dose.

ASPARLAS can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1)].

Pregnancy Testing

Pregnancy testing is recommended in females of reproductive potential prior to initiating ASPARLAS.

Contraception

Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective non-hormonal contraceptive methods during treatment with ASPARLAS and for at least 3 months after the last dose. Counsel patients to use non-hormonal method(s) of contraception since ASPARLAS can render hormonal contraceptives ineffective.

The safety and effectiveness of ASPARLAS in the treatment of ALL have been established in pediatric patients 1 month to <17 years (no data for the age group <1 month old). Use of ASPARLAS in these age groups is supported by evidence from an adequate and well-controlled trial with additional safety from a second trial. The trials included 208 children with ALL or lymphoblastic lymphoma treated with ASPARLAS; there were 19 infants (1 month to <2 years old), 128 children (2 years to <12 years old), and 61 adolescents (12 years to <17 years old). There were no clinically meaningful differences in safety or nadir serum asparaginase activity across age groups [see Adverse Reactions (6.1), Clinical Studies (14)].