Source: European Medicines Agency (EU) Revision Year: 2019 Publisher: Sandoz GmbH, Biochemiestr. 10, 6250 Kundl, Austria
Hypersensitivity to the active substance, to other murine proteins, or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.
Patients with tuberculosis or other severe infections such as sepsis, abscesses, and opportunistic infections (see section 4.4).
Patients with moderate or severe heart failure (NYHA class III/IV) (see sections 4.4 and 4.8).
In order to improve the traceability of biological medicinal products, the tradename and the batch number of the administered product should be clearly recorded.
Infliximab has been associated with acute infusion-related reactions, including anaphylactic shock, and delayed hypersensitivity reactions (see section 4.8). Acute infusion reactions including anaphylactic reactions may develop during (within seconds) or within a few hours following infusion. If acute infusion reactions occur, the infusion must be interrupted immediately. Emergency equipment, such as adrenaline, antihistamines, corticosteroids and an artificial airway must be available. Patients may be pre-treated with e.g. an antihistamine, hydrocortisone and/or paracetamol to prevent mild and transient effects.
Antibodies to infliximab may develop and have been associated with an increased frequency of infusion reactions. A low proportion of the infusion reactions was serious allergic reactions. An association between development of antibodies to infliximab and reduced duration of response has also been observed. Concomitant administration of immunomodulators has been associated with lower incidence of antibodies to infliximab and a reduction in the frequency of infusion reactions.
The effect of concomitant immunomodulator therapy was more profound in episodically-treated patients than in patients given maintenance therapy. Patients who discontinue immunosuppressants prior to or during infliximab treatment are at greater risk of developing these antibodies. Antibodies to infliximab cannot always be detected in serum samples. If serious reactions occur, symptomatic treatment must be given and further Zessly infusions must not be administered (see section 4.8).
In clinical studies, delayed hypersensitivity reactions have been reported. Available data suggest an increased risk for delayed hypersensitivity with increasing infliximab-free interval. Patients should be advised to seek immediate medical advice if they experience any delayed adverse reaction (see section 4.8). If patients are re-treated after a prolonged period, they must be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of delayed hypersensitivity.
Patients must be monitored closely for infections including tuberculosis before, during and after treatment with Zessly. Because the elimination of infliximab may take up to six months, monitoring should be continued throughout this period. Further treatment with Zessly must not be given if a patient develops a serious infection or sepsis.
Caution should be exercised when considering the use of Zessly in patients with chronic infection or a history of recurrent infections, including concomitant immunosuppressive therapy. Patients should be advised of and avoid exposure to potential risk factors for infection as appropriate.
Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) mediates inflammation and modulates cellular immune responses. Experimental data show that TNFα is essential for the clearing of intracellular infections.
Clinical experience shows that host defence against infection is compromised in some patients treated with infliximab.
It should be noted that suppression of TNFα may mask symptoms of infection such as fever. Early recognition of atypical clinical presentations of serious infections and of typical clinical presentation of rare and unusual infections is critical in order to minimise delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Patients taking TNF-blockers are more susceptible to serious infections. Tuberculosis, bacterial infections, including sepsis and pneumonia, invasive fungal, viral, and other opportunistic infections have been observed in patients treated with infliximab. Some of these infections have been fatal; the most frequently reported opportunistic infections with a mortality rate of >5% include pneumocystosis, candidiasis, listeriosis and aspergillosis.
Patients who develop a new infection while undergoing treatment with Zessly, should be monitored closely and undergo a complete diagnostic evaluation. Administration of Zessly should be discontinued if a patient develops a new serious infection or sepsis, and appropriate antimicrobial or antifungal therapy should be initiated until the infection is controlled.
There have been reports of active tuberculosis in patients receiving infliximab. It should be noted that in the majority of these reports tuberculosis was extrapulmonary, presenting as either local or disseminated disease.
Before starting treatment with Zessly, all patients must be evaluated for both active and inactive (‘latent’) tuberculosis. This evaluation should include a detailed medical history with personal history of tuberculosis or possible previous contact with tuberculosis and previous and/or current immunosuppressive therapy. Appropriate screening tests, (e.g. tuberculin skin test, chest X-ray, and/or Interferon Gamma Release Assay), should be performed in all patients (local recommendations may apply). It is recommended that the conduct of these tests should be recorded in the patient’s reminder card. Prescribers are reminded of the risk of false negative tuberculin skin test results, especially in patients who are severely ill or immunocompromised.
If active tuberculosis is diagnosed, Zessly therapy must not be initiated (see section 4.3).
If latent tuberculosis is suspected, a physician with expertise in the treatment of tuberculosis should be consulted. In all situations described below, the benefit/risk balance of Zessly therapy should be very carefully considered.
If inactive (‘latent’) tuberculosis is diagnosed, treatment for latent tuberculosis must be started with antituberculosis therapy before the initiation of Zessly, and in accordance with local recommendations.
In patients who have several or significant risk factors for tuberculosis and have a negative test for latent tuberculosis, antituberculosis therapy should be considered before the initiation of Zessly.
Use of antituberculosis therapy should also be considered before the initiation of Zessly in patients with a past history of latent or active tuberculosis in whom an adequate course of treatment cannot be confirmed.
Some cases of active tuberculosis have been reported in patients treated with infliximab during and after treatment for latent tuberculosis.
All patients should be informed to seek medical advice if signs/symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis (e.g. persistent cough, wasting/weight loss, low-grade fever) appear during or after Zessly treatment.
In patients treated with Zessly, an invasive fungal infection such as aspergillosis, candidiasis, pneumocystosis, histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis or blastomycosis should be suspected if they develop a serious systemic illness, and a physician with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of invasive fungal infections should be consulted at an early stage when investigating these patients.
Invasive fungal infections may present as disseminated rather than localised disease, and antigen and antibody testing may be negative in some patients with active infection. Appropriate empiric antifungal therapy should be considered while a diagnostic workup is being performed taking into account both the risk for severe fungal infection and the risks of antifungal therapy.
For patients who have resided in or travelled to regions where invasive fungal infections such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis are endemic, the benefits and risks of Zessly treatment should be carefully considered before initiation of Zessly therapy.
Patients with fistulising Crohn’s disease with acute suppurative fistulas must not initiate Zessly therapy until a source for possible infection, specifically abscess, has been excluded (see section 4.3).
Reactivation of hepatitis B has occurred in patients receiving a TNF-antagonist including infliximab, who are chronic carriers of this virus. Some cases have had fatal outcome.
Patients should be tested for HBV infection before initiating treatment with Zessly. For patients who test positive for HBV infection, consultation with a physician with expertise in the treatment of hepatitis B is recommended. Carriers of HBV who require treatment with Zessly should be closely monitored for signs and symptoms of active HBV infection throughout therapy and for several months following termination of therapy. Adequate data of treating patients who are carriers of HBV with antiviral therapy in conjunction with TNF-antagonist therapy to prevent HBV reactivation are not available. In patients who develop HBV reactivation, Zessly should be stopped and effective antiviral therapy with appropriate supportive treatment should be initiated.
Cases of jaundice and non-infectious hepatitis, some with features of autoimmune hepatitis, have been observed in the post-marketing experience of infliximab. Isolated cases of liver failure resulting in liver transplantation or death have occurred. Patients with symptoms or signs of liver dysfunction should be evaluated for evidence of liver injury. If jaundice and/or ALT elevations ≥5 times the upper limit of normal develop(s), Zessly should be discontinued, and a thorough investigation of the abnormality should be undertaken.
Serious infections and neutropenia were seen in clinical studies with concurrent use of anakinra and another TNFα-blocking agent, etanercept, with no added clinical benefit compared to etanercept alone. Because of the nature of the adverse reactions seen with combination of etanercept and anakinra therapy, similar toxicities may also result from the combination of anakinra and other TNFα-blocking agents. Therefore, the combination of Zessly and anakinra is not recommended.
In clinical studies concurrent administration of TNF-antagonists and abatacept has been associated with an increased risk of infections including serious infections compared to TNF-antagonists alone, without increased clinical benefit. The combination of Zessly and abatacept is not recommended.
There is insufficient information regarding the concomitant use of infliximab with other biological therapeutics used to treat the same conditions as infliximab. The concomitant use of infliximab with these biologics is not recommended because of the possibility of an increased risk of infection, and other potential pharmacological interactions.
Care should be taken and patients should continue to be monitored when switching from one biologic to another, since overlapping biological activity may further increase the risk for adverse reactions, including infection.
It is recommended that patients, if possible, be brought up to date with all vaccinations in agreement with current vaccination guidelines prior to initiating infliximab therapy. Patients on infliximab may receive concurrent vaccinations, except for live vaccines (see sections 4.5 and 4.6).
In a subset of 90 adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis from the study 2 a similar proportion of patients in each treatment group (methotrexateplus: placebo [n=17], 3mg/kg [n=27] or 6mg/kg infliximab [n=46]) mounted an effective two-fold increase in titers to a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine, indicating that infliximab did not interfere with T-cell independent humoral immune responses. However,studies from the published literature in variousindications (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease) suggestthat non-live vaccinations received during treatment with anti-TNF therapies, including infliximab, may elicit a lower immune response than in patients not receiving anti-TNF therapy."
In patients receiving anti-TNF therapy, limited data are available on the response to vaccination with live vaccines or on the secondary transmission of infection by live vaccines. Use of live vaccines can result in clinical infections, including disseminated infections. The concurrent administration of live vaccines with Zessly is not recommended.
In infants exposed in utero to infliximab, fatal outcome due to disseminated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) infection has been reported following administration of BCG vaccine after birth. At least a six month waiting period following birth is recommended before the administration of live vaccines to infants exposed in utero to infliximab (see section 4.6).
Other uses of therapeutic infectious agents such as live attenuated bacteria (e.g. BCG bladder instillation for the treatment of cancer) could result in clinical infections, including disseminated infections. It is recommended that therapeutic infectious agents not be given concurrently with Zessly.
The relative deficiency of TNFα caused by anti-TNF therapy may result in the initiation of an autoimmune process. If a patient develops symptoms suggestive of a lupus-like syndrome following treatment with Zessly and is positive for antibodies against double-stranded DNA, further treatment with Zessly must not be given (see section 4.8).
Use of TNF-blocking agents, including infliximab, has been associated with cases of new onset or exacerbation of clinical symptoms and/or radiographic evidence of central nervous system demyelinating disorders, including multiple sclerosis, and peripheral demyelinating disorders, including Guillain-Barré syndrome. In patients with pre-existing or recent onset of demyelinating disorders, the benefits and risks of anti-TNF treatment should be carefully considered before initiation of Zessly therapy. Discontinuation of Zessly should be considered if these disorders develop.
In the controlled portions of clinical studies of TNF-blocking agents, more cases of malignancies including lymphoma have been observed among patients receiving a TNF blocker compared with control patients. During clinical studies of infliximab across all approved indications the incidence of lymphoma in infliximab-treated patients was higher than expected in the general population, but the occurrence of lymphoma was rare. In the post-marketing setting, cases of leukaemia have been reported in patients treated with a TNF-antagonist. There is an increased background risk for lymphoma and leukaemia in rheumatoid arthritis patients with long-standing, highly active, inflammatory disease, which complicates risk estimation.
In an exploratory clinical study evaluating the use of infliximab in patients with moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), more malignancies were reported in infliximab- treated patients compared with control patients. All patients had a history of heavy smoking. Caution should be exercised in considering treatment of patients with increased risk for malignancy due to heavy smoking.
With the current knowledge, a risk for the development of lymphomas or other malignancies in patients treated with a TNF-blocking agent cannot be excluded (see section 4.8). Caution should be exercised when considering TNF-blocking therapy for patients with a history of malignancy or when considering continuing treatment in patients who develop a malignancy.
Caution should also be exercised in patients with psoriasis and a medical history of extensive immunosuppressant therapy or prolonged PUVA treatment.
Malignancies, some fatal, have been reported among children, adolescents and young adults (up to 22 years of age) treated with TNF-blocking agents (initiation of therapy ≤18 years of age), including infliximab in the post-marketing setting. Approximately half the cases were lymphomas. The other cases represented a variety of different malignancies and included rare malignancies usually associated with immunosuppression. A risk for the development of malignancies in patients treated with TNF-blockers cannot be excluded.
Post-marketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (HSTCL) have been reported in patients treated with TNF-blocking agents including infliximab. This rare type of T-cell lymphoma has a very aggressive disease course and is usually fatal. Almost all patients had received treatment with AZA or 6-MP concomitantly with or immediately prior to a TNF-blocker. The vast majority of infliximab cases have occurred in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and most were reported in adolescent or young adult males. The potential risk with the combination of AZA or 6-MP and Zessly should be carefully considered. A risk for the development for hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in patients treated with infliximab cannot be excluded (see section 4.8).
Melanoma and Merkel cell carcinoma have been reported in patients treated with TNF blocker therapy, including infliximab (see section 4.8). Periodic skin examination is recommended, particularly for patients with risk factors for skin cancer.
A population-based retrospective cohort study using data from Swedish national health registries found an increased incidence of cervical cancer in women with rheumatoid arthritis treated with infliximab compared to biologics-naïve patients or the general population, including those over 60 years of age. Periodic screening should continue in women treated with Zessly, including those over 60 years of age.
All patients with ulcerative colitis who are at increased risk for dysplasia or colon carcinoma (for example, patients with long-standing ulcerative colitis or primary sclerosing cholangitis), or who had a prior history of dysplasia or colon carcinoma should be screened for dysplasia at regular intervals before therapy and throughout their disease course. This evaluation should include colonoscopy and biopsies per local recommendations. Current data do not indicate that infliximab treatment influences the risk for developing dysplasia or colon cancer.
Since the possibility of increased risk of cancer development in patients with newly diagnosed dysplasia treated with infliximab is not established, the risk and benefits of continued therapy to the individual patients should be carefully considered by the clinician.
Zessly should be used with caution in patients with mild heart failure (NYHA class I/II). Patients should be closely monitored and Zessly must not be continued in patients who develop new or worsening symptoms of heart failure (see sections 4.3 and 4.8).
There have been reports of pancytopenia, leukopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia in patients receiving TNF-blockers, including infliximab. All patients should be advised to seek immediate medical attention if they develop signs and symptoms suggestive of blood dyscrasias (e.g. persistent fever, bruising, bleeding, pallor). Discontinuation of Zessly therapy should be considered in patients with confirmed significant haematologic abnormalities.
There is limited safety experience of infliximab treatment in patients who have undergone surgical procedures, including arthroplasty. The long half-life of infliximab should be taken into consideration if a surgical procedure is planned. A patient who requires surgery while on Zessly should be closely monitored for infections, and appropriate actions should be taken.
Failure to respond to treatment for Crohn’s disease may indicate the presence of a fixed fibrotic stricture that may require surgical treatment. There is no evidence to suggest that infliximab worsens or causes fibrotic strictures.
The incidence of serious infections in infliximab-treated patients 65 years and older was greater than in those under 65 years of age. Some of those had a fatal outcome. Particular attention regarding the risk for infection should be paid when treating the elderly (see section 4.8).
Infections:
In clinical studies, infections have been reported in a higher proportion of paediatric patients compared to adult patients (see section 4.8).
Vaccinations:
It is recommended that paediatric patients, if possible, be brought up to date with all vaccinations in agreement with current vaccination guidelines prior to initiating Zessly therapy. Paediatric patients on infliximab may receive concurrent vaccinations, except for live vaccines (see sections 4.5 and 4.6).
Malignancies and lymphoproliferative disorders:
Malignancies, some fatal, have been reported among children, adolescents and young adults (up to 22 years of age) treated with TNF-blocking agents (initiation of therapy ≤18 years of age), including infliximab in the post-marketing setting. Approximately half the cases were lymphomas. The other cases represented a variety of different malignancies and included rare malignancies usually associated with immunosuppression. A risk for the development of malignancies in children and adolescents treated with TNF-blockers cannot be excluded.
Post-marketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma have been reported in patients treated with TNF-blocking agents including infliximab. This rare type of T-cell lymphoma has a very aggressive disease course and is usually fatal. Almost all patients had received treatment with AZA or 6-MP concomitantly with or immediately prior to a TNF-blocker. The vast majority of infliximab cases have occurred in patients with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and most were reported in adolescent or young adult males. The potential risk with the combination of AZA or 6-MP and Zessly should be carefully considered. A risk for the development for hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma in patients treated with infliximab cannot be excluded (see section 4.8).
Zessly contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) sodium per dose, that is to say essentially ‘sodium-free’. Zessly is however, diluted in sodium chloride 9 mg/ml (0.9%) solution for infusion. This should be taken into consideration for patients on a controlled sodium diet (see section 6.6).
No interaction studies have been performed.
In rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn’s disease patients, there are indications that concomitant use of methotrexate and other immunomodulators reduces the formation of antibodies against infliximab and increases the plasma concentrations of infliximab. However, the results are uncertain due to limitations in the methods used for serum analyses of infliximab and antibodies against infliximab.
Corticosteroids do not appear to affect the pharmacokinetics of infliximab to a clinically relevant extent.
The combination of Zessly with other biological therapeutics used to treat the same conditions as Zessly, including anakinra and abatacept, is not recommended (see section 4.4).
It is recommended that live vaccines not be given concurrently with Zessly. It is also recommended that live vaccines not be given to infants after in utero exposure to infliximab for at least 6 months following birth (see section 4.4).
It is recommended that therapeutic infectious agents not be given concurrently with Zessly (see section 4.4).
Women of childbearing potential should consider the use of adequate contraception to prevent pregnancy and continue its use for at least 6 months after the last Zessly treatment.
The moderate number of prospectively collected pregnancies exposed to infliximab resulting in live birth with known outcomes, including approximately 1,100 exposed during the first trimester, does not indicate an increase in the rate of malformation in the newborn.
Based on an observational study from Northern Europe, an increased risk (OR, 95% CI; p-value) for C-section section (1.50, 1.14-1.96; p=0.0032), preterm birth (1.48, 1.05-2.09; p=0.024), small for gestational age (2.79, 1.54-5.04; p=0.0007), and low birth weight (2.03, 1.41-2.94; p=0.0002) was observed in women exposed during pregnancy to infliximab (with or without immunomodulators/corticosteroids, 270 pregnancies) as compared to women exposed to immunomodulators and/or corticosteroids only (6,460 pregnancies). The potential contribution of exposure to infliximab and/or the severity of the underlying disease in these outcomes remains unclear.
Due to its inhibition of TNFα, infliximab administered during pregnancy could affect normal immune responses in the newborn. In a developmental toxicity study conducted in mice using an analogous antibody that selectively inhibits the functional activity of mouse TNFα, there was no indication of maternal toxicity, embryotoxicity or teratogenicity (see section 5.3).
The available clinical experience is limited. Infliximab should only be used during pregnancy if clearly needed.
Infliximab crosses the placenta and has been detected in the serum of infants up to 6 months following birth. After in utero exposure to infliximab, infants may be at increased risk of infection, including serious disseminated infection that can become fatal. Administration of live vaccines (e.g. BCG vaccine) to infants exposed to infliximab in utero is not recommended for at least 6 months after birth (see sections 4.4 and 4.5). Cases of agranulocytosis have also been reported (see section 4.8).
It is unknown whether infliximab is excreted in human milk or absorbed systemically after ingestion. Because human immunoglobulins are excreted in milk, women must not breast feed for at least 6 months after Zessly treatment.
There are insufficient preclinical data to draw conclusions on the effects of infliximab on fertility and general reproductive function (see section 5.3).
Zessly may have a minor influence on the ability to drive and use machines. Dizziness may occur following administration of infliximab (see section 4.8).
Upper respiratory tract infection was the most common adverse drug reaction (ADR) reported in clinical trials, occurring in 25.3% of infliximab-treated patients compared with 16.5% of control patients. The most serious ADRs associated with the use of TNF blockers that have been reported for infliximab include HBV reactivation, CHF (congestive heart failure), serious infections (including sepsis, opportunistic infections and TB), serum sickness (delayed hypersensitivity reactions), haematologic reactions, systemic lupus erythematosus/lupus-like syndrome, demyelinating disorders, hepatobiliary events, lymphoma, HSTCL, leukaemia, Merkel cell carcinoma, melanoma, paediatric malignancy, sarcoidosis/sarcoid-like reaction, intestinal or perianal abscess (in Crohn’s disease), and serious infusion reactions (see section 4.4).
Table 1 lists ADRs based on experience from clinical studies as well as adverse reactions, some with fatal outcome, reported from post-marketing experience. Within the organ system classes, adverse reactions are listed under headings of frequency using the following categories: 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), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data). Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
Table 1. Undesirable effects in clinical studies and from post-marketing experience:
Very common: Viral infection (e.g. influenza, herpes virus infection).
Common: Bacterial infections (e.g. sepsis, cellulitis, abscess).
Uncommon: Tuberculosis, fungal infections (e.g. candidiasis, onychomycosis).
Rare: Meningitis, opportunistic infections (such as invasive fungal infections [pneumocystosis, histoplasmosis, aspergillosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, blastomycosis], bacterial infections [atypical mycobacterial, listeriosis, salmonellosis], and viral infections [cytomegalovirus]), parasitic infections, hepatitis B reactivation.
Not known: Vaccine breakthrough infection (after in utero exposure to infliximab)*.
Rare: Lymphoma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, leukaemia, melanoma, cervical cancer.
Not known: Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma (primarily in adolescents and young adult males with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis), Merkel cell carcinoma.
Common: Neutropenia, leukopenia, anaemia, lymphadenopathy.
Uncommon: Thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, lymphocytosis.
Rare: Agranulocytosis (including infants exposed in utero to infliximab), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, pancytopenia, haemolytic anaemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.
Common: Allergic respiratory symptom.
Uncommon: Anaphylactic reaction, lupus-like syndrome, serum sickness or serum sickness-like reaction.
Rare: Anaphylactic shock, vasculitis, sarcoid-like reaction.
Common: Depression, insomnia.
Uncommon: Amnesia, agitation, confusion, somnolence, nervousness.
Rare: Apathy.
Very common: Headache.
Common: Vertigo, dizziness, hypoesthesia, paraesthesia.
Uncommon: Seizure, neuropathy.
Rare: Transverse myelitis, central nervous system demyelinating disorders (multiple sclerosis-like disease and optic neuritis), peripheral demyelinating disorders (such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and multifocal motor neuropathy).
Common: Conjunctivitis.
Uncommon: Keratitis, periorbital oedema, hordeolum.
Rare: Endophthalmitis.
Transient visual loss occurring during or within 2 hours of infusion.
Common: Tachycardia, palpitation.
Uncommon: Cardiac failure (new onset or worsening), arrhythmia, syncope, bradycardia.
Rare: Cyanosis, pericardial effusion.
Not known: Myocardial ischaemia/myocardial infarction.
Common: Hypotension, hypertension, ecchymosis, hot flush, flushing.
Uncommon: Peripheral ischaemia, thrombophlebitis, haematoma.
Rare: Circulatory failure, petechia, vasospasm.
Very common: Upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis.
Common: Lower respiratory tract infection (e.g. bronchitis, pneumonia), dyspnoea, epistaxis.
Uncommon: Pulmonary oedema, bronchospasm, pleurisy, pleural effusion.
Rare: Interstitial lung disease (including rapidly progressive disease, lung fibrosis and pneumonitis).
Very common: Abdominal pain, nausea.
Common: Gastrointestinal haemorrhage, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, gastroesophageal reflux, constipation.
Uncommon: Intestinal perforation, intestinal stenosis, diverticulitis, pancreatitis, cheilitis.
Common: Hepatic function abnormal, transaminases increased.
Uncommon: Hepatitis, hepatocellular damage, cholecystitis.
Rare: Autoimmune hepatitis, jaundice.
Not known: Liver failure.
Common: New onset or worsening psoriasis including pustular psoriasis (primarily palm & soles), urticaria, rash, pruritus, hyperhidrosis, dry skin, fungal dermatitis, eczema, alopecia.
Uncommon: Bullous eruption, seborrhoea, rosacea, skin papilloma, hyperkeratosis, abnormal skin pigmentation.
Rare: Toxic epidermal necrolysis, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, erythema multiforme, furunculosis, linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD), acute generalised exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP).
Not known: Worsening of symptoms of dermatomyositis.
Common: Arthralgia, myalgia, back pain.
Common: Urinary tract infection.
Uncommon: Pyelonephritis.
Uncommon: Vaginitis.
Very common: Infusion-related reaction, pain.
Common: Chest pain, fatigue, fever, injection site reaction, chills, oedema.
Uncommon: Impaired healing.
Rare: Granulomatous lesion.
Uncommon: Autoantibody positive.
Rare: Complement factor abnormal.
* including bovine tuberculosis (disseminated BCG infection), see section 4.4
An infusion-related reaction was defined in clinical studies as any adverse event occurring during an infusion or within 1 hour after an infusion. In Phase III clinical studies, 18% of infliximab- treated patients compared with 5% of placebo-treated patients experienced an infusion-related reaction. Overall, a higher proportion of patients receiving infliximab monotherapy experienced an infusion-related reaction compared to patients receiving infliximab with concomitant immunomodulators. Approximately 3% of patients discontinued treatment due to infusion-related reactions and all patients recovered with or without medical therapy. Of infliximab-treated patients who had an infusion reaction during the induction period, through week 6, 27% experienced an infusion reaction during the maintenance period, week 7 through week 54. Of patients who did not have an infusion reaction during the induction period, 9% experienced an infusion reaction during the maintenance period.
In a clinical study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, infusions were to be administered over 2 hours for the first 3 infusions. The duration of subsequent infusions could be shortened to not less than 40 minutes in patients who did not experience serious infusion reactions. In this trial, sixty six percent of the patients (686 out of 1,040) received at least one shortened infusion of 90 minutes or less and 44% of the patients (454 out of 1,040) received at least one shortened infusion of 60 minutes or less. Of the infliximab-treated patients who received at least one shortened infusion, infusion-related reactions occurred in 15% of patients and serious infusion reactions occurred in 0.4% of patients.
In a clinical study of patients with Crohn’s disease, infusion-related reactions occurred in 16.6% (27/163) of patients receiving infliximab monotherapy, 5% (9/179) of patients receiving infliximab in combination with AZA, and 5.6% (9/161) of patients receiving AZA monotherapy. One serious infusion reaction (<1%) occurred in a patient on infliximab monotherapy.
In post-marketing experience, cases of anaphylactic-like reactions, including laryngeal/pharyngeal oedema and severe bronchospasm, and seizure have been associated with infliximab administration (see section 4.4). Cases of transient visual loss occurring during or within 2 hours of infliximab infusion have been reported. Events (some fatal) of myocardial ischaemia/infarction and arrhythmia have also been reported, some in close temporal association with infusion of infliximab.
A clinical study in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis was designed to assess the efficacy and safety of long-term maintenance therapy versus re-treatment with an induction regimen of infliximab (maximum of four infusions at 0, 2, 6, and 14 weeks) following disease flare. Patients did not receive any concomitant immunosuppressant therapy. In the re-treatment arm, 4% (8/219) of patients experienced a serious infusion reaction versus <1% (1/222) on maintenance therapy.
The majority of serious infusion reactions occurred during the second infusion at week 2. The interval between the last maintenance dose and the first re-induction dose ranged from 35-231 days.
Symptoms included, but were not limited to, dyspnoea, urticaria, facial oedema, and hypotension.
In all cases, infliximab treatment was discontinued and/or other treatment instituted with complete resolution of signs and symptoms.
In clinical studies delayed hypersensitivity reactions have been uncommon and have occurred after infliximab-free intervals of less than 1 year. In the psoriasis studies, delayed hypersensitivity reactions occurred early in the treatment course. Signs and symptoms included myalgia and/or arthralgia with fever and/or rash, with some patients experiencing pruritus, facial, hand or lip oedema, dysphagia, urticaria, sore throat and headache.
There are insufficient data on the incidence of delayed hypersensitivity reactions after infliximab-free intervals of more than 1 year but limited data from clinical studies suggest an increased risk for delayed hypersensitivity with increasing infliximab-free interval (see section 4.4).
In a 1-year clinical study with repeated infusions in patients with Crohn’s disease, the incidence of serum sickness-like reactions was 2.4%.
Patients who developed antibodies to infliximab were more likely (approximately 2-3 fold) to develop infusion-related reactions. Use of concomitant immunosuppressant agents appeared to reduce the frequency of infusion-related reactions. In clinical studies using single and multiple infliximab doses ranging from 1 to 20 mg/kg, antibodies to infliximab were detected in 14% of patients with any immunosuppressant therapy, and in 24% of patients without immunosuppressant therapy. In rheumatoid arthritis patients who received the recommended repeated treatment dose regimens with methotrexate, 8% of patients developed antibodies to infliximab. In psoriatic arthritis patients who received 5 mg/kg with and without methotrexate, antibodies occurred overall in 15% of patients (antibodies occurred in 4% of patients receiving methotrexate and in 26% of patients not receiving methotrexate at baseline). In Crohn’s disease patients who received maintenance treatment, antibodies to infliximab occurred overall in 3.3% of patients receiving immunosuppressants and in 13.3% of patients not receiving immunosuppressants. The antibody incidence was 2-3 fold higher for patients treated episodically. Due to methodological limitations, a negative assay did not exclude the presence of antibodies to infliximab. Some patients who developed high titres of antibodies to infliximab had evidence of reduced efficacy. In psoriasis patients treated with infliximab as a maintenance regimen in the absence of concomitant immunomodulators, approximately 28% developed antibodies to infliximab (see section 4.4: “Infusion reactions and hypersensitivity”).
Tuberculosis, bacterial infections, including sepsis and pneumonia, invasive fungal, viral, and other opportunistic infections have been observed in patients receiving infliximab. Some of these infections have been fatal; the most frequently reported opportunistic infections with a mortality rate of >5% include pneumocystosis, candidiasis, listeriosis and aspergillosis (see section 4.4).
In clinical studies 36% of infliximab-treated patients were treated for infections compared with 25% of placebo-treated patients.
In rheumatoid arthritis clinical studies, the incidence of serious infections including pneumonia was higher in infliximab plus methotrexate-treated patients compared with methotrexate alone especially at doses of 6 mg/kg or greater (see section 4.4).
In post-marketing spontaneous reporting, infections are the most common serious adverse reaction. Some of the cases have resulted in a fatal outcome. Nearly 50% of reported deaths have been associated with infection. Cases of tuberculosis, sometimes fatal, including miliary tuberculosis and tuberculosis with extra-pulmonary location have been reported (see section 4.4).
In clinical studies with infliximab in which 5,780 patients were treated, representing 5,494 patient years, 5 cases of lymphomas and 26 non-lymphoma malignancies were detected as compared with no lymphomas and 1 non-lymphoma malignancy in 1,600 placebo-treated patients representing 941 patient years.
In long-term safety follow-up of clinical studies with infliximab of up to 5 years, representing 6,234 patients-years (3,210 patients), 5 cases of lymphoma and 38 cases of non-lymphoma malignancies were reported.
Cases of malignancies, including lymphoma, have also been reported in the post-marketing setting (see section 4.4).
In an exploratory clinical study involving patients with moderate to severe COPD who were either current smokers or ex-smokers, 157 adult patients were treated with infliximab at doses similar to those used in rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. Nine of these patients developed malignancies, including 1 lymphoma. The median duration of follow-up was 0.8 years (incidence 5.7% [95% CI 2.65%-10.6%]. There was one reported malignancy amongst 77 control patients (median duration of follow-up 0.8 years; incidence 1.3% [95% CI 0.03%-7.0%]). The majority of the malignancies developed in the lung or head and neck.
A population-based retrospective cohort study found an increased incidence of cervical cancer in women with rheumatoid arthritis treated with infliximab compared to biologics-naïve patients or the general population, including those over 60 years of age (see section 4.4).
In addition, post-marketing cases of hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma have been reported in patients treated with infliximab with the vast majority of cases occurring in Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, and most of whom were adolescent or young adult males (see section 4.4).
In a Phase II study aimed at evaluating infliximab in CHF, higher incidence of mortality due to worsening of heart failure were seen in patients treated with infliximab, especially those treated with the higher dose of 10 mg/kg (i.e. twice the maximum approved dose). In this study 150 patients with NYHA Class III-IV CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction ≤35%) were treated with 3 infusions of infliximab 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, or placebo over 6 weeks. At 38 weeks, 9 of 101 patients treated with infliximab (2 at 5 mg/kg and 7 at 10 mg/kg) died compared to one death among the 49 patients on placebo.
There have been post-marketing reports of worsening heart failure, with and without identifiable precipitating factors, in patients taking infliximab. There have also been post-marketing reports of new onset heart failure, including heart failure in patients without known pre-existing cardiovascular disease. Some of these patients have been under 50 years of age.
In clinical studies, mild or moderate elevations of ALT and AST have been observed in patients receiving infliximab without progression to severe hepatic injury. Elevations of ALT ≥5 x Upper Limit of Normal (ULN) have been observed (see Table 2). Elevations of aminotransferases were observed (ALT more common than AST) in a greater proportion of patients receiving infliximab than in controls, both when infliximab was given as monotherapy and when it was used in combination with other immunosuppressive agents. Most aminotransferase abnormalities were transient; however, a small number of patients experienced more prolonged elevations. In general, patients who developed ALT and AST elevations were asymptomatic, and the abnormalities decreased or resolved with either continuation or discontinuation of infliximab, or modification of concomitant therapy. In post-marketing surveillance, cases of jaundice and hepatitis, some with features of autoimmune hepatitis, have been reported in patients receiving infliximab (see section 4.4).
Table 2. Proportion of patients with increased ALT activity in clinical studies:
| Indication | Number of patients3 | Median follow-up (wks)4 | ≥3 x ULN | ≥5 x ULN | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| placebo | infliximab | placebo | infliximab | placebo | infliximab | placebo | infliximab | |
| Rheumatoid arthritis1 | 375 | 1,087 | 58.1 | 58.3 | 3.2% | 3.9% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Crohn’s disease2 | 324 | 1,034 | 53.7 | 54.0 | 2.2% | 4.9% | 0.0% | 1.5% |
| Paediatric Crohn’s disease | N/A | 139 | N/A | 53.0 | N/A | 4.4% | N/A | 1.5% |
| Ulcerative colitis | 242 | 482 | 30.1 | 30.8 | 1.2% | 2.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Paediatric Ulcerative colitis | N/A 60 N/A 49.4 N/A 6.7% N/A 1.7% | |||||||
| Ankylosing spondylitis | 76 | 275 | 24.1 | 101.9 | 0.0% | 9.5% | 0.0% | 3.6% |
| Psoriatic arthritis | 98 | 191 | 18.1 | 39.1 | 0.0% | 6.8% | 0.0% | 2.1% |
| Plaque psoriasis | 281 | 1,175 | 16.1 | 50.1 | 0.4% | 7.7% | 0.0% | 3.4% |
1 Placebo patients received methotrexate while infliximab patients received both infliximab and methotrexate.
2 Placebo patients in the two Phase III studies in Crohn’s disease, received an initial dose of 5 mg/kg infliximab at study start and were on placebo in the maintenance phase. Patients who were randomised to the placebo maintenance group and then later crossed over to infliximab are included in the infliximab group in the ALT analysis. In the Phase IIIb trial in Crohn’s disease, placebo patients received AZA 2.5 mg/kg/day as active control in addition to placebo infliximab infusions.
3 Number of patients evaluated for ALT.
^4 Median follow-up is based on patients treated.
Approximately half of infliximab-treated patients in clinical studies who were ANA negative at baseline developed a positive ANA during the study compared with approximately one fifth of placebo-treated patients. Anti-dsDNA antibodies were newly detected in approximately 17% of infliximab-treated patients compared with 0% of placebo-treated patients. At the last evaluation, 57% of infliximab-treated patients remained anti-dsDNA positive. Reports of lupus and lupus-like syndromes, however, remain uncommon (see section 4.4).
Infliximab was studied in a clinical study in 120 patients (age range: 4-17 years old) with active juvenile rheumatoid arthritis despite methotrexate. Patients received 3 or 6 mg/kg infliximab as a 3- dose induction regimen (weeks 0, 2, 6 or weeks 14, 16, 20 respectively) followed by maintenance therapy every 8 weeks, in combination with methotrexate.
Infusion reactions occurred in 35% of patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis receiving 3 mg/kg compared with 17.5% of patients receiving 6 mg/kg. In the 3 mg/kg Infliximab group, 4 out of 60 patients had a serious infusion reaction and 3 patients reported a possible anaphylactic reaction (2 of which were among the serious infusion reactions). In the 6 mg/kg group, 2 out of 57 patients had a serious infusion reaction, one of whom had a possible anaphylactic reaction (see section 4.4).
Antibodies to infliximab developed in 38% of patients receiving 3 mg/kg compared with 12% of patients receiving 6 mg/kg. The antibody titres were notably higher for the 3 mg/kg compared to the 6 mg/kg group.
Infections occurred in 68% (41/60) of children receiving 3 mg/kg over 52 weeks, 65% (37/57) of children receiving infliximab 6 mg/kg over 38 weeks and 47% (28/60) of children receiving placebo over 14 weeks (see section 4.4).
The following adverse reactions were reported more commonly in paediatric Crohn’s disease patients (see section 5.1) than in adult Crohn’s disease patients: anaemia (10.7%), blood in stool (9.7%), leukopenia (8.7%), flushing (8.7%), viral infection (7.8%), neutropenia (6.8%), bacterial infection (5.8%), and respiratory tract allergic reaction (5.8%). In addition, bone fracture (6.8%) was reported, however, a causal association has not been established. Other special considerations are discussed below.
In the paediatric Crohn’s disease study, 17.5% of randomised patients experienced 1 or more infusion reactions. There were no serious infusion reactions, and 2 subjects in the paediatric Crohn’s disease study had non-serious anaphylactic reactions.
Antibodies to infliximab were detected in 3 (2.9%) paediatric patients.
In the paediatric Crohn’s disease study, infections were reported in 56.3% of randomised subjects treated with infliximab. Infections were reported more frequently for subjects who received q8 week as opposed to q12 week infusions (73.6% and 38.0%, respectively), while serious infections were reported for 3 subjects in the q8 week and 4 subjects in the q12 week maintenance treatment group. The most commonly reported infections were upper respiratory tract infection and pharyngitis, and the most commonly reported serious infection was abscess. Three cases of pneumonia (1 serious) and 2 cases of herpes zoster (both non-serious) were reported.
Overall, the adverse reactions reported in the paediatric ulcerative colitis trial and adult ulcerative colitis studies were generally consistent. In the paediatric ulcerative colitis trial, the most common adverse reactions were upper respiratory tract infection, pharyngitis, abdominal pain, fever, and headache. The most common adverse event was worsening of ulcerative colitis, the incidence of which was higher in patients on the q12 week vs. the q8 week dosing regimen.
Overall, 8 (13.3%) of 60 treated patients experienced one or more infusion reactions, with 4 of 22 (18.2%) in the q8 week and 3 of 23 (13.0%) in the q12 week treatment maintenance group. No serious infusion reactions were reported. All infusion reactions were mild or moderate in intensity.
Antibodies to infliximab were detected in 4 (7.7%) patients through week 54.
Infections were reported in 31 (51.7%) of 60 treated patients in the paediatric ulcerative colitis trial and 22 (36.7%) required oral or parenteral antimicrobial treatment. The proportion of patients with infections in the paediatric ulcerative colitis trial was similar to that in the paediatric Crohn’s disease study but higher than the proportion in the adults' ulcerative colitis studies. The overall incidence of infections in the paediatric ulcerative colitis trial was 13/22 (59%) in the every 8 week maintenance treatment group and 14/23 (60.9%) in the every 12 week maintenance treatment group. Upper respiratory tract infection (7/60 [12%]) and pharyngitis (5/60 [8%]) were the most frequently reported respiratory system infections. Serious infections were reported in 12% (7/60) of all treated patients.
In this study, there were more patients in the 12 to 17 year age group than in the 6 to 11 year age group (45/60 [75.0%]) vs.15/60 [25.0%]). While the numbers of patients in each subgroup are too small to make any definitive conclusions about the effect of age on safety events, there were higher proportions of patients with serious adverse events and discontinuation due to adverse events in the younger age group than in the older age group. While the proportion of patients with infections was also higher in the younger age group, for serious infections, the proportions were similar in the two age groups. Overall proportions of adverse events and infusion reactions were similar between the 6 to 11 and 12 to 17 year age groups.
Post-marketing spontaneous serious adverse reactions with infliximab in the paediatric population have included malignancies including hepatosplenic T-cell lymphomas, transient hepatic enzyme abnormalities, lupus-like syndromes, and positive auto-antibodies (see sections 4.4 and 4.8).
In rheumatoid arthritis clinical studies, the incidence of serious infections was greater in infliximab plus methotrexate-treated patients 65 years and older (11.3%) than in those under 65 years of age (4.6%). In patients treated with methotrexate alone, the incidence of serious infections was 5.2% in patients 65 years and older compared to 2.7% in patients under 65 (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.
In the absence of compatibility studies, this medicinal product must not be mixed with other medicinal products.
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