MabCampath 30mg/ml concentrate for solution for infusion Ref.[2469] Active ingredients: Alemtuzumab

Acute adverse reactions, which may occur during initial dose escalation and some of which may be due to the release of cytokines, include hypotension, chills/rigors, fever, shortness of breath and rashes. Additional reactions include nausea, urticaria, vomiting, fatigue, dyspnoea, headache, pruritus, diarrhoea and bronchospasm. The frequency of infusion reactions was highest in the first week of therapy, and declined in the second or third week of treatment, in patients treated with MabCampath both as first line therapy and in previously treated patients.

If these events are moderate to severe, then dosing should continue at the same level prior to each dose escalation, with appropriate premedication, until each dose is well tolerated. If therapy is withheld for more than 7 days, MabCampath should be reinstituted with gradual dose escalation.

Transient hypotension has occurred in patients receiving MabCampath. Caution should be used in treating patients with ischaemic heart disease, angina and/or in patients receiving an antihypertensive medicinal product. Myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest have been observed in association with MabCampath infusion in this patient population.

Assessment and ongoing monitoring of cardiac function (e.g. echocardiography, heart rate and body weight) should be considered in patients previously treated with potentially cardiotoxic agents.

It is recommended that patients be premedicated with oral or intravenous steroids 30 – 60 minutes prior to each MabCampath infusion during dose escalation and as clinically indicated. Steroids may be discontinued as appropriate, once dose escalation has been achieved. In addition, an oral antihistamine, e.g. diphenhydramine 50 mg, and an analgesic, e.g. paracetamol 500 mg, may be given. In the event that acute infusion reactions persist, the infusion time may be extended up to 8 hours from the time of reconstitution of MabCampath in solution for infusion.

Profound lymphocyte depletion, an expected pharmacological effect of MabCampath, inevitably occurs and may be prolonged. CD4 and CD8 T-cell counts begin to rise from weeks 8-12 during treatment and continue to recover for several months following the discontinuation of treatment. In patients receiving MabCampath as first line therapy, the recovery of CD4+ counts to ≥200 cells/µl occurred by 6 months post-treatment, however, at 2 months post-treatment the median was 183 cells/μl. In previously treated patients receiving MabCampath, the median time to reach a level of 200 cells/μl is 2 months following last infusion with MabCampath but may take more than 12 months to approximate pretreatment levels. This may predispose patients to opportunistic infections. It is highly recommended that anti-infective prophylaxis (e.g. trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole 1 tablet twice daily, 3 times weekly, or other prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP) and an effective oral anti-herpes agent, such as famciclovir, 250 mg twice daily) should be initiated while on therapy and for a minimum of 2 months following completion of treatment with MabCampath or until the CD4+ count has recovered to 200 cells/μl or greater, whichever is the later.

The potential for an increased risk of infection-related complications may exist following treatment with multiple chemotherapeutic or biological agents.

Because of the potential for Transfusion Associated Graft Versus Host Disease (TAGVHD) it is recommended that patients who have been treated with MabCampath receive irradiated blood products.

Asymptomatic laboratory positive Cytomegalovirus (CMV) viraemia should not necessarily be considered a serious infection requiring interruption of therapy. Ongoing clinical assessment should be performed for symptomatic CMV infection during MabCampath treatment and for at least 2 months following completion of treatment.

Transient grade 3 or 4 neutropenia occurs very commonly by weeks 5-8 following initiation of treatment. Transient grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia occurs very commonly during the first 2 weeks of therapy and then begins to improve in most patients. Therefore, haematological monitoring of patients is indicated. If a severe haematological toxicity develops, MabCampath treatment should be interrupted until the event resolves. Treatment may be reinstituted following resolution of the haematological toxicity (see section 4.2). MabCampath should be permanently discontinued if autoimmune anaemia or autoimmune thrombocytopenia appears.

Complete blood counts and platelet counts should be obtained at regular intervals during MabCampath therapy and more frequently in patients who develop cytopenias.

It is not proposed that regular and systematic monitoring of CD52 expression should be carried out as routine clinical practice. However, if retreatment is considered, it may be prudent to confirm the presence of CD52 expression. In data available from first line patients treated with MabCampath, loss of CD52 expression was not observed around the time of disease progression or death.

Patients may have allergic or hypersensitivity reactions to MabCampath and to murine or chimeric monoclonal antibodies.

Medicinal products for the treatment of hypersensitivity reactions, as well as preparedness to institute emergency measures in the event of reaction during administration is necessary (see section 4.2).

Males and females of childbearing potential should use effective contraceptive measures during treatment and for 6 months following MabCampath therapy (see sections 4.6 and 5.3).

No studies have been conducted which specifically address the effect of age on MabCampath disposition and toxicity. In general, older patients (over 65 years of age) tolerate cytotoxic therapy less well than younger individuals. Since CLL occurs commonly in this older age group, these patients should be monitored carefully (see section 4.2). In the studies in first line and previously treated patients no substantial differences in safety and efficacy related to age were observed; however the sizes of the databases are limited.

Although no formal drug interaction studies have been performed with MabCampath, there are no known clinically significant interactions of MabCampath with other medicinal products. Because MabCampath is a recombinant humanized protein, a P450 mediated drug-drug interaction would not be expected. However, it is recommended that MabCampath should not be given within 3 weeks of other chemotherapeutic agents.

Although it has not been studied, it is recommended that patients should not receive live viral vaccines in, at least, the 12 months following MabCampath therapy. The ability to generate a primary or anamnestic humoral response to any vaccine has not been studied.

Pregnancy

MabCampath is contraindicated during pregnancy. Human IgG is known to cross the placental barrier; MabCampath may cross the placental barrier as well and thus potentially cause foetal B and T cell lymphocyte depletion. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with MabCampath. It is not known if MabCampath can cause foetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.

Males and females of childbearing capacity should use effective contraceptive measures during treatment and for 6 months following MabCampath therapy (see section 5.3).

Lactation

It is not known whether MabCampath is excreted in human milk. If treatment is needed, breast-feeding should be discontinued during treatment and for at least 4 weeks following MabCampath therapy.

Fertility

There are no definitive studies of MabCampath which assess its impact on fertility. It is not known if MabCampath can affect human reproductive capacity (see section 5.3).

No studies on the effects on the ability to drive and use machines have been performed. However, caution should be exercised as confusion and somnolence have been reported.

The tables below report adverse reactions by MedDRA system organ classes (MedDRA SOCs). The frequencies are based on clinical trial data.

The most appropriate MedDRA term is used to describe a certain reaction and its synonyms and related conditions.

The frequencies are defined as: very common (≥ 1/10), common (≥ 1/100 to < 1/10), uncommon (≥ 1/1,000 to < 1/100), rare (≥ 1/10,000 to <1/1,000); very rare (<1/10,000). No information is available for events that occur at lower frequency, due to the size of the population studied; n=147 for first line treated patients and n=149 for previously treated patients.

The most frequent adverse reactions with MabCampath are: infusion reactions (pyrexia, chills, hypotension, urticaria, nausea, rash, tachycardia, dyspnoea), cytopenias (neutropenia, lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, anaemia), infections (CMV viraemia, CMV infection, other infections), gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, emesis, abdominal pain), and neurological symptoms (insomnia, anxiety). The most frequent serious adverse reactions are cytopenias, infusion reactions, and immunosuppression/infections.

Undesirable effects in first line patients

Safety data in first-line B-CLL patients are based on adverse reactions that occurred on study in 147 patients enrolled in a randomized, controlled study of MabCampath as a single agent administered at a dose of 30 mg intravenously three times weekly for up to 12 weeks, inclusive of dose escalation period. Approximately 97% of first-line patients experienced adverse reactions; the most commonly reported reactions in first line patients usually occurred in the first week of therapy.

Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects observed during treatment or within 30 days following the completion of treatment with MabCampath are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.

Acute infusion reactions including fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, hypotension, fatigue, rash, urticaria, dyspnoea, headache, pruritus and diarrhoea have been reported. The majority of these reactions are mild to moderate in severity. Acute infusion reactions usually occur during the first week of therapy and substantially decline thereafter. Grade 3 or 4 infusion reactions are uncommon after the first week of therapy.

Undesirable effects in previously treated patients

Safety data in previously treated B-CLL patients are based on 149 patients enrolled in single-arm studies of MabCampath (Studies 1, 2, and 3). More than 80% of previously treated patients may be expected to experience adverse reactions; the most commonly reported reactions usually occur during the first week of therapy.

Within each frequency grouping, undesirable effects are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.

Undesirable effects observed during post-marketing surveillance

Infusion reactions: Serious and sometimes fatal reactions, including bronchospasm, hypoxia, syncope, pulmonary infiltrates, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), respiratory arrest, myocardial infarction, arrhythmias, acute cardiac insufficiency and cardiac arrest have been observed. Severe anaphylactic and other hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic shock and angioedema, have been reported following MabCampath administration. These symptoms can be ameliorated or avoided if premedication and dose escalation are utilised (see section 4.4).

Infections and infestations: Serious and sometimes fatal viral (e.g. adenovirus, parainfluenza, hepatitis B, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)), bacterial (including tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterioses, nocardiosis), protozoan (e.g. toxoplasma gondii), and fungal (e.g. rhinocerebral mucormycosis) infections, including those due to reactivation of latent infections have occurred during post-marketing surveillance. The recommended anti-infective prophylaxis treatment appears to be effective in reducing the risk of PCP and herpes infections (see section 4.4).

EBV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders, in some cases fatal, have been reported.

Blood and lymphatic system disorders: Severe bleeding reactions have been reported.

Immune system disorders: Serious and sometimes fatal autoimmune phenomena including autoimmune haemolytic anaemia, autoimmune thrombocytopenia, aplastic anaemia, Guillain Barré syndrome and its chronic form, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy have been reported. A positive Coombs test has also been observed. Fatal Transfusion Associated Graft Versus Host Disease (TAGVHD) has also been reported.

Metabolism and nutritional disorders: Tumour lysis syndrome with fatal outcome has been reported.

Nervous system disorders: Intracranial haemorrhage has occurred with fatal outcome, in patients with thrombocytopenia.

Cardiac disorders: Congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, and decreased ejection fraction have been reported in patients previously treated with potentially cardiotoxic agents.

This medicinal product must not be mixed with other medicinal products except those mentioned in section 6.6.

There are no known incompatibilities with other medicinal products. However, other medicinal products should not be added to the MabCampath infusion or simultaneously infused through the same intravenous line.