rexulti

Important safety information

Cerebrovascular Adverse Reactions in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis: Increased incidence of cerebrovascular adverse reactions (e.g., stroke, transient ischemic attack) ( 5.3 ) Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Manage with immediate discontinuation and close monitoring. ( 5.4 ) Tardive Dyskinesia: Discontinue if clinically appropriate. ( 5.5 ) Metabolic Changes: Monitor for hyperglycemia/diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and weight gain. ( 5.6 ) Pathological Gambling and Other Compulsive Behaviors: Consider dose reduction or discontinuation. ( 5.7 ) Leukopenia, Neutropenia, and Agranulocytosis: Perform complete blood counts (CBC) in patients with pre-existing low white blood cell count (WBC) or history of leukopenia or neutropenia. Consider discontinuing REXULTI if a clinically significant decline in WBC occurs in absence of other causative factors. ( 5.8 ) Orthostatic Hypotension and Syncope: Monitor heart rate and blood pressure and warn patients with known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and risk of dehydration or syncope. ( 5.9 ) Seizures: Use cautiously in patients with a history of seizures or with conditions that lower the seizure threshold. ( 5.11 ) Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment: Use caution when operating machinery. ( 5.14 ) 5.1 Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of 17 placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the rate of death in the drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to a rate of about 2.6% in the placebo group. Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature. REXULTI is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis without agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease [see Boxed Warning , Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] . 5.2 Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults In pooled analyses of placebo-controlled trials of antidepressant drugs (SSRIs and other antidepressant classes) that included approximately 77,000 adult patients and over 4,400 pediatric patients, the incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in patients 24 years of age and younger was greater in antidepressant-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients. The drug-placebo differences in the number of cases of suicidal thoughts and behaviors per 1,000 patients treated are provided in Table 2 . No suicides occurred in any of the pediatric studies. There were suicides in the adult studies, but the number was not sufficient to reach any conclusion about antidepressant drug effect on suicide. Table 2 Risk Differences of the Number of Patients with Suicidal Thoughts or Behaviors in the Pooled Placebo-Controlled Trials of Antidepressants in Pediatric REXULTI is not approved in pediatric patients with MDD. and Adult Patients Age Range (years) Drug-Placebo Difference in Number of Patients with Suicidal Thoughts or Behaviors per 1,000 Patients Treated Increases Compared to Placebo <18 14 additional patients 18 to 24 5 additional patients Decreases Compared to Placebo 25 to 64 1 fewer patient ≥65 6 fewer patients It is unknown whether the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children, adolescents, and young adults extends to longer-term use, i.e., beyond four months. However, there is substantial evidence from placebo-controlled maintenance studies in adults with MDD that antidepressants delay the recurrence of depression. Monitor all antidepressant-treated patients for clinical worsening and emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially during the initial few months of drug therapy and at times of dosage changes. Counsel family members or caregivers of patients to monitor for changes in behavior and to alert the healthcare provider. Consider changing the therapeutic regimen, including possibly discontinuing REXULTI, in patients whose depression is persistently worse or who are experiencing emergent suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 5.3 Cerebrovascular Adverse Reactions Including Stroke in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis In placebo-controlled trials in elderly patients with dementia, patients randomized to risperidone, aripiprazole, and olanzapine had a higher incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attack, including fatal stroke. REXULTI is not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis without agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease [see Boxed Warning , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. 5.4 Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS), a potentially fatal symptom complex, has been reported in association with administration of antipsychotic drugs, including REXULTI. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, altered mental status, and evidence of autonomic instability (irregular pulse or blood pressure, tachycardia, diaphoresis and cardiac dysrhythmia). Additional signs may include elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis), and acute renal failure. If NMS is suspected, immediately discontinue REXULTI and provide intensive symptomatic treatment and monitoring. 5.5 Tardive Dyskinesia Tardive dyskinesia, a syndrome consisting of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements, may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs. The risk appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, but it is impossible to predict which patients will develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drugs differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown. The risk of tardive dyskinesia and the likelihood that it will become irreversible appear to increase as the duration of treatment and the cumulative dose increases. The syndrome can develop after relatively brief treatment periods, at low doses. It may also occur after discontinuation of treatment. Tardive dyskinesia may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is discontinued. Antipsychotic treatment itself may suppress (or partially suppress) the signs and symptoms of the syndrome, possibly masking the underlying process. The effect that symptomatic suppression has upon the long-term course of tardive dyskinesia is unknown. Given these considerations, REXULTI should be prescribed in a manner most likely to reduce the occurrence of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients who suffer from a chronic illness that 1) is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs and 2) for whom alternative, equally effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate. In patients who do require chronic treatment, use the lowest dose and the shortest duration of treatment needed to produce a satisfactory clinical response. Periodically reassess the need for continued treatment. If signs and symptoms of tardive dyskinesia appear in a patient treated with REXULTI, drug discontinuation should be considered. However, some patients may require treatment with REXULTI despite the presence of the syndrome. 5.6 Metabolic Changes Atypical antipsychotic drugs, including REXULTI, have caused metabolic changes including hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and body weight gain. Although all of the drugs in the class to date have been shown to produce some metabolic changes, each drug has its own specific risk profile. Hyperglycemia/Diabetes Mellitus Hyperglycemia and diabetes mellitus, in some cases…