Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, the adverse reaction rates observed cannot be directly compared to rates in other trials and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.
Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
The safety of everolimus tablets (10 mg orally once daily) in combination with exemestane (25 mg orally once daily) (n = 485) vs. placebo in combination with exemestane (n = 239) was evaluated in a randomized, controlled trial (BOLERO-2) in patients with advanced or metastatic hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer. The median age of patients was 61 years (28 to 93 years), and 75% were white. The median follow-up was approximately 13 months.
The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 30%) were stomatitis, infections, rash, fatigue, diarrhea, and decreased appetite. The most common Grade 3-4 adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 2%) were stomatitis, infections, hyperglycemia, fatigue, dyspnea, pneumonitis, and diarrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities (incidence ≥ 50%) were hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, increased aspartate transaminase (AST), anemia, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, lymphopenia, increased alanine transaminase (ALT), and hypertriglyceridemia. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities (incidence ≥ 3%) were lymphopenia, hyperglycemia, anemia, hypokalemia, increased AST, increased ALT, and thrombocytopenia.
Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 2% of patients who received everolimus tablets. The rate of adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation was 24% for the everolimus tablets arm. Dose adjustments (interruptions or reductions) occurred in 63% of patients in the everolimus tablets arm.
Adverse reactions reported with an incidence of ≥ 10% for patients receiving everolimus tablets vs. placebo are presented in Table 6. Laboratory abnormalities are presented in Table 7. The median duration of treatment with everolimus tablets was 23.9 weeks; 33% were exposed to everolimus tablets for a period of ≥ 32 weeks.
Table 6: Adverse Reactions Reported in ≥ 10% of Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer in BOLERO-2Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aIncludes stomatitis, mouth ulceration, aphthous stomatitis, glossodynia, gingival pain, glossitis, and lip ulceration. bIncludes all reported infections including, but not limited to, urinary tract infections, respiratory tract (upper and lower) infections, skin infections, and gastrointestinal tract infections. cIncludes pneumonitis, interstitial lung disease, lung infiltration, and pulmonary fibrosis. dNo Grade 4 adverse reactions were reported |
| Everolimus Tablets with Exemestane N = 482 | Placebo with Exemestane N = 238 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Gastrointestinal |
| Stomatitisa | 67 | 8d | 11 | 0.8 |
| Diarrhea | 33 | 2 | 18 | 0.8 |
| Nausea | 29 | 0.4 | 28 | 1 |
| Vomiting | 17 | 1 | 12 | 0.8 |
| Constipation | 14 | 0.4d | 13 | 0.4 |
| Dry mouth | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| General |
| Fatigue | 36 | 4 | 27 | 1d |
| Edema Peripheral | 19 | 1d | 6 | 0.4d |
| Pyrexia | 15 | 0.2d | 7 | 0.4d |
| Asthenia | 13 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Infections |
| Infectionsb | 50 | 6 | 25 | 2d |
| Investigations |
| Weight loss | 25 | 1d | 6 | 0 |
| Metabolism and nutrition |
| Decreased appetite | 30 | 1d | 12 | 0.4d |
| Hyperglycemia | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0.4d |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue |
| Arthralgia | 20 | 0.8d | 17 | 0 |
| Back pain | 14 | 0.2d | 10 | 0.8d |
| Pain in extremity | 9 | 0.4d | 11 | 2d |
| Nervous system |
| Dysgeusia | 22 | 0.2d | 6 | 0 |
| Headache | 21 | 0.4d | 14 | 0 |
| Psychiatric |
| Insomnia | 13 | 0.2d | 8 | 0 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal |
| Cough | 24 | 0.6d | 12 | 0 |
| Dyspnea | 21 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| Epistaxis | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Pneumonitisc | 19 | 4 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue |
| Rash | 39 | 1d | 6 | 0 |
| Pruritus | 13 | 0.2d | 5 | 0 |
| Alopecia | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Vascular |
| Hot flush | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
Table 7: Selected Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in ≥ 10% of Patients with Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer in BOLERO-2Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aReflects corresponding adverse drug reaction reports of anemia, leukopenia, lymphopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia (collectively as pancytopenia), which occurred at lower frequency. bNo Grade 4 laboratory abnormalities were reported. |
| Laboratory Parameter | Everolimus Tablets with Exemestane N = 482 | Placebo with Exemestane N = 238 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Hematologya |
| Anemia | 68 | 6 | 40 | 1 |
| Leukopenia | 58 | 2b | 28 | 6 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 54 | 3 | 5 | 0.4 |
| Lymphopenia | 54 | 12 | 37 | 6 |
| Neutropenia | 31 | 2b | 11 | 2 |
| Chemistry |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 70 | 1 | 38 | 2 |
| Hyperglycemia | 69 | 9 | 44 | 1 |
| Increased AST | 69 | 4 | 45 | 3 |
| Increased ALT | 51 | 4 | 29 | 5b |
| Hypertriglyceridemia | 50 | 0.8b | 26 | 0 |
| Hypoalbuminemia | 33 | 0.8b | 16 | 0.8b |
| Hypokalemia | 29 | 4 | 7 | 1b |
| Increased creatinine | 24 | 2 | 13 | 0 |
Topical Prophylaxis for Stomatitis
In a single arm study (SWISH; N = 92) in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer beginning everolimus tablets (10 mg orally once daily) in combination with exemestane (25 mg orally once daily), patients started dexamethasone 0.5 mg/5mL alcohol-free mouthwash (10 mL swished for 2 minutes and spat, 4 times daily for 8 weeks) concurrently with everolimus tablets and exemestane. No food or drink was to be consumed for at least 1 hour after swishing and spitting the dexamethasone mouthwash. The primary objective of this study was to assess the incidence of Grade 2 to 4 stomatitis within 8 weeks. The incidence of Grade 2 to 4 stomatitis within 8 weeks was 2%, which was lower than the 33% reported in the BOLERO-2 trial. The incidence of Grade 1 stomatitis was 19%. No cases of Grade 3 or 4 stomatitis were reported. Oral candidiasis was reported in 2% of patients in this study compared to 0.2% in the BOLERO-2 trial.
Coadministration of everolimus and dexamethasone alcohol-free oral solution has not been studied in pediatric patients.
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC)-Associated Renal Angiomyolipoma
The data described below are based on a randomized (2:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (EXIST-2) of everolimus tablets in 118 patients with renal angiomyolipoma as a feature of TSC (n = 113) or sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis (n = 5). The median age of patients was 31 years (18 to 61 years), 89% were white, and 34% were male. The median duration of blinded study treatment was 48 weeks (2 to 115 weeks) for patients receiving everolimus tablets.
The most common adverse reaction reported for everolimus tablets (incidence ≥ 30%) was stomatitis. The most common Grade 3-4 adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 2%) were stomatitis and amenorrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities (incidence ≥ 50%) were hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and anemia. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormality (incidence ≥ 3%) was hypophosphatemia.
The rate of adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation was 3.8% in the everolimus tablets -treated patients. Adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation in the everolimus tablets arm were hypersensitivity/angioedema/bronchospasm, convulsion, and hypophosphatemia. Dose adjustments (interruptions or reductions) due to adverse reactions occurred in 52% of everolimus tablets -treated patients. The most common adverse reaction leading to everolimus tablets dose adjustment was stomatitis.
Adverse reactions reported with an incidence of ≥ 10% for patients receiving everolimus tablets and occurring more frequently with everolimus tablets than with placebo are presented in Table 14. Laboratory abnormalities are presented in Table 15.
Table 14: Adverse Reactions Reported in ≥ 10% of Everolimus tablets -Treated Patients with TSC Associated Renal Angiomyolipoma in EXIST-2
| Everolimus tablets N = 79 | Placebo N = 39 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Gastrointestinal | | | | |
| Stomatitisa | 78 | 6b | 23 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 15 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Diarrhea | 14 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| General | | | | |
| Peripheral Edema | 13 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Infections | | | | |
| Upper respiratory tract infection | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue | | | | |
| Arthralgia | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal | | | | |
| Cough | 20 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue | | | | |
| Acne | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aIncludes stomatitis, aphthous stomatitis, mouth ulceration, gingival pain, glossitis, and glossodynia. bNo Grade 4 adverse reactions were reported. |
Amenorrhea occurred in 15% of everolimus tablets -treated females (8 of 52). Other adverse reactions involving the female reproductive system were menorrhagia (10%), menstrual irregularities (10%), and vaginal hemorrhage (8%).
The following additional adverse reactions occurred in less than 10% of everolimus tablets -treated patients: epistaxis (9%), decreased appetite (6%), otitis media (6%), depression (5%), abnormal taste (5%), increased blood luteinizing hormone (LH) levels (4%), increased blood follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (3%), hypersensitivity (3%), ovarian cyst (3%), pneumonitis (1%), and angioedema (1%).
Table 15: Selected Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in Everolimus tablets -Treated Patients with TSC-Associated Renal Angiomyolipoma in EXIST-2
| Everolimus tablets N = 79 | Placebo N = 39 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Hematology | | | | |
| Anemia | 61 | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| Leukopenia | 37 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Neutropenia | 25 | 1 | 26 | 0 |
| Lymphopenia | 20 | 1a | 8 | 0 |
| Thrombocytopenia | 19 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chemistry | | | | |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 85 | 1a | 46 | 0 |
| Hypertriglyceridemia | 52 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Hypophosphatemia | 49 | 5a | 15 | 0 |
| Increased alkaline phosphatase | 32 | 1a | 10 | 0 |
| Increased AST | 23 | 1a | 8 | 0 |
| Increased ALT | 20 | 1a | 15 | 0 |
| Hyperglycemia (fasting) | 14 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aNo Grade 4 laboratory abnormalities were reported. |
Updated safety information from 112 patients treated with everolimus tablets for a median duration of 3.9 years identified the following additional adverse reactions and selected laboratory abnormalities: increased partial thromboplastin time (63%), increased prothrombin time (40%), decreased fibrinogen (38%), urinary tract infection (31%), proteinuria (18%),abdominal pain (16%), pruritus (12%), gastroenteritis (12%), myalgia (11%), and pneumonia (10%).
TSC-Associated Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma (SEGA)
The data described below are based on a randomized (2:1), double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (EXIST-1) of everolimus tablets in 117 patients with SEGA and TSC. The median age of patients was 9.5 years (0.8 to 26 years), 93% were white, and 57% were male. The median duration of blinded study treatment was 52 weeks (24 to 89 weeks) for patients receiving everolimus tablets.
The most common adverse reactions reported for everolimus tablets (incidence ≥ 30%) were stomatitis and respiratory tract infection. The most common Grade 3-4 adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 2%) were stomatitis, pyrexia, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, aggression, agitation, and amenorrhea. The most common laboratory abnormalities (incidence ≥ 50%) were hypercholesterolemia and elevated partial thromboplastin time. The most common Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormality (incidence ≥ 3%) was neutropenia.
There were no adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation. Dose adjustments (interruptions or reductions) due to adverse reactions occurred in 55% of everolimus tablets-treated patients. The most common adverse reaction leading to everolimus tablets dose adjustment was stomatitis.
Adverse reactions reported with an incidence of ≥ 10% for patients receiving everolimus tablets and occurring more frequently with everolimus tablets than with placebo are reported in Table 16. Laboratory abnormalities are presented in Table 17.
Table 16: Adverse Reactions Reported in ≥ 10% of Everolimus Tablets -Treated Patients with TSC Associated SEGA in EXIST-1
| Everolimus Tablets N = 78 | Placebo N = 39 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Gastrointestinal | | | | |
| Stomatitisa | 62 | 9f | 26 | 3 |
| Vomiting | 22 | 1f | 13 | 0 |
| Diarrhea | 17 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Constipation | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Infections | | | | |
| Respiratory tract infectionb | 31 | 3 | 23 | 0 |
| Gastroenteritisc | 10 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Pharyngitis streptococcal | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| General | | | | |
| Pyrexia | 23 | 6f | 18 | 3 |
| Fatigue | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Psychiatric | | | | |
| Anxiety, aggression or other behavioural disturbanced | 21 | 5f | 3 | 0 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue | | | | |
| Rashe | 21 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Acne | 10 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. | | | | |
Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aIncludes mouth ulceration, stomatitis, and lip ulceration. bIncludes respiratory tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, and respiratory tract infection viral. cIncludes gastroenteritis, gastroenteritis viral, and gastrointestinal infection. dIncludes agitation, anxiety, panic attack, aggression, abnormal behavior, and obsessive compulsive disorder. eIncludes rash, rash generalized, rash macular, rash maculo-papular, rash papular, dermatitis allergic, and urticarial. fNo Grade 4 adverse reactions were reported. |
Amenorrhea occurred in 17% of everolimus tablets -treated females aged 10 to 55 years (3 of 18). For this same group of everolimus tablets-treated females, the following menstrual abnormalities were reported: dysmenorrhea (6%), menorrhagia (6%), metrorrhagia (6%), and unspecified menstrual irregularity (6%).
The following additional adverse reactions occurred in less than 10% of everolimus tablets-treated patients: nausea (8%), pain in extremity (8%), insomnia (6%), pneumonia (6%), epistaxis (5%), hypersensitivity (3%), increased blood luteinizing hormone (LH) levels (1%), and pneumonitis (1%).
Table 17: Selected Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in Everolimus Tablets-Treated Patients with TSC-Associated SEGA in EXIST-1
| Everolimus Tablets N = 78 | Placebo N = 39 |
| All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % | All Grades % | Grade 3-4 % |
| Hematology | | | | |
| Elevated partial thromboplastin time | 72 | 3a | 44 | 5a |
| Neutropenia | 46 | 9a | 41 | 3a |
| Anemia | 41 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Chemistry | | | | |
| Hypercholesterolemia | 81 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| Elevated AST | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hypertriglyceridemia | 27 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Elevated ALT | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Hypophosphatemia | 9 | 1a | 3 | 0 |
Grading according to NCI CTCAE Version 3.0. aNo Grade 4 laboratory abnormalities were reported. |
Updated safety information from 111 patients treated with everolimus tablets for a median duration of 47 months identified the following additional notable adverse reactions and selected laboratory abnormalities: decreased appetite (14%), hyperglycemia (13%), hypertension (11%), urinary tract infection (9%), decreased fibrinogen (8%), cellulitis (6%), abdominal pain (5%), decreased weight (5%), elevated creatinine (5%), and azoospermia (1%).