Unituxin

Intravenous Hydration

• Administer 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP 10 mL/kg as an intravenous infusion over 1 hour just prior to initiating each Unituxin infusion.

Analgesics

• Administer morphine sulfate (50 mcg/kg) intravenously immediately prior to initiation of Unituxin and then continue as a morphine sulfate drip at an infusion rate of 20 to 50 mcg/kg/hour during and for 2 hours following completion of Unituxin.
• Administer additional 25 mcg/kg to 50 mcg/kg intravenous doses of morphine sulfate as needed for pain up to once every 2 hours followed by an increase in the morphine sulfate infusion rate in clinically stable patients.
• Consider using fentanyl or hydromorphone if morphine sulfate is not tolerated.
• If pain is inadequately managed with opioids, consider use of gabapentin or lidocaine in conjunction with intravenous morphine.

Antihistamines and Antipyretics

• Administer an antihistamine such as diphenhydramine (0.5 to 1 mg/kg; maximum dose 50 mg) intravenously over 10 to 15 minutes starting 20 minutes prior to initiation of Unituxin and as tolerated every 4 to 6 hours during the Unituxin infusion.
• Administer acetaminophen (10 to 15 mg/kg; maximum dose 650 mg) 20 minutes prior to each Unituxin infusion and every 4 to 6 hours as needed for fever or pain. Administer ibuprofen (5 to 10 mg/kg) every 6 hours as needed for control of persistent fever or pain.

Preparation

• Store vials in a refrigerator at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F). Protect from light by storing in the outer carton. DO NOT FREEZE OR SHAKE vials.
• Inspect visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Do not administer Unituxin and discard the single-dose vial if the solution is cloudy, has pronounced discoloration, or contains particulate matter.
• Aseptically withdraw the required volume of Unituxin from the single-dose vial and inject into a 100-mL bag of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP. Mix by gentle inversion. Do not shake. Discard unused contents of the vial.
• Store the diluted Unituxin solution under refrigeration (2°C to 8°C). Initiate infusion within 4 hours of preparation.
• Discard diluted Unituxin solution 24 hours after preparation.

Administration

• Administer Unituxin as a diluted intravenous infusion only [see Dosage and Administration (2.1)]. Do not administer Unituxin as an intravenous push or bolus.

Risk Summary

Based on its mechanism of action, Unituxin may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1)]. There are no studies in pregnant women and no reproductive studies in animals to inform the drug-associated risk. Monoclonal antibodies are transported across the placenta in a linear fashion as pregnancy progresses, with the largest amount transferred during the third trimester. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. However, the background risk in the U.S. general population of major birth defects is 2 to 4% and of miscarriage is 15 to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies.

Risk Summary

There is no information available on the presence of dinutuximab in human milk, the effects of the drug on the breastfed infant, or the effects of the drug on milk production. However, human IgG is present in human milk. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in a breastfed infant, advise a nursing woman to discontinue breastfeeding during treatment with Unituxin.

Contraception

Juvenile Animal Toxicity Data

Juvenile monkeys (13 to 18 months of age at study start) received dinutuximab daily via intravenous infusion for 4 consecutive days over five 28-day cycles at doses of 1, 3, or 10 mg/kg. Monkeys also received morphine during infusion for pain management. At the high dose of 10 mg/kg (approximately equal to the 17.5 mg/m2 clinical dose), mild degeneration of nerve fibers in the brain (medulla oblongata) and moderate degeneration of nerve fibers in the spinal cord (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar) were present. Mild neuronal and nerve fiber degeneration were also present in the dorsal root ganglia (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar). Nerve fiber degeneration in the spinal cord and neuronal degeneration in dorsal root ganglia persisted 6 months after the end of dosing, though at lower severity. At the 10 mg/kg dose level, nerve conduction velocity (NCV) analysis showed motor and sensory NCV decreases of less than 10% compared to vehicle controls, starting on Day 27 and continuing to Day 83. Sensory NCV decreases were still present at the end of the dosing period but were on a trend towards recovery 6 months after the end of dosing.