Get your patient on Tudorza Pressair (Aclidinium Bromide)

Risk Summary

There are no adequate and well controlled studies of TUDORZA PRESSAIR in pregnant women to inform drug associated risks.

No adverse developmental effects were seen with inhalation administration of aclidinium bromide to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis at 15 or 20 times, respectively, the maximum recommended human daily inhaled dose (MRHDID). However, reduced pup weights were seen when pregnant rats continued inhalation administration through lactation at 5 times the MRHDID of aclidinium bromide. Adverse developmental effects occurred when rabbits were orally dosed with aclidinium bromide at approximately 1,400 times the MRHDID [ see Data ].

The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage of the indicated populations is unknown. 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 an embryo-fetal development study in pregnant rats dosed during the period of organogenesis from gestation days 6-17, no evidence of structural alterations was observed at approximately 15 times the MRHDID [based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites at inhaled doses less than or equal to 5.0 mg/kg/day]. However, in a pre- and post-natal development study, decreased pup weights were observed when pregnant rats were exposed from gestation day 6 and continuing during the lactation period at approximately 5 times the MRHDID [based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites at inhaled doses greater than or equal to 0.2 mg/kg/day]. Maternal toxicity was also observed at inhaled doses greater than or equal to 0.2 mg/kg/day.

In an embryo-fetal development study in pregnant Himalayan rabbits administered inhaled doses of aclidinium bromide during the period of organogenesis from gestation days 6-19, no evidence of structural alterations was observed at approximately 20 times the MRHDID [based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites at inhaled doses less than or equal to 3.6 mg/kg/day]. However, in another embryo-fetal development study in pregnant Himalayan rabbits dosed orally from gestation days 6-19, increased incidences of additional liver lobes (3-5%), as compared to 0% in the control group, were observed at approximately 1,400 times the MRHDID [based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites at oral doses greater than or equal to 150 mg/kg/day], and decreased fetal body weights were observed at approximately 2,300 times the MRHDID [based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites at oral doses greater than or equal to 300 mg/kg/day]. These fetal findings were observed in the presence of maternal toxicity.

Risk Summary

There are no available data on the effects of TUDORZA PRESSAIR or aclidinium bromide on the breastfed child or on milk production or presence in human milk. Aclidinium bromide is present in milk of lactating female rats [ see Data ]. When a drug is present in animal milk, it is likely that the drug will be present in human milk. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for TUDORZA PRESSAIR and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from TUDORZA PRESSAIR or from the underlying maternal condition.

Data

In a pharmacokinetic study, levels of radioactivity in milk and plasma in rats were measured after a single intravenous dose of 1 mg/kg of radiolabeled aclidinium bromide on approximately post-natal day 14 [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1) ] . The maximum concentration of radioactivity [ ¹⁴ C-aclidinium] in milk was measured at 6 hours post-dose and was found to be 10-14 times higher than in plasma.

TUDORZA PRESSAIR is approved for use in the maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with COPD. COPD does not normally occur in children. The safety and effectiveness of TUDORZA PRESSAIR in pediatric patients have not been established.

Of the 636 COPD patients exposed to TUDORZA PRESSAIR 400 mcg twice daily for up to 24 weeks in three placebo-controlled clinical trials, 197 were less than 60 years, 272 were greater than or equal to 60 to less than 70 years, and 167 were greater than or equal to 70 years of age. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out. Based on available data for TUDORZA PRESSAIR, no adjustment of dosage in geriatric patients is warranted [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

The pharmacokinetics of TUDORZA PRESSAIR were investigated in subjects with normal renal function and in subjects with mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . No clinically significant differences in aclidinium pharmacokinetics were noted between these populations. Based on available data for TUDORZA PRESSAIR, no adjustment of dosage in renally impaired subjects is warranted.

The effects of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of TUDORZA PRESSAIR were not studied [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .

TUDORZA PRESSAIR is intended as a twice-daily maintenance treatment for COPD and is not indicated for the initial treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm (i.e., rescue therapy).

Inhaled medicines, including TUDORZA PRESSAIR, may cause paradoxical bronchospasm. If this occurs, treatment with TUDORZA PRESSAIR should be stopped and other treatments considered.

TUDORZA PRESSAIR should be used with caution in patients with narrow-angle glaucoma. Prescribers and patients should be alert for signs and symptoms of acute narrow-angle glaucoma (e.g., eye pain or discomfort, blurred vision, visual halos, or colored images in association with red eyes from conjunctival congestion and corneal edema). Instruct patients to consult a physician immediately should any of these signs or symptoms develop.

TUDORZA PRESSAIR should be used with caution in patients with urinary retention. Prescribers and patients should be alert for signs and symptoms of prostatic hyperplasia or bladder-neck obstruction (e.g., difficulty passing urine, painful urination). Instruct patients to consult a physician immediately should any of these signs or symptoms develop.

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, angioedema (including swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat), urticaria, rash, bronchospasm, or itching, have occurred after administration of TUDORZA PRESSAIR. If such a reaction occurs, therapy with TUDORZA PRESSAIR should be stopped at once and alternative treatments should be considered.

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

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of drug TUDORZA PRESSAIR. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

In postmarketing experience with TUDORZA PRESSAIR, immediate hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, angioedema (including swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat), urticaria, rash, bronchospasm, or itching have been reported. Additionally, nausea, dysphonia, blurred vision, urinary retention, tachycardia, and stomatitis have been observed.

In clinical studies, concurrent administration of aclidinium bromide and other drugs commonly used in the treatment of COPD including sympathomimetics (short-acting beta ₂ agonists), methylxanthines, and oral and inhaled steroids showed no increases in adverse drug reactions.

There is a potential for an additive interaction with concomitantly used anticholinergic medications. Therefore, avoid coadministration of TUDORZA PRESSAIR with other anticholinergic-containing drugs as this may lead to an increase in anticholinergic effects.

Aclidinium bromide is a long-acting antimuscarinic agent, which is often referred to as an anticholinergic. It has similar affinity to the subtypes of muscarinic receptors M ₁ to M ₅ . In the airways, it exhibits pharmacological effects through inhibition of M ₃ receptor at the smooth muscle leading to bronchodilation. The competitive and reversible nature of antagonism was shown with human and animal origin receptors and isolated organ preparations. In preclinical in vitro as well as in vivo studies, prevention of acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction effects was dose-dependent and lasted longer than 24 hours. The clinical relevance of these findings is unknown. The bronchodilation following inhalation of aclidinium bromide is predominantly a site-specific effect.

Two-year inhalation studies were conducted in mice and rats to assess the carcinogenic potential of aclidinium bromide. No evidence of tumorigenicity was observed in rats and mice at aclidinium doses up to 0.20 and 2.4 mg/kg/day, respectively [approximately 10 and 80 times the Maximum Recommended Human Daily Inhalation Dose (MRHDID), respectively, based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites].

Aclidinium bromide was positive in the in vitro bacterial gene mutation assay and the in vitro thymidine locus mouse lymphoma assay. However, aclidinium bromide was negative in the in vivo mouse micronucleus assay and the in vivo/in vitro unscheduled DNA synthesis assay with rat liver.

Aclidinium bromide impaired several fertility and reproductive performance indices (increased number of days to mate, decreased conception rate, decreased number of corpora lutea, increased pre-implantation loss with consequent decreased number of implantations, and live embryos) in both male and female rats administered inhaled doses greater than or equal to 0.8 mg/kg/day [approximately 15 times the MRHDID based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites]. These adverse fertility effects were observed in the presence of paternal toxicity as evidenced by mortality and decreased body weight gain. However, there were no effects on mating index and sperm number and morphology. In the separate fertility assessments (treated males mated with untreated females; treated females mated with untreated males), no effect was observed in male and female rats at inhaled doses of 1.9 and 0.8 mg/kg/day, respectively [approximately 30 and 15 times the MRHDID, respectively, based on summed AUCs of aclidinium bromide and its metabolites].

The TUDORZA PRESSAIR clinical development program included a dose-ranging trial (Trial A) for nominal dose selection and three confirmatory lung function trials (Trials B, C, and D). Two additional lung function trials (Trials E and F) of aclidinium bromide alone and as part of a fixed-dose combination product also provided information on the effect of TUDORZA PRESSAIR on the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) total score compared to placebo. A long-term study of up to 3 years (Trial G) evaluated the effect of TUDORZA PRESSAIR on major adverse cardiovascular events and on COPD exacerbations.

Dose-ranging trial

Trial A (NCT01120093) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, active-controlled, crossover trial with 7-day treatment periods separated by 5-day washout periods. Trial A enrolled 79 patients who had a clinical diagnosis of COPD were 40 years of age or older, had a history of smoking at least 10 pack-years, had a forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV ₁ ) of at least 30% and less than 80% of predicted normal value, and a ratio of FEV ₁ over forced vital capacity (FEV ₁ /FVC) of less than 0.7. Trial A included TUDORZA PRESSAIR doses of 400 mcg, 200 mcg, and 100 mcg twice daily, formoterol active control, and placebo. Trial A demonstrated that the effect on trough FEV ₁ and serial FEV ₁ in patients treated with the TUDORZA PRESSAIR 100 mcg twice daily and 200 mcg twice daily doses was lower compared to patients treated with the TUDORZA PRESSAIR 400 mcg twice daily dose (Figure 1 ).

Figure 1: Change from baseline in FEV ₁ Over Time (prior to and after administration of study drug) at Week 1 in Trial A

Confirmatory trials

Trials B (NCT00891462), C (NCT01045161), and D (NCT01001494) were three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in patients with COPD. Trials B and C were 3 months in duration, and Trial D was 6 months in duration. These trials enrolled 1,276 patients who had a clinical diagnosis of COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, were 40 years of age or older, had a history of smoking at least 10 pack-years, had an FEV ₁ of at least 30% and less than 80% of predicted normal value, and a ratio of FEV ₁ /FVC of less than 0.7; 59% were male, and 93% were Caucasian.

These clinical trials evaluated TUDORZA PRESSAIR 400 mcg twice daily (636 patients) and placebo (640 patients). TUDORZA PRESSAIR 400 mcg resulted in statistically significantly greater bronchodilation as measured by change from baseline in morning pre-dose FEV ₁ at 12 weeks (the primary efficacy endpoint) compared to placebo in all three trials (Table 2 ).

Serial spirometric evaluations were performed throughout daytime hours in a subset of patients in the three trials. The serial FEV ₁ values over 12 hours for one of the 3-month trials (Trial B) are displayed in Figure 2 . Results for the other two placebo-controlled trials were similar to the results for Trial B. Improvement of lung function was maintained for 12 hours after a single dose and was consistent over the 3- or 6-month treatment period.

Figure 2: Mean FEV ₁ Over Time (prior to and after administration of study drug) on Day 1 and Week 12 in Subset of Patients Participating in the 12 hours Serial Spirometry Substudy for Trial B (a 3-month Placebo-Controlled Study)

Mean peak improvements in FEV ₁ , for TUDORZA PRESSAIR relative to baseline were assessed in all patients in trials B, C, and D after the first dose on Day 1 and were similar at Week 12. In Trials B and D, but not in Trial C, patients treated with TUDORZA PRESSAIR used less daily rescue albuterol during the trial compared to patients treated with placebo.

Trials E (NCT01437397) and F (NCT01462942) were two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of an aclidinium bromide-containing fixed- dose combination product and its components compared to placebo in patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Trials E and F were 6 months in duration. These trials enrolled 3421 patients who had a clinical diagnosis of COPD, were 40 years of age or older, had a history of smoking at least 10 pack-years, had an FEV ₁ of at least 30% and less than 80%, and a ratio of FEV ₁ /FVC less than 0.7; 60.5% were male, 94.1% were Caucasian.

The St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was assessed in Trials D, E, and F at 6 months. In Trial D, the SGRQ responder rate (defined as an improvement in score of 4 or more as threshold) was 54.3% in TUDORZA PRESSAIR compared to 39.5% in placebo, with odds ratio of 1.77 (95% CI 1.25, 2.52). In Trial E, the SGRQ responder rate in the TUDORZA PRESSAIR group was 54.5% compared to 38.7% in the placebo group, with odds ratio of 2.18 (95% CI 1.37, 3.48). In Trial F, the SGRQ responder rate in the TUDORZA PRESSAIR group was 53.5% compared to 53.2% in the placebo group, with odds ratio of 0.99 (95% CI 0.6, 1.64).

Long Term Safety and Efficacy Trial of up to 3-years

Trial G (NCT01966107) was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of up to 36 months that evaluated the effect of TUDORZA PRESSAIR on major adverse cardiovascular events and COPD exacerbations in patients with moderate to very severe COPD with and without a history of COPD exacerbations.

The trial enrolled 3630 patients with COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, between 40 and 91 years of age, 58.7% were male and 90.7% were Caucasian, with a mean post-bronchodilator FEV1 of 47.9% of predicted value. All patients had a history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease and/or significant cardiovascular risk factors. All patients had moderate to very severe COPD. 60.1% of patients had at least one prior moderate or severe COPD exacerbation within the past 12 months from the screening visit, and 39.9% had no history of a moderate or severe COPD exacerbation within the past 12 months.

Approximately 48% of enrolled patients had a prior history of at least 1 documented previous CV event; cerebrovascular disease (13.1%), coronary artery disease (35.4%), peripheral vascular disease or history of claudication (13.6%); 63.6% of them were on long-acting β2-adrenergic agonist (LABA or LABA/inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) maintenance therapy at study entry (LABA only 6.3%, LABA/ICS 57.3%)). The majority of patients had moderate (45.1%) or severe (40.2%) airflow obstruction.

The primary safety endpoint was the time to first occurrence of a major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as any of the following adjudicated events: cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI), or non-fatal ischemic stroke. The study was designed to exclude a pre-specified risk margin of 1.8 for the hazard ratio of MACE.

The results of Trial G, including each component event of the primary composite endpoint, are shown in Table 3. The proportion of patients with at least one MACE was 3.9% in the TUDORZA PRESSAIR group compared to 4.2% in the placebo group. The incidence rate of MACE was 2.4 per 100 patient-years on TUDORZA PRESSAIR vs. 2.8 per 100 patient-years on placebo. The estimated hazard ratio of MACE associated with TUDORZA PRESSAIR relative to placebo was 0.89 with a 95% confidence interval of (0.64, 1.23). The upper bound of this confidence interval, 1.23, excluded a risk margin larger than 1.8. TUDORZA PRESSAIR was non-inferior to placebo for risk of major adverse cardiovascular events.

The study was powered to rule out a hazard ratio of 1.8 in time to first MACE in TUDORZA PRESSAIR-treated patients relative to placebo.

MACE: major adverse cardiovascular event; CV: cardiovascular; MI: myocardial infarction; PY: patient-years; CI: confidence interval

The Kaplan-Meier-based cumulative event probability is presented in Figure 3 for time to first occurrence of the primary MACE composite endpoint by treatment arm.

Figure 3: Estimated Cumulative Incidence of First MACE

Exacerbations

Trial G also evaluated the effect of TUDORZA PRESSAIR 400 mcg BID on COPD exacerbations. The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of moderate to severe exacerbations during the first year of treatment, defined as worsening of COPD symptoms (dyspnea, cough, sputum) for at least 2 consecutive days that required treatment with antibiotics and/or systemic corticosteroids or resulted in hospitalization or led to death. In total, 54.3% of patients in Trial G completed the first year of treatment, with 9.8% patients treated less than 12 months due to study closure. TUDORZA PRESSAIR demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the rate of on-study moderate to severe COPD exacerbations during the first year by 17% compared to placebo (rate ratio [RR] 0.83; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.94; p=0.003). TUDORZA PRESSAIR also demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in the rate of on-study hospitalizations due to COPD exacerbation during the first year by 28% compared with placebo (RR 0.72; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.95; p=0.02).

Figure 4: Time to first moderate or severe COPD exacerbation (days), on-study analysis, Kaplan-Meier plot (Full Analysis Set)

p-value for comparing Aclidinium 400 mcg versus Placebo is based on the Log-rank test stratified by baseline COPD severity and smoking status is p = 0.004.

The Kaplan-Meier curves indicate that the time to first on-study moderate or severe COPD exacerbation was delayed in the aclidinium 400 mcg group compared to the placebo group (see Figure 4 ). Patients in the aclidinium bromide 400 mcg group had a 15% relative reduction of the risk of an exacerbation (HR 0.85; 95% CI [0.77, 0.95], p=0.004).