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The following adverse reactions to BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for injection are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling:

• Spread of Toxin Effects [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hypersensitivity [see CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Dysphagia and Breathing Difficulties in Treatment of Cervical Dystonia [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Bronchitis and Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in Patients Treated for Spasticity [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

Clinical Studies Experience

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.

BOTOX and BOTOX Cosmetic contain the same active ingredient in the same formulation, but with different labeled Indications and Usage. Therefore, adverse events observed with the use of BOTOX Cosmetic also have the potential to be observed with the use of BOTOX and vice-versa.

In general, adverse events occur within the first week following injection of BOTOX and while generally transient, may have a duration of several months or longer. Localized pain, infection, inflammation, tenderness, swelling, erythema, and/or bleeding/bruising may be associated with the injection. Needle-related pain and/or anxiety may result in vasovagal responses (including e.g., syncope, hypotension), which may require appropriate medical therapy.

Local weakness of the injected muscle(s) represents the expected pharmacological action of botulinum toxin. However, weakness of nearby muscles may also occur due to spread of toxin [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Chronic Migraine

In double-blind placebo controlled chronic migraine pivotal efficacy trials (Study 1 and Study 2), the discontinuation rate was 12% in the BOTOX treated group and 10% in the placebo-treated group. Discontinuations due to an adverse event were 4% in the BOTOX group and 1% in the placebo group. The most frequent adverse events leading to discontinuation in the BOTOX group were neck pain, headache, worsening migraine, muscular weakness and eyelid ptosis.

The most frequently reported adverse reactions following injection of BOTOX for chronic migraine appear in Table 4.

Table 4: Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 2% of BOTOX treated Patients and More Frequent than in Placebo-treated Patients in Two Chronic Migraine Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trials

Other adverse events that occurred more frequently in the BOTOX group compared to the placebo group at a frequency less than 1% and potentially BOTOX related include: vertigo, dry eye, eyelid edema, dysphagia, eye infection, and jaw pain. Severe worsening of migraine requiring hospitalization occurred in approximately 1% of BOTOX treated patients in Study 1 and Study 2, usually within the first week after treatment, compared to 0.3% of placebo-treated patients.

Upper Limb Spasticity

The most frequently reported adverse reactions following injection of BOTOX for adult spasticity appear in Table 5.

Table 5: Adverse Reactions Reported by ≥ 2% of BOTOX treated Patients and More Frequent than in Placebo-treated Patients in Adult Spasticity Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trials

Cervical Dystonia

In cervical dystonia patients evaluated for safety in double-blind and open-label studies following injection of BOTOX, the most frequently reported adverse reactions were dysphagia (19%), upper respiratory infection (12%), neck pain (11%), and headache (11%).

Other events reported in 2-10% of patients in any one study in decreasing order of incidence include: increased cough, flu syndrome, back pain, rhinitis, dizziness, hypertonia, soreness at injection site, asthenia, oral dryness, speech disorder, fever, nausea, and drowsiness. Stiffness, numbness, diplopia, ptosis, and dyspnea have been reported.

Dysphagia and symptomatic general weakness may be attributable to an extension of the pharmacology of BOTOX resulting from the spread of the toxin outside the injected muscles [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

The most common severe adverse event associated with the use of BOTOX injection in patients with cervical dystonia is dysphagia with about 20% of these cases also reporting dyspnea [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. Most dysphagia is reported as mild or moderate in severity. However, it may be associated with more severe signs and symptoms [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Additionally, reports in the literature include a case of a female patient who developed brachial plexopathy two days after injection of 120 Units of BOTOX for the treatment of cervical dystonia, and reports of dysphonia in patients who have been treated for cervical dystonia.

Primary Axillary Hyperhidrosis

The most frequently reported adverse events (3-10% of adult patients) following injection of BOTOX in double-blind studies included injection site pain and hemorrhage, non-axillary sweating, infection, pharyngitis, flu syndrome, headache, fever, neck or back pain, pruritus, and anxiety.

The data reflect 346 patients exposed to BOTOX 50 Units and 110 patients exposed to BOTOX 75 Units in each axilla.

Blepharospasm

In a study of blepharospasm patients who received an average dose per eye of 33 Units (injected at 3 to 5 sites) of the currently manufactured BOTOX, the most frequently reported treatment-related adverse reactions were ptosis (21%), superficial punctate keratitis (6%), and eye dryness (6%).

Other events reported in prior clinical studies in decreasing order of incidence include: irritation, tearing, lagophthalmos, photophobia, ectropion, keratitis, diplopia, entropion, diffuse skin rash, and local swelling of the eyelid skin lasting for several days following eyelid injection.

In two cases of VII nerve disorder, reduced blinking from BOTOX injection of the orbicularis muscle led to serious corneal exposure, persistent epithelial defect, corneal ulceration and a case of corneal perforation. Focal facial paralysis, syncope, and exacerbation of myasthenia gravis have also been reported after treatment of blepharospasm.

Strabismus

Extraocular muscles adjacent to the injection site can be affected, causing vertical deviation, especially with higher doses of BOTOX. The incidence rates of these adverse effects in 2058 adults who received a total of 3650 injections for horizontal strabismus was 17%.

The incidence of ptosis has been reported to be dependent on the location of the injected muscles, 1% after inferior rectus injections, 16% after horizontal rectus injections and 38% after superior rectus injections.

In a series of 5587 injections, retrobulbar hemorrhage occurred in 0.3% of cases.

Post-Marketing Experience

There have been spontaneous reports of death, sometimes associated with dysphagia, pneumonia, and/or other significant debility or anaphylaxis, after treatment with botulinum toxin [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

There have also been reports of adverse events involving the cardiovascular system, including arrhythmia and myocardial infarction, some with fatal outcomes. Some of these patients had risk factors including cardiovascular disease. The exact relationship of these events to the botulinum toxin injection has not been established.

New onset or recurrent seizures have also been reported, typically in patients who are predisposed to experiencing these events. The exact relationship of these events to the botulinum toxin injection has not been established.

The following events, not already addressed elsewhere in the package insert, have been reported since the drug has been marketed: abdominal pain; anorexia; brachial plexopathy; diarrhea; facial palsy; facial paresis; hyperhidrosis; hypoacusis; hypoaesthesia; localized numbness; malaise; myalgia; paresthesia; pyrexia; radiculopathy; skin rash (including erythema multiforme, and psoriasiform eruption); tinnitus; vertigo; visual disturbances; and vomiting.

Because these events are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to botulinum toxin.

Immunogenicity

As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. Formation of neutralizing antibodies to botulinum toxin type A may reduce the effectiveness of BOTOX treatment by inactivating the biological activity of the toxin.

In a long term, open-label study evaluating 326 cervical dystonia patients treated for an average of 9 treatment sessions with the current formulation of BOTOX, 4 (1.2%) patients had positive antibody tests. All 4 of these patients responded to BOTOX therapy at the time of the positive antibody test. However, 3 of these patients developed clinical resistance after subsequent treatment, while the fourth patient continued to respond to BOTOX therapy for the remainder of the study.

One patient among the 445 hyperhidrosis patients (0.2%), two patients among the 380 adult upper limb spasticity patients (0.5%), and no patients among 406 migraine patients with analyzed specimens showed the presence of neutralizing antibodies.

The data reflect the patients whose test results were considered positive or negative for neutralizing activity to BOTOX in a mouse protection assay. The results of these tests are highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of neutralizing activity to BOTOX with the incidence reported to other products may be misleading.

The critical factors for neutralizing antibody formation have not been well characterized. The results from some studies suggest that BOTOX injections at more frequent intervals or at higher doses may lead to greater incidence of antibody formation. The potential for antibody formation may be minimized by injecting with the lowest effective dose given at the longest feasible intervals between injections.

No formal drug interaction studies have been conducted with BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for injection.

Co-administration of BOTOX and aminoglycosides or other agents interfering with neuromuscular transmission (e.g., curare-like compounds) should only be performed with caution as the effect of the toxin may be potentiated.

Use of anticholinergic drugs after administration of BOTOX may potentiate systemic anticholinergic effects.

The effect of administering different botulinum neurotoxin products at the same time or within several months of each other is unknown. Excessive neuromuscular weakness may be exacerbated by administration of another botulinum toxin prior to the resolution of the effects of a previously administered botulinum toxin.

Excessive weakness may also be exaggerated by administration of a muscle relaxant before or after administration of BOTOX.

Last reviewed on RxList: 8/5/2011
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.