Tadalafil (Page 3 of 12)
5.6 Alpha-blockers and Antihypertensives
Physicians should discuss with patients the potential for tadalafil to augment the blood-pressure-lowering effect of alpha-blockers and antihypertensive medications [see Drug Interactions (7.1) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)].
Caution is advised when PDE5 inhibitors are co-administered with alpha-blockers. PDE5 inhibitors, including tadalafil, and alpha-adrenergic blocking agents are both vasodilators with blood-pressure-lowering effects. When vasodilators are used in combination, an additive effect on blood pressure may be anticipated. In some patients, concomitant use of these two drug classes can lower blood pressure significantly [see Drug Interactions (7.1) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)], which may lead to symptomatic hypotension (e.g., fainting). Consideration should be given to the following:
ED
- Patients should be stable on alpha-blocker therapy prior to initiating a PDE5 inhibitor. Patients who demonstrate hemodynamic instability on alpha-blocker therapy alone are at increased risk of symptomatic hypotension with concomitant use of PDE5 inhibitors.
- In those patients who are stable on alpha-blocker therapy, PDE5 inhibitors should be initiated at the lowest recommended dose.
- In those patients already taking an optimized dose of PDE5 inhibitor, alpha-blocker therapy should be initiated at the lowest dose. Stepwise increase in alpha-blocker dose may be associated with further lowering of blood pressure when taking a PDE5 inhibitor.
- Safety of combined use of PDE5 inhibitors and alpha-blockers may be affected by other variables, including intravascular volume depletion and other antihypertensive drugs [see Dosage and Administration (2.7) and Drug Interactions (7.1)].
BPH
- The efficacy of the co-administration of an alpha-blocker and tadalafil for the treatment of BPH has not been adequately studied, and due to the potential vasodilatory effects of combined use resulting in blood pressure lowering, the combination of tadalafil and alpha-blockers is not recommended for the treatment of BPH [see Dosage and Administration (2.7), Drug Interactions (7.1), and Clinical Pharmacology (12.2.)].
- Patients on alpha-blocker therapy for BPH should discontinue their alpha-blocker at least one day prior to starting tadalafil for once daily use for the treatment of BPH.
5.7 Renal Impairment
Tadalafil f or Use as Needed
Tadalafil should be limited to 5 mg not more than once in every 72 hours in patients with creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min or end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis. The starting dose of tadalafil in patients with creatinine clearance 30 mL/min to 50 mL/min should be 5 mg not more than once per day, and the maximum dose should be limited to 10 mg not more than once in every 48 hours [see Use in Specific Populations (8.7)].
Tadalafil f or Once Daily Use
ED
Due to increased tadalafil exposure (AUC), limited clinical experience, and the lack of ability to influence clearance by dialysis, tadalafil for once daily use is not recommended in patients with creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min [see Use in Specific Populations (8.7)].
BPH and ED/BPH
Due to increased tadalafil exposure (AUC), limited clinical experience, and the lack of ability to influence clearance by dialysis, tadalafil for once daily use is not recommended in patients with creatinine clearance less than 30 mL/min. In patients with creatinine clearance 30 mL/min to 50 mL/min, start dosing at 2.5 mg once daily, and increase the dose to 5 mg once daily based upon individual response [see Dosage and Administration (2.6), Use in Specific Populations (8.7), and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].
5.8 Hepatic Impairment
Tadalafil f or Use as Needed
In patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment, the dose of tadalafil should not exceed 10 mg. Because of insufficient information in patients with severe hepatic impairment, use of tadalafil in this group is not recommended [see Use in Specific Populations (8.6)].
Tadalafil f or Once Daily Use
Tadalafil for once daily use has not been extensively evaluated in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment. Therefore, caution is advised if tadalafil for once daily use is prescribed to these patients. Because of insufficient information in patients with severe hepatic impairment, use of tadalafil in this group is not recommended [see Use in Specific Populations (8.6)].
5.9 Alcohol
Patients should be made aware that both alcohol and tadalafil, a PDE5 inhibitor, act as mild vasodilators. When mild vasodilators are taken in combination, blood-pressure-lowering effects of each individual compound may be increased. Therefore, physicians should inform patients that substantial consumption of alcohol (e.g., 5 units or greater) in combination with tadalafil can increase the potential for orthostatic signs and symptoms, including increase in heart rate, decrease in standing blood pressure, dizziness, and headache [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)].
5.10 Concomitant Use of Potent Inhibitors of Cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4)
Tadalafil is metabolized predominantly by CYP3A4 in the liver. The dose of tadalafil for use as needed should be limited to 10 mg no more than once every 72 hours in patients taking potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 such as ritonavir, ketoconazole, and itraconazole [see Drug Interactions (7.2)]. In patients taking potent inhibitors of CYP3A4 and tadalafil for once daily use, the maximum recommended dose is 2.5 mg [see Dosage and Administration (2.7)].
5.11 Combination With Other PDE5 Inhibitors or Erectile Dysfunction Therapies
The safety and efficacy of combinations of tadalafil and other PDE5 inhibitors or treatments for erectile dysfunction have not been studied. Inform patients not to take tadalafil with other PDE5 inhibitors, including ADCIRCA.
5.12 Effects on Bleeding
Studies in vitro have demonstrated that tadalafil is a selective inhibitor of PDE5. PDE5 is found in platelets. When administered in combination with aspirin, tadalafil 20 mg did not prolong bleeding time, relative to aspirin alone. Tadalafil has not been administered to patients with bleeding disorders or significant active peptic ulceration. Although tadalafil has not been shown to increase bleeding times in healthy subjects, use in patients with bleeding disorders or significant active peptic ulceration should be based upon a careful risk-benefit assessment and caution.
5.13 Counseling Patients About Sexually Transmitted Diseases
The use of tadalafil offers no protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Counseling patients about the protective measures necessary to guard against sexually transmitted diseases, including Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) should be considered.
5.14 Consideration of Other Urological Conditions Prior to Initiating Treatment for BPH
Prior to initiating treatment with tadalafil for BPH, consideration should be given to other urological conditions that may cause similar symptoms. In addition, prostate cancer and BPH may coexist.
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS
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.
Tadalafil was administered to over 9,000 men during clinical trials worldwide. In trials of tadalafil for once daily use, a total of 1434, 905, and 115 were treated for at least 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years, respectively. For tadalafil for use as needed, over 1,300 and 1,000 subjects were treated for at least 6 months and 1 year, respectively.
Tadalafil f or Use as Needed for ED
In eight primary placebo-controlled clinical studies of 12 weeks duration, mean age was 59 years (range 22 to 88) and the discontinuation rate due to adverse events in patients treated with tadalafil 10 mg or 20 mg was 3.1%, compared to 1.4% in placebo treated patients.
When taken as recommended in the placebo-controlled clinical trials, the following adverse reactions were reported (see Table 1) for tadalafil for use as needed:
T able 1: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 2% of Patients Treated with Tadalafil ( 10 mg or 20 mg) and More Frequent on Drug than Placebo in the Eight Primary Placebo-Controlled Clinical Studies (Including a Study in Patients with Diabetes) for Tadalafil fo r Use as Needed for ED
Adverse Reaction | Placebo (N=476) | Tadalafil 5 mg (N=151) | Tadalafil 10 mg (N=394) | Tadalafil 20 mg (N=635) |
Headache | 5% | 11% | 11% | 15% |
Dyspepsia | 1% | 4% | 8% | 10% |
Back pain | 3% | 3% | 5% | 6% |
Myalgia | 1% | 1% | 4% | 3% |
Nasal congestion | 1% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Flushinga | 1% | 2% | 3% | 3% |
Pain in limb | 1% | 1% | 3% | 3% |
a The term flushing includes: facial flushing and flushing |
Tadalafil f or Once Daily Use for ED
In three placebo-controlled clinical trials of 12 or 24 weeks duration, mean age was 58 years (range 21 to 82) and the discontinuation rate due to adverse events in patients treated with tadalafil was 4.1%, compared to 2.8% in placebo-treated patients.
The following adverse reactions were reported (seeTable 2) in clinical trials of 12 weeks duration:
T able 2: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 2% of Patients Treated with Tadalafil f o r Once Daily Use (2.5 mg or 5 mg) and More Frequent on Drug than Placebo in the Three Primary Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Studies of 12 weeks Treatment Duration (Including a Study in Patients with Diabetes) for Tadalafil for Once Daily Use for ED
Adverse Reaction | Placebo (N=248) | Tadalafil 2.5 mg (N=196) | Tadalafil 5 mg (N=304) |
Headache | 5% | 3% | 6% |
Dyspepsia | 2% | 4% | 5% |
Nasopharyngitis | 4% | 4% | 3% |
Back pain | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Upper respiratory tract infection | 1% | 3% | 3% |
Flushing | 1% | 1% | 3% |
Myalgia | 1% | 2% | 2% |
Cough | 0% | 4% | 2% |
Diarrhea | 0% | 1% | 2% |
Nasal congestion | 0% | 2% | 2% |
Pain in extremity | 0% | 1% | 2% |
Urinary tract infection | 0% | 2% | 0% |
Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 0% | 2% | 1% |
Abdominal pain | 0% | 2% | 1% |
The following adverse reactions were reported (see Table 3) over 24 weeks treatment duration in one placebo-controlled clinical study:
T able 3: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 2% of Patients Treated with Tadalafil f o r Once Daily Use (2.5 mg or 5 mg) and More Frequent on Drug than Placebo in One Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study of 24 Weeks Treatment Duration for Tadalafil fo r Once Daily Use for ED
Adverse Reaction | Placebo (N=94) | Tadalafil 2.5 mg (N=96) | Tadalafil 5 mg (N=97) |
Nasopharyngitis | 5% | 6% | 6% |
Gastroenteritis | 2% | 3% | 5% |
Back pain | 3% | 5% | 2% |
Upper respiratory tract infection | 0% | 3% | 4% |
Dyspepsia | 1% | 4% | 1% |
Gastroesophageal reflux disease | 0% | 3% | 2% |
Myalgia | 2% | 4% | 1% |
Hypertension | 0% | 1% | 3% |
Nasal congestion | 0% | 0% | 4% |
Tadalafil f or Once Daily Use for BPH and for ED and BPH
In three placebo-controlled clinical trials of 12 weeks duration, two in patients with BPH and one in patients with ED and BPH, the mean age was 63 years (range 44 to 93) and the discontinuation rate due to adverse events in patients treated with tadalafil was 3.6% compared to 1.6% in placebo-treated patients. Adverse reactions leading to discontinuation reported by at least 2 patients treated with tadalafil included headache, upper abdominal pain, and myalgia. The following adverse reactions were reported (see Table 4).
T able 4: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 1% of Patients Treated with Tadalafil f o r Once Daily Use (5 mg) and More Frequent on Drug than Placebo in Three Placebo-Controlled Clinical Studies of 12 Weeks Treatment Duration, including Two Studies for Tadalafil fo r Once Daily Use for BPH and One Study for ED and BPH
Adverse Reaction | Placebo (N=576) | Tadalafil 5 mg (N=581) |
Headache | 2.3% | 4.1% |
Dyspepsia | 0.2% | 2.4% |
Back pain | 1.4% | 2.4% |
Nasopharyngitis | 1.6% | 2.1% |
Diarrhea | 1.0% | 1.4% |
Pain in extremity | 0.0% | 1.4% |
Myalgia | 0.3% | 1.2% |
Dizziness | 0.5% | 1.0% |
Additional, less frequent adverse reactions (< 1%) reported in the controlled clinical trials of tadalafil for BPH or ED and BPH included: gastroesophageal reflux disease, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, arthralgia, and muscle spasm.
Back pain or myalgia was reported at incidence rates described in Tables 1 through 4. In tadalafil clinical pharmacology trials, back pain or myalgia generally occurred 12 to 24 hours after dosing and typically resolved within 48 hours. The back pain/myalgia associated with tadalafil treatment was characterized by diffuse bilateral lower lumbar, gluteal, thigh, or thoracolumbar muscular discomfort and was exacerbated by recumbency. In general, pain was reported as mild or moderate in severity and resolved without medical treatment, but severe back pain was reported with a low frequency (< 5% of all reports). When medical treatment was necessary, acetaminophen or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were generally effective; however, in a small percentage of subjects who required treatment, a mild narcotic (e.g., codeine) was used. Overall, approximately 0.5% of all subjects treated with tadalafil for on demand use discontinued treatment as a consequence of back pain/myalgia. In the 1-year open label extension study, back pain and myalgia were reported in 5.5% and 1.3% of patients, respectively. Diagnostic testing, including measures for inflammation, muscle injury, or renal damage revealed no evidence of medically significant underlying pathology. Incidence rates for tadalafil for once daily use for ED, BPH and BPH/ED are described in Tables 2, 3 and 4. In studies of tadalafil for once daily use, adverse reactions of back pain and myalgia were generally mild or moderate with a discontinuation rate of < 1% across all indications.
Across placebo-controlled studies with tadalafil for use as needed for ED, diarrhea was reported more frequently in patients 65 years of age and older who were treated with tadalafil (2.5% of patients) [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].
Across all studies with any tadalafil dose, reports of changes in color vision were rare (< 0.1% of patients).
The following section identifies additional, less frequent events (< 2%) reported in controlled clinical trials of tadalafil for once daily use or use as needed. A causal relationship of these events to tadalafil is uncertain. Excluded from this list are those events that were minor, those with no plausible relation to drug use, and reports too imprecise to be meaningful:
Body as a Whole — asthenia, face edema, fatigue, pain, peripheral edema
Cardiovascular — angina pectoris, chest pain, hypotension, myocardial infarction, postural hypotension, palpitations, syncope, tachycardia
Digestive — abnormal liver function tests, dry mouth, dysphagia, esophagitis, gastritis, GGTP increased, loose stools, nausea, upper abdominal pain, vomiting, gastroesophageal reflux disease, hemorrhoidal hemorrhage, rectal hemorrhage
M u sculoskeletal — arthralgia, neck pain
Nervous — dizziness, hypesthesia, insomnia, paresthesia, somnolence, vertigo
Renal and Urinary — renal impairment
Respiratory — dyspnea, epistaxis, pharyngitis
S kin and Appendages — pruritus, rash, sweating
Ophth almologic — blurred vision, changes in color vision, conjunctivitis (including conjunctival hyperemia), eye pain, lacrimation increase, swelling of eyelids
Oto logic — sudden decrease or loss of hearing, tinnitus
Urogenital — erection increased, spontaneous penile erection
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