Administer post-infusion medication to reduce the risk of delayed infusion reactions to all patients as follows:
- Monotherapy:
Administer oral corticosteroid (20 mg methylprednisolone or equivalent dose of an intermediate-acting or long-acting corticosteroid in accordance with local standards) on each of the 2 days following all DARZALEX infusions (beginning the day after the infusion).
Combination therapy:
Consider administering low-dose oral methylprednisolone (≤ 20 mg) or equivalent, the day after the DARZALEX infusion.
However, if a background regimen-specific corticosteroid (e.g. dexamethasone) is administered the day after the DARZALEX infusion, additional post-infusion medications may not be needed [see Clinical Studies (14)].
In addition, for any patients with a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, consider prescribing post-infusion medications such as short and long-acting bronchodilators, and inhaled corticosteroids. Following the first four infusions, if the patient experiences no major infusion reactions, these additional inhaled post-infusion medications may be discontinued.
Prophylaxis for Herpes Zoster Reactivation
Initiate antiviral prophylaxis to prevent herpes zoster reactivation within 1 week after starting DARZALEX and continue for 3 months following treatment [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)].
Combination Treatment with Lenalidomide
Adverse reactions described in Table 4 reflect exposure to DARZALEX (DRd arm) for a median treatment duration of 13.1 months (range: 0 to 20.7 months) and median treatment duration of 12.3 months (range: 0.2 to 20.1 months) for the lenalidomide group (Rd) in Study 3. The most frequent adverse reactions (≥20%) were infusion reactions, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, pyrexia, upper respiratory tract infection, muscle spasms, cough and dyspnea. The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 49% for the DRd group compared with 42% for the Rd group. Serious adverse reactions with at least a 2% greater incidence in the DRd arm compared to the Rd arm were pneumonia (12% vs Rd 10%), upper respiratory tract infection (7% vs Rd 4%), influenza and pyrexia (DRd 3% vs Rd 1% for each).
Adverse reactions resulted in discontinuations for 7% (n=19) of patients in the DRd arm versus 8% (n=22) in the Rd arm.
Table 4: Adverse reactions reported in ≥ 10% of patients and with at least a 5% frequency greater in the DRd arm in Study 3| Adverse Reaction | DRd (N=283) % | Rd (N=281) % |
|---|
| Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Key: D=daratumumab, Rd=lenalidomide-dexamethasone. |
| Infusion reactions Infusion reaction includes terms determined by investigators to be related to infusion, see description of Infusion Reactions below. | 48 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Diarrhea | 43 | 5 | 0 | 25 | 3 | 0 |
| Nausea | 24 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 17 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Fatigue | 35 | 6 | < 1 | 28 | 2 | 0 |
| Pyrexia | 20 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Infections and infestations |
| Upper respiratory tract infection upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, sinusitis, respiratory tract infection viral, rhinitis, pharyngitis, respiratory tract infection, metapneumovirus infection, tracheobronchitis, viral upper respiratory tract infection, laryngitis, respiratory syncytial virus infection, staphylococcal pharyngitis, tonsillitis, viral pharyngitis, acute sinusitis, nasopharyngitis, bronchiolitis, bronchitis viral, pharyngitis streptococcal, tracheitis, upper respiratory tract infection bacterial, bronchitis bacterial, epiglottitis, laryngitis viral, oropharyngeal candidiasis, respiratory moniliasis, viral rhinitis, acute tonsillitis, rhinovirus infection | 65 | 6 | < 1 | 51 | 4 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Muscle spasms | 26 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 2 | 0 |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Headache | 13 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Cough cough, productive cough, allergic cough | 30 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Dyspnea dyspnea, dyspnea exertional | 21 | 3 | < 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
Laboratory abnormalities worsening during treatment from baseline listed in Table 5.
Table 5: Treatment-emergent hematology laboratory abnormalities in Study 3 | DRd (N=283) % | Rd (N=281) % |
|---|
| Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | All Grades | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Key: D=Daratumumab, Rd=lenalidomide-dexamethasone. |
| Anemia | 52 | 13 | 0 | 57 | 19 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 73 | 7 | 6 | 67 | 10 | 5 |
| Neutropenia | 92 | 36 | 17 | 87 | 32 | 8 |
| Lymphopenia | 95 | 42 | 10 | 87 | 32 | 6 |
Combination Treatment with Bortezomib
Adverse reactions described in Table 6 reflect exposure to DARZALEX (DVd arm) for a median treatment duration of 6.5 months (range: 0 to 14.8 months) and median treatment duration of 5.2 months (range: 0.2 to 8.0 months) for the bortezomib group (Vd) in Study 4. The most frequent adverse reactions (>20%) were infusion reactions, diarrhea, peripheral edema, upper respiratory tract infection, peripheral sensory neuropathy, cough and dyspnea. The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 42% for the DVd group compared with 34% for the Vd group. Serious adverse reactions with at least a 2% greater incidence in the DVd arm compared to the Vd arm were upper respiratory tract infection (DVd 5% vs Vd 2%), diarrhea and atrial fibrillation (DVd 2% vs Vd 0% for each).
Adverse reactions resulted in discontinuations for 7% (n=18) of patients in the DVd arm versus 9% (n=22) in the Vd arm.
Table 6: Adverse reactions reported in ≥ 10% of patients and with at least a 5% frequency greater in the DVd arm Study 4| Adverse Reaction | DVd (N=243) % | Vd (N=237) % |
|---|
| Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Key: D=daratumumab, Vd=bortezomib-dexamethasone. |
| Infusion reactions Infusion reaction includes terms determined by investigators to be related to infusion, see description of Infusion Reactions below. | 45 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Diarrhea | 32 | 3 | < 1 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 11 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Edema peripheral edema peripheral, edema, generalized edema, peripheral swelling | 22 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Pyrexia | 16 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| Infections and infestations |
| Upper respiratory tract infection upper respiratory tract infection, bronchitis, sinusitis, respiratory tract infection viral, rhinitis, pharyngitis, respiratory tract infection, metapneumovirus infection, tracheobronchitis, viral upper respiratory tract infection, laryngitis, respiratory syncytial virus infection, staphylococcal pharyngitis, tonsillitis, viral pharyngitis, acute sinusitis, nasopharyngitis, bronchiolitis, bronchitis viral, pharyngitis streptococcal, tracheitis, upper respiratory tract infection bacterial, bronchitis bacterial, epiglottitis, laryngitis viral, oropharyngeal candidiasis, respiratory moniliasis, viral rhinitis, acute tonsillitis, rhinovirus infection | 44 | 6 | 0 | 30 | 3 | < 1 |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Peripheral sensory neuropathy | 47 | 5 | 0 | 38 | 6 | < 1 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Cough cough, productive cough, allergic cough | 27 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Dyspnea dyspnea, dyspnea exertional | 21 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
Laboratory abnormalities worsening during treatment are listed in Table 7.
Table 7: Treatment-emergent hematology laboratory abnormalities in Study 4 | DVd (N=243) % | Vd (N=237) % |
|---|
| Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 | Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Key: D=Daratumumab, Vd=bortezomib-dexamethasone. |
| Anemia | 48 | 13 | 0 | 56 | 14 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 90 | 28 | 19 | 85 | 22 | 13 |
| Neutropenia | 58 | 12 | 3 | 40 | 5 | < 1 |
| Lymphopenia | 89 | 41 | 7 | 81 | 24 | 3 |
Combination Treatment with Pomalidomide
Adverse reactions described in Table 8 reflect exposure to DARZALEX, pomalidomide and dexamethasone (DPd) for a median treatment duration of 6 months (range: 0.03 to 16.9 months) in Study 5. The most frequent adverse reactions (>20%) were infusion reactions, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, pyrexia, upper respiratory tract infection, muscle spasms, back pain, arthralgia, dizziness, insomnia, cough and dyspnea. The overall incidence of serious adverse reactions was 49%. Serious adverse reactions reported in ≥5% patients included pneumonia (7%). Adverse reactions resulted in discontinuations for 13% of patients.
Table 8: Adverse reactions with incidence ≥10% reported in Study 5| Body System | DPd (N=103) |
|---|
| Adverse Reaction | Any Grade (%) | Grade 3 (%) | Grade 4 (%) |
|---|
| Key: D=Daratumumab, Pd=pomalidomide-dexamethasone. |
| Infusion reactions Infusion reaction includes terms determined by investigators to be related to infusion, see description of Infusion Reactions below. | 50 | 4 | 0 |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Diarrhea | 38 | 3 | 0 |
| Constipation | 33 | 0 | 0 |
| Nausea | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Fatigue | 50 | 10 | 0 |
| Pyrexia | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Chills | 20 | 0 | 0 |
| Edema peripheral edema, edema peripheral, peripheral swelling. | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| Asthenia | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Non-cardiac chest pain | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Pain | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Infections and infestations |
| Upper respiratory tract infection acute tonsillitis, bronchitis, laryngitis, nasopharyngitis, pharyngitis, respiratory syncytial virus infection, rhinitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, upper respiratory tract infection | 50 | 4 | 1 |
| Pneumonia lung infection, pneumonia, pneumonia aspiration | 15 | 8 | 2 |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders |
| Hypokalemia | 16 | 3 | 0 |
| Hyperglycemia | 13 | 5 | 1 |
| Decreased appetite | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Muscle spasms | 26 | 1 | 0 |
| Back pain | 25 | 6 | 0 |
| Arthralgia | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| Pain in extremity | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Bone pain | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal chest pain | 13 | 2 | 0 |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Dizziness | 21 | 2 | 0 |
| Tremor | 19 | 3 | 0 |
| Headache | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Psychiatric disorders |
| Insomnia | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Anxiety | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Cough cough, productive cough, allergic cough | 43 | 1 | 0 |
| Dyspnea dyspnea, dyspnea exertional | 33 | 6 | 1 |
| Nasal congestion | 16 | 0 | 0 |
Laboratory abnormalities worsening during treatment are listed in Table 9.
Table 9: Treatment-emergent hematology laboratory abnormalities in Study 5 | DPd (N=103) % |
|---|
| Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Key: D=Daratumumab, Pd=pomalidomide-dexamethasone. |
| Anemia | 57 | 30 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 75 | 10 | 10 |
| Neutropenia | 95 | 36 | 46 |
| Lymphopenia | 94 | 45 | 26 |
Monotherapy
The safety data reflect exposure to DARZALEX in 156 adult patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma treated with DARZALEX at 16 mg/kg in three open-label, clinical trials. The median duration of exposure was 3.3 months (range: 0.03 to 20.04 months). Serious adverse reactions were reported in 51 (33%) patients. The most frequent serious adverse reactions were pneumonia (6%), general physical health deterioration (3%), and pyrexia (3%).
Adverse reactions resulted in treatment delay for 24 (15%) patients, most frequently for infections. Adverse reactions resulted in discontinuations for 6 (4%) patients.
Adverse reactions occurring in at least 10% of patients are presented in Table 10. Table 11 describes Grade 3–4 laboratory abnormalities reported at a rate of ≥10%.
Table 10: Adverse reactions with incidence ≥10% in patients with multiple myeloma treated with DARZALEX 16 mg/kg | DARZALEX 16 mg/kg N=156 |
|---|
| Incidence (%) |
|---|
| Adverse Reaction | Any Grade | Grade 3 | Grade 4 |
|---|
| Infusion reaction Infusion reaction includes terms determined by investigators to be related to infusion, see below. | 48 | 3 | 0 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Fatigue | 39 | 2 | 0 |
| Pyrexia | 21 | 1 | 0 |
| Chills | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Cough | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| Nasal congestion | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Dyspnea | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Back pain | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Arthralgia | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Pain in extremity | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal chest pain | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Infections and infestations |
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Nasopharyngitis | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Pneumonia Pneumonia also includes the terms streptococcal pneumonia and lobar pneumonia. | 11 | 6 | 0 |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Nausea | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Diarrhea | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Constipation | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Metabolism and nutrition disorders |
| Decreased appetite | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Headache | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Vascular disorders |
| Hypertension | 10 | 5 | 0 |
Table 11: Treatment emergent Grade 3–4 laboratory abnormalities (≥10%) | Daratumumab 16 mg/kg (N=156) |
|---|
| All Grade (%) | Grade 3 (%) | Grade 4 (%) |
|---|
| Anemia | 45 | 19 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 48 | 10 | 8 |
| Neutropenia | 60 | 17 | 3 |
| Lymphopenia | 72 | 30 | 10 |
Infusion Reactions
In clinical trials (monotherapy and combination treatments; N=820) the incidence of any grade infusion reactions was 46% with the first infusion of DARZALEX, 2% with the second infusion, and 3% with subsequent infusions. Less than 1% of patients had a Grade 3 infusion reaction with second or subsequent infusions.
The median time to onset of a reaction was 1.4 hours (range: 0.02 to 72.8 hours). The incidence of infusion modification due to reactions was 42%. Median durations of infusion for the 1st, 2nd and subsequent infusions were 7.0, 4.3, and 3.5 hours respectively.
Severe (Grade 3) infusion reactions included bronchospasm, dyspnea, laryngeal edema, pulmonary edema, hypoxia, and hypertension. Other adverse infusion reactions (any Grade, ≥5%) were nasal congestion, cough, chills, throat irritation, vomiting and nausea.
Herpes Zoster Virus Reactivation
Prophylaxis for Herpes Zoster Virus reactivation was recommended for patients in some clinical trials of DARZALEX. In monotherapy studies, herpes zoster was reported in 3% of patients. In the randomized controlled combination therapy studies, herpes zoster was reported in 2% each in the DRd and Rd groups respectively (Study 3), in 5% versus 3% in the DVd and Vd groups respectively (Study 4) and in 2% of patients receiving DPd (Study 5).
Infections
In patients receiving DARZALEX combination therapy, Grade 3 or 4 infections were reported with DARZALEX combinations and background therapies (DVd: 21%, Vd: 19%; DRd: 28%, Rd: 23%; DPd: 28%). Pneumonia was the most commonly reported severe (Grade 3 or 4) infection across studies. Discontinuations from treatment were reported in 3% versus 2% of patients in the DRd and Rd groups respectively, 4% versus 3% of patients in the DVd and Vd groups respectively and in 5% of patients receiving DPd. Fatal infections were reported in 0.8% to 2% of patients across studies, primarily due to pneumonia and sepsis.
Interference with Indirect Antiglobulin Tests (Indirect Coombs Test)
Daratumumab binds to CD38 on RBCs and interferes with compatibility testing, including antibody screening and cross matching. Daratumumab interference mitigation methods include treating reagent RBCs with dithiothreitol (DTT) to disrupt daratumumab binding1 [see References (15)] or genotyping. Since the Kell blood group system is also sensitive to DTT treatment, K-negative units should be supplied after ruling out or identifying alloantibodies using DTT-treated RBCs.
If an emergency transfusion is required, non-cross-matched ABO/RhD-compatible RBCs can be given per local blood bank practices.
Interference with Serum Protein Electrophoresis and Immunofixation Tests
Daratumumab may be detected on serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) and immunofixation (IFE) assays used for monitoring disease monoclonal immunoglobulins (M protein). This can lead to false positive SPE and IFE assay results for patients with IgG kappa myeloma protein impacting initial assessment of complete responses by International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria. In patients with persistent very good partial response, consider other methods to evaluate the depth of response.
Risk Summary
There are no human data to inform a risk with use of DARZALEX during pregnancy. Animal studies have not been conducted. However, there are clinical considerations [see Clinical Considerations]. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. 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.
Clinical Considerations
Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions
Immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibodies are transferred across the placenta. Based on its mechanism of action, DARZALEX may cause fetal myeloid or lymphoid-cell depletion and decreased bone density. Defer administering live vaccines to neonates and infants exposed to DARZALEX in utero until a hematology evaluation is completed.
Data
Animal Data
Mice that were genetically modified to eliminate all CD38 expression (CD38 knockout mice) had reduced bone density at birth that recovered by 5 months of age. In cynomolgus monkeys exposed during pregnancy to other monoclonal antibodies that affect leukocyte populations, infant monkeys had a reversible reduction in leukocytes.
Risk Summary
There is no information regarding the presence of daratumumab in human milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. Human IgG is known to be present in human milk. Published data suggest that antibodies in breast milk do not enter the neonatal and infant circulations in substantial amounts.
The developmental and health benefits of breast-feeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for DARZALEX and any potential adverse effects on the breast-fed child from DARZALEX or from the underlying maternal condition.
Contraception
To avoid exposure to the fetus, women of reproductive potential should use effective contraception during treatment and for 3 months after cessation of DARZALEX treatment.
Cardiac Electrophysiology
DARZALEX as a large protein has a low likelihood of direct ion channel interactions. There is no evidence from non-clinical or clinical data to suggest that DARZALEX has the potential to delay ventricular repolarization.
Distribution
At the recommended dose of 16 mg/kg, the mean ± SD central volume of distribution was 4.7 ± 1.3 L when DARZALEX was administered as monotherapy and 4.4 ± 1.5 L when DARZALEX was administered as combination therapy.
Elimination
Daratumumab clearance decreased with increasing dose and with multiple dosing. At the recommended dose of 16 mg/kg of DARZALEX as monotherapy, the mean ± SD linear clearance was estimated to be 171.4 ± 95.3 mL/day. The mean ± SD estimated terminal half-life associated with linear clearance was 18 ± 9 days when DARZALEX administered as monotherapy and 23 ± 12 days when DARZALEX was administered as combination therapy.
Specific Populations
The following population characteristics have no clinically meaningful effect on the pharmacokinetics of daratumumab in patients administered DARZALEX as monotherapy or as combination therapy: sex, age (31 to 84 years), mild [total bilirubin 1 to 1.5 times upper limit of normal (ULN) and any alanine transaminase (ALT)] and moderate (total bilirubin 1.5 to 3 times ULN and any ALT) hepatic impairment, or renal impairment [Creatinine clearance (CLcr) 15 –89 mL/min]. The effect of severe (total bilirubin >3 times ULN and any ALT) hepatic impairment is unknown. Increasing body weight increased the central volume of distribution and clearance of daratumumab, supporting the body weight-based dosing regimen.
Drug Interactions
Effect of Other Drugs on Daratumumab
The coadministration of lenalidomide, pomalidomide or bortezomib with DARZALEX did not affect the pharmacokinetics of daratumumab.
Effect of Daratumumab on Other Drugs
The coadministration of DARZALEX with bortezomib did not affect the pharmacokinetics of bortezomib.
Infusion Reactions
Advise patients to seek immediate medical attention for any of the following signs and symptoms of infusion reactions: