TRULANCE Tablet Ref.[10170] Active ingredients: Plecanatide

5.1 Risk of Serious Dehydration in Pediatric Patients

TRULANCE is contraindicated in patients less than 6 years of age. The safety and effectiveness of TRULANCE in patients less than 18 years of age have not been established. In young juvenile mice (human age equivalent of approximately 1 month to less than 2 years), plecanatide increased fluid-secretion into the intestines as a consequence of stimulation of guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C), resulting in mortality in some mice within the first 24 hours, apparently due to dehydration. Due to increased intestinal expression of GC-C, patients less than 6 years of age may be more likely than patients 6 years of age and older to develop severe diarrhea and its potentially serious consequences.

Avoid the use of TRULANCE in patients 6 years to less than 18 years of age. Although there were no deaths in older juvenile mice, given the deaths in younger mice and the lack of clinical safety and efficacy data in pediatric patients, avoid the use of TRULANCE in patients 6 years to less than 18 years of age [see Contraindications (4), Warnings and Precautions (5.2), Use in Specific Populations (8.4)].

5.2 Diarrhea

Diarrhea was the most common adverse reaction in four placebo-controlled clinical trials, two in patients with CIC and two in patients with IBS-C. Severe diarrhea was reported in 0.6% of patients in two trials in patients with CIC and in 0.6% of patients in the two trials in patients with IBS-C [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]. If severe diarrhea occurs, suspend dosing and rehydrate the patient.

Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

Demographic characteristics were comparable between the TRULANCE and placebo groups in all studies [see Clinical Studies (14)].

Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC)

The safety data described below reflect data from 1733 adult patients with CIC randomized in two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (Study 1 and Study 2) to receive placebo or 3 mg of TRULANCE once daily for 12 weeks.

Most Common Adverse Reactions

Table 1 provides the incidence of adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of CIC patients in the TRULANCE-treated group and at an incidence that was greater than in the placebo group.

Table 1. Most Common Adverse Reactions^a in Two Placebo-Controlled Trials of TRULANCE [Study 1 and Study 2] in Patients with CIC:

^a Reported in at least 2% of TRULANCE-treated patients with CIC and at an incidence greater than placebo.
^b Verbatim reports of diarrhea were recorded as adverse reactions; reports of loose stools and increase in stool frequency were recorded as adverse reactions if they were also reported to be bothersome to the patient.

Diarrhea

The majority of reported cases of diarrhea occurred within 4 weeks of treatment initiation. Severe diarrhea was reported in 0.6% of TRULANCE-treated patients compared to 0.3% of placebo-treated patients. Severe diarrhea was reported to occur within the first 3 days of treatment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].

Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation

Discontinuations due to adverse reactions occurred in 4% of TRULANCE-treated patients and 2% of placebo-treated patients. The most common adverse reaction leading to discontinuation was diarrhea: 2% of TRULANCE-treated patients and 0.5% of placebo-treated patients withdrew due to diarrhea.

Less Common Adverse Reactions

Adverse reactions reported in less than 2% of TRULANCE-treated patients and at an incidence greater than placebo were: sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection, abdominal distension, flatulence, abdominal tenderness, and increased liver biochemical tests (2 patients with alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than 5 to 15 times the upper limit of normal and 3 patients with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) greater than 5 times the upper limit of normal).

Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C)

The safety data described below reflect data from 1449 adults patients with IBS-C randomized in two double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials (Study 3 and Study 4) to receive placebo or 3 mg TRULANCE once daily for 12 weeks.

Most Common Adverse Reactions

Table 2 provides the incidence of adverse reactions reported in at least 2% of IBS-C patients treated with TRULANCE and at an incidence that was greater than in the placebo group.

Table 2. Most Common Adverse Reactions^a in Two Placebo-Controlled Trials of TRULANCE [Study 3 and Study 4] in Patients with IBS-C:

^a Reported in at least 2% of TRULANCE-treated patients with IBS-C and at an incidence greater than placebo.
^b Verbatim reports of diarrhea were recorded as adverse reactions; reports of loose stools and increase in stool frequency were recorded as adverse reactions if they were also reported to be bothersome to the patient.

Diarrhea

The majority of reported cases of diarrhea occurred within 4 weeks of treatment initiation. Severe diarrhea was reported in 1% of TRULANCE-treated patients compared to 0.1% of placebo-treated patients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)]. Severe diarrhea was reported to occur within the first day of treatment.

Adverse Reactions Leading to Discontinuation

Discontinuations due to adverse reactions occurred in 2.5% of TRULANCE-treated patients and 0.4% of placebo-treated patients. The most common adverse reaction leading to discontinuation was diarrhea: 1.2% of TRULANCE-treated patients and 0% of placebo-treated patients withdrew due to diarrhea.

Less Common Adverse Reactions

Adverse reactions reported in 1% or more but less than 2% of TRULANCE-treated patients and at an incidence greater than placebo were: nausea, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, urinary tract infection, and dizziness. Two patients reported increased liver biochemical tests (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than 5 to 15 times the upper limit of normal).

Risk Summary

Plecanatide and its active metabolite are negligibly absorbed systemically following oral administration [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] and maternal use is not expected to result in fetal exposure to the drug. The available data on TRULANCE use in pregnant women are not sufficient to inform any drug-associated risks for major birth defects and miscarriage. In animal developmental studies, no effects on embryo-fetal development were observed with oral administration of plecanatide in mice and rabbits during organogenesis at doses much higher than the recommended human dosage.

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 United States 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.

Data

Animal Data

Pregnant mice and rabbits were administered plecanatide during the period of organogenesis. There was no evidence of harm to embryo-fetal development at oral doses up to 800 mg/kg/day in mice and 250 mg/kg/day in rabbits. Oral administration of up to 600 mg/kg/day in mice during organogenesis through lactation produced no developmental abnormalities or effects on growth, learning and memory, or fertility in the offspring through maturation.

• The maximum recommended human dose is approximately 0.05 mg/kg/day, based on a 60-kg body weight. Limited systemic exposure to plecanatide was achieved in animals during organogenesis (area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC_t) = 449 ng_∙h/mL in rabbits given 250 mg/kg/day). Plecanatide and its active metabolite are not measurable in human plasma following administration of the recommended clinical dosage. Therefore, animal and human doses should not be compared directly for evaluating relative exposure.

Risk Summary

After administration of multiple doses of TRULANCE 3 mg once daily for 2 weeks to nursing mothers, plecanatide and its active metabolite were not measurable in breast milk collected at 2 hours, 6 hours, and 12 hours post-dosing. In adults, concentrations of plecanatide and its active metabolite were mostly unmeasurable in plasma following multiple doses of TRULANCE 3 mg once daily for up to 12 weeks [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Maternal use of TRULANCE is not expected to result in clinically relevant exposure to plecanatide or its active metabolite in breastfed infants. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for TRULANCE and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed infant from TRULANCE or from the underlying maternal condition.

TRULANCE is contraindicated in pediatric patients less than 6 years of age. Avoid use of TRULANCE in patients 6 years to less than 18 years of age [see Contraindications (4), Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]. The safety and effectiveness of TRULANCE in patients less than 18 years of age have not been established.

In nonclinical studies, deaths occurred within 24 hours in young juvenile mice (human age equivalent of approximately 1 month to less than 2 years) following oral administration of plecanatide, as described below in Juvenile Animal Toxicity Data. Because of increased intestinal expression of GC-C, patients less than 6 years of age may be more likely than patients 6 years of age and older to develop diarrhea and its potentially serious consequences. TRULANCE is contraindicated in patients less than 6 years of age. Given the deaths in young juvenile mice and the lack of clinical safety and efficacy data in pediatric patients, avoid the use of TRULANCE in patients 6 years to less than 18 years of age.

Juvenile Animal Toxicity Data

Single oral doses of plecanatide at 0.5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg caused mortality in young juvenile mice on postnatal days 7 and 14, respectively (human age equivalent of approximately 1 month to less than 2 years). Treatment-related increases in the weight of intestinal contents were observed in juvenile mice following single doses of plecanatide on postnatal day 14 (human age equivalent of approximately less than 2 years), consistent with increased fluid in the intestinal lumen. Although the recommended human dose is approximately 0.05 mg/kg/day, based on a 60-kg body weight, plecanatide and its active metabolite are not measurable in adult human plasma, whereas systemic absorption was demonstrated in the juvenile animal toxicity studies. Animal and human doses should not be compared directly for evaluating relative exposure.

Chronic Idiopathic Constipation (CIC)

Of 2601 subjects in placebo-controlled clinical trials of TRULANCE, 273 (10%) were 65 years of age and over, and 47 (2%) were 75 years and over. Clinical studies of TRULANCE did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from patients 18 years to less than 65 years of age.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C)

Of 1621 subjects in the placebo-controlled clinical studies of TRULANCE, 134 (8.3%) were 65 years of age and over, and 25 (1.5%) were 75 years and over. Clinical studies of TRULANCE did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from patients 18 years to less than 65 years of age.