Major Depressive Disorder — Cymbalta should be administered at a total dose of 40 mg/day (given as 20 mg twice daily) to 60 mg/day (given either once daily or as 30 mg twice daily). For some patients, it may be desirable to start at 30 mg once daily for 1 week, to allow patients to adjust to the medication before increasing to 60 mg once daily. While a 120 mg/day dose was shown to be effective, there is no evidence that doses greater than 60 mg/day confer any additional benefits. The safety of doses above 120 mg/day has not been adequately evaluated [see Clinical Studies (14.1)].
Generalized Anxiety Disorder — For most patients, the recommended starting dose for Cymbalta is 60 mg administered once daily. For some patients, it may be desirable to start at 30 mg once daily for 1 week, to allow patients to adjust to the medication before increasing to 60 mg once daily. While a 120 mg once daily dose was shown to be effective, there is no evidence that doses greater than 60 mg/day confer additional benefit. Nevertheless, if a decision is made to increase the dose beyond 60 mg once daily, dose increases should be in increments of 30 mg once daily. The safety of doses above 120 mg once daily has not been adequately evaluated [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain — The recommended dose for Cymbalta is 60 mg administered once daily. There is no evidence that doses higher than 60 mg confer additional significant benefit and the higher dose is clearly less well tolerated [see Clinical Studies (14.3)]. For patients for whom tolerability is a concern, a lower starting dose may be considered.
Since diabetes is frequently complicated by renal disease, a lower starting dose and gradual increase in dose should be considered for patients with renal impairment [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) and Dosage and Administration (2.3)].
Fibromyalgia — The recommended dose for Cymbalta is 60 mg administered once daily. Treatment should begin at 30 mg once daily for 1 week, to allow patients to adjust to the medication before increasing to 60 mg once daily. Some patients may respond to the starting dose. There is no evidence that doses greater than 60 mg/day confer additional benefit, even in patients who do not respond to a 60 mg dose, and higher doses are associated with a higher rate of adverse reactions [see Clinical Studies (14.4)].
Major Depressive Disorder — It is generally agreed that acute episodes of major depression require several months or longer of sustained pharmacologic therapy. Maintenance of efficacy in MDD was demonstrated with Cymbalta as monotherapy. Cymbalta should be administered at a total dose of 60 mg once daily. Patients should be periodically reassessed to determine the need for maintenance treatment and the appropriate dose for such treatment [see Clinical Studies (14.1)].
Generalized Anxiety Disorder — It is generally agreed that episodes of generalized anxiety disorder require several months or longer of sustained pharmacological therapy. Maintenance of efficacy in GAD was demonstrated with Cymbalta as monotherapy. Cymbalta should be administered in a dose range of 60-120 mg once daily. Patients should be periodically reassessed to determine the continued need for maintenance treatment and the appropriate dose for such treatment [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain — As the progression of diabetic peripheral neuropathy is highly variable and management of pain is empirical, the effectiveness of Cymbalta must be assessed individually. Efficacy beyond 12 weeks has not been systematically studied in placebo-controlled trials.
Fibromyalgia — Fibromyalgia is recognized as a chronic condition. The efficacy of Cymbalta in the management of fibromyalgia has been demonstrated in placebo-controlled studies up to 3 months. The efficacy of Cymbalta was not demonstrated in longer studies; however, continued treatment should be based on individual patient response.
Hepatic Insufficiency — It is recommended that Cymbalta should ordinarily not be administered to patients with any hepatic insufficiency [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12) and Use in Specific Populations (8.9)].
Severe Renal Impairment — Cymbalta is not recommended for patients with end-stage renal disease or severe renal impairment (estimated creatinine clearance <30 mL/min) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12) and Use in Specific Populations (8.10)].
Elderly Patients — No dose adjustment is recommended for elderly patients on the basis of age. As with any drug, caution should be exercised in treating the elderly. When individualizing the dosage in elderly patients, extra care should be taken when increasing the dose [see Use in Specific Populations (8.5)].
Pregnant Women — There are no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women; therefore, Cymbalta should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus [see Use in Specific Populations (8.1)].
Nursing Mothers — Because the safety of duloxetine in infants is not known, nursing while on Cymbalta is not recommended [see Use in Specific Populations (8.3)].
Screening Patients for Bipolar Disorder — A major depressive episode may be the initial presentation of bipolar disorder. It is generally believed (though not established in controlled trials) that treating such an episode with an antidepressant alone may increase the likelihood of precipitation of a mixed/manic episode in patients at risk for bipolar disorder. Whether any of the symptoms described above represent such a conversion is unknown. However, prior to initiating treatment with an antidepressant, patients with depressive symptoms should be adequately screened to determine if they are at risk for bipolar disorder; such screening should include a detailed psychiatric history, including a family history of suicide, bipolar disorder, and depression. It should be noted that Cymbalta (duloxetine) is not approved for use in treating bipolar depression.
Potential for Other Drugs to Affect Cymbalta
CYP1A2 Inhibitors — Co-administration of Cymbalta with potent CYP1A2 inhibitors should be avoided [see Drug Interactions (7.1)].
CYP2D6 Inhibitors — Because CYP2D6 is involved in duloxetine metabolism, concomitant use of duloxetine with potent inhibitors of CYP2D6 would be expected to, and does, result in higher concentrations (on average of 60%) of duloxetine [see Drug Interactions (7.2)].
Potential for Cymbalta to Affect Other Drugs
Drugs Metabolized by CYP2D6 — Co-administration of Cymbalta with drugs that are extensively metabolized by CYP2D6 and that have a narrow therapeutic index, including certain antidepressants (tricyclic antidepressants [TCAs], such as nortriptyline, amitriptyline, and imipramine), phenothiazines and Type 1C antiarrhythmics (e.g., propafenone, flecainide), should be approached with caution. Plasma TCA concentrations may need to be monitored and the dose of the TCA may need to be reduced if a TCA is co-administered with Cymbalta. Because of the risk of serious ventricular arrhythmias and sudden death potentially associated with elevated plasma levels of thioridazine, Cymbalta and thioridazine should not be co-administered [see Drug Interactions (7.9)].
Other Clinically Important Drug Interactions
Alcohol — Use of Cymbalta concomitantly with heavy alcohol intake may be associated with severe liver injury. For this reason, Cymbalta should ordinarily not be prescribed for patients with substantial alcohol use [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Drug Interactions (7.16)].
CNS Acting Drugs — Given the primary CNS effects of Cymbalta, it should be used with caution when it is taken in combination with or substituted for other centrally acting drugs, including those with a similar mechanism of action [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) and Drug Interactions (7.17)].
Hepatic Insufficiency — Cymbalta should ordinarily not be used in patients with hepatic insufficiency [see Dosage and Administration (2.3), Warnings and Precautions (5.2), and Use in Specific Populations (8.9)].
Severe Renal Impairment — Cymbalta should ordinarily not be used in patients with end-stage renal disease or severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance <30 mL/min). Increased plasma concentration of duloxetine, and especially of its metabolites, occur in patients with end-stage renal disease (requiring dialysis) [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) and Use in Specific Populations (8.10)].
Controlled Narrow-Angle Glaucoma — In clinical trials, Cymbalta was associated with an increased risk of mydriasis; therefore, it should be used cautiously in patients with controlled narrow-angle glaucoma [see Contraindications (4.2)].
Glycemic Control in Patients with Diabetes — As observed in DPNP trials, Cymbalta treatment worsens glycemic control in some patients with diabetes. In three clinical trials of Cymbalta for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy, the mean duration of diabetes was approximately 12 years, the mean baseline fasting blood glucose was 176 mg/dL, and the mean baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 7.8%. In the 12-week acute treatment phase of these studies, Cymbalta was associated with a small increase in mean fasting blood glucose as compared to placebo. In the extension phase of these studies, which lasted up to 52 weeks, mean fasting blood glucose increased by 12 mg/dL in the Cymbalta group and decreased by 11.5 mg/dL in the routine care group. HbA1c increased by 0.5% in the Cymbalta and by 0.2% in the routine care groups.
Major Depressive Disorder — Approximately 9% (209/2,327) of the patients who received duloxetine in placebo-controlled trials for MDD discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction, compared with 4.7% (68/1,460) of the patients receiving placebo. Nausea (duloxetine 1.3%, placebo 0.5%) was the only common adverse reaction reported as a reason for discontinuation and considered to be drug-related (i.e., discontinuation occurring in at least 1% of the duloxetine-treated patients and at a rate of at least twice that of placebo).
Generalized Anxiety Disorder — Approximately 15.3% (102/668) of the patients who received duloxetine in placebo-controlled trials for GAD discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction, compared with 4.0% (20/495) for placebo. Common adverse reactions reported as a reason for discontinuation and considered to be drug-related (as defined above) included nausea (duloxetine 3.7%, placebo 0.2%), vomiting (duloxetine 1.3%, placebo 0.0%), and dizziness (duloxetine 1.0%, placebo 0.2%).
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain — Approximately 14.3% (81/568) of the patients who received duloxetine in placebo-controlled trials for DPNP discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction, compared with 7.2% (16/223) for placebo. Common adverse reactions reported as a reason for discontinuation and considered to be drug-related (as defined above) were nausea (duloxetine 3.5%, placebo 0.4%), dizziness (duloxetine 1.6%, placebo 0.4%), somnolence (duloxetine 1.6%, placebo 0.0%), and fatigue (duloxetine 1.1%, placebo 0.0%).
Fibromyalgia — Approximately 19.5% (171/876) of the patients who received duloxetine in 3 to 6 month placebo-controlled trials for FM discontinued treatment due to an adverse reaction, compared with 11.8% (63/535) for placebo. Common adverse reactions reported as a reason for discontinuation and considered to be drug-related (as defined above) included nausea (duloxetine 1.9%, placebo 0.7%), somnolence (duloxetine 1.5%, placebo 0.0%), and fatigue (duloxetine 1.3%, placebo 0.2%).
Pooled Trials for all Approved Indications — The most commonly observed adverse reactions in Cymbalta-treated patients (incidence of at least 5% and at least twice the incidence in placebo patients) were nausea, dry mouth, constipation, somnolence, hyperhidrosis, and decreased appetite.
In addition to the adverse reactions listed above, DPNP trials also included dizziness and asthenia.
Pooled MDD and GAD Trials — Table 3 gives the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse reactions in MDD and GAD placebo-controlled trials for approved indications that occurred in 2% or more of patients treated with duloxetine and with an incidence greater than placebo.
Table 3: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions: Incidence of 2% or More in MDD and GAD Placebo-Controlled Trials |
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| Percentage of Patients Reporting Reaction |
| System Organ Class / Adverse Reaction | Cymbalta (N=2995) | Placebo (N=1955) |
| Cardiac Disorders | | |
| Palpitations | 2 | 2 |
| Eye Disorders | | |
| Vision blurred | 3 | 2 |
| Gastrointestinal Disorders | | |
| Nausea | 25 | 9 |
| Dry mouth | 15 | 6 |
| Diarrhea | 10 | 7 |
| Constipationa | 10 | 4 |
| Abdominal painb | 4 | 4 |
| Vomiting | 5 | 2 |
| General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions | | |
| Fatiguec | 10 | 6 |
| Investigations | | |
| Weight decreaseda | 2 | <1 |
| Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders | | |
| Decreased appetited | 7 | 2 |
| Nervous System Disorders | | |
| Dizziness | 10 | 6 |
| Somnolencee | 10 | 4 |
| Tremor | 3 | <1 |
| Psychiatric Disorders | | |
| Insomniaf | 10 | 6 |
| Agitationg | 5 | 3 |
| Anxiety | 3 | 2 |
| Libido decreasedh | 4 | 1 |
| Orgasm abnormali | 3 | <1 |
| Abnormal dreamsj | 2 | 1 |
| Reproductive System and Breast Disorders | | |
| Erectile dysfunctionk | 5 | 1 |
| Ejaculation delayeda,k | 3 | <1 |
| Ejaculation disorderk,l | 2 | <1 |
| Respiratory, Thoracic, and Mediastinal Disorders | | |
| Yawning | 2 | <1 |
| Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders | | |
| Hyperhidrosis | 6 | 2 |
| Vascular Disorders | | |
| Hot flush | 2 | <1 |
Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathic Pain — Table 4 gives the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events that occurred in 2% or more of patients treated with Cymbalta in the premarketing acute phase of DPNP placebo-controlled trials (doses of 20 to 120 mg/day) and with an incidence greater than placebo.
Table 4: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions Incidence of 2% or More in DPNP Placebo-Controlled Trials |
| Percentage of Patients Reporting Reaction |
System Organ Class / Adverse Reaction | Cymbalta 20 mg once daily (N=115) | Cymbalta 60 mg once daily (N=228) | Cymbalta 60 mg twice daily (N=225) | Placebo
(N=223) |
| Gastrointestinal Disorders | | | | |
| Nausea | 14 | 22 | 30 | 9 |
| Constipation | 5 | 11 | 15 | 3 |
| Diarrhea | 13 | 11 | 7 | 6 |
| Dry mouth | 5 | 7 | 12 | 4 |
| Vomiting | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Dyspepsia | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Loose stools | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions | | | | |
| Fatigue | 2 | 10 | 12 | 5 |
| Asthenia | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Pyrexia | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Infections and Infestations | | | | |
| Nasopharyngitis | 9 | 7 | 9 | 5 |
| Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders | | | | |
| Decreased appetite | 3 | 4 | 11 | <1 |
| Anorexia | 3 | 3 | 5 | <1 |
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders | | | | |
| Muscle cramp | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Myalgia | 3 | 1 | 4 | <1 |
| Nervous System Disorders | | | | |
| Somnolence | 7 | 15 | 21 | 5 |
| Headache | 13 | 13 | 15 | 10 |
| Dizziness | 6 | 14 | 17 | 6 |
| Tremor | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| Psychiatric Disorders | | | | |
| Insomnia | 9 | 8 | 13 | 7 |
| Renal and Urinary Disorders | | | | |
| Pollakiuria | 3 | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| Reproductive System and Breast Disorders | | | | |
| Erectile dysfunctiona | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
Respiratory, Thoracic and Mediastinal Disorders | | | | |
| Cough | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Pharyngolaryngeal pain | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders | | | | |
| Hyperhidrosis | 6 | 6 | 8 | 2 |
Fibromyalgia — Table 5 gives the incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events that occurred in 2% or more of patients treated with Cymbalta in the premarketing acute phase of FM placebo-controlled trials and with an incidence greater than placebo.
Table 5: Treatment-Emergent Adverse Reactions: Incidence of 2% or More in Fibromyalgia Placebo-Controlled Trials |
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System Organ Class / Adverse Reaction | Percentage of Patients Reporting Reaction |
Cymbalta (N=876) | Placebo (N=535) |
| Cardiac Disorders | | |
| Palpitations | 2 | 2 |
| Eye Disorders | | |
| Vision blurred | 2 | 1 |
| Gastrointestinal Disorders | | |
| Nausea | 29 | 11 |
| Dry mouth | 18 | 5 |
| Constipation | 15 | 4 |
| Diarrhea | 12 | 8 |
| Dyspepsia | 5 | 3 |
| General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions | | |
| Fatigueb | 15 | 8 |
| Immune System Disorders | | |
| Seasonal allergy | 3 | 2 |
| Infections and Infestations | | |
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 7 | 6 |
| Urinary tract infection | 3 | 3 |
| Influenza | 2 | 2 |
| Gastroenteritis viral | 2 | 2 |
| Investigations | | |
| Weight increased | 2 | 1 |
| Metabolism and Nutrition Disorders | | |
| Decreased appetitec | 11 | 2 |
Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders
| | |
| Musculoskeletal pain | 5 | 4 |
| Muscle spasms | 4 | 3 |
| Nervous System Disorders | | |
| Headache | 20 | 12 |
| Dizziness | 11 | 7 |
| Somnolenced | 11 | 3 |
| Tremor | 4 | 1 |
| Paraesthesia | 4 | 4 |
| Migraine | 3 | 3 |
| Dysgeusia | 3 | 1 |
| Psychiatric Disorders | | |
| Insomniae | 16 | 10 |
| Agitationf | 6 | 2 |
| Sleep disorder | 3 | 2 |
| Abnormal dreamsg | 3 | 1 |
| Orgasm abnormalh | 3 | <1 |
| Libido decreasedi | 2 | <1 |
| Reproductive System and Breast Disorders | | |
| Ejaculation disordera,j | 4 | 0 |
| Penis disordera | 2 | 0 |
| Respiratory, Thoracic, and Mediastinal Disorders | | |
| Cough | 4 | 3 |
| Pharyngolaryngeal pain | 3 | 3 |
| Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue Disorders | | |
| Hyperhidrosis | 7 | 1 |
| Rash | 4 | 2 |
| Pruritis | 3 | 2 |
| Vascular Disorders | | |
| Hot flush | 3 | 2 |
Absorption and Distribution — Orally administered duloxetine hydrochloride is well absorbed. There is a median 2 hour lag until absorption begins (Tlag), with maximal plasma concentrations (Cmax) of duloxetine occurring 6 hours post dose. Food does not affect the Cmax of duloxetine, but delays the time to reach peak concentration from 6 to 10 hours and it marginally decreases the extent of absorption (AUC) by about 10%. There is a 3 hour delay in absorption and a one-third increase in apparent clearance of duloxetine after an evening dose as compared to a morning dose.
The apparent volume of distribution averages about 1640 L. Duloxetine is highly bound (>90%) to proteins in human plasma, binding primarily to albumin and α1-acid glycoprotein. The interaction between duloxetine and other highly protein bound drugs has not been fully evaluated. Plasma protein binding of duloxetine is not affected by renal or hepatic impairment.
Metabolism and Elimination — Biotransformation and disposition of duloxetine in humans have been determined following oral administration of 14C-labeled duloxetine. Duloxetine comprises about 3% of the total radiolabeled material in the plasma, indicating that it undergoes extensive metabolism to numerous metabolites. The major biotransformation pathways for duloxetine involve oxidation of the naphthyl ring followed by conjugation and further oxidation. Both CYP1A2 and CYP2D6 catalyze the oxidation of the naphthyl ring in vitro. Metabolites found in plasma include 4-hydroxy duloxetine glucuronide and 5-hydroxy, 6-methoxy duloxetine sulfate. Many additional metabolites have been identified in urine, some representing only minor pathways of elimination. Only trace (<1% of the dose) amounts of unchanged duloxetine are present in the urine. Most (about 70%) of the duloxetine dose appears in the urine as metabolites of duloxetine; about 20% is excreted in the feces. Duloxetine undergoes extensive metabolism, but the major circulating metabolites have not been shown to contribute significantly to the pharmacologic activity of duloxetine.
Carcinogenesis — Duloxetine was administered in the diet to mice and rats for 2 years.
In female mice receiving duloxetine at 140 mg/kg/day (11 times the maximum recommended human dose [MRHD, 60 mg/day] and 6 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis), there was an increased incidence of hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas. The no-effect dose was 50 mg/kg/day (4 times the MRHD and 2 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis). Tumor incidence was not increased in male mice receiving duloxetine at doses up to 100 mg/kg/day (8 times the MRHD and 4 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis).
In rats, dietary doses of duloxetine up to 27 mg/kg/day in females (4 times the MRHD and 2 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis) and up to 36 mg/kg/day in males (6 times the MRHD and 3 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis) did not increase the incidence of tumors.
Mutagenesis — Duloxetine was not mutagenic in the in vitro bacterial reverse mutation assay (Ames test) and was not clastogenic in an in vivo chromosomal aberration test in mouse bone marrow cells. Additionally, duloxetine was not genotoxic in an in vitro mammalian forward gene mutation assay in mouse lymphoma cells or in an in vitro unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) assay in primary rat hepatocytes, and did not induce sister chromatid exchange in Chinese hamster bone marrow in vivo.
Impairment of Fertility — Duloxetine administered orally to either male or female rats prior to and throughout mating at doses up to 45 mg/kg/day (7 times the maximum recommended human dose of 60 mg/day and 4 times the human dose of 120 mg/day on a mg/m2 basis) did not alter mating or fertility.
Literature revised: January 13, 2010
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