ELELYSO Powder for solution for injection Ref.[10209] Active ingredients: Taliglucerase alfa

5.1 Hypersensitivity Reactions Including Anaphylaxis

Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, have occurred in some patients treated with ELELYSO. In clinical trials, 2 of 72 (3%) patients treated with ELELYSO experienced signs and symptoms consistent with anaphylaxis. Signs and symptoms of these patients included urticaria, hypotension, flushing, wheezing, chest tightness, nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. These reactions occurred during ELELYSO infusion.

In clinical trials with ELELYSO, 21 of 72 (29%) patients experienced hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis. Signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity reactions included pruritus, angioedema, flushing, erythema, rash, nausea, vomiting, cough, chest tightness, and throat irritation. These reactions have occurred up to 3 hours after the start of infusion [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

Due to the potential for anaphylaxis, appropriate medical support should be readily available when ELELYSO is administered. Observe patients closely for an appropriate period of time after administration of ELELYSO, taking into account the time to onset of anaphylaxis seen in clinical trials. Inform patients of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis, and instruct them to seek immediate medical care should signs and symptoms occur. If anaphylaxis occurs, discontinue ELELYSO immediately, and initiate appropriate medical treatment.

Management of hypersensitivity reactions should be based on the severity of the reaction and includes slowing or temporary interruption of the infusion and/or administration of antihistamines, antipyretics, and/or corticosteroids for mild reactions. Pretreatment with antihistamines and/or corticosteroids may prevent subsequent hypersensitivity reactions. Patients were not routinely premedicated prior to infusion of ELELYSO during clinical studies. If severe hypersensitivity reactions occur, immediately stop the infusion of ELELYSO and initiate appropriate treatment.

Consider the risks and benefits of re-administering ELELYSO in patients who have experienced a severe reaction associated with ELELYSO. Caution should be exercised upon rechallenge, and appropriate medical support should be readily available [see Adverse Reactions (6.3)].

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.

Clinical Trials of ELELYSO as Initial Therapy

Clinical Trial in Patients 19 Years and Older

The safety of ELELYSO at dosages of either 30 units/kg (n=16) or 60 units/kg (n=16) every other week was assessed in 32 adult treatment-naïve patients (aged 19 to 74 years) with Type 1 Gaucher disease in a 9-month double-blind, randomized clinical trial.

Table 1. Adverse Reactions in ≥5% of Treatment-Naïve Adult Patients Treated with ELELYSO:

Clinical Trial in Patients 16 Years and Younger

The safety of ELELYSO at dosages of either 30 units/kg (n=4) or 60 units/kg (n=5) every other week was assessed in 9 pediatric treatment-naïve patients (aged 2 to 13 years) with Type 1 Gaucher disease in a 12-month randomized clinical trial.

The most common adverse reaction (≥10%) was vomiting, which occurred in 4 of 9 patients. Two patients developed hypersensitivity reactions; one patient experienced severe vomiting and gastrointestinal inflammation, and 1 experienced mild throat irritation and chest discomfort. Both patients responded to treatment with antihistamines and continued ELELYSO treatment.

Clinical Trial in Patients Switching from Imiglucerase Treatment to ELELYSO

The safety of ELELYSO was assessed in 31 patients (26 adult and 5 pediatric patients), ages 6 to 66 years old, with Type 1 Gaucher disease who had previously been receiving treatment with imiglucerase for a minimum of 2 years. ELELYSO was administered for 9 months at the same number of units as each patient’s previous imiglucerase dose.

Table 2. Adverse Reactions in ≥10% of Patients Switched from Imiglucerase to ELELYSO (after 9 months on treatment):

As with all therapeutic proteins, 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 in the studies described below with the incidence of antibodies in other studies or to other taliglucerase alfa products may be misleading.

Anti-Drug Antibodies (ADA)

In a clinical trial of treatment-naïve adults, 17 (53%) of 32 patients developed ADA during treatment with ELELYSO, and 2 (6%) of 32 patients tested positive for ADA at baseline prior to ELELYSO treatment. Of the 17 patients who developed ADA during ELELYSO treatment, 6 patients (35%) developed hypersensitivity reactions, 2 of whom met criteria for anaphylaxis. Two of the 17 patients who developed ADA during ELELYSO treatment discontinued treatment due to hypersensitivity reactions, one of whom had met criteria for anaphylaxis. Of the 2 patients who tested positive for ADA prior to initiation of ELELYSO treatment, one patient developed a hypersensitivity reaction during the first dose of ELELYSO and withdrew from the study. The second patient did not experience a hypersensitivity reaction.

In a clinical trial of treatment-naïve pediatric patients, 2 (22%) of 9 patients developed ADA during treatment with ELELYSO, and one of 9 patients was ADA-positive prior to initiation of ELELYSO. Two of these 3 patients experienced hypersensitivity reactions (1 who developed ADA during treatment and became negative after Week 12 and 1 who was ADA-positive at baseline and became ADA negative after Week 8) and continued treatment with ELELYSO. The third patient who developed ADA during treatment and continued to be ADA-positive until study completion at Week 52 did not experience a hypersensitivity reaction.

In clinical trials of 31 patients (26 adult and 5 pediatric patients) who switched from imiglucerase to ELELYSO treatment, 5 adults (16% of patients) developed ADA during treatment with ELELYSO. Four additional patients (13%, 2 adults and 2 children) tested positive for ADA at baseline but became ADA-negative after the switch to ELELYSO; one of these adult patients subsequently developed ADA to ELELYSO. Two adult patients (1 patient who developed ADA after the switch and 1 who was ADA positive at baseline) experienced hypersensitivity reactions. Both patients continued treatment with ELELYSO.

The relationship between ADA and hypersensitivity reactions is not fully understood. Monitoring for ADA to ELELYSO may be useful in ADA positive patients or in patients who have experienced hypersensitivity reactions to ELELYSO or other enzyme replacement therapies.

Neutralizing Antibodies

Thirty (30) of the 31 adult and pediatric patients who developed ADA to ELELYSO during treatment or tested positive for ADA at baseline were evaluated for neutralizing activity of the ADA in the mannose receptor binding and enzyme activity assays. Nineteen (63%) of the 30 patients had neutralizing antibodies capable of inhibiting mannose receptor binding of ELELYSO. Eight of these 19 patients had neutralizing antibodies capable of inhibiting the enzymatic activity of ELELYSO. Available data do not indicate a clear relationship between the presence of mannose receptor binding neutralizing antibodies or neutralizing antibodies capable of inhibiting the enzymatic activity of ELELYSO and the therapeutic response to ELELYSO.

Other Antibodies

Nine (29%) of the 31 adult and pediatric patients who developed ADA to ELELYSO during treatment or tested positive for ADA at baseline also developed antibodies against plant-specific glycans in ELELYSO.

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of ELELYSO. Because these reactions include those reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size in addition to those from postmarketing studies, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure:

Gastrointestinal disorders: Vomiting, diarrhea

General disorders and administration site conditions: Fatigue

Immune system disorders: Anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)], Type III immune-mediated fixed drug eruption

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: Back pain

Risk Summary

The limited available data on ELELYSO use in pregnant women are not sufficient to inform a drug-associated risk. However, there are clinical considerations [see Clinical Considerations]. In animal reproduction studies when pregnant rats and rabbits were administered taliglucerase alfa at intravenous doses up to 5 times the recommended human dose (RHD), there was no evidence of embryo-fetal toxicity [see Data]. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population(s) are unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.

Clinical Considerations

Disease-Associated Maternal and/or Embryo/Fetal Risk

Women with Type 1 Gaucher disease have an increased risk of spontaneous abortion if disease symptoms are not treated and controlled pre-conception and during a pregnancy. Pregnancy may exacerbate existing Type 1 Gaucher disease symptoms or result in new disease manifestations. Type 1 Gaucher disease manifestations may lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes, including hepatosplenomegaly which can interfere with the normal growth of a fetus and thrombocytopenia which can lead to increased bleeding and possible postpartum hemorrhage requiring transfusion.

Data

Animal Data

Reproduction studies have been performed with taliglucerase alfa administered during the period of organogenesis in rats and rabbits. In rats, intravenous doses up to 55 mg/kg/day (about 5 times the RHD of 60 units/kg based on the body surface area) did not cause any adverse effects on embryo-fetal development. In rabbits, intravenous doses up to 27.8 mg/kg/day (about 5 times the RHD of 60 units/kg based on the body surface area) did not show any embryo-fetal toxicity.

Risk Summary

There are no data on the presence of taliglucerase alfa in human milk, the effects on the breast fed infant or the effects on milk production. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for ELELYSO and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from ELELYSO or from the underlying maternal condition.

The use of ELELYSO for treatment of pediatric patients with Type 1 Gaucher disease is supported by evidence of effectiveness from adequate and well-controlled trials of ELELYSO in adults, with additional pharmacodynamic data from 5 pediatric patients and pharmacokinetic data from 9 pediatric patients who participated in clinical trials [see Clinical Studies (14.1, 14.2), Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. Data from 14 pediatric patients were included in the safety evaluation [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. There are insufficient data to inform dosing in patients less than 4 years of age.

Pediatric patients experienced a higher frequency of vomiting during ELELYSO treatment (4 of 9 treatment-naïve patients) than adult patients, and this may be a symptom of hypersensitivity reaction. The frequencies of other adverse reactions were similar between pediatric and adult patients [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].

During clinical trials, 8 patients aged 65 or older were treated with ELELYSO. Clinical trials of ELELYSO did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients.