busulfan

Important safety information

Seizures: Initiate anticonvulsant prophylactic therapy prior to treatment with Busulfan Injection. Monitor patients with history of seizure disorder, head trauma or receiving epileptogenic drugs. ( 5.2 ) Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease (HVOD): Increased risk of developing HVOD at AUC greater than 1,500 µM∙min. Monitor serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin daily. ( 5.3 ) Embryo-fetal Toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise of potential risk to a fetus and use of effective contraception. ( 5.4 , 8.1 , 8.3 ) Cardiac tamponade has been reported in pediatric patients with thalassemia who received high doses of oral busulfan and cyclophosphamide. Abdominal pain and vomiting preceded the tamponade in most patients. ( 5.5 ) 5.1 Myelosuppression The most frequent serious consequence of treatment with Busulfan Injection at the recommended dose and schedule is prolonged myelosuppression, occurring in all patients (100%). Severe granulocytopenia, thrombocytopenia, anemia, or any combination thereof may develop. Hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation is required to prevent potentially fatal complications of the prolonged myelosuppression. Monitor complete blood counts, including white blood cell differentials, and quantitative platelet counts daily during treatment and until engraftment is demonstrated. Absolute neutrophil counts dropped below 0.5×10 9 /L at a median of 4 days post-transplant in 100% of patients treated in the Busulfan Injection clinical trial. The absolute neutrophil count recovered at a median of 13 days following allogeneic transplantation when prophylactic filgrastim was used in the majority of patients. Thrombocytopenia (less than 25,000/mm 3 or requiring platelet transfusion) occurred at a median of 5 to 6 days in 98% of patients. Anemia (hemoglobin less than 8.0 g/dL) occurred in 69% of patients. Use antibiotic therapy and platelet and red blood cell support when medically indicated. 5.2 Seizures Seizures have been reported in patients receiving high-dose oral busulfan at doses producing plasma drug levels similar to those achieved following the recommended dosage of Busulfan Injection. Despite prophylactic therapy with phenytoin, one seizure (1/42 patients) was reported during an autologous transplantation clinical trial of Busulfan Injection. This episode occurred during the cyclophosphamide portion of the conditioning regimen, 36 hours after the last Busulfan Injection dose. Initiate phenytoin therapy or any other alternative anti-convulsant prophylactic therapy (e.g., benzodiazepines, valproic acid or levetiracetam) prior to Busulfan Injection treatment [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) ] . Use caution when administering the recommended dose of Busulfan Injection to patients with a history of a seizure disorder or head trauma or who are receiving other potentially epileptogenic drugs. 5.3 Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease (HVOD) Current literature suggests that high busulfan area under the plasma concentration verses time curve (AUC) values (greater than 1,500 µM∙min) may be associated with an increased risk of developing HVOD. Patients who have received prior radiation therapy, greater than or equal to three cycles of chemotherapy, or a prior progenitor cell transplant may be at an increased risk of developing HVOD with the recommended Busulfan Injection dose and regimen. Based on clinical examination and laboratory findings, HVOD was diagnosed in 8% (5/61) of patients treated with Busulfan Injection in the setting of allogeneic transplantation, was fatal in 2/5 cases (40%), and yielded an overall mortality from HVOD in the entire study population of 2/61 (3%). Three of the five patients diagnosed with HVOD were retrospectively found to meet the Jones' criteria. The incidence of HVOD reported in the literature from the randomized, controlled trials was 7.7% to 12% [see Clinical Studies (14) ]. Monitor serum transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin daily through BMT Day +28 to detect hepatotoxicity, which may herald the onset of HVOD . 5.4 Embryo-fetal Toxicity Busulfan Injection can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman based on animal data. Busulfan was teratogenic in mice, rats, and rabbits. The solvent, DMA, may also cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman based on findings in animals. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females and males of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during and after treatment with Busulfan Injection [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1 , 8.3) ]. 5.5 Cardiac Tamponade Cardiac tamponade has been reported in pediatric patients with thalassemia (8/400 or 2% in one series) who received high doses of oral busulfan and cyclophosphamide as the preparatory regimen for hematopoietic progenitor cell transplantation. Six of the eight children died and two were saved by rapid pericardiocentesis. Abdominal pain and vomiting preceded the tamponade in most patients. Monitor for signs and symptoms, promptly evaluate and treat if cardiac tamponade is suspected. 5.6 Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Bronchopulmonary dysplasia with pulmonary fibrosis is a rare but serious complication following chronic busulfan therapy. The average onset of symptoms is 4 years after therapy (range 4 months to 10 years) . 5.7 Cellular Dysplasia Busulfan Injection may cause cellular dysplasia in many organs. Cytologic abnormalities characterized by giant, hyperchromatic nuclei have been reported in lymph nodes, pancreas, thyroid, adrenal glands, liver, lungs and bone marrow. This cytologic dysplasia may be severe enough to cause difficulty in the interpretation of exfoliative cytologic examinations of the lungs, bladder, breast and the uterine cervix .