Sildenafil

SILDENAFIL — sildenafil citrate tablet, film coated
Aurobindo Pharma Limited

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Adults

Sildenafil tablets are indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (World Health Organization [WHO] Group I) in adults to improve exercise ability and delay clinical worsening [see Clinical Studies (14)].

Pediatric use information is approved for Viatris Specialty LLC’s, REVATIO (sildenafil) tablets. However, due to Viatris Specialty LLC’s marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that information.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

2.1 Recommended Dosage in Adults

Oral Dosage

The recommended dosage of sildenafil tablets is 20 mg three times a day. [see Clinical Studies (14)].

Intravenous Dosage

The recommended dose is 10 mg administered as an intravenous bolus injection three times a day. The dose of sildenafil injection does not need to be adjusted for body weight.

A 10-mg dose of sildenafil injection is predicted to provide pharmacological effect of sildenafil and its N-desmethyl metabolite equivalent to that of a 20-mg oral dose.

Pediatric use information is approved for Viatris Specialty LLC’s, REVATIO (sildenafil) tablets. However, due to Viatris Specialty LLC’s marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that information.

3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

Sildenafil Tablets USP

Sildenafil tablets USP are white colored, round shape, biconvex, film-coated tablets, debossed with ‘T’ on one side and ‘27’ on other side containing sildenafil citrate equivalent to 20 mg of sildenafil.

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS

Sildenafil tablets are contraindicated in patients with:

  • Concomitant use of organic nitrates in any form, either regularly or intermittently, because of the greater risk of hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
  • Concomitant use of riociguat, a guanylate cyclase stimulator. Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, including sildenafil, may potentiate the hypotensive effects of riociguat.
  • Known hypersensitivity to sildenafil or any component of the tablet, injection, or oral suspension. Hypersensitivity, including anaphylactic reaction, anaphylactic shock and anaphylactoid reaction, has been reported in association with the use of sildenafil.

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

5.1 Hypotension

Sildenafil has vasodilatory properties, resulting in mild and transient decreases in blood pressure. Before prescribing sildenafil, carefully consider whether patients with certain underlying conditions could be adversely affected by such vasodilatory effects (e.g., patients on antihypertensive therapy or with resting hypotension [blood pressure less than 90/50], fluid depletion, severe left ventricular outflow obstruction, or autonomic dysfunction). Monitor blood pressure when co-administering blood pressure lowering drugs with sildenafil.

5.2 Worsening Pulmonary Vascular Occlusive Disease

Pulmonary vasodilators may significantly worsen the cardiovascular status of patients with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD). Since there are no clinical data on administration of sildenafil to patients with veno-occlusive disease, administration of sildenafil to such patients is not recommended. Should signs of pulmonary edema occur when sildenafil is administered, consider the possibility of associated PVOD.

5.3 Epistaxis

The incidence of epistaxis was 13% in patients taking sildenafil with PAH secondary to CTD. This effect was not seen in idiopathic PAH (sildenafil 3%, placebo 2%) patients. The incidence of epistaxis was also higher in sildenafil-treated patients with a concomitant oral vitamin K antagonist (9% versus 2% in those not treated with concomitant vitamin K antagonist).
The safety of sildenafil is unknown in patients with bleeding disorders or active peptic ulceration.

5.4 Visual Loss

When used to treat erectile dysfunction, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), a cause of decreased vision including permanent loss of vision, has been reported post marketing in temporal association with the use of PDE-5 inhibitors, including sildenafil. Most patients had underlying anatomic or vascular risk factors for developing NAION, including low cup to disc ratio (“crowded disc”).

Advise patients to seek immediate medical attention in the event of a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes while taking sildenafil.

There are no controlled clinical data on the safety or efficacy of sildenafil in patients with retinitis pigmentosa, a minority of whom have genetic disorders of retinal phosphodiesterases. Therefore, use of sildenafil in patients with retinitis pigmentosa is not recommended.

5.5 Hearing Loss

Cases of sudden decrease or loss of hearing, which may be accompanied by tinnitus and dizziness, have been reported in temporal association with the use of PDE-5 inhibitors, including sildenafil. In some of the cases, medical conditions and other factors were reported that may have played a role. In many cases, medical follow-up information was limited. It is not possible to determine whether these reported events are related directly to the use of sildenafil, to the patient’s underlying risk factors for hearing loss, a combination of these factors, or to other factors. Advise patients to seek prompt medical attention in the event of sudden decrease or loss of hearing while taking PDE-5 inhibitors, including sildenafil.

5.6 Combination with Other PDE-5 inhibitors

Sildenafil is also marketed as VIAGRA®. The safety and efficacy of combinations of sildenafil with VIAGRA or other PDE-5 inhibitors have not been studied. Inform patients taking sildenafil not to take VIAGRA or other PDE-5 inhibitors.

5.7 Priapism

Use sildenafil with caution in patients with anatomical deformation of the penis (e.g., angulation, cavernosal fibrosis, or Peyronie’s disease) or in patients who have conditions, which may predispose them to priapism (e.g., sickle cell anemia, multiple myeloma, or leukemia). In the event of an erection that persists longer than 4 hours, the patient should seek immediate medical assistance. If priapism (painful erection greater than 6 hours in duration) is not treated immediately, penile tissue damage and permanent loss of potency could result.

5.8 Vaso-occlusive Crisis in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Sickle Cell Disease

In a small, prematurely terminated study of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) secondary to sickle cell disease, vaso-occlusive crises requiring hospitalization were more commonly reported by patients who received sildenafil than by those randomized to placebo. The effectiveness and safety of sildenafil in the treatment of PH secondary to sickle cell disease has not been established.

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS

The following serious adverse events are discussed elsewhere in the labeling:

6.1 Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

In a 12-week, placebo-controlled clinical study and an open-label extension study (SUPER-1) in 277 sildenafil-treated adults with PAH (WHO Group I) [see Clinical Studies (14)] the adverse reactions that were reported by at least 10% of sildenafil-treated patients in any dosing group, and were more frequent in sildenafil-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients are shown in Table 1. Adverse reactions were generally transient and mild to moderate in nature. The overall frequency of discontinuation in sildenafil-treated patients was 3% (20 mg and 40 mg three times a day) and 8% (80 mg three times a day). The overall frequency of discontinuation for placebo was 3%.

Table 1. Most Common Adverse Reactions in Patients Treated with Sildenafil 20 mg, 40 mg, 80 mg and Placebo three times per day in SUPER-1 (More Frequent in Sildenafil-Treated Patients than Placebo-Treated Patients)
Sildenafil 20 mg (n = 69) Sildenafil 40 mg (n = 67) Sildenafil 80 mg (n = 71) Placebo (n = 70)
Headache 46% 42% 49% 39%
Flushing 10% 9% 16% 4%
Pain in Limb 7% 15% 9% 6%
Myalgia 7% 6% 14% 4%
Back Pain 13% 13% 9% 11%
Dyspepsia 13% 8% 13% 7%
Diarrhea 9% 12% 10% 6%

In a placebo-controlled fixed dose titration study (PACES-1) of sildenafil (starting with recommended dose of 20 mg and increased to 40 mg and then 80 mg all three times a day) as an adjunct to intravenous epoprostenol in patients with PAH, no new safety issues were identified except for edema, which occurred in 25% of subjects in the combined sildenafil + epoprostenol group compared with 13% of subjects in the epoprostenol group [see Clinical Studies (14)].

Pediatric use information is approved for Viatris Specialty LLC’s, REVATIO (sildenafil) tablets. However, due to Viatris Specialty LLC’s marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that information.

Sildenafil Injection

Adverse events with sildenafil injection were similar to those seen with oral tablets.

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