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Forteo (Teriparatide) - Warnings and Precautions

 
 



WARNING: POTENTIAL RISK OF OSTEOSARCOMA

In male and female rats, teriparatide caused an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (a malignant bone tumor) that was dependent on dose and treatment duration. The effect was observed at systemic exposures to teriparatide ranging from 3 to 60 times the exposure in humans given a 20-mcg dose. Because of the uncertain relevance of the rat osteosarcoma finding to humans, prescribe FORTEO® only for patients for whom the potential benefits are considered to outweigh the potential risk. FORTEO should not be prescribed for patients who are at increased baseline risk for osteosarcoma (including those with Paget's disease of bone or unexplained elevations of alkaline phosphatase, pediatric and young adult patients with open epiphyses, or prior external beam or implant radiation therapy involving the skeleton) [see Warnings and Precautions Adverse Reactions (6.2), and Nonclinical Toxicology].

 

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Osteosarcoma

In male and female rats, teriparatide caused an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (a malignant bone tumor) that was dependent on dose and treatment duration [see Boxed Warning and Nonclinical Toxicology ]. FORTEO should not be prescribed for patients at increased baseline risk of osteosarcoma.

These include:

  • Paget's disease of bone. Unexplained elevations of alkaline phosphatase may indicate Paget's disease of bone.
  • Pediatric and young adult patients with open epiphyses.
  • Prior external beam or implant radiation therapy involving the skeleton.

Patients should be encouraged to enroll in the voluntary FORTEO Patient Registry, which is designed to collect information about any potential risk of osteosarcoma in patients who have taken FORTEO. Enrollment information can be obtained by calling 1-866-382-6813, or by visiting www.forteoregistry.rti.org

Treatment Duration

The safety and efficacy of FORTEO have not been evaluated beyond 2 years of treatment. Consequently, use of the drug for more than 2 years during a patients' lifetime is not recommended.

Bone Metastases and Skeletal Malignancies

Patients with bone metastases or a history of skeletal malignancies should not be treated with FORTEO.

Metabolic Bone Diseases

Patients with metabolic bone diseases other than osteoporosis should not be treated with FORTEO.

Hypercalcemia and Hypercalcemic Disorders

FORTEO has not been studied in patients with pre-existing hypercalcemia. These patients should not be treated with FORTEO because of the possibility of exacerbating hypercalcemia. Patients known to have an underlying hypercalcemic disorder, such as primary hyperparathyroidism, should not be treated with FORTEO.

Urolithiasis or Pre-existing Hypercalciuria

In clinical trials, the frequency of urolithiasis was similar in patients treated with FORTEO and placebo. However, FORTEO has not been studied in patients with active urolithiasis. If active urolithiasis or pre-existing hypercalciuria are suspected, measurement of urinary calcium excretion should be considered. FORTEO should be used with caution in patients with active or recent urolithiasis because of the potential to exacerbate this condition.

Orthostatic Hypotension

FORTEO should be administered initially under circumstances in which the patient can sit or lie down if symptoms of orthostatic hypotension occur. In short-term clinical pharmacology studies with teriparatide, transient episodes of symptomatic orthostatic hypotension were observed in 5% of patients. Typically, an event began within 4 hours of dosing and spontaneously resolved within a few minutes to a few hours. When transient orthostatic hypotension occurred, it happened within the first several doses, it was relieved by placing the person in a reclining position, and it did not preclude continued treatment.

Drug Interactions

Hypercalcemia may predispose patients to digitalis toxicity. Because FORTEO transiently increases serum calcium, patients receiving digoxin should use FORTEO with caution [see Drug Interactions and Clinical Pharmacology].

USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category C — There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of FORTEO in pregnant women. In animal studies, teriparatide increased skeletal deviations and variations in mouse offspring at doses more than 60 times the equivalent human dose and produced mild growth retardation and reduced motor activity in rat offspring at doses more than 120 times the equivalent human dose. FORTEO should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

In animal studies, pregnant mice received teriparatide during organogenesis at subcutaneous doses 8 to 267 times the human dose. At doses ≥ 60 times the human dose, the fetuses showed an increased incidence of skeletal deviations or variations (interrupted rib, extra vertebra or rib). When pregnant rats received subcutaneous teriparatide during organogenesis at doses 16 to 540 times the human dose, the fetuses showed no abnormal findings.

In a perinatal/postnatal study, pregnant rats received subcutaneous teriparatide from organogenesis through lactation. Mild growth retardation in female offspring at doses ≥120 times the human dose (based on surface area, mcg/m2). Mild growth retardation in male offspring and reduced motor activity in both male and female offspring occurred at maternal doses 540 times the human dose. There were no developmental or reproductive effects in mice or rats at doses 8 or 16 times the human dose, respectively.

Exposure multiples were normalized based on body surface area (mcg/m2). Actual animal doses: mice (30 to 1000 mcg/kg/day); rats (30 to 1000 mcg/kg/day).

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether teriparatide is excreted in human milk. Because of the potential for tumorigenicity shown for teriparatide in animal studies, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother.

Pediatric Use

The safety and efficacy of FORTEO have not been established in any pediatric population. FORTEO should not be prescribed in patients at an increased baseline risk of osteosarcoma which include pediatric and young adult patients with open epiphyses. Therefore, FORTEO is not indicated for use in pediatric or young adult patients with open epiphyses [see Warnings and Precautions ].

Geriatric Use

Of the patients receiving FORTEO in the osteoporosis trial of 1637 postmenopausal women, 75% were 65 years of age and over and 23% were 75 years of age and over. Of the patients receiving FORTEO in the osteoporosis trial of 437 men, 39% were 65 years of age and over and 13% were 75 years of age and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects, and 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.

Hepatic Impairment

No studies have been performed in patients with hepatic impairment. [see Clinical Pharmacology].

Renal Impairment

In 5 patients with severe renal impairment (CrCl<30 mL/min), the AUC and T1/2 of teriparatide were increased by 73% and 77%, respectively. Maximum serum concentration of teriparatide was not increased [see Clinical Pharmacology].

Page last updated: 2013-10-16

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