teriflunomide

Important safety information

Elimination of teriflunomide can be accelerated by administration of cholestyramine or activated charcoal for 11 days. ( 5.3 ) Teriflunomide may decrease WBC. A recent CBC should be available before starting teriflunomide. Monitor for signs and symptoms of infection. Consider suspending treatment with teriflunomide in case of serious infection. Do not start teriflunomide in patients with active infections. ( 5.4 ) Stop teriflunomide if patient has anaphylaxis, angioedema, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms; initiate rapid elimination. ( 5.3 , 5.5 , 5.6 , 5.7 ) If patient develops symptoms consistent with peripheral neuropathy, evaluate patient and consider discontinuing teriflunomide. ( 5.8 ) Teriflunomide may increase blood pressure. Measure blood pressure at treatment initiation and monitor blood pressure during treatment. ( 5.9 ) 5.1 Hepatotoxicity Clinically significant and potentially life-threatening liver injury, including acute liver failure requiring transplant, has been reported in patients treated with teriflunomide in the postmarketing setting. Patients with pre-existing liver disease and patients taking other hepatotoxic drugs may be at increased risk for developing liver injury when taking teriflunomide. Clinically significant liver injury can occur at any time during treatment with teriflunomide. Patients with pre-existing acute or chronic liver disease, or those with serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) greater than two times the upper limit of normal (ULN) before initiating treatment, should not normally be treated with teriflunomide. Teriflunomide is contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . In placebo-controlled trials in adult patients, ALT greater than three times the ULN occurred in 61/1045 (5.8%) and 62/1002 (6.2%) of patients receiving teriflunomide 7 mg and 14 mg, respectively, and 38/997 (3.8%) of patients receiving placebo, during the treatment period. These elevations occurred mostly within the first year of treatment. Half of the cases returned to normal without drug discontinuation. In clinical trials, if ALT elevation was greater than three times the ULN on two consecutive tests, teriflunomide was discontinued and patients underwent an accelerated elimination procedure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . Of the patients who underwent discontinuation and accelerated elimination in controlled trials, half returned to normal or near normal values within 2 months. One patient in the controlled trials in adult patients developed ALT 32 times the ULN and jaundice 5 months after initiation of teriflunomide 14 mg treatment. The patient was hospitalized for 5 weeks and recovered after plasmapheresis and cholestyramine accelerated elimination procedure. Teriflunomide-induced liver injury in this patient could not be ruled out. Obtain serum transaminase and bilirubin levels within 6 months before initiation of teriflunomide therapy. Monitor ALT levels at least monthly for six months after starting teriflunomide. Consider additional monitoring when teriflunomide is given with other potentially hepatotoxic drugs. Consider discontinuing teriflunomide if serum transaminase increase (greater than three times the ULN) is confirmed. Monitor serum transaminase and bilirubin on teriflunomide therapy, particularly in patients who develop symptoms suggestive of hepatic dysfunction, such as unexplained nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, or jaundice and/or dark urine. If liver injury is suspected to be teriflunomide-induced, discontinue teriflunomide and start an accelerated elimination procedure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] and monitor liver tests weekly until normalized. If teriflunomide-induced liver injury is unlikely because some other probable cause has been found, resumption of teriflunomide therapy may be considered. 5.2 Embryofetal Toxicity Teriflunomide may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Teratogenicity and embryofetal lethality occurred in animal reproduction studies in multiple animal species at plasma teriflunomide exposures similar to or lower than that in humans at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 14 mg/day [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . Teriflunomide is contraindicated for use in pregnant women and in females of reproductive potential not using effective contraception [see Contraindications ( 4) ] . Exclude pregnancy before starting treatment with teriflunomide in females of reproductive potential [see Dosage and Administration ( 2 )] . Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during teriflunomide treatment and during an accelerated drug elimination procedure after teriflunomide treatment [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.3 )] . If a woman becomes pregnant while taking teriflunomide, stop treatment with teriflunomide, apprise the patient of the potential risk to a fetus, and perform an accelerated drug elimination procedure to achieve a plasma teriflunomide concentration of less than 0.02 mg/L [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . Upon discontinuing teriflunomide, it is recommended that all females of reproductive potential undergo an accelerated drug elimination procedure. Women receiving teriflunomide treatment who wish to become pregnant must discontinue teriflunomide and undergo an accelerated drug elimination procedure, which includes verification that plasma concentrations of teriflunomide are less than 0.02 mg/L (0.02 mcg/mL). Men wishing to father a child should also discontinue use of teriflunomide and either undergo an accelerated elimination procedure or wait until verification that the plasma teriflunomide concentration is less than 0.02 mg/L (0.02 mcg/mL) [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.3 )] . Based on animal data, human plasma concentrations of teriflunomide of less than 0.02 mg/L (0.02 mcg/mL) are expected to have minimal embryofetal risk [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ), and Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . 5.3 Procedure for Accelerated Elimination of Teriflunomide Teriflunomide is eliminated slowly from the plasma [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Without an accelerated elimination procedure, it takes on average 8 months to reach plasma concentrations less than 0.02 mg/L, although because of individual variations in drug clearance it may take as long as 2 years. An accelerated elimination procedure could be used at any time after discontinuation of teriflunomide. Elimination can be accelerated by either of the following procedures: Administration of cholestyramine 8 g every 8 hours for 11 days. If cholestyramine 8 g three times a day is not well tolerated, cholestyramine 4 g three times a day can be used. Administration of 50 g oral activated charcoal powder every 12 hours for 11 days. If either elimination procedure is poorly tolerated, treatment days do not need to be consecutive unless there is a need to lower teriflunomide plasma concentration rapidly. At the end of 11 days, both regimens successfully accelerated teriflunomide elimination, leading to more than 98% decrease in teriflunomide plasma concentrations. Use of the accelerated elimination procedure may potentially result in return of disease activity if the patient had been responding to teriflunomide treatment. 5.4 Bone Marrow Effects/Immunosuppression Potential/Infections Bone Marrow Effects A mean decrease compared to baseline in white blood cell (WBC) count of approximately 15% (mainly neutrophils and lymphocytes) and in platelet count of approximately 10% was observed in placebo-controlled trials in adult patients with 7 mg and 14 mg of teriflunomide. The decrease in mean WBC count occurred during the first 6 weeks and WBC count remained low during treatment. In placebo-controlled studies in adult patients, neutrophil count <1.5 × 10 9 /L was observed in 12%…