Complete adverse effect profile including incidence rates and management
Important Safety Information
This is not a complete list of all possible side effects. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any unexpected symptoms. For serious or life-threatening side effects, seek emergency medical attention immediately.
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following clinically significant adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling: Anaphylaxis and Angioedema [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) ] Herpes Zoster and Other Serious Opportunistic Infections [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] Lymphopenia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Liver Injury [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Flushing [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Serious Gastrointestinal Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] Most common adverse reactions (incidence for dimethyl fumarate [the prodrug of BAFIERTAM] ≥10% and ≥2% more than placebo) were flushing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea.
( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Banner Life Sciences at toll-free phone: 1-866-MMF- 95MG or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
6.1 Clinical Trials Experience 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.
The data described in the following sections were obtained using dimethyl fumarate delayed-release capsules (the prodrug of BAFIERTAM).
Adverse Reactions in Placebo-Controlled Trials with Dimethyl Fumarate In the two well-controlled studies demonstrating effectiveness, 1529 patients received dimethyl fumarate with an overall exposure of 2244 person-years [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )].
The adverse reactions presented in Table 1 below are based on safety information from 769 patients treated with dimethyl fumarate 240 mg twice a day and 771 placebo-treated patients.
The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥10% and ≥2% more than placebo) for dimethyl fumarate were flushing, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea.
Table 1: Adverse Reactions in Study 1 and 2 Reported for Dimethyl Fumarate at ≥ 2% Higher Incidence than Placebo Adverse Reaction Dimethyl Fumarate 240 mg Twice Daily N=769 % Placebo N=771 % Flushing 40 6 Abdominal pain 18 10 Diarrhea 14 11 Nausea 12 9 Vomiting 9 5 Pruritus 8 4 Rash 8 3 Albumin urine present 6 4 Erythema 5 1 Dyspepsia 5 3 Aspartate aminotransferase increased 4 2 Lymphopenia 2 <1 Gastrointestinal Dimethyl fumarate caused GI events (e.g., nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and dyspepsia).
In clinical trials, the incidence of GI events was higher early in the course of treatment (primarily during the first month) and usually decreased over time in patients treated with dimethyl fumarate compared with placebo.
Four percent (4%) of patients treated with dimethyl fumarate and less than 1% of patients on placebo discontinued due to gastrointestinal events.
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Anaphylaxis and Angioedema: Discontinue and do not restart BAFIERTAM if these occur.
( 5.1 ) Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML): Withhold BAFIERTAM at the first sign or symptom suggestive of PML.
( 5.2 ) Herpes Zoster and Other Serious Opportunistic Infections: Consider withholding BAFIERTAM in cases of serious infection until the infection has resolved.
( 5.3 ) Lymphopenia: Obtain a CBC including lymphocyte count before initiating BAFIERTAM, after 6 months, and every 6 to 12 months thereafter.
Consider interruption of BAFIERTAM if lymphocyte counts <0.5 x 10 9 /L persist for more than six months.
Like all medications, Bafiertam can cause side effects. However, not everyone who takes this medication will experience them. Many side effects are dose-dependent and may improve as your body adjusts to the medication. Others may require dose adjustment or medical attention.
Contact your healthcare provider promptly if you experience:
Seek immediate emergency medical care if you experience signs of: