Romidepsin

Romidepsin for injection is indicated for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in adult patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy. Romidepsin for injection is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor indicated for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in adult patients who have received at least one prior systemic therapy ( 1 ).

For Injection: 10 mg of romidepsin as a lyophilized white powder in a single-dose vial for reconstitution and further dilution. For injection: 10 mg of romidepsin as a lyophilized powder in single-dose vial for reconstitution ( 3 ).

None. None ( 4 ).

• Myelosuppression: romidepsin can cause thrombocytopenia, leukopenia (neutropenia and lymphopenia), and anemia; monitor blood counts during treatment with romidepsin; interrupt and/or modify the dose as necessary ( 5.1 ).
• Infections: Fatal and serious infections. Reactivation of DNA viruses (Epstein Barr and hepatitis B). Consider monitoring and prophylaxis in patients with evidence of prior hepatitis B ( 5.2 ).
• Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes: Consider cardiovascular monitoring in patients with congenital long QT syndrome, a history of significant cardiovascular disease, and patients taking medicinal products that lead to significant QT prolongation. Ensure that potassium and magnesium are within the normal range before administration of romidepsin ( 5.3 ).
• Tumor lysis syndrome: Patients with advanced stage disease and/or high tumor burden are at greater risk and should be closely monitored and appropriate precautions taken ( 5.4 ).
• Embryo-fetal toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. Advise females of reproductive potential and males with female partners of reproductive potential of potential risk to a fetus and to use effective contraception ( 5.5 , 8.1 , 8.3 ).

5.1 Myelosuppression Treatment with Romidepsin can cause thrombocytopenia, leukopenia (neutropenia and lymphopenia), and anemia. Monitor blood counts regularly during treatment with romidepsin and modify the dose as necessary [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )].

5.2 Infections Fatal and serious infections have been reported in clinical trials of romidepsin, including pneumonia, sepsis, and viral reactivation, including reactivation of Epstein Barr and hepatitis B viruses. These infections can occur during and following treatment. The risk of life-threatening infections may be greater in patients with a history of prior treatment with monoclonal antibodies directed against lymphocyte antigens and in patients with disease involvement of the bone marrow [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . Reactivation of hepatitis B virus infection was reported in 1% of patients in clinical trials. In patients with evidence of prior hepatitis B infection, consider monitoring for reactivation, and consider antiviral prophylaxis. Reactivation of Epstein Barr viral infection leading to liver failure has occurred in recipients of romidepsin including after ganciclovir prophylaxis.

5.3 Electrocardiographic Changes Several treatment-emergent morphological changes in ECGs (including T-wave and ST-segment changes) have been reported in clinical studies. The clinical significance of these changes is unknown [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )]. In patients with congenital long QT syndrome, patients with a history of significant cardiovascular disease, and patients taking anti-arrhythmic medicines or medicinal products that lead to significant QT prolongation, consider cardiovascular monitoring of ECGs at baseline and periodically during treatment. Confirm that potassium and magnesium levels are within normal range before administration of romidepsin [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] .

5.4 Tumor Lysis Syndrome Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) has been reported to occur in recipients of romidepsin, including in 1% of patients with tumor stage CTCL. Patients with advanced stage disease and/or high tumor burden are at greater risk, should be closely monitored, and managed as appropriate.

5.5 Embryo-Fetal Toxicity Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, romidepsin can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. In an animal reproductive study, romidepsin was embryocidal and caused adverse developmental outcomes at exposures below those in patients at the recommended dose of 14 mg/m 2 . Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 1 month after the last dose. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment and for 1 month after the last dose [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 , 8.3 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.1 )] .

The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in other sections of the prescribing information.

• Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]
• Infections [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]
• Electrocardiographic Changes [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )]
• Tumor Lysis Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] The most common adverse reactions (≥30%), excluding laboratory abnormalities, are nausea, fatigue, infections, vomiting, anorexia, electrocardiogram ST-T wave changes, dysgeusia, constipation and pruritus. Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities (≥10%) include lymphopenia, neutropenia, anemia and thrombocytopenia ( 6 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC at 1-800-551-7176 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

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. The data in the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS reflect exposure to romidepsin in four clinical trials involving 363 patients with T-cell lymphoma, including 185 patients with CTCL. Romidepsin was administered as a single agent at a dosage of 14 mg/m 2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Among 363 patients who received romidepsin, 21% were exposed for 6 months or longer and 13% were exposed for greater than one year. Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma The safety of romidepsin was evaluated in 185 patients with CTCL in 2 single arm clinical studies in which patients received a dosage of 14 mg/m 2 on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28-day cycle. Treatment continued as long as the patient benefitted from and tolerated the drug. The mean duration of treatment in these studies was 5.6 months (range: <1 to 83.4 months). Common Adverse Reactions Table 2 summarizes the most frequent adverse reactions (>20%) regardless of causality using the National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE, Version 3.0). Due to methodological differences between the studies, the AE data are presented separately for Study 1 and Study 2. Adverse reactions are ranked by their incidence in Study 1. Laboratory abnormalities commonly reported (>20%) as adverse reactions are included in Table 2 . Table 2. Adverse Reactions Occurring in >20% of Patients in Either CTCL Study (N=185) Adverse Reactions n (%) Study 1 (n=102) Study 2 (n=83) All grades Grade 3 or 4 All grades Grade 3 or 4 Any adverse reactions 99 (97) 36 (35) 83 (100) 68 (82) Nausea 57 (56) 3 (3) 71 (86) 5 (6) Asthenia/Fatigue 54 (53) 8 (8) 64 (77) 12 (14) Infections 47 (46) 11 (11) 45 (54) 27 (33) Vomiting 35 (34) 1 (<1) 43 (52) 8 (10) Anorexia 23 (23) 1 (<1) 45 (54) 3 (4) Hypomagnesemia 22 (22) 1 (<1) 23 (28) 0 Diarrhea 20 (20) 1 (<1) 22 (27) 1 (1) Pyrexia 20 (20) 4 (4) 19 (23) 1 (1) Anemia 19 (19) 3 (3) 60 (72) 13 (16) Thrombocytopenia 17 (17) 0 54 (65) 12 (14) Dysgeusia 15 (15) 0 33 (40) 0 Constipation 12 (12) 2 (2) 32 (39) 1 (1) Neutropenia 11 (11) 4 (4) 47 (57) 22 (27) Hypotension 7 (7) 3 (3) 19 (23) 3 (4) Pruritus 7 (7) 0 26 (31) 5 (6) Hypokalemia 6 (6) 0 17 (20) 2 (2) Dermatitis/Exfoliative dermatitis 4 (4) 1 (<1) 22 (27) 7 (8) Hypocalcemia 4 (4) 0 43 (52) 5 (6) Leukopenia 4 (4) 0 38 (46) 18 (22) Lymphopenia 4 (4) 0 47 (57) 31 (37) Alanine aminotransferase increased 3 (3) 0 18 (22) 2 (2) Aspartate aminotransferase increased 3 (3) 0 23 (28) 3 (4) Hypoalbuminemia 3 (3) 1 (<1) 40 (48) 3 (4) Electrocardiogram ST-T wave changes 2 (2) 0 52 (63) 0 Hyperglycemia 2 (2) 2 (2) 42 (51) 1 (1) Hyponatremia 1 (<1) 1 (<1) 17 (20) 2 (2) Hypermagnesemia 0 0 22 (27) 7 (8) Hypophosphatemia 0 0 22 (27) 8 (10) Hyperuricemia 0 0 27 (33) 7 (8) Serious Adverse Reactions Infections were the most common type of SAE reported in both studies with 8 patients (8%) in Study 1 and 26 patients (31%) in Study 2 experiencing a serious infection. Serious adverse reactions reported in >2% of patients in Study 1 were sepsis and pyrexia (3%). In Study 2, serious adverse reactions in >2% of patients were fatigue (7%), supraventricular arrhythmia, central line infection, neutropenia (6%), hypotension, hyperuricemia, edema (5%), ventricular arrhythmia, thrombocytopenia, nausea, leukopenia, dehydration, pyrexia, aspartate aminotransferase increased, sepsis, catheter related infection, hypophosphatemia and dyspnea (4%). There were eight deaths not due to disease progression. In Study 1, there were two deaths: one due to cardiopulmonary failure and one due to acute renal failure. There were six deaths in Study 2: four due to infection and one each due to myocardial ischemia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Discontinuations Discontinuation due to an adverse event occurred in 21% of patients in Study 1 and 11% in Study 2. Discontinuations occurring in at least 2% of patients in either study included infection, fatigue, dyspnea, QT prolongation, and hypomagnesemia. Other Clinical Trials Experience The following common adverse reactions have been reported following administration of romidepsin as a single agent in 178 patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma, for which romidepsin is not indicated or recommended. The most common adverse reactions (≥30%) included nausea (63%), fatigue (61%), thrombocytopenia (49%), vomiting (39%), neutropenia (39%), pyrexia (38%), diarrhea (36%) and anemia (35%). Other common (≥10%) clinically significant adverse reactions included dysgeusia (22%), headache (20%), cough (19%), dyspnea (15%), abdominal pain (13%) and stomatitis (10%). Grade 3 and higher adverse reactions in ≥10% were hematologic toxicities (including thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, leukopenia and anemia) and fatigue.

• Carefully monitor prothrombin time (PT) and International Normalized Ratio (INR) in patients concurrently administered romidepsin and warfarin or coumarin derivatives ( 7.1 ).
• Monitor for toxicities related to increased romidepsin exposure when co- administering romidepsin with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors ( 7.2 ).
• Avoid use with rifampin and strong CYP3A4 inducers ( 7.3 ).

7.1 Warfarin or Coumarin Derivatives Prolongation of PT and elevation of INR were observed in a patient receiving romidepsin concomitantly with warfarin. Monitor PT and INR more frequently in patients concurrently receiving romidepsin and warfarin [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )].

7.2 Drugs That Inhibit CYP3A4 Enzymes Strong CYP3A4 inhibitors increase concentrations of romidepsin [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Monitor for toxicity related to increased romidepsin exposure and follow the dose modifications for toxicity [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 )] when romidepsin is initially co-administered with strong CYP3A4 inhibitors.

7.3 Drugs That Induce CYP3A4 Enzymes Rifampin (a potent CYP3A4 inducer) increased the concentrations of romidepsin [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Avoid co-administration of romidepsin with rifampin. The use of other potent CYP3A4 inducers should be avoided when possible.

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Based on its mechanism of action and findings from animal studies, romidepsin can cause embryo-fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.1 )] . There are no available data on romidepsin use in pregnant women to inform a drug associated risk of major birth defects and miscarriage. In an animal reproductive study, romidepsin was embryocidal and caused adverse developmental outcomes including embryo-fetal toxicity and malformations at exposures below those in patients at the recommended dose (see Data ). Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus and to avoid becoming pregnant while receiving romidepsin and for at least 1 month after the last dose. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. Data Animal Data Romidepsin was administered intravenously to pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis at doses of 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5 mg/kg/day. Substantial resorption or postimplantation loss was observed at the high dose of 0.5 mg/kg/day, a maternally toxic dose. Adverse embryo-fetal effects were noted at romidepsin doses of ≥0.1 mg/kg/day, with systemic exposures (AUC) ≥0.2% of the human exposure at the recommended dose of 14 mg/m 2 /week. Drug-related fetal effects consisted of reduced fetal body weights, folded retina, rotated limbs, and incomplete sternal ossification.

8.2 Lactation Risk Summary There are no data on the presence of romidepsin or its metabolites in human milk, the effects on the breastfed child, or the effects on milk production. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in the breastfed child, advise lactating women not to breastfeed during treatment with romidepsin and for 1 week after the last dose.

8.3 Females and Males of Reproductive Potential Romidepsin can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman [see Use in Specific Populations ( 8.1 )] . Pregnancy Testing Perform pregnancy testing in females of reproductive potential within 7 days prior to initiating therapy with romidepsin. Contraception Females Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with romidepsin and for 1 month after the last dose. romidepsin may reduce the effectiveness of estrogen-containing contraceptives. Therefore, alternative methods of non-estrogen containing contraception (e.g., condoms, intrauterine devices) should be used in patients receiving romidepsin. Males Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with romidepsin and for 1 month after the last dose. Infertility Based on findings in animals, romidepsin has the potential to affect male and female fertility [see Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )].

8.4 Pediatric Use The safety and effectiveness of romidepsin in pediatric patients have not been established.

8.5 Geriatric Use Of the 186 patients with CTCL who received romidepsin in clinical studies, 51 (28%) were 65 years of age and older, while 16 (9%) were 75 years of age. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between patients 65 years of age and over and younger patients; however, greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.

8.6 Hepatic Impairment In a hepatic impairment study, romidepsin was evaluated in 19 patients with advanced cancer and mild (8), moderate (5), or severe (6) hepatic impairment. There were 4 deaths during the first cycle of treatment: 1 patient with mild hepatic impairment, 1 patient with moderate hepatic impairment, and 2 patients with severe hepatic impairment. No dose adjustments are recommended for patients with mild hepatic impairment. Reduce the romidepsin starting dose for patients with moderate and severe hepatic impairment [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.3 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Monitor patients with hepatic impairment more frequently for toxicity, especially during the first cycle of therapy.

Romidepsin is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. HDACs catalyze the removal of acetyl groups from acetylated lysine residues in histones, resulting in the modulation of gene expression. HDACs also deacetylate non-histone proteins, such as transcription factors. In vitro, romidepsin causes the accumulation of acetylated histones, and induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of some cancer cell lines with IC 50 values in the nanomolar range. The mechanism of the antineoplastic effect of romidepsin observed in nonclinical and clinical studies has not been fully characterized.