Source: European Medicines Agency (EU) Revision Year: 2022 Publisher: A. Menarini – Industrie Farmaceutiche Riunite – s.r.l., Via Sette Santi 3, 50131 Florence, Italy
The use of delafloxacin should be avoided in patients who have experienced serious adverse reactions in the past when using quinolone or fluoroquinolone containing products (see section 4.8). Treatment of these patients with delafloxacin should only be initiated in the absence of alternative treatment options and after careful benefit/risk assessment (see also section 4.3).
If women of a sexually mature age are treated, effective contraception must be used during treatment (see section 4.6).
Epidemiologic studies report an increased risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection, particularly in elderly patients, and of aortic and mitral valve regurgitation after intake of fluoroquinolones. Cases of aortic aneurysm and dissection, sometimes complicated by rupture (including fatal ones), and of regurgitation/incompetence of any of the heart valves have been reported in patients receiving fluoroquinolones (see section 4.8).
Therefore, fluoroquinolones should only be used after careful benefit-risk assessment and after consideration of other therapeutic options in patients with positive family history of aneurysm disease or congenital heart valve disease, or in patients diagnosed with pre-existing aortic aneurysm and/or aortic dissection or heart valve disease, or in presence of other risk factors or conditions predisposing
The risk of aortic aneurysm and dissection, and their rupture may also be increased in patients treated concurrently with systemic corticosteroids. In case of sudden abdominal, chest or back pain, patients should be advised to immediately consult a physician in an emergency department. Patients should be advised to seek immediate medical attention in case of acute dyspnoea, new onset of heart palpitations, or development of oedema of the abdomen or lower extremities.
Tendinitis and tendon rupture (especially but not limited to Achilles tendon), sometimes bilateral, may occur as early as within 48 hours of starting treatment with quinolones and fluoroquinolones and have been reported to occur even up to several months after discontinuation of treatment. The risk of tendinitis and tendon rupture is increased in older patients, patients with renal impairment, patients with solid organ transplants, and those treated concurrently with corticosteroids. Therefore, concomitant use of corticosteroids should be avoided. At the first sign of tendinitis (e.g. painful swelling, inflammation) the treatment with delafloxacin should be discontinued and alternative treatment should be considered. The affected limb(s) should be appropriately treated (e.g. immobilisation). Corticosteroids should not be used if signs of tendinopathy occur (see section 4.8).
Cases of sensory or sensorimotor polyneuropathy resulting in paraesthesia, hypaesthesia, dysesthesia, or weakness have been reported in patients receiving quinolones and fluoroquinolones. Patients under treatment with delafloxacin should be advised to inform their doctor prior to continuing treatment if symptoms of neuropathy such as pain, burning, tingling, numbness, or weakness develop in order to prevent the development of potentially irreversible condition (see section 4.8).
Fluoroquinolones have been associated with an increased risk of central nervous system (CNS) reactions, including: convulsions and increased intracranial pressure (including pseudotumor cerebri) and toxic psychosis. Fluoroquinolones may also cause CNS reactions of nervousness, agitation, insomnia, anxiety, nightmares, paranoia, dizziness, confusion, tremors, hallucinations, depression, and suicidal thoughts or acts. These adverse reactions may occur following the first dose. If these reactions occur in patients receiving delafloxacin, delafloxacin should be discontinued immediately and appropriate measures should be instituted. Delafloxacin should be used when the benefits of treatment exceed the risks in patients with known or suspected CNS disorders (e.g. severe cerebral arteriosclerosis, epilepsy) or in the presence of other risk factors that may predispose to seizures or lower the seizure threshold.
Fluoroquinolones have neuromuscular blocking activity and may exacerbate muscle weakness in persons with myasthenia gravis. Post-marketing serious adverse reactions, including deaths and requirement for ventilator support, have been associated with fluoroquinolone use in persons with myasthenia gravis. The use of delafloxacin is not recommended in patients with known history of myasthenia gravis.
Clostridioides difficile</em-associated disease has been reported in users of nearly all systemic antibacterial medicinal products, with severity ranging from mild diarrhoea to fatal colitis. Clostridioides difficile</em-associated disease must be considered in all patients who present with diarrhoea. If Clostridioides difficile</em-associated disease is suspected or confirmed treatment with delafloxacin should be discontinued and appropriate supportive measures together with the specific antibacterial treatment of C. difficile should be considered.
Medicinal products inhibiting the peristalsis are contraindicated if Clostridioides difficile</em-associated disease is suspected.
Patients with known hypersensitivity to delafloxacin or other fluoroquinolones must not take Quofenix (see section 4.3). Serious and occasionally fatal hypersensitivity (anaphylactic) reactions have been reported in patients receiving fluoroquinolone antibacterial medicinal products. Before initiating therapy with Quofenix, careful inquiry should be made about previous hypersensitivity reactions to other quinolone or fluoroquinolone antibacterial medicinal products. If an anaphylactic reaction to Quofenix occurs, the medicinal product should be discontinued immediately and appropriate therapy should be instituted.
Dose adjustment is needed in patients with severe renal impairment (see section 4.2). The safety and efficacy of the dose adjustment guidance in patients with severe renal impairment has not been clinically evaluated and is based on pharmacokinetic modelling data. Delafloxacin should only be used in such patients when it is considered that the expected clinical benefit outweighs the potential risk. Clinical response to treatment and renal function should be closely monitored in these patients.
Accumulation of the intravenous vehicle sulfobutylbetadex sodiumoccurs in patients with moderate to severe renal impairment; therefore serum creatinine levels should be closely monitored in these patients, and, if increases occur, consideration should be given to switch to Quofenix 450 mg tablet every 12 hours.
Quofenix is not recommended in patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
In the two major trials in ABSSSI the types of infections treated were confined to cellulitis/erysipelas, abscesses and wound infections only. Other types of skin infections have not been studied. Patients with toxic shock, neutropenia (neutrophil counts <500 cells/mm³) or severely immunocompromised patients were not included in the studies. There is limited experience in patients aged >75 years. However, the CAP population was older than the one studied in ABSSSI (48.3 % of subjects were ≥65 years and 23.9% ≥75 years). In the CAP study 90.7% of patients had CURB-65 score of ≤2. However 69.3% of patients were categorised to PORT class III and 30.7% of patients had a PORT score >III.
Very rare cases of prolonged (continuing months or years), disabling and potentially irreversible serious adverse drug reactions affecting different, sometimes multiple, body systems (musculoskeletal, nervous, psychiatric and senses) have been reported in patients receiving quinolones and fluoroquinolones irrespective of their age and pre-existing risk factors. Delafloxacin should be discontinued immediately at the first signs or symptoms of any serious adverse reaction and patients should be advised to contact their prescriber for advice.
Fluoroquinolone non-susceptible microorganisms may result in superinfection with the use of delafloxacin. If superinfection occurs during therapy, appropriate measures should be taken.
As with all quinolones, disturbances in blood glucose, including both hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia have been reported (see section 4.8), usually in diabetic patients receiving concomitant treatment with an oral hypoglycaemic agent (e.g., glibenclamide) or with insulin. Cases of hypoglycaemic coma have been reported. In diabetic patients, careful monitoring of blood glucose is recommended.
There are no data available on severe cases of hypoglycaemia resulting in coma or death after delafloxacin use.
Cases of bullous skin reactions like Stevens-Johnson syndrome or toxic epidermal necrolysis have been reported with other fluoroquinolones. Patients should be advised to contact their doctor immediately prior to continuing treatment if skin and/or mucosal reactions occur.
Patients with a family history of, or actual glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency are prone to haemolytic reactions when treated with other quinolones. Therefore, delafloxacin should be used with caution in these patients.
This medicinal product contains sulfobutylbetadex sodium. In patients with moderate to severe renal impairment, accumulation of cyclodextrins occurs.
This medicinal product contains 175 mg sodium per vial, equivalent to 8.8% of the WHO recommended maximum daily intake of 2 g sodium for an adult.
There are no available data concerning specific effects of other medicinal products on delafloxacin. Known fluoroquinolones-associated possible interactions shall be considered.
There are no data concerning an interaction of intravenous delafloxacin with multivitamins, didanosine, or metal cations. However, delafloxacin should not be co-administered with any solution containing multivalent cations, e.g. magnesium, through the same intravenous line (see section 4.2 and 6.2).
Based on in vitro data on metabolising enzymes and transporters delafloxacin possesses a low potential to alter the disposition of other medicinal products (see section 5.2).
Women of childbearing potential have to use effective contraception during treatment with delafloxacin.
There are no or limited amount of data from the use of delafloxacin in pregnant women. Studies in animals have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3). In the absence of human data and findings in non-clinical studies at human therapeutic exposures, delafloxacin is contraindicated during pregnancy and in women of childbearing potential not using contraception (see sections 4.3 and 4.4).
It is unknown whether delafloxacin/metabolites are excreted in human milk. Available pharmacodynamic/toxicological data in animals have shown excretion of delafloxacin/metabolites in milk (see section 5.3). A risk to the newborns/infants cannot be excluded. Breast-feeding is contraindicated during treatment with delafloxacin.
The effects of delafloxacin on fertility in humans have not been studied. Nonclinical studies conducted with delafloxacin in rats do not indicate harmful effects with respect to fertility or reproductive performance (see section 5.3).
Quofenix has moderate influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Some adverse drug reactions (e.g. dizziness, headache, visual disorders) may impair the patient’s ability to concentrate and react, and therefore may constitute a risk in situations where the patient operates an automobile or machinery or engages in other activities requiring mental alertness and coordination.
The most common adverse drug reactions reported in ABSSSI (Phase 2 and 3 studies) and CAP (Phase 3 study) involving a total of 1,297 patients (868 subjects in acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and 429 subjects in community-acquired pneumonia), exposed to delafloxacin intravenous or oral formulation, were diarrhoea, nausea and hypertransaminasaemia (5.86%, 5.47% and 2.85% respectively) which were mild to moderate in intensity.
The following adverse reactions have been identified in four comparative ABSSSI Phase 2 and 3 studies and in one CAP Phase 3 study classified by preferred term and System Organ Class, and by frequency. Frequencies are defined as: very common (≥1/10); common (≥1/100 to <1/10); uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100); rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000); very rare (<1/10,000).
| System Organ Class | Common | Uncommon | Rare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infections and infestations | Fungal infection | Clostridioides difficile infection (see section 4.4) | Urinary tract infection, Sinusitis |
| Blood and lymphatic system disorders | Anaemia, Leukopenia | Thrombocytopenia, Neutropenia, International normalised ratio increased | |
| Immune system disorders | Hypersensitivity (see section 4.4) | Seasonal allergy | |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders | Hyperglycaemia (see section 4.4), Decreased appetite | Hypoglycaemia (see section 4.4), Hyperuricaemia, Hypokalaemia, Blood potassium increased | |
| Psychiatric disorders* | Insomnia | Hallucination, auditory, Anxiety, Abnormal dreams, Confusional state | |
| Nervous system disorders* | Headache | Peripheral neuropathy (including paraesthesia and hypoaesthesia) (see section 4.4), Dizziness, Dysgeusia | Presyncope, Somnolence |
| Eye disorders* | Vision blurred | Dry eye | |
| Ear and labyrinth disorders* | Vertigo, Tinnitus, Vestibular disorder | ||
| Cardiac disorders** | Palpitations | Sinus tachycardia, Bradycardia | |
| Vascular disorders** | Hypertension, Hypotension, Flushing | Deep vein thrombosis, Phlebitis | |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders | Dyspnoea | Cough, Dry throat | |
| Gastrointestinal disorders | Diarrhoea, Vomiting, Nausea | Stomatitis, Abdominal pain, Dyspepsia, Dry mouth, Flatulence, Constipation | Gastritis erosive, Gastrooesophageal reflux disease, Paraesthesia oral, Hypoaesthesia oral, Glossodynia, Faeces discoloured |
| Hepatobiliary disorders | Hypertransaminasaemia | Blood alkaline phosphatase increased | Blood albumin decreased, Gammaglutamyltransferase increased |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders | Pruritus | Dermatitis allergic, Urticaria, Rash, Hyperhidrosis | Alopecia, Cold sweat, Night sweat |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders* | Arthralgia, Myalgia, Tendonitis (see section 4.4), Musculoskeletal pain (e.g. pain in extremity, back pain, neck pain), muscle weakness, Blood creatine phosphokinase increased | Arthritis reactive, Myositis, Muscle spasm | |
| Renal and urinary disorders | Renal impairment | Haematuria, Crystal urine present | |
| General disorders and administration site conditions* | Infusion site reaction | Pyrexia, Local swelling, Fatigue | Oedema peripheral, Chills, Medical device, complication |
| Injury, poisoning and procedural complications | Wound complication |
* Very rare cases of prolonged (up to months or years), disabling and potentially irreversible serious drug reactions affecting several, sometimes multiple, system organ classes and senses (including reactions such as tendonitis, tendon rupture, arthralgia, pain in extremities, gait disturbance, neuropathies associated with paraesthesia, depression, fatigue, memory impairment, sleep disorders, and impairment of hearing, vision, taste and smell) have been reported in association with the use of quinolones and fluoroquinolones in some cases irrespective of pre-existing risk factors (see section 4.4).
** Cases of aortic aneurysm and dissection, sometimes complicated by rupture (including fatal ones), and of regurgitation/incompetence of any of the heart valves have been reported in patients receiving fluoroquinolones (see section 4.4).
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the national reporting system listed in Appendix V.
This medicinal product must not be mixed with other medicinal products except those mentioned in section 6.6.
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