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.
B-cell Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Combination with Cyclophosphamide and Rituximab
The safety of Fludarabine Phosphate Injection for the treatment of adults with B-cell CLL as a component of a combination regimen was derived from the published literature
[see Clinical Studies (
14)]
. The safety of Fludarabine Phosphate Injection for the treatment of adults with B-cell CLL as a component of a combination regimen was consistent with the known safety profile of fludarabine phosphate.
Single Agent
The safety of fludarabine phosphate was evaluated in two single-arm open-label studies (MDAH and SWOG) in adult patients (n=133) with CLL refractory to at least one prior alkylating-agent containing regimen
[see Clinical Studies (
14)]
.
In these two clinical trials, 22% of the patients treated with fludarabine phosphate had fatal adverse reactions, with approximately 50% of these due to infection. Serious and fatal infections, including opportunistic and reactivation of latent viral infections such as Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV; herpes zoster), Epstein-Barr Virus (EPV), and John Cunningham (JC) virus (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy) occurred in patients treated with fludarabine phosphate.
Hematologic adverse reactions, including neutropenia (Grade 4: 59%), thrombocytopenia (55%), and anemia (55%) occurred in a majority of the CLL patients treated with fludarabine phosphate.
The most common adverse reactions (≥ 20%) occurring in patients treated with fludarabine in the MDAH and SWOG trials (n=133) were myelosuppression (neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, or anemia), fever, infection, nausea and vomiting, weakness, and pain.
Table 2 summarizes the non-hematologic adverse reactions in the MDAH and SWOG studies.
Table 2: Non-Hematologic Adverse Reactions (≥ 5%) in CLL Patients
Treated with Fludarabine in the MDAH and SWOG Studies
Adverse Reactions | MDAH (N=101) % | SWOG (N=32) % |
General |
Fever | 60 | 69 |
Pain | 20 | 22 |
Fatigue | 10 | 38 |
Chills | 11 | 19 |
Malaise | 8 | 6 |
Diaphoresis | 1 | 13 |
Infection |
Infection | 33 | 44 |
Pneumonia | 16 | 22 |
Upper respiratory infection | 2 | 16 |
Urinary infection | 2 | 15 |
Sinusitis | 5 | 0 |
Pharyngitis | 0 | 9 |
Gastrointestinal |
Nausea/Vomiting | 36 | 31 |
Anorexia | 7 | 34 |
Diarrhea | 15 | 13 |
Stomatitis | 9 | 0 |
Gastrointestinal bleeding | 3 | 13 |
Neurological |
Weakness | 9 | 65 |
Paresthesia | 4 | 12 |
Visual disturbance | 3 | 15 |
Hearing loss | 2 | 6 |
Pulmonary |
Cough | 10 | 44 |
Dyspnea | 9 | 22 |
Allergic pneumonitis | 0 | 6 |
Hemoptysis | 1 | 6 |
Skin and Subcutaneous |
Rash | 15 | 15 |
Cardiovascular |
Edema | 8 | 19 |
Angina | 0 | 6 |
Musculoskeletal |
Myalgia | 4 | 16 |
Endocrine |
Hyperglycemia | 1 | 6 |
Clinically relevant adverse reactions in < 5% of patients who received fludarabine phosphate included the following:
General: Headache, hemorrhage, tumor lysis syndrome (hyperuricemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypocalcemia, metabolic acidosis, hyperkalemia, hematuria, urate crystalluria, flank pain, renal failure)
Blood and Lymphatic: Bone marrow fibrosis, thrombocytopenia/ITP, Evans syndrome, acquired hemophilia
Cardiovascular: Congestive heart failure, arrhythmia, supraventricular tachycardia, myocardial infarction, transient ischemic attack, pericardial effusion
Gastrointestinal: Esophagitis, mucositis, constipation, dysphagia, pancreatic enzyme increase
Genitourinary: Dysuria, hematuria, renal failure, abnormal renal function test, proteinuria, hesitancy, hemorrhagic cystitis
Hepatobiliary: Liver failure, ALT/AST elevation, cholelithiasis
Immune System: Anaphylaxis
Infection: VZR (herpes zoster), EBV (lymphoproliferative disorders), JC virus (progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy)
Musculoskeletal: Osteoporosis, arthralgia
Neoplasms: tumor flare, skin cancer
Neurological: Sleep disorder, depression, cerebellar syndrome, impaired mentation, agitation, confusion, seizures, optic neuritis, optic neuropathy, blindness and coma, peripheral neuropathy, cerebral hemorrhage
Pulmonary: Epistaxis, bronchitis, hypoxia, interstitial pulmonary infiltrate
Renal &Urinary: Dehydration
Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue: Alopecia, pruritis, seborrhea; erythema multiforme, Steven-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, pemphigus (some fatal cases)
Vascular: Deep venous thrombosis, phlebitis, aneurysm, cerebrovascular accident