Trelegy Ellipta (Page 2 of 10)
5.2 Deterioration of Disease and Acute Episodes
TRELEGY ELLIPTA should not be initiated in patients during rapidly deteriorating or potentially life-threatening episodes of COPD or asthma. TRELEGY ELLIPTA has not been studied in subjects with acutely deteriorating COPD or asthma. The initiation of TRELEGY ELLIPTA in this setting is not appropriate.
If TRELEGY ELLIPTA 100/62.5/25 mcg no longer controls symptoms of bronchoconstriction; the patient’s inhaled, short-acting beta2 -agonist becomes less effective; or the patient needs more short-acting beta2 -agonist than usual, these may be markers of deterioration of disease. In this setting, re-evaluate the patient and the COPD treatment regimen at once. For COPD, the daily dose of TRELEGY ELLIPTA 100/62.5/25 mcg should not be increased.
Increasing use of inhaled, short-acting beta2 -agonists is a marker of deteriorating asthma. In this situation, the patient requires immediate reevaluation with reassessment of the treatment regimen, giving special consideration to the need for additional therapeutic options. Patients should not use more than 1 inhalation once daily of TRELEGY ELLIPTA.
TRELEGY ELLIPTA should not be used for the relief of acute symptoms, i.e., as rescue therapy for the treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm. TRELEGY ELLIPTA has not been studied in the relief of acute symptoms and extra doses should not be used for that purpose. Acute symptoms should be treated with an inhaled, short-acting beta2 -agonist.
When beginning treatment with TRELEGY ELLIPTA, patients who have been taking oral or inhaled, short-acting beta2 -agonists on a regular basis (e.g., 4 times a day) should be instructed to discontinue the regular use of these drugs and to use them only for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory symptoms. When prescribing TRELEGY ELLIPTA, the healthcare provider should also prescribe an inhaled, short-acting beta2 -agonist and instruct the patient on how it should be used.
5.3 Avoid Excessive Use of TRELEGY ELLIPTA and Avoid Use with Other Long-acting Beta2 -agonists
TRELEGY ELLIPTA should not be used more often than recommended, at higher doses than recommended, or in conjunction with other therapies containing LABA, as an overdose may result. Clinically significant cardiovascular effects and fatalities have been reported in association with excessive use of inhaled sympathomimetic drugs. Patients using TRELEGY ELLIPTA should not use another therapy containing a LABA (e.g., salmeterol, formoterol fumarate, arformoterol tartrate, indacaterol) for any reason.
5.4 Oropharyngeal Candidiasis
TRELEGY ELLIPTA contains fluticasone furoate, an ICS. Localized infections of the mouth and pharynx with Candida albicans have occurred in subjects treated with orally inhaled drug products containing fluticasone furoate. When such an infection develops, it should be treated with appropriate local or systemic (i.e., oral) antifungal therapy while treatment with TRELEGY ELLIPTA continues. In some cases, therapy with TRELEGY ELLIPTA may need to be interrupted. Advise the patient to rinse his/her mouth with water without swallowing following administration of TRELEGY ELLIPTA to help reduce the risk of oropharyngeal candidiasis.
5.5 Pneumonia
Lower respiratory tract infections, including pneumonia, have been reported following the inhaled administration of corticosteroids.
Physicians should remain vigilant for the possible development of pneumonia in patients with COPD as clinical features of pneumonia and exacerbations frequently overlap.
In two 12-week trials of subjects with COPD (N = 824), the incidence of pneumonia was <1% for both treatment arms: umeclidinium 62.5 mcg + fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg or placebo + fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg. Fatal pneumonia occurred in 1 subject receiving placebo + fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg.
In a 52-week trial of subjects with COPD (N = 10,355), the incidence of pneumonia was 8% for TRELEGY ELLIPTA 100/62.5/25 mcg (n = 4,151), 7% for fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg (n = 4,134), and 5% for umeclidinium/vilanterol 62.5/25 mcg (n = 2,070). Fatal pneumonia occurred in 12 of 4,151 patients (0.35 per 100 patient-years) receiving TRELEGY ELLIPTA 100/62.5/25 mcg; 5 of 4,134 patients (0.17 per 100 patient-years) receiving fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg; and 5 of 2,070 patients (0.29 per 100 patient-years) receiving umeclidinium/vilanterol 62.5/25 mcg.
In a mortality trial with fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg with a median treatment duration of 1.5 years in 16,568 subjects with moderate COPD and cardiovascular disease, the annualized incidence rate of pneumonia was 3.4 per 100 patient-years for fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg, 3.2 for placebo, 3.3 for fluticasone furoate 100 mcg, and 2.3 for vilanterol 25 mcg. Adjudicated, on‑treatment deaths due to pneumonia occurred in 13 subjects receiving fluticasone furoate/vilanterol 100/25 mcg, 9 subjects receiving placebo, 10 subjects receiving fluticasone furoate 100 mcg, and 6 subjects receiving vilanterol 25 mcg (<0.2 per 100 patient-years for each treatment group).
5.6 Immunosuppression and Risk of Infections
Persons who are using drugs that suppress the immune system are more susceptible to infections than healthy individuals. Chickenpox and measles can have a more serious or even fatal course in susceptible children or adults using corticosteroids. In such children or adults who have not had these diseases or been properly immunized, particular care should be taken to avoid exposure. How the dose, route, and duration of corticosteroid administration affect the risk of developing a disseminated infection is not known. The safety and effectiveness of TRELEGY have not been established in pediatric patients and TRELEGY is not indicated for use in this population. The contribution of the underlying disease and/or prior corticosteroid treatment to the risk is also not known. If a patient is exposed to chickenpox, prophylaxis with varicella zoster immune globulin (VZIG) may be indicated. If a patient is exposed to measles, prophylaxis with pooled intramuscular immunoglobulin (IG) may be indicated. (See the respective Prescribing Information for VZIG and IG.) If chickenpox develops, treatment with antiviral agents may be considered.
ICS should be used with caution, if at all, in patients with active or quiescent tuberculosis infections of the respiratory tract; systemic fungal, bacterial, viral, or parasitic infections; or ocular herpes simplex.
5.7 Transferring Patients from Systemic Corticosteroid Therapy
HPA Suppression/Adrenal Insufficiency
Particular care is needed for patients who have been transferred from systemically active corticosteroids to ICS because deaths due to adrenal insufficiency have occurred in patients during and after transfer from systemic corticosteroids to less systemically available ICS. After withdrawal from systemic corticosteroids, a number of months are required for recovery of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) function.
Patients who have been previously maintained on 20 mg or more of prednisone (or its equivalent) may be most susceptible, particularly when their systemic corticosteroids have been almost completely withdrawn. During this period of HPA suppression, patients may exhibit signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency when exposed to trauma, surgery, or infection (particularly gastroenteritis) or other conditions associated with severe electrolyte loss. Although TRELEGY ELLIPTA may control COPD or asthma symptoms during these episodes, in recommended doses it supplies less than normal physiological amounts of glucocorticoid systemically and does NOT provide the mineralocorticoid activity that is necessary for coping with these emergencies.
During periods of stress, a severe COPD exacerbation, or a severe asthma attack, patients who have been withdrawn from systemic corticosteroids should be instructed to resume oral corticosteroids (in large doses) immediately and to contact their health care practitioner for further instruction. These patients should also be instructed to carry a warning card indicating that they may need supplementary systemic corticosteroids during periods of stress, a severe COPD exacerbation, or a severe asthma attack.
Patients requiring oral corticosteroids should be weaned slowly from systemic corticosteroid use after transferring to TRELEGY ELLIPTA. Prednisone reduction can be accomplished by reducing the daily prednisone dose by 2.5 mg on a weekly basis during therapy with TRELEGY ELLIPTA. Lung function (FEV1 ), beta-agonist use, and COPD or asthma symptoms should be carefully monitored during withdrawal of oral corticosteroids. In addition, patients should be observed for signs and symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, such as fatigue, lassitude, weakness, nausea and vomiting, and hypotension.
Unmasking of Allergic Conditions Previously Suppressed by Systemic Corticosteroids
Transfer of patients from systemic corticosteroid therapy to TRELEGY ELLIPTA may unmask allergic conditions previously suppressed by the systemic corticosteroid therapy (e.g., rhinitis, conjunctivitis, eczema, arthritis, eosinophilic conditions).
Corticosteroid Withdrawal Symptoms
During withdrawal from oral corticosteroids, some patients may experience symptoms of systemically active corticosteroid withdrawal (e.g., joint and/or muscular pain, lassitude, depression) despite maintenance or even improvement of respiratory function.
All MedLibrary.org resources are included in as near-original form as possible, meaning that the information from the original provider has been rendered here with only typographical or stylistic modifications and not with any substantive alterations of content, meaning or intent.