0.6 Ml Pegfilgrastim-unne 10 Mg/ml Prefilled Syringe

Limitations of Use

Armlupeg is not indicated for the mobilization of peripheral blood progenitor cells for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Obtain a baseline complete blood count (CBC). Do not delay administration of Armlupeg if a CBC is not readily available. Estimate a patient's absorbed radiation dose (i.e., level of radiation exposure) based on information from public health authorities, biodosimetry if available, or clinical findings such as time to onset of vomiting or lymphocyte depletion kinetics.

Before using Armlupeg:

        Remove the carton from the refrigerator and allow the Armlupeg prefilled syringe to reach room temperature, 20℃ to 25℃ (68℉ to 77℉), for a minimum of 30 minutes. Do not warm in any other way. Discard any prefilled syringe left at room temperature for greater than 48 hours.

        Armlupeg is a clear, colorless, preservative-free solution. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. Do not administer Armlupeg if discoloration or particulates are observed.

Prefilled Syringe for Manual Use

For adult patients of any weight and pediatric patients weighing 45 kg and greater, the single-dose prefilled syringe for manual use is intended for subcutaneous administration of a single 6 mg/0.6 mL dose of Armlupeg. The syringe does not bear graduation marks and therefore does not allow for direct administration of doses less than 6 mg/0.6 mL. There is no presentation for Armlupeg that allows weight-based dosing for pediatric patients below 45 kg.

The needle cap on the prefilled syringe contains dry natural rubber (derived from latex); persons with latex allergies should not administer this product.

Although available data with pegfilgrastim product use in pregnant women are insufficient to establish whether there is a drug associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes, there are available data from published studies in pregnant women exposed to filgrastim products. These studies have not established an association of filgrastim product use during pregnancy with major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes.

In animal studies, no evidence of reproductive/developmental toxicity occurred in the offspring of pregnant rats that received cumulative doses of pegfilgrastim approximately 10 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area). In pregnant rabbits, increased embryolethality and spontaneous abortions occurred at 4 times the maximum recommended human dose simultaneously with signs of maternal toxicity (see Data).

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

Data

Animal data

Pregnant rabbits were dosed with pegfilgrastim subcutaneously every other day during the period of organogenesis. At cumulative doses ranging from the approximate human dose to approximately 4 times the recommended human dose (based on body surface area), the treated rabbits exhibited decreased maternal food consumption, maternal weight loss, as well as reduced fetal body weights and delayed ossification of the fetal skull; however, no structural anomalies were observed in the offspring from either study. Increased incidences of post-implantation losses and spontaneous abortions (more than half the pregnancies) were observed at cumulative doses approximately 4 times the recommended human dose, which were not seen when pregnant rabbits were exposed to the recommended human dose.

Three studies were conducted in pregnant rats dosed with pegfilgrastim at cumulative doses up to approximately 10 times the recommended human dose at the following stages of gestation: during the period of organogenesis, from mating through the first half of pregnancy, and from the first trimester through delivery and lactation. No evidence of fetal loss or structural malformations was observed in any study. Cumulative doses equivalent to approximately 3 and 10 times the recommended human dose resulted in transient evidence of wavy ribs in fetuses of treated mothers (detected at the end of gestation but no longer present in pups evaluated at the end of lactation).

There are no data on the presence of pegfilgrastim products in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Other filgrastim products are secreted poorly into breast milk, and filgrastim products are not absorbed orally by neonates. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for Armlupeg and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from Armlupeg or from the underlying maternal condition.

Use of Armlupeg in pediatric patients for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is based on adequate and well controlled studies of pegfilgrastim in adults with additional pharmacokinetic and safety data of pegfilgrastim in pediatric patients aged 8 months and older with sarcoma [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) and Clinical Studies (14.1)].

The use of Armlupeg to increase survival in pediatric patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation is based on efficacy studies of pegfilgrastim conducted in animals and clinical data supporting the use of pegfilgrastim in patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Efficacy studies of pegfilgrastim products could not be conducted in humans with acute radiation syndrome for ethical and feasibility reasons. Results from population modeling and simulation indicate that two doses of pegfilgrastim, administered one week apart provide pediatric patients with exposures comparable to that in adults receiving two 6 mg doses one week apart [see Dosage and Administration (2.1, 2.2), Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) and Clinical Studies (14.2)].

Specific Populations

No gender-related differences were observed in the pharmacokinetics of pegfilgrastim, and no differences were observed in the pharmacokinetics of geriatric patients (≥ 65 years of age) compared with younger patients (< 65 years of age) [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].

Renal Impairment

In a study of 30 subjects with varying degrees of renal dysfunction, including end stage renal disease, renal dysfunction had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of pegfilgrastim.

Pediatric Patients with Cancer Receiving Myelosuppressive Chemotherapy

The pharmacokinetics and safety of pegfilgrastim were studied in 37 pediatric patients with sarcoma in Study 4 [see Clinical Studies (14.1)]. The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) systemic exposure (AUC_0-inf) of pegfilgrastim after subcutaneous administration at 100 mcg/kg was 47.9 (± 22.5) mcg·hr/mL in the youngest age group (0 to 5 years, n = 11), 22.0 (± 13.1) mcg·hr/mL in the 6 to 11 years age group (n=10), and 29.3 (± 23.2) mcg·hr/mL in the 12 to 21 years age group (n=13). The terminal elimination half-lives of the corresponding age groups were 30.1 (±38.2) hours, 20.2 (±11.3) hours, and 21.2 (±16.0) hours, respectively.

Patients Acutely Exposed to Myelosuppressive Doses of Radiation

The pharmacokinetics of pegfilgrastim products is not available in patients acutely exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation. Based on limited pharmacokinetic data in irradiated non-human primates, the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), reflecting the exposure to pegfilgrastim in non-human primates following a 300 mcg/kg dose of pegfilgrastim, appears to be greater than in humans receiving a 6 mg dose. Results from population modeling and simulation indicate that two 6 mg doses of pegfilgrastim administered one week apart in adults result in clinically relevant effects on duration of grade 3 and 4 neutropenia. In addition, weight based dosing in pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg provides exposures comparable to those in adults receiving two 6 mg doses one week apart.

Binding antibodies to pegfilgrastim were detected using a BIAcore assay. The approximate limit of detection for this assay is 500 ng/mL. Pre-existing binding antibodies were detected in approximately 6% (51/849) of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Four of 521 pegfilgrastim -treated subjects who were negative at baseline developed binding antibodies to pegfilgrastim following treatment. None of these 4 patients had evidence of neutralizing antibodies detected using a cell-based bioassay.

Pegfilgrastim did not affect reproductive performance or fertility in male or female rats at cumulative weekly doses approximately 6 to 9 times higher than the recommended human dose (based on body surface area).

In study 1, 157 patients were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous injection of pegfilgrastim (6 mg) on day 2 of each chemotherapy cycle or daily subcutaneous filgrastim (5 mcg/kg/day) beginning on day 2 of each chemotherapy cycle. In Study 2, 310 patients were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous injection of pegfilgrastim (100 mcg/kg) on day 2 or daily subcutaneous filgrastim (5 mcg/kg/day) beginning on day 2 of each chemotherapy cycle.

Both studies met the major efficacy outcome measure of demonstrating that the mean days of severe neutropenia of pegfilgrastim‑treated patients did not exceed that of filgrastim-treated patients by more than 1 day in cycle 1 of chemotherapy. The mean days of cycle 1 severe neutropenia in Study 1 were 1.8 days in the pegfilgrastim arm compared to 1.6 days in the filgrastim arm [difference in means 0.2 (95% CI - 0.2, 0.6)] and in Study 2 were 1.7 days in the pegfilgrastim arm compared to 1.6 days in the filgrastim arm [difference in means 0.1 (95% CI - 0.2, 0.4)].

A secondary endpoint in both studies was days of severe neutropenia in cycles 2 through 4 with results similar to those for cycle 1.

Study 3 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that employed docetaxel 100 mg/m² administered every 21 days for up to 4 cycles for the treatment of metastatic or non-metastatic breast cancer. In this study, 928 patients were randomized to receive a single subcutaneous injection of pegfilgrastim (6 mg) or placebo on day 2 of each chemotherapy cycle. Study 3 met the major trial outcome measure of demonstrating that the incidence of febrile neutropenia (defined as temperature ≥ 38.2°C and ANC ≤ 0.5 x 10⁹/L) was lower for pegfilgrastim‑treated patients as compared to placebo-treated patients (1% versus 17%, respectively, p< 0.001). The incidence of hospitalizations (1% versus 14%) and IV anti-infective use (2% versus 10%) for the treatment of febrile neutropenia was also lower in the pegfilgrastim-treated patients compared to the placebo‑treated patients.

Study 4 was a multicenter, randomized, open-label study to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] of pegfilgrastim in pediatric and young adult patients with sarcoma. Patients with sarcoma receiving chemotherapy age 0 to 21 years were eligible. Patients were randomized to receive subcutaneous pegfilgrastim as a single dose of 100 mcg/kg (n = 37) or subcutaneous filgrastim at a dose 5 mcg/kg/day (n = 6) following myelosuppressive chemotherapy. Recovery of neutrophil counts was similar in the pegfilgrastim and filgrastim groups. The most common adverse reaction reported was bone pain.

The recommended dose of Armlupeg is two doses, 6 mg each, administered one week apart for humans exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation. For pediatric patients weighing less than 45 kg, dosing of Armlupeg is weight based. This dosing regimen is based on population modeling and simulation analyses. The exposure associated with this dosing regimen is expected to provide sufficient pharmacodynamic activity to treat humans exposed to myelosuppressive doses of radiation [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. The safety of pegfilgrastim at a dose of 6 mg has been assessed on the basis of clinical experience in patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy.

The efficacy of pegfilgrastim for the acute radiation syndrome setting was studied in a randomized, placebo-controlled non-human primate model of radiation injury. Rhesus macaques were randomized to either a control (n = 23) or treated (n = 23) cohort. On study day 0, animals (n = 6 to 8 per irradiation day) were exposed to total body irradiation (TBI) of 7.50 ± 0.15 Gy delivered at 0.8 ± 0.03 Gy/min, representing a dose that would be lethal in 50% of animals by 60 days of follow-up (LD50/60). Animals were administered subcutaneous injections of a blinded treatment (control article [5% dextrose in water] or pegfilgrastim [300-319 mcg/kg/day]) on study day 1 and on study day 8. The primary endpoint was survival. Animals received medical management consisting of intravenous fluids, antibiotics, blood transfusions, and other support as required.

Pegfilgrastim significantly (at 0.0014 level of significance) increased 60-day survival in irradiated non-human primates: 91% survival (21/23) in the pegfilgrastim group compared to 48% survival (11/23) in the control group.