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 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.
• Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and higher incidence than placebo): nausea, vomiting, anorexia, headache (6.1) .
To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact AstraZeneca at 1-800-236-9933 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch .
6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Adverse Reactions (Excluding Hypoglycemia) Adverse reactions (excluding hypoglycemia, which is discussed separately below) commonly associated with SYMLIN when coadministered with a fixed dose of insulin in the 26- to 52-week, placebo-controlled trials in patients with type 1 diabetes and patients with type 2 diabetes on mealtime insulin are presented in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively.
Table 1: Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: Common Adverse Reactions (Incidence ≥5% and Greater Incidence with SYMLIN Compared to Placebo) in 3 Pooled Placebo-Controlled Trials Long-Term, Placebo-Controlled Studies SYMLIN 30 or 60 mcg 3 Times Daily + Insulin Placebo + Insulin (N=716) % (N=538) % Nausea 48 17 Anorexia 17 2 Inflicted Injury Examples of inflicted injury included among others, abrasions, bruises, burns, fractures, lacerations, and muscle strains.
14 10 Vomiting 11 7 Arthralgia 7 5 Fatigue 7 4 Allergic Reaction 6 5 Dizziness 5 4 Table 2: Patients with Type 2 Diabetes on Insulin: Common Adverse Reactions (Incidence ≥5% and Greater Incidence with SYMLIN Compared to Placebo) in 2 Pooled Placebo-Controlled Trials Long-Term, Placebo-Controlled Studies SYMLIN 120 mcg 2 Times Daily + Insulin Placebo + Insulin (N=292) % (N=284) % Nausea 28 12 Headache 13 7 Anorexia 9 2 Vomiting 8 4 Abdominal pain 8 7 Fatigue 7 4 Dizziness 6 4 Cough 6 4 Pharyngitis 5 2 Most adverse reactions were gastrointestinal in nature.
The incidence of nausea is higher at the beginning of SYMLIN treatment and decreases with time in most patients.
Gradual titration of the SYMLIN dose minimizes the incidence and severity of nausea [see Dosage and Administration (2) ].
Severe Hypoglycemia Coadministration of SYMLIN with mealtime insulin increases the risk of severe hypoglycemia, particularly in patients with type 1 diabetes [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
Two definitions of severe hypoglycemia were used in the SYMLIN clinical trials.
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS • Severe hypoglycemia: Increased risk particularly for type 1 diabetes.
Upon initiation of SYMLIN, reduce mealtime insulin dose by 50% and frequently monitor blood glucoses (5.2) .
• Never share a SymlinPen between patients, even if the needle is changed (5.3) .
• Do not mix SYMLIN and insulin: Mixing can alter the pharmacokinetics of both products.
Administer as separate injections (5.4 , 7.1) .
Like all medications, Symlinpen 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: