Dose Adjustment
To ensure proper dose adjustment, measure serum testosterone concentrations 6 hours after the morning dose in plain tubes, clotted at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to centrifugation. Adjust the JATENZO dose based on this serum testosterone measurement as shown in Table 1. Wait seven days after starting treatment or adjusting the dose before checking the serum testosterone concentration. Thereafter, periodically monitor serum testosterone concentrations 6 hours after the morning dose.
Administer the same dose in the morning and evening. The minimum recommended dose is 158 mg twice daily. The maximum recommended dose is 396 mg (two 198 mg capsules) twice daily.
Table 1: JATENZO Dose Adjustment Scheme
| Testosterone Concentration in Serum From Plain Tube Drawn 6 hours After Morning Dose | Current JATENZO Dose (mg, twice daily) | New JATENZO Dose (mg, twice daily) |
| Less than 425 ng/dL
| 158
| 198
|
| 198
| 237
|
| 237
| 316 (two 158 mg capsules)
|
| 316 (two 158 mg capsules)
| 396 (two 198 mg capsules)
|
| 425 ng/dL – 970 ng/dL
| No Dose Change
|
| More than 970 ng/dL
| 396 (two 198 mg capsules)
| 316 (two 158 mg capsules)
|
| 316 (two 158 mg capsules)
| 237
|
| 237
| 198
|
| 198
| 158
|
| 158
| Discontinue Treatment
|
BP Increases
In the 4-month clinical study, 24-hour ABPM was conducted on 166 patients. ABPM was conducted at baseline and at Day 139 of JATENZO therapy. A total of 135 patients had acceptable ABPM recordings at both time periods. In that group, the mean change in 24-hour systolic BP and diastolic BP from baseline to final on-treatment visit on Day 139 (n=135) was 4.9 mmHg (95% CI 3.5, 6.4) and 2.5 mmHg (95% CI 1.5, 3.6), respectively.
The ABPM systolic and diastolic increases were larger in patients with a history of hypertension who were being treated with antihypertensive therapy (5.4 mmHg [95% CI 3.3, 7.6] and 3.2 mmHg [95% CI 1.7, 4.7], respectively [n=67]) compared to patients with no history of hypertension at baseline (4.4 mmHg [95% CI 2.3, 6.4] and 1.8 mmHg [95% CI 0.2, 3.3], respectively [n=63]).
The BP measured in a clinic setting using BP cuff measurements rose during the course of treatment with a mean systolic increase of 2.8 mmHg (95% CI 1.0, 4.6) and a mean diastolic increase of 0.6 mmHg (95% CI -0.7, 1.9) at the final on-treatment visit (Day 139).
Twelve (7.2%) patients on JATENZO started antihypertensive or had their antihypertensive regimen increased during the course of the study. A total of 6 patients were reported to have an adverse reaction of hypertension (2 patients with hypertension and 4 patients with worsening hypertension), and 3 were reported to have an adverse reaction of increased blood pressure.
HR Increases
JATENZO increased mean heart rate by an average of 2.2 beats per minute (bpm) [95% CI (1.0, 3.3), N=135] during the study. Patients without a history of hypertension had a greater average increase in mean heart rate (2.7 bpm [95% CI (0.8, 4.6), N=63]) compared to patients with treated hypertension (1.9 bpm [95% CI (0.3, 3.5), N=67)]).
Increases in Hematocrit
Increases in hematocrit were reported in 8 of the 166 (4.8%) patients, which occurred in the second half of the study. None of these increases led to premature discontinuation of JATENZO.
Headaches
Headaches were reported in 8 of the 166 patients (4.8%) of which three required treatment with analgesics or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and 2 led to premature discontinuation from the study. Five of these 8 patients had headache events that resolved within 1 to 2 days.
Depression and suicidal ideation
Two of the 166 patients (1.2%) reported either worsening depression (n=1) or new-onset depression (n=1). One of the 569 patients (0.2%) in clinical trials had suicidal ideation. Each patient completed the study.
Increases in Serum PSA
The mean increase from baseline in PSA was 0.2 ng/mL (n=161). Increases in serum PSA concentrations, defined as an increase from baseline of at least 1.4 ng/mL or PSA greater than 4 ng/mL, occurred in 3 (1.9%) of the patients at the final visit.
Risk Summary
JATENZO is contraindicated in pregnant women. Testosterone is teratogenic and may cause fetal harm based on data from animal studies and its mechanism of action
[see Contraindications (
4) and Clinical Pharmacology (
12.1)]
. Exposure of a female fetus to androgens may result in varying degrees of virilization. In animal developmental studies, exposure to testosterone in utero resulted in hormonal and behavioral changes in offspring and structural impairments of reproductive tissues in female and male offspring. These studies did not meet current standards for nonclinical development toxicity studies.
Data
Animal Data
In developmental studies conducted in rats, rabbits, pigs, sheep and rhesus monkeys, pregnant animals received intramuscular injection of testosterone during the period of organogenesis. Testosterone treatment at doses that were comparable to those used for testosterone replacement therapy resulted in structural impairments in both female and male offspring. Structural impairments observed in females included increased anogenital distance, phallus development, empty scrotum, no external vagina, intrauterine growth retardation, reduced ovarian reserve, and increased ovarian follicular recruitment. Structural impairments seen in male offspring included increased testicular weight, larger seminal tubular lumen diameter, and higher frequency of occluded tubule lumen. Increased pituitary weight was seen in both sexes.
Testosterone exposure in utero also resulted in hormonal and behavioral changes in offspring. Hypertension was observed in pregnant female rats and their offspring exposed to doses approximately twice those used for testosterone replacement therapy.
Risk Summary
JATENZO is not indicated for use in women.
Infertility
During treatment with large doses of exogenous androgens, including JATENZO, spermatogenesis may be suppressed through feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis
[see Warnings and Precautions (
5.8)]
, possibly leading to adverse effects on semen parameters including sperm count. Reduced fertility is observed in some men taking testosterone replacement therapy. Testicular atrophy, subfertility, and infertility have also been reported in men who abuse anabolic androgenic steroids
[see Drug Abuse and Dependence (
9.2)]
. With either type of use, the impact on fertility may be irreversible.
Abuse-Related Adverse Reactions
Serious adverse reactions have been reported in individuals who abuse anabolic androgenic steroids and include cardiac arrest, myocardial infarction, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident, hepatotoxicity, and serious psychiatric manifestations, including major depression, mania, paranoia, psychosis, delusions, hallucinations, hostility and aggression.
The following adverse reactions have also been reported in men: transient ischemic attacks, convulsions, hypomania, irritability, dyslipidemias, testicular atrophy, subfertility, and infertility.
The following additional adverse reactions have been reported in women: hirsutism, virilization, deepening of voice, clitoral enlargement, breast atrophy, male-pattern baldness, and menstrual irregularities.
The following adverse reactions have been reported in male and female adolescents: premature closure of bony epiphyses with termination of growth, and precocious puberty.
Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size and may include abuse of other agents, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.
Behaviors Associated with Addiction
Continued abuse of testosterone and other anabolic steroids, leading to addiction is characterized by the following behaviors:
- Taking greater dosages than prescribed
- Continued drug use despite medical and social problems due to drug use
- Spending significant time to obtain the drug when supplies of the drug are interrupted
- Giving a higher priority to drug use than other obligations
- Having difficulty in discontinuing the drug despite desires and attempts to do so
- Experiencing withdrawal symptoms upon abrupt discontinuation of use
Physical dependence is characterized by withdrawal symptoms after abrupt drug discontinuation or a significant dose reduction of a drug. Individuals taking supratherapeutic doses of testosterone may experience withdrawal symptoms lasting for weeks or months which include depressed mood, major depression, fatigue, craving, restlessness, irritability, anorexia, insomnia, decreased libido and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
Drug dependence in individuals using approved doses of testosterone for approved indications has not been documented.
Absorption
JATENZO delivers physiologic amounts of testosterone, producing testosterone concentrations that approximate normal concentrations seen in healthy men.
JATENZO was taken orally at a starting dose of 237 mg twice per day with meals in a multicenter, open-label, randomized, 2-arm, active-controlled trial in hypogonadal males. The dose was adjusted, as needed, on Days 14 and 56 between a minimum of 158 mg twice per day and a maximum of 396 mg twice per day based on the average plasma testosterone concentration obtained over 24 hours after the morning dose. The average daily NaF-EDTA plasma testosterone concentration was 403 (± 128) ng/dL at the end of treatment, where the normal eugonadal range in NaF-EDTA plasma was 252-907 ng/dL in this study. Note that the titration scheme for use in clinical practice is based on serum total testosterone [
see Dosage and Administration (
2.2)
].
Table 3 summarizes the pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters for plasma total testosterone in patients completing at least 105 days of JATENZO treatment administered twice daily.
Table 3: NaF-EDTA Plasma Testosterone C
avg and C
max at Final PK Visit
|
| PK Parameter | | All Doses (N=151) |
|
| C
avg (ng/dL)
| Mean
| 403
|
| SD
| 128
|
| C
max (ng/dL)
| Mean
| 1008
|
| SD
| 581
|
Figure 2 summarizes the mean plasma total testosterone profile for the patients at the final PK visit.
Figure 2: Mean (±SEM) Concentration-Time Profile for NaF-EDTA Plasma Total Testosterone in JATENZO Treated Subjects at Final PK Visit SEM = standard error of the mean; T = testosterone
|
When JATENZO was dosed with different breakfasts containing various amounts of fat, the bioavailability with the 30 g fat, 45 g fat, and high-calorie high-fat breakfasts was comparable, but there was a food effect with the 15 g fat breakfast compared to the 30 g fat breakfast. The 15 g fat breakfast had a 25% decrease in testosterone exposure compared to the 30 g fat breakfast.
Distribution
Circulating testosterone is primarily bound in serum to sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. Approximately 40% of testosterone in plasma is bound to SHBG, 2% remains unbound (free) and the rest is loosely bound to albumin and other proteins.
Metabolism
The androgenic activity of testosterone undecanoate occurs after the ester bond linking the testosterone to the undecanoic acid is cleaved by endogenous non-specific esterases. Undecanoic acid is metabolized like all fatty acids via the beta-oxidation pathway.
Testosterone is metabolized to various 17-keto steroids through two different pathways. The major active metabolites of testosterone are dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol.
Excretion
About 90% of a dose of testosterone given intramuscularly is excreted in the urine as glucuronic and sulfuric acid conjugates of testosterone and its metabolites. About 6% of a dose is excreted in the feces, mostly in the unconjugated form. Inactivation of testosterone occurs primarily in the liver.
Carcinogenesis
Testosterone has been tested by subcutaneous injection and implantation in mice and rats. In mice, the implant induced cervical-uterine tumors, which metastasized in some cases. There is suggestive evidence that injection of testosterone into some strains of female mice increases their susceptibility to hepatoma. Testosterone is also known to increase the number of tumors and decrease the degree of differentiation of chemically induced carcinomas of the liver in rats.
Mutagenesis
Testosterone was negative in the
in vitro Ames and in the
in vivo mouse micronucleus assays.
Impairment of Fertility
The administration of exogenous testosterone suppresses spermatogenesis in the rat, dog and non-human primates, which was reversible on cessation of the treatment.
Increased Blood Pressure and Risk for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE)
- Inform patients that JATENZO can increase BP that can increase the risk for MACE, including myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular death.
- Instruct patients about the importance of monitoring BP periodically while on JATENZO. If BP increases while on JATENZO, antihypertensive medications may need to be started, added, or adjusted to control BP, or JATENZO may need to be discontinued.
Other Adverse Reactions
Inform patients that treatment with androgens may lead to adverse reactions which include:
- Changes in urinary habits related to effects on prostate size, such as increased urination at night, hesitancy, frequency, urinary urgency, having a urine accident, being unable to pass urine and weak urine flow
- Breathing disturbances that may reflect obstructive sleep apnea, including those associated with sleep, or excessive daytime sleepiness
- Too frequent or persistent erections of the penis
- Ankle swelling that may reflect peripheral edema
- Red blood cell count increase
- PSA increase
- Nausea and vomiting
Instruct patients to report any changes in their state of health, such as changes in urinary habits, breathing, sleep, and mood including new onset or worsening of depression, or suicidal ideation.
Keep JATENZO out of the reach of children.
Marketed by:
Clarus Therapeutics, Inc.
555 Skokie Blvd., Suite 340
Northbrook, IL 60062, USA
Issued 06/2019