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 serious adverse reactions have been associated with ZOLINZA in clinical trials and are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label: Thromboembolism [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Myelosuppression [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] Gastrointestinal Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Hyperglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] Clinical Chemistry Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Severe thrombocytopenia when combined with other Histone Deacetylase (HDAC) Inhibitors [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥20%) are diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, thrombocytopenia, anorexia and dysgeusia.
( 6 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC at 1-877-888-4231 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 safety of ZOLINZA was evaluated in 107 CTCL patients in two single arm clinical studies in which 86 patients received 400 mg once daily.
The data described below reflect exposure to ZOLINZA 400 mg once daily in the 86 patients for a median number of 97.5 days on therapy (range 2 to 480+ days).
Seventeen (19.8%) patients were exposed beyond 24 weeks and 8 (9.3%) patients were exposed beyond 1 year.
The population of CTCL patients studied was 37 to 83 years of age, 47.7% female, 52.3% male, and 81.4% white, 16.3% black, and 1.2% Asian or multi-racial.
Common Adverse Reactions The most common drug-related adverse reactions can be classified into 4 symptom complexes: gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, nausea, anorexia, weight decrease, vomiting, constipation), constitutional symptoms (fatigue, chills), hematologic abnormalities (thrombocytopenia, anemia), and taste disorders (dysgeusia, dry mouth).
The most common serious drug-related adverse reactions were pulmonary embolism and anemia.
Table 1 summarizes the frequency of CTCL patients with specific adverse reactions, using the National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (NCI-CTCAE, version 3.0).
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Thromboembolism: Monitor for pertinent signs and symptoms of pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis.
( 5.1 ) Myelosuppression: Thrombocytopenia and anemia may require dose modification or discontinuation.
Monitor blood counts every 2 weeks during the first 2 months of therapy and monthly thereafter.
( 2.2 , 5.2 , 6 ) Gastrointestinal Toxicity: Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea;
patients may require antiemetics, antidiarrheals, and fluid and electrolyte replacement to prevent dehydration.
Like all medications, Zolinza 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: