Pravastatin Sodium (Page 3 of 6)

6.2 Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of pravastatin sodium. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Musculoskeletal: myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, tendon disorder, polymyositis, immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy associated with statin use.

Nervous System: dysfunction of certain cranial nerves (including alteration of taste, impairment of extraocular movement, facial paresis), peripheral nerve palsy. Rare postmarketing reports of cognitive impairment (e.g., memory loss, forgetfulness, amnesia, memory impairment, confusion) associated with statin use. Cognitive impairment was generally nonserious, and reversible upon statin discontinuation, with variable times to symptom onset (1 day to years) and symptom resolution (median of 3 weeks).

Hypersensitivity: anaphylaxis, angioedema, lupus erythematosus-like syndrome, polymyalgia rheumatica, dermatomyositis, vasculitis, purpura, hemolytic anemia, positive ANA, ESR increase, arthritis, arthralgia, asthenia, photosensitivity, chills, malaise, toxic epidermal necrolysis, erythema multiforme (including Stevens-Johnson syndrome).

Gastrointestinal: abdominal pain, constipation, pancreatitis, hepatitis (including chronic active hepatitis), cholestatic jaundice, fatty change in liver, cirrhosis, fulminant hepatic necrosis, hepatoma, fatal and non-fatal hepatic failure.

Dermatologic: a variety of skin changes (e.g., nodules, discoloration, dryness of mucous membranes, changes to hair/nails), lichen planus.

Renal: urinary abnormality (including dysuria, frequency, nocturia).

Respiratory: dyspnea, interstitial lung disease.

Psychiatric: nightmare.

Reproductive: gynecomastia.

Laboratory Abnormalities: liver function test abnormalities, thyroid function abnormalities.

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS

7.1 Drug Interactions that Increase the Risk of Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis with Pravastatin Sodium

Pravastatin sodium is a substrate of the transport protein OATP1B1. Pravastatin sodium plasma levels can be significantly increased with concomitant administration of inhibitors of OATP1B1. Table 3 includes a list of drugs that increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis when used concomitantly with pravastatin sodium and instructions for preventing or managing them [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Table 3: Drug Interactions that Increase the Risk of Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis with Pravastatin Sodium

Gemfibrozil

Clinical Impact:

There is an increased risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis when pravastatin Sodium is administered with gemfibrozil

Intervention:

Avoid concomitant use of gemfibrozil with pravastatin sodium.

Cyclosporine

Clinical Impact:

The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of cyclosporine with pravastatin sodium.

Intervention:

Initiate with a dosage of pravastatin sodium 10 mg once daily. Do not exceed pravastatin sodium 20 mg once daily [see Dosage and Administration (2.5)].

Select Macrolide Antibiotics

Clinical Impact:

The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased by concomitant use of clarithromycin or erythromycin with pravastatin sodium. Other macrolides (e.g., azithromycin) have the potential to increase pravastatin sodium exposures and increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis when used concomintantly.

Intervention:

For patients taking erythromycin or clarithromycin, do not exceed 40 mg pravastatin sodium once daily [see Dosage and Administration (2.5)].

Niacin

Clinical Impact:

Cases of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis have been observed with concomitant use of niacin with pravastatin sodium.

Intervention:

Consider if the benefit of using niacin concomitantly with pravastatin sodium outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. If concomitant use is decided, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of myopathy, particularly during initiation of therapy and during upward dose titration of either drug.

Fibrates (other than Gemfibrozil)

Clinical Impact:

Fibrates may cause myopathy when given alone. The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of fibrates with pravastatin sodium.

Intervention:

Consider if the benefit of using fibrates concomitantly with pravastatin sodium outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. If concomitant use is decided, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of myopathy, particularly during initiation of therapy and during upward dose titration of either drug.

Colchicine

Clinical Impact:

Cases of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis have been reported with concomitant use of colchicine with pravastatin sodium.

Intervention:

Consider if the benefit of using colchicine concomitantly with pravastatin sodium outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. If concomitant use is decided, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of myopathy, particularly during initiation of therapy and during upward dose titration of either drug.

7.2 Drug Interactions that Decrease the Efficacy of Pravastatin Sodium

Table 4 presents drug interactions that may decrease the efficacy of pravastatin sodium and instructions for preventing or managing them.

Table 4: Drug Interactions that Decrease the Efficacy of Pravastatin Sodium

Bile Acid Sequestrants

Clinical Impact:

Concomitant cholestyramine or colestipol administration decreased the mean exposure of pravastatin approximately 51% and 47%, respectively [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Intervention:

In patients taking a bile acid sequestrant, administer pravastatin sodium at least 1 hour before or at least 4 hours after the bile acid sequestrant [see Dosage and Administration (2.5)].

8 USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS

8.1 Pregnancy

Risk Summary

Discontinue pravastatin sodium when pregnancy is recognized. Alternatively, consider the ongoing therapeutic needs of the individual patient. pravastatin sodium decreases synthesis of cholesterol and possibly other biologically active substances derived from cholesterol; therefore, pravastatin sodium may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant patients based on the mechanism of action [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.1)]. In addition, treatment of hyperlipidemia is not generally necessary during pregnancy. Atherosclerosis is a chronic process and the discontinuation of lipid- lowering drugs during pregnancy should have little impact on the outcome of long-term therapy of primary hyperlipidemia for most patients. Available data from case series and prospective and retrospective observational cohort studies over decades of use with statins in pregnant women have not identified a drug-associated risk of major congenital malformations. Published data from prospective and retrospective observational cohort studies with pravastatin sodium use in pregnant women are insufficient to determine if there is a drug-associated risk of miscarriage (see Data). In animal reproduction studies, no evidence of fetal malformations was seen in pregnant rats or rabbits orally administered pravastatin during the period of organogenesis at doses that resulted in 10 times and 120 times, respectively, the human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 80 mg/day, based on body surface area (mg/m2). An imbalance in some fetal skeletal variations, increased offspring mortality, and developmental delays occurred when pregnant rats were exposed to 10 times to 12 times the MRHD during organogenesis to parturition (see Data).

The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.

Data

Human Data

A Medicaid cohort linkage study of 1152 statin-exposed pregnant women compared to 886,996 controls did not find a significant teratogenic effect from maternal use of statins in the first trimester of pregnancy, after adjusting for potential cofounders – including maternal age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, and alcohol and tobacco use – using propensity score-based methods. The relative risk of congenital malformations between the group with statin use and the group with no statin use in the first trimester was 1.07 (95% confidence interval 0.85 to 1.37) after controlling for confounders, particularly pre-existing diabetes mellitus. There were also no statistically significant increases in any of the organ-specific malformations assessed after accounting for cofounders. In the majority of pregnancies, statin treatment was initiated prior to pregnancy and was discontinued at some point in the first trimester when pregnancy was identified. Study limitations include reliance on physician coding to define the presence of a malformation, lack of control for certain confounders such as body mass index, use of prescription dispensing as verification for the use of a statin, and lack of information on non-live births.

Animal Data

Embryofetal and neonatal mortality was observed in rats given pravastatin during the period of organogenesis or during organogenesis continuing through weaning. In pregnant rats given oral gavage doses of 4, 20, 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg/day from gestation days 7 through 17 (organogenesis) increased mortality of offspring and increased cervical rib skeletal anomalies were observed at ≥100 mg/kg/day systemic exposure, 10 times the human exposure at 80 mg/day MRHD based on body surface area (mg/m2).

In other studies, no teratogenic effects were observed when pravastatin was dosed orally during organogenesis in rabbits (gestation days 6 through 18) up to 50 mg/kg/day or in rats (gestation days 7 through 17) up to 1000 mg/kg/day. Exposures were 10 times (rabbit) or 120 times (rat) the human exposure at 80 mg/day MRHD based on body surface area (mg/m2).

In pregnant rats given oral gavage doses of 10, 100, and 1000 mg/kg/day from gestation day 17 through lactation day 21 (weaning), developmental delays were observed at ≥100 mg/kg/day systemic exposure, corresponding to 12 times the human exposure at 80 mg/day MRHD, based on body surface area (mg/m2).

In pregnant rats, pravastatin crosses the placenta and is found in fetal tissue at 30% of the maternal plasma levels following administration of a single dose of 20 mg/day orally on gestation day 18, which corresponds to exposure 2 times the MRHD of 80 mg daily based on body surface area (mg/m2).

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