Eplerenone tablets are contraindicated for the treatment of hypertension in patients with:
- type 2 diabetes with microalbuminuria,
- serum creatinine >2.0 mg/dL in males or >1.8 mg/dL in females,
- creatinine clearance <50 mL/min, or
- concomitant administration of potassium supplements or potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g., amiloride, spironolactone, or triamterene).
[See
Warnings and Precautions (5.1),
Adverse Reactions (6.2),
Drug Interactions (7), and
Clinical Pharmacology (12.3).]
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 clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
Hypertension
Eplerenone has been evaluated for safety in 3,091 patients treated for hypertension. A total of 690 patients were treated for over 6 months and 106 patients were treated for over 1 year.
In placebo-controlled studies, the overall rates of adverse events were 47% with eplerenone and 45% with placebo. Adverse events occurred at a similar rate regardless of age, gender, or race. Therapy was discontinued due to an adverse event in 3% of patients treated with eplerenone and 3% of patients given placebo. The most common reasons for discontinuation of eplerenone were headache, dizziness, angina pectoris/MI, and increased GGT.
Gynecomastia and abnormal vaginal bleeding were reported with eplerenone but not with placebo. The rates increased with increasing duration of therapy.
Hypertension
Potassium: In placebo-controlled fixed-dose studies, the mean increases in serum potassium were dose-related and are shown in Table 4 along with the frequencies of values >5.5 mEq/L.
Table 4. Increases in Serum Potassium in the Placebo-Controlled, Fixed-Dose Hypertension Studies of Eplerenone | Mean Increase mEq/L | % >5.5 mEq/L |
|---|
| Daily Dosage | n | | |
|---|
| Placebo | 194 | 0 | 1 |
| 25 | 97 | 0.08 | 0 |
| 50 | 245 | 0.14 | 0 |
| 100 | 193 | 0.09 | 1 |
Risk Summary
The available data from published case reports on eplerenone use during pregnancy are insufficient to establish a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage, adverse maternal or fetal outcomes (see Clinical Considerations). In animal studies, no adverse developmental effects were observed when eplerenone was administered to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis at exposures 32 and 31 times, respectively the human exposure at the 100 mg/day therapeutic dose.
The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population are unknown. In the US general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.
Clinical Considerations
Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk
Hypertension in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, premature delivery, and delivery complications (e.g., need for cesarean section, and post-partum hemorrhage). Hypertension increases the fetal risk for intrauterine growth restriction and intrauterine death. Pregnant women with hypertension should be carefully monitored and managed accordingly.
Pregnant women with heart failure are at increased risk for preterm birth. Stroke volume and heart rate increase during pregnancy, increasing cardiac output, especially during the first trimester. Clinical classification of heart disease may worsen with pregnancy and lead to maternal death. Closely monitor pregnant patients for destabilization of their heart failure.
Hypertension
Of the total number of subjects in clinical hypertension studies of eplerenone, 1,123 (23%) were 65 and over, while 212 (4%) were 75 and over. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between elderly subjects and younger subjects, however due to age-related decreases in creatine clearance, the risk of hyperkalemia may be increased
[See
Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]
.
Absorption and Distribution
Mean peak plasma concentrations of eplerenone are reached approximately 1.5 to 2 hours following oral administration. Absorption is not affected by food. The absolute bioavailability of eplerenone is 69% following administration of a 100 mg oral tablet. Both peak plasma levels (C
max) and area under the curve (AUC) are dose proportional for doses of 25 mg to 100 mg and less than proportional at doses above 100 mg. Upon repeat dosing, steady state levels are reached within 2 days.
The plasma protein binding of eplerenone is about 50% and it is primarily bound to alpha 1-acid glycoproteins. The apparent volume of distribution at steady state ranged from 42 to 90 L. Eplerenone does not preferentially bind to red blood cells.
Metabolism and Excretion
Eplerenone metabolism is primarily mediated via CYP3A4. No active metabolites of eplerenone have been identified in human plasma.
Less than 5% of an eplerenone dose is recovered as unchanged drug in the urine and feces. Following a single oral dose of radiolabeled drug, approximately 32% of the dose was excreted in the feces and approximately 67% was excreted in the urine. The elimination half-life of eplerenone is approximately 3 to 6 hours. The apparent plasma clearance is approximately 10 L/hr.
Age, Gender, and Race
The pharmacokinetics of eplerenone at a dose of 100 mg once daily has been investigated in the elderly (≥65 years), in males and females, and in Blacks. At steady state, elderly subjects had increases in C
max (22%) and AUC (45%) compared with younger subjects (18 to 45 years). The pharmacokinetics of eplerenone did not differ significantly between males and females. At steady state, C
max was 19% lower and AUC was 26% lower in Blacks.
[See
Dosage and Administration (2.4) and
Use In Specific Populations (8.5).]
Renal Impairment
The pharmacokinetics of eplerenone was evaluated in patients with varying degrees of renal impairment and in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Compared with control subjects, steady state AUC and C
max were increased by 38% and 24%, respectively, in patients with severe renal impairment and were decreased by 26% and 3%, respectively, in patients undergoing hemodialysis. No correlation was observed between plasma clearance of eplerenone and creatinine clearance. Eplerenone is not removed by hemodialysis
[see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].
Hepatic Impairment
The pharmacokinetics of eplerenone 400 mg has been investigated in patients with moderate (Child-Pugh Class B) hepatic impairment and compared with normal subjects. Steady state C
max and AUC of eplerenone were increased by 3.6% and 42%, respectively.
Heart Failure
The pharmacokinetics of eplerenone 50 mg was evaluated in 8 patients with heart failure (NYHA classification II – IV) and 8 matched (gender, age, weight) healthy controls. Compared with the controls, steady state AUC and C
max in patients with stable heart failure were 38% and 30% higher, respectively.
Drug-Drug Interactions
Eplerenone is metabolized primarily by CYP3A4. Inhibitors of CYP3A cause increased exposure
[see
Drug Interactions (7.1)]
.
Drug-drug interaction studies were conducted with a 100 mg dose of eplerenone.
Following a single dose of eplerenone 100 mg and CYP3A inhibitor ketoconazole 200 mg twice a day eplerenone’s Cmax was 1.7-fold and AUC was 5.4-fold compared with eplerenone alone.
Administration of eplerenone with moderate CYP3A inhibitors (e.g., erythromycin 500 mg BID, verapamil 240 mg once daily, saquinavir 1200 mg three times a day, fluconazole 200 mg once daily) resulted in increases in Cmax of eplerenone ranging from 40% to 60% and AUC from 100% to 190%.
Grapefruit juice caused a 25% increase in exposure.
Eplerenone is not an inhibitor of CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP2C19, CYP2C9, or CYP2D6. Eplerenone did not inhibit the metabolism of amiodarone, amlodipine, astemizole, chlorzoxazone, cisapride, dexamethasone, dextromethorphan, diclofenac, 17α-ethinyl estradiol, fluoxetine, losartan, lovastatin, mephobarbital, methylphenidate, methylprednisolone, metoprolol, midazolam, nifedipine, phenacetin, phenytoin, simvastatin, tolbutamide, triazolam, verapamil, or warfarin in vitro
. Eplerenone is not a substrate or an inhibitor of P-Glycoprotein at clinically relevant doses.
No clinically significant drug-drug pharmacokinetic interactions were observed when eplerenone was administered with cisapride, cyclosporine, digoxin, glyburide, midazolam, oral contraceptives (norethindrone/ethinyl estradiol), simvastatin, or warfarin. St. John's wort (a CYP3A inducer) caused a small (about 30%) decrease in eplerenone AUC.
No significant changes in eplerenone pharmacokinetics were observed when eplerenone was administered with aluminum- and magnesium-containing antacids.
Manufactured For:
Accord Healthcare, Inc.,
1009, Slater Road,
Suite 210-B,
Durham, NC 27703,
USA.
Manufactured By:
Intas Pharmaceuticals Limited,
Plot No. : 457, 458,
Village – Matoda,
Bavla Road, Ta.- Sanand,
Dist.- Ahmedabad – 382 210,
INDIA.
10 3268 0 688986
Issued October 2018