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Drug Safety-related Labeling Changes (SrLC)

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DOXIL (LIPOSOMAL) (NDA-050718)

(DOXORUBICIN HYDROCHLORIDE)

Safety-related Labeling Changes Approved by FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER)

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08/12/2019 (SUPPL-55)

Approved Drug Label (PDF)

Boxed Warning

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

WARNING:  CARDIOMYOPATHY and INFUSION-RELATED REACTIONS

·         DOXIL can cause myocardial damage, including acute left ventricular failure. The risk of cardiomyopathy was 11% when the cumulative anthracycline dose was between 450 mg/m2 to 550 mg/m2. Assess left ventricular cardiac function prior to initiation of DOXIL and during and after treatment.

·         Serious, life-threatening, and fatal infusion-related reactions can occur. Acute infusion-related reactions occurred in 11% of patients with solid tumors. Withhold DOXIL for infusion-related reactions and resume at a reduced rate. Discontinue DOXIL for serious or life-threatening infusion-related reactions.

Contraindications

DOXIL is contraindicated in patients who have a history of severe hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, to doxorubicin hydrochloride.

5 Warnings and Precautions

Cardiomyopathy

Doxorubicin hydrochloride can cause myocardial damage, including acute left ventricular failure. The risk of cardiomyopathy with doxorubicin hydrochloride is generally proportional to the cumulative exposure. Include prior use of other anthracyclines or anthracenediones in calculations of cumulative dose. The risk of cardiomyopathy may be increased at lower cumulative doses in patients with prior mediastinal irradiation.

In a clinical study in 250 patients with advanced cancer who were treated with DOXIL, the risk of cardiomyopathy was 11% when the cumulative anthracycline dose was between 450 mg/m2 to 550 mg/m2. Cardiomyopathy was defined as >20% decrease in resting left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) from baseline where LVEF remained in the normal range or a >10% decrease in LVEF from baseline where LVEF was less than the institutional lower limit of normal. Two percent of patients developed signs and symptoms of congestive heart failure without documented evidence of cardiomyopathy.

Assess left ventricular cardiac function (e.g. MUGA or echocardiogram) prior to initiation of DOXIL, during treatment to detect acute changes, and after treatment to detect delayed cardiomyopathy. Administer DOXIL to patients with a history of cardiovascular disease only when the potential benefit of treatment outweighs the risk.

Infusion-Related Reactions

Serious, life-threatening, and fatal infusion-related reactions characterized by one or more of the following symptoms can occur with DOXIL: flushing, shortness of breath, facial swelling, headache, chills, chest pain, back pain, tightness in the chest and throat, fever, tachycardia, pruritus, rash, cyanosis, syncope, bronchospasm, asthma, apnea, and hypotension. Of 239 patients with ovarian cancer treated with DOXIL in Trial 4, 7% of patients experienced acute infusion-related reactions resulting in dose interruption. All occurred during cycle 1 and none during subsequent cycles. Across multiple studies of DOXIL monotherapy including this and other studies enrolling 760 patients with various solid tumors, 11% of patients had infusion-related reactions. The majority of infusion- related events occurred during the first infusion.

Ensure that medications to treat infusion-related reactions and cardiopulmonary resuscitative equipment are available for immediate use prior to initiation of DOXIL. Initiate DOXIL infusions at a rate of 1 mg/min and increase rate as tolerated. Withhold DOXIL for Grade 1, 2, or 3 infusion-related reactions and resume at a reduced infusion rate. Discontinue DOXIL for serious or life-threatening infusion-related reactions.

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity

Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action, DOXIL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman; avoid the use of DOXIL during the 1st trimester. Available human data do not establish the presence or absence of major birth defects and miscarriage related to the use of doxorubicin hydrochloride during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. At doses approximately 0.12 times the recommended clinical dose, DOXIL was embryotoxic and abortifacient in rabbits. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females and males of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during and for 6 months after treatment with DOXIL.

6 Adverse Reactions

Clinical Trials Experience

Section retitled

Postmarketing Experience

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

The following additional adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of DOXIL. 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.

Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: muscle spasms

Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders: pulmonary embolism (in some cases fatal)

Hematologic Disorders: Secondary acute myelogenous leukemia

Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders: erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, lichenoid keratosis

Secondary Oral Neoplasms

8 Use in Specific Populations

Pregnancy

Additions and/or revisions underlined:

Risk Summary

Based on findings in animals and its mechanism of action, DOXIL can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman; avoid the use of DOXIL during the 1st trimester. In animal reproduction studies, DOXIL was embryotoxic in rats and abortifacient in rabbits following intravenous administration during organogenesis at doses approximately 0.12 times the recommended clinical dose (see Data). Available human data do not establish the presence or absence of major birth defects and miscarriage related to the use of doxorubicin hydrochloride during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.  Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus.

Females and Males of Reproductive Potential

Newly added subsection:

Pregnancy Testing

Verify the pregnancy status of females of reproductive potential prior to initiating DOXIL.