Dosage & Administration
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Caprelsa Prescribing Information
CAPRELSA can prolong the QT interval. Torsades de pointes and sudden death have occurred in patients receiving CAPRELSA. Do not use CAPRELSA in patients with hypocalcemia, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, or long QT syndrome. Correct hypocalcemia, hypokalemia and/or hypomagnesemia prior to CAPRELSA administration. Monitor electrolytes periodically. Avoid drugs known to prolong the QT interval. Only prescribers and pharmacies certified with the restricted distribution program are able to prescribe and dispense CAPRELSA [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.16)].
CAPRELSA is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic or progressive medullary thyroid cancer in patients with unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease.
Use CAPRELSA in patients with indolent, asymptomatic or slowly progressing disease only after careful consideration of the treatment related risks of CAPRELSA.
The recommended dose of CAPRELSA is 300 mg taken orally once daily until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity occurs.
CAPRELSA may be taken with or without food.
Do not take a missed dose within 12 hours of the next dose.
Do not crush CAPRELSA tablets. The tablets can be dispersed in 2 ounces of water by stirring for approximately 10 minutes (will not completely dissolve). Do not use other liquids for dispersion. Swallow immediately after dispersion. Mix any remaining residue with 4 additional ounces of water and swallow.
The dispersion can also be administered through nasogastric or gastrostomy tubes.
Dosage Adjustment
For Adverse Reactions
The 300 mg daily dose can be reduced to 200 mg (two 100 mg tablets) and then to 100 mg for Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Grade 3 or greater toxicities.
Interrupt CAPRELSA for the following:
- Corrected QT interval, Fridericia (QTcF) greater than 500 ms: Resume at a reduced dose when the QTcF returns to less than 450 ms.
- CTCAE Grade 3 or greater toxicity: Resume at a reduced dose when the toxicity resolves or improves to CTCAE Grade 1.
For recurrent toxicities, reduce the dose of CAPRELSA to 100 mg after resolution or improvement to CTCAE Grade 1 severity, if continued treatment is warranted.
Adverse events including QT interval prolongation should be monitored closely as they may not resolve fully until approximately three plasma half-lives of the drug. Monitor appropriately [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1), (5.2), (5.3), (5.4), (5.5), (5.6), (5.7), and (5.9)].
For Patients with Renal Impairment
Reduce the starting dose to 200 mg in patients with moderate (creatinine clearance ≥30 to <50 mL/min) renal impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12) and Use in Specific Populations (8.6)].
For Patients with Hepatic Impairment
CAPRELSA is not recommended for use in patients with moderate and severe hepatic impairment [see Use in Specific Populations (8.7)].
CAPRELSA 100 mg tablets are white, round, biconvex, film-coated, and intagliated with 'Z 100' on one side and plain on the reverse side.
CAPRELSA 300 mg tablets are white, oval, biconvex, film-coated, and intagliated with 'Z 300' on one side and plain on the reverse side.
Pregnancy
Risk Summary
Based on its mechanism of action and findings in animals, CAPRELSA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. There are no available human data on CAPRELSA use in pregnant women to inform a drug-associated risk. Vandetanib is embryotoxic, fetotoxic, and induced fetal malformations in rats at exposures less than or equal to those expected at the recommended human dose of 300 mg/day. Advise patients of the potential risk to a fetus.
In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2% to 4% and 15% to 20%, respectively.
Data
Animal data
In reproductive toxicity studies, administration of vandetanib to female rats prior to mating and through the first week of pregnancy at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day (approximately equal to the human exposure at the 300 mg clinical dose based on Cmax), there were increases in pre-implantation loss and post-implantation loss resulting in a reduction in the number of live embryos.
During organogenesis, vandetanib caused an increase in post-implantation loss, including occasional total litter loss at a dose of 25 mg/kg/day. At doses greater than 10 mg/kg/day (approximately 0.4 times the human Cmax at the 300 mg clinical dose) treatment with vandetanib resulted in increases in late embryofetal death and decreases in fetal birth weight. A no-effect level for malformations was not identified in this study. Administration of vandetanib at doses greater than or equal to 1 mg/kg/day (approximately 0.03 times the human Cmax at the 300 mg clinical dose) resulted in dose dependent increases in both malformations of the heart vessels and skeletal variations including delayed ossification of the skull, vertebrae, and sternum, indicating delayed fetal development.
In a rat prenatal and postnatal development study, at doses (1 and 10 mg/kg/day) producing mild maternal toxicity during gestation and/or lactation, vandetanib decreased pup survival and reduced postnatal pup growth. Reduced postnatal pup growth was associated with a delay in physical development.
Lactation
Risk Summary
There are no data on the presence of vandetanib or its metabolites in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child or on milk production. Vandetanib was present in the milk of lactating rats (see Data). Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions from CAPRELSA in breastfed children, advise lactating women not to breastfeed during treatment with CAPRELSA and for 4 months after the last dose.
Data
Animal data
In nonclinical studies, vandetanib was excreted in rat milk and found in plasma of pups following dosing to lactating rats. Vandetanib transfer in breast milk resulted in relatively constant exposure in pups due to the long half-life of the drug.
Females and Males of Reproductive Potential
Pregnancy Testing
Verify the pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to initiating treatment with CAPRELSA [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1)].
Contraception
CAPRELSA can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1)].
Females
Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with CAPRELSA and for 4 months after the last dose.
Males
Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with CAPRELSA and for 4 months after the last dose.
Infertility
There are no data on the effect of CAPRELSA on human fertility. Results from animal studies indicate that vandetanib can impair male and female fertility [see Nonclinical Toxicology (13.1)].
Pediatric Use
Safety and efficacy of CAPRELSA in pediatric patients have not been established.
Geriatric Use
The MTC study of CAPRELSA did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 years and over to determine whether they respond differently compared to younger patients.
Renal Impairment
Vandetanib exposure is increased in patients with impaired renal function. Reduce the starting dose to 200 mg in patients with moderate (creatinine clearance ≥30 to <50 mL/min) renal impairment [see Dosage and Administration (2.1), Warnings and Precautions (5.12), and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
Vandetanib is not recommended for use in patients with severe renal impairment (clearance below 30 mL/min) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12)]. Patients with end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis were not studied [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].
Hepatic Impairment
The pharmacokinetics of CAPRELSA were evaluated after a single dose of 800 mg in subjects with mild (n=8), moderate (n=7), and severe (n=6) hepatic impairment and normal hepatic function (n=5). Subjects with mild (Child-Pugh class A), moderate (Child-Pugh class B), and severe (Child-Pugh class C) hepatic impairment had comparable mean AUC and clearance values to those with normal hepatic function.
There are limited data in patients with liver impairment (serum bilirubin greater than 1.5 times the upper limit of normal). CAPRELSA is not recommended for use in patients with moderate and severe hepatic impairment, as safety and efficacy have not been established [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) and Warnings and Precautions (5.13)].
Do not use in patients with congenital long QT syndrome [see Boxed Warning].