LEVETIRACETAM (Page 3 of 10)

5.3 Somnolence and Fatigue

Levetiracetam may cause somnolence and fatigue. Patients should be monitored for these signs and symptoms and advised not to drive or operate machinery until they have gained sufficient experience on levetiracetam to gauge whether it adversely affects their ability to drive or operate machinery.

Somnolence

In controlled trials of adult patients with epilepsy experiencing partial onset seizures, 15% of levetiracetam-treated patients reported somnolence, compared to 8% of placebo patients. There was no clear dose response up to 3000 mg/day. In a study where there was no titration, about 45% of patients receiving 4000 mg/day reported somnolence. The somnolence was considered serious in 0.3% of levetiracetam-treated patients, compared to 0% in the placebo group. About 3% of levetiracetam-treated patients discontinued treatment due to somnolence, compared to 0.7% of placebo-treated patients. In 1.4% of levetiracetam-treated patients and 0.9% of placebo-treated patients, the dose was reduced, while 0.3% of the levetiracetam-treated patients were hospitalized due to somnolence.

Asthenia

In controlled clinical studies of adult patients with epilepsy experiencing partial onset seizures, 15% of levetiracetam-treated patients reported asthenia, compared to 9% of placebo-treated patients. Treatment was discontinued due to asthenia in 0.8% of levetiracetam-treated patients as compared to 0.5% of placebo-treated patients. In 0.5% of levetiracetam-treated patients and in 0.2% of placebo-treated patients the dose was reduced due to asthenia.

Somnolence and asthenia occurred most frequently within the first 4 weeks of treatment. In general, the incidences of somnolence and fatigue in the pediatric partial onset seizure studies, and in pediatric and adult myoclonic and primary generalized tonic-clonic seizure studies were comparable to those of the adult partial onset seizure studies.

5.4 Serious Dermatological Reactions

Serious dermatological reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), have been reported in both pediatric and adults patients treated with levetiracetam. The median time of onset is reported to be 14 to 17 days, but cases have been reported at least four months after initiation of treatment. Recurrence of the serious skin reactions following rechallenge with levetiracetam has also been reported. Levetiracetam should be discontinued at the first sign of a rash, unless the rash is clearly not drug-related. If signs or symptoms suggest SJS/TEN, use of this drug should not be resumed and alternative therapy should be considered.

5.5 Coordination Difficulties

Levetiracetam may cause coordination difficulties.

In controlled clinical studies in adult patients with partial onset seizure studies, 3.4% of adult levetiracetam-treated patients experienced coordination difficulties, (reported as either ataxia, abnormal gait, or incoordination) compared to 1.6% of placebo-treated patients. A total of 0.4% of patients in controlled clinical studies discontinued levetiracetam treatment due to ataxia, compared to 0% of placebo-treated patients. In 0.7% of levetiracetam-treated patients and in 0.2% of placebo-treated patients, the dose was reduced due to coordination difficulties, while one of the levetiracetam-treated patients was hospitalized due to worsening of pre-existing ataxia. These events occurred most frequently within the first 4 weeks of treatment.

Patients should be monitored for these signs and symptoms and advised not to drive or operate machinery until they have gained sufficient experience on levetiracetam to gauge whether it could adversely affect their ability to drive or operate machinery.

5.6 Withdrawal Seizures

Antiepileptic drugs, including levetiracetam, should be withdrawn gradually to minimize the potential of increased seizure frequency.

5.7 Hematologic Abnormalities

Levetiracetam can cause hematologic abnormalities. Hematologic abnormalities occurred in clinical trials and included decreases in red blood cell (RBC) counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit, and increases in eosinophil counts. Decreased white blood cell (WBC) and neutrophil counts also occurred in clinical trials. Cases of agranulocytosis have been reported in the postmarketing setting.

Partial Onset Seizures

Adults

Minor, but statistically significant, decreases compared to placebo in total mean RBC count (0.03 x 106 /mm3), mean hemoglobin (0.09 g/dL), and mean hematocrit (0.38%), were seen in levetiracetam-treated patients in controlled trials.

A total of 3.2% of levetiracetam-treated and 1.8% of placebo-treated patients had at least one possibly significant (≤2.8 x 109 /L) decreased WBC, and 2.4% of levetiracetam-treated and 1.4% of placebo-treated patients had at least one possibly significant (≤1.0 x 109 /L) decreased neutrophil count. Of the levetiracetam-treated patients with a low neutrophil count, all but one rose towards or to baseline with continued treatment. No patient was discontinued secondary to low neutrophil counts.

Pediatric Patients 4 Years to < 16 Years

Statistically significant decreases in WBC and neutrophil counts were seen in levetiracetam-treated patients as compared to placebo. The mean decreases from baseline in the levetiracetam-treated group were -0.4 x 109 /L and -0.3 x 109 /L, respectively, whereas there were small increases in the placebo group. Mean relative lymphocyte counts increased by 1.7% in levetiracetam-treated patients, compared to a decrease of 4% in placebo patients (statistically significant).

In the controlled trial, more levetiracetam-treated patients had a possibly clinically significant abnormally low WBC value (3% of levetiracetam-treated patients versus 0% of placebo-treated patients), however, there was no apparent difference between treatment groups with respect to neutrophil count (5% of levetiracetam-treated patients versus 4.2% of placebo-treated patients). No patient was discontinued secondary to low WBC or neutrophil counts.

In the controlled cognitive and neuropsychological safety study, 5 patients (8.6%) in the levetiracetam-treated group and 2 patients (6.1%) in the placebo-treated group had high eosinophil count values that were possibly clinically significant (≥10% or ≥0.7×109 /L).

5.8 Blood Pressure Increases

In a randomized, placebo-controlled study in patients aged 1 month to <4 years of age, a significantly higher risk of increased diastolic blood pressure was observed in the levetiracetam-treated patients (17%), compared to the placebo-treated patients (2%). There was no overall difference in mean diastolic blood pressure between the treatment groups. This disparity between the levetiracetam and placebo treatment groups was not observed in the studies of older children or in adults.

Monitor patients 1 month to <4 years of age for increases in diastolic blood pressure.

5.9 Seizure Control During Pregnancy

Physiological changes may gradually decrease plasma levels of levetiracetam throughout pregnancy. This decrease is more pronounced during the third trimester. It is recommended that patients be monitored carefully during pregnancy. Close monitoring should continue through the postpartum period especially if the dose was changed during pregnancy.

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS

Most common adverse reactions (incidence in levetiracetam-treated patients is ≥ 5% more than in placebo-treated patients) include:

  • Adult patients: somnolence, asthenia, infection and dizziness (6.1)
  • Pediatric patients: fatigue, aggression, nasal congestion, decreased appetite, and irritability (6.1)

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Roxane Laboratories, Inc. at 1-800-962-8364 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

The following adverse reactions are discussed in more details in other sections of labeling:

  • Psychiatric Symptoms [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1) ]
  • Suicidal Behavior and Ideation [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2) ]
  • Somnolence and Fatigue [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3) ]
  • Serious Dermatological Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4) ]
  • Coordination Difficulties [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5) ]
  • Hematologic Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7) ]
  • Increase in Blood Pressure [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8) ]

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