Year: 2017

AHFS Drug Information/Essentials Update – June 2017

5 June, 2017 no responses

The June update to the AHFS Drug Information/Essentials database has been published. Highlights from this month’s update include:

New AHFS/Essentials Monographs

  • New Full-Length Monographs
    • Elotuzumab (Empliciti®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
      • Indicated in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior therapies.
    • Metreleptin (Myalept®) – 68:40 (Leptins)
      • Treatment of leptin deficiency in congenital or acquired generalized lipodystrophy.
    • Tenofovir Alafenamide Fumarate (Vemlidy®) – 8:18.32 (Nucleosides and Nucleotides)
      • Indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in adults with compensated liver disease.
  • New First-Release Monographs
    • Niraparib Tosylate (Zejula®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
      • Maintenance treatment of adult patients with recurrent epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer who are in a complete or partial response to platinum-based chemotherapy.
    • Valbenazine Tosylate (Ingrezza®) – 28:92 (Central Nervous System Agents, Miscellaneous)
      • Treatment of tardive dyskinesia in adults.
    • Durvalumab (Imfinzi®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
      • Treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic urothelial carcinoma who have disease progression during or following platinum-containing chemotherapy or have disease progression within 12 months of neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment with platinum-containing chemotherapy.
    • Brigatinib (Alunbrig®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
      • Treatment of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have progressed on or are intolerant to crizotinib.
    • Midostaurin (Rydapt®) – 10:00 (Antineoplastic Agents)
      • Acute Myeloid Leukemia
        • In combination with standard cytarabine and daunorubicin induction and cytarabine consolidation chemotherapy, for the treatment of adult patients with newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who are FLT3 mutation-positive, as detected by a FDA approved test (not indicated as a single-agent induction therapy).
      • Systemic Mastocytosis
        • Indicated for the treatment of adult patients with aggressive systemic mastocytosis (ASM), systemic mastocytosis with associated hematological neoplasm (SM-AHN), or mast cell leukemia (MCL).
    • Cerliponase Alfa (Brineura®) – 44:00 (Enzymes)
      • To slow the loss of ambulation in symptomatic pediatric patients 3 years of age and older with late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2), also known as tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1) deficiency.
    • Abaloparatide (Tymlos®) – 68:24 (Parathyroid)
      • Human parathyroid hormone related peptide [PTHrP(1-34)] analog indicated for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture.
    • Safinamide Mesylate (Xadago®) – 28:36.32 (Monoamine Oxidase B Inhibitors)
      • Adjunctive treatment to levodopa/carbidopa in patients with Parkinson’s disease experiencing “off” episodes.
    • Edaravone (Radicava®) – 28:92 (Central Nervous System Agents, Miscellaneous)
      • Treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

FDA MedWatch Alerts

  • The FDA has approved previously announced label changes regarding the use of general anesthetic and sedation medicines in children younger than 3 years.
    • Affected Monographs:
      • 302025,”Propofol”,”28:04.92″
      • 302038,”Etomidate”,”28:04.92″
      • 382053,”LORazepam”,”28:24.08″
      • 382416,”PENTobarbital”,”28:24.04″
      • 387008,”Midazolam”,”28:24.08″
  • The FDA has concluded that the type 2 diabetes medicine canagliflozin (Invokana, Invokamet, Invokamet XR) causes an increased risk of leg and foot amputations.
    • Affected Monographs:
      • 313046,”Canagliflozin”,”68:20.18″

AHFS Patient Medication Information Update – May 2017

24 May, 2017 no responses

The May update to the AHFS Patient Medication Information (PMI) database has been published. Highlights of the update include:

New PMI Monographs

  • Ribociclib (Kisqali®)
    • Ribociclib is used in combination with another medication to treat a certain type of hormone receptor–positive, advanced breast cancer breast cancer that depends on hormones such as estrogen to grow) in women who have experienced menopause (change of life; end of monthly menstrual periods).
  • Niraparib (Zejula®)
    • Niraparib is used to help maintain the response of certain types of ovarian (female reproductive organs where eggs are formed), fallopian tube (tube that transports eggs released by the ovaries to the uterus), and peritoneal (layer of tissue that lines the stomach) cancer to chemotherapy medications after the cancer has returned from previous treatment(s).
  • Avelumab Injection (Bavencio®)
    • Avelumab injection is used to treat a certain type of skin cancer that has spread to other parts of the body in adults and children 12 years of age and older.

FDA MedWatch Alert Revisions

  • FDA is restricting the use of codeine and tramadol medicines in children.
    • These medicines carry serious risks, including slowed or difficult breathing and death, which appear to be a greater risk in children younger than 12 years, and should not be used in these children.
    • Affected Monographs:
      • Acetaminophen and Codeine
      • Acetaminophen, Butalbital, and Caffeine
      • Codeine
      • Tramadol
  • FDA has approved previously announced label changes regarding the use of general anesthetic and sedation medicines in children younger than 3 years.
    • Affected Monographs:
      • Midazolam

AHFS Drug Information/Essentials Update – May 2017

1 May, 2017 no responses

The May update to the AHFS Drug Information/Essentials database has been published. Highlights from this month’s update include:

New AHFS/Essentials Monographs

  • New Full-Length Monographs
    • Lumacaftor And Ivacaftor (Orkambi®) – 48:14.04 (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Correctors)
      • Treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients age 12 years and older who are homozygous for the F508del mutation in the CFTR gene.
    • Uridine Triacetate (Xuriden, Vistogard®) – 92:12 (Antidotes)
      • Xuriden®: Treatment of hereditary orotic aciduria.
      • Vistogard®: A separate NDA approved for emergency treatment of fluorouracil or capecitabine overdose or patients who exhibit early-onset, severe or life-threatening toxicity affecting the cardiac or central nervous system, and/or early-onset, unusually severe adverse reactions (e.g., GI toxicity and/or neutropenia) within 96 hours following the end of fluorouracil or capecitabine administration.
  • New First-Release Monographs
    • Ocrelizumab (Ocrevus®) – 92:20 (Immunomodulatory Agents)
      • Treatment of adult patients with relapsing or primary progressive forms of multiple sclerosis.
    • Dupilumab (Dupixent®) – 84:92 (Skin and Mucous Membrane Agents, Miscellaneous)
      • Treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis) not controlled adequately by topical therapies, or those for whom topical therapies are not advisable.
    • Etelcalcetide Hydrochloride (Parsabiv®) – 92:92 (Other Miscellaneous Therapeutic Agents)
      • A calcium-sensing receptor agonist indicated for secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on hemodialysis.
    • Naldemedine Tosylate (Symproic®) – 56:92 (GI Drugs, Miscellaneous)
      • Treatment of opioid-induced constipation in adult patients with chronic non-cancer pain.
    • Deutetrabenazine (Austedo®) – 28:92 (Central Nervous System Agents, Miscellaneous)
      • Treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.

FDA MedWatch Alerts

  • FDA is restricting the use of codeine and tramadol medicines in children.
    • Affected Monographs
      • 382065,”Codeine”,”28:08.08″
      • 382491,”Codeine”,”48:08″
      • 395011,”traMADol”,”28:08.08″
    •  FDA is now adding the following changes to the labeling of codeine and tramadol:
      • FDA’s strongest warning, called a Contraindication, to the drug labels of codeine and tramadol alerting that codeine should not be used to treat pain or cough and tramadol should not be used to treat pain in children younger than 12 years.
      • A new Contraindication to the tramadol label warning against its use in children younger than 18 years to treat pain after surgery to remove the tonsils and/or adenoids.
      • A new Warning to the drug labels of codeine and tramadol to recommend against their use in adolescents between 12 and 18 years who are obese or have conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea or severe lung disease, which may increase the risk of serious breathing problems.
      • A strengthened Warning to mothers that breastfeeding is not recommended when taking codeine or tramadol medicines due to the risk of serious adverse reactions in breastfed infants. These can include excess sleepiness, difficulty breastfeeding, or serious breathing problems that could result in death.
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