Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension contain the active ingredient, nitazoxanide, a synthetic antiprotozoal agent for oral administration. Nitazoxanide is a light yellow crystalline powder. It is poorly soluble in ethanol and practically insoluble in water. Chemically, nitazoxanide is 2-acetyloxy-N-(5-nitro-2-thiazolyl)benzamide. The molecular formula is C₁₂H₉N₃O₅S and the molecular weight is 307.3. The structural formula is:

Alinia Tablets contain 500 mg of nitazoxanide and the following inactive ingredients: maize starch, pregelatinized corn starch, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, sucrose, sodium starch glycollate, talc, magnesium stearate, soy lecithin, polyvinyl alcohol, xanthan gum, titanium dioxide, talc, FD&C Yellow No. 10 Aluminum Lake, FD&C Yellow No. 6 Aluminum Lake, and FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake.

Alinia for Oral Suspension, after reconstitution, contains 100 mg nitazoxanide per 5 mL and the following inactive ingredients: sodium benzoate, sucrose, xanthan gum, microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethylcellulose sodium, anhydrous citric acid, sodium citrate dihydrate, acacia gum, sugar syrup, FD&C Red #40 and natural strawberry flavoring.

Diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia

Alinia for Oral Suspension (patients 1 year of age and older) and Alinia Tablets (patients 12 years and older) are indicated for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia.

Diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum

Alinia for Oral Suspension is indicated for patients 1 through 11 years of age for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum.

Alinia for Oral Suspension and Alinia Tablets have not been shown to be superior to placebo for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients (see Clinical Studies).

The safety and effectiveness of Alinia for Oral Suspension or Alinia Tablets for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in patients 12 years of age and older have not been established.

Safety and effectiveness of Alinia for Oral Suspension and Alinia Tablets for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in patients 12 years and older have not been established.

A single Alinia tablet contains a greater amount of nitazoxanide than is recommended for pediatric dosing and should therefore not be used in pediatric patients 11 years or younger.

Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension have not been studied for the treatment of Giardia lamblia in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients. Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension have not been shown to be superior to placebo for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients (see Clinical Studies ).

Directions For Mixing Alinia For Oral Suspension

Prepare a suspension at time of dispensing as follows: The amount of water required for preparation of the suspension is 48 mL. Tap bottle until all powder flows freely. Add approximately one-half of the total amount of water required for reconstitution and shake vigorously to suspend powder. Add remainder of water and again shake vigorously.

The container should be kept tightly closed, and the suspension should be shaken well before each administration. The suspension may be stored for 7 days, after which any unused portion must be discarded.

Alinia Tablets are round, yellow, film-coated tablets debossed with ALINIA on one side and 500 on the other side. Each tablet contains 500 mg of nitazoxanide. The tablets are packaged in HDPE bottles of 60 tablets and blister cards of 6 tablets.

Bottles of 60                            NDC 67546-111-11
Boxes of 3 blister cards          NDC 67546-111-32
(Alinia 3-Day Therapy Packs™)

Alinia for Oral Suspension is a pink-colored powder formulation that, when reconstituted as directed, contains 100 mg nitazoxanide/5 mL. The reconstituted suspension has a pink color and strawberry flavor. Alinia for Oral Suspension is available as:

Bottles of 60 mL                       NDC 67546-212-21

Storage and Stability: Store the tablets, unsuspended powder, and the reconstituted oral suspension at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15-30°C (59-86°F). [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]

ROMARK PHARMACEUTICALS, A division of Romark Laboratories, L.C. 3000 Bayport Drive, Suite 200, Tampa FL 33607. Telephone: 813-282-8544, Fax: 813-282-4910 E-mail: customer.service@romark.com Web site: www.romark.com. FDA revision date: 7/21/2004

Alinia Tablets: In controlled and uncontrolled clinical studies of 1,628 HIV-uninfected patients age 12 years and older who received various dosage regimens of Alinia Tablets, the most common adverse events reported regardless of causality assessment were: abdominal pain (6.7%), diarrhea (4.3%), headache (3.1%) and nausea (3.1%). In placebo-controlled clinical trials using the recommended dose, the rates of occurrence of these events did not differ significantly from those of the placebo. In placebo-controlled trials of HIV-uninfected patients age 12 years and older who received Alinia Tablets for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia, approximately 1% of patients discontinued therapy because of an adverse event.

Adverse events occurring in less than 1% of the patients age 12 years and older participating in clinical trials of Alinia Tablets are listed below:

Body as a Whole: asthenia, fever, pain, allergic reaction, pelvic pain, chills, chills and fever, flu syndrome.
Nervous System: dizziness, somnolence, insomnia, tremor, hypesthesia.
Digestive System: vomiting, dyspepsia, anorexia, flatulence, constipation, dry mouth, thirst.
Urogenital System: discolored urine, dysuria, amenorrhea, metrorrhagia, kidney pain, edema labia.
Metabolic & Nutrition: increased SGPT.
Hemic & Lymphatic Systems: anemia, leukocytosis.
Skin: rash, pruritus.
Special Senses: eye discoloration, ear ache.
Respiratory System: epistaxis, lung disease, pharyngitis.
Cardiovascular System: tachycardia, syncope, hypertension.
Muscular System: myalgia, leg cramps, spontaneous bone fracture.

Alinia for Oral Suspension: In controlled and uncontrolled clinical studies of 613 HIV-uninfected pediatric patients who received Alinia for Oral Suspension, the most frequent adverse events reported regardless of causality assessment were: abdominal pain (7.8%), diarrhea (2.1%), vomiting (1.1%) and headache (1.1%). These were typically mild and transient in nature. In placebo-controlled clinical trials, the rates of occurrence of these events did not differ significantly from those of the placebo. None of the 613 pediatric patients discontinued therapy because of adverse events.

Adverse events occurring in less than 1% of the pediatric patients participating in clinical trials of Alinia for Oral Suspension are listed below:

Digestive System: nausea, anorexia, flatulence, appetite increase, enlarged salivary glands.
Body as a Whole: fever, infection, malaise.
Metabolic & Nutrition: increased creatinine, increased SGPT. Skin: pruritus, sweat.
Special Senses: eye discoloration (pale yellow).
Respiratory System: rhinitis.
Nervous System: dizziness.
Urogenital System: discolored urine.

The adverse events seen in adult patients treated with Alinia for Oral Suspension were similar to those observed in adult patients treated with Alinia Tablets.

Tizoxanide is highly bound to plasma protein (>99.9%). Therefore, caution should be used when administering nitazoxanide concurrently with other highly plasma protein-bound drugs with narrow therapeutic indices, as competition for binding sites may occur (e.g., warfarin). In vitro metabolism studies have demonstrated that tizoxanide has no significant inhibitory effect on cytochrome P450 enzymes. Although no drug-drug interaction studies have been conducted in vivo, it is expected that no significant interaction would occur when nitazoxanide is co-administered with drugs that either are metabolized by or inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes.

No information provided.

General: The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide in patients with compromised renal or hepatic function have not been studied. Therefore, nitazoxanide must be administered with caution to patients with hepatic and biliary disease, to patients with renal disease and to patients with combined renal and hepatic disease.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Long-term carcinogenicity studies have not been conducted.

Nitazoxanide was not genotoxic in the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell chromosomal aberration assay or the mouse micronucleus assay. Nitazoxanide was genotoxic in one tester strain (TA 100) in the Ames bacterial mutation assay.

Nitazoxanide did not adversely affect male or female fertility in the rat at 2400 mg/kg/day (approximately 20 times the clinical adult dose adjusted for body surface area).

Pregnancy: Teratogenic Effects

Pregnancy Category B: Reproduction studies have been performed at doses up to 3200 mg/kg/day in rats (approximately 26 times the clinical adult dose adjusted for body surface area) and 100 mg/kg/day in rabbits (approximately 2 times the clinical adult dose adjusted for surface area) and have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to nitazoxanide. There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies in pregnant women.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether nitazoxanide is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when nitazoxanide is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

A single Alinia Tablet contains a greater amount of nitazoxanide than is recommended for pediatric dosing and should therefore not be used in pediatric patients 11 years or younger. Alinia for Oral Suspension should be used for dosing nitazoxanide in pediatric patients. (See DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION)

Safety and effectiveness of Alinia for Oral Suspension in pediatric patients less than one year of age have not been studied.

Geriatrics

Clinical studies of Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspensiondid not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. In general, the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy in elderly patients should be considered when prescribing Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension. As stated in the PRECAUTIONS section, this therapy must be administered with caution to patients with renal and or hepatic impairment.

HIV-Infected or Immunodeficient Patients

Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension have not been studied for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients. Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension have not been shown to be superior to placebo for the treatment of diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in HIV-infected or immunodeficient patients (see Clinical Studies).

Information on nitazoxanide overdosage is not available. In acute studies in rodents and dogs, the oral LD50 was higher than 10,000 mg/kg. Single oral doses of up to 4000 mg nitazoxanide have been administered to healthy adult volunteers without significant adverse effects. In the event of overdose, gastric lavage may be appropriate soon after oral administration. Patients should be carefully observed and given symptomatic and supportive treatment.

Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension are contraindicated in patients with a prior hypersensitivity to nitazoxanide or any other ingredient in the formulations.

Absorption: Following oral administration of Alinia Tablets or Oral Suspension, maximum plasma concentrations of the active metabolites tizoxanide and tizoxanide glucuronide are observed within 1-4 hours. The parent nitazoxanide is not detected in plasma. Pharmacokinetic parameters of tizoxanide and tizoxanide glucuronide are shown in Tables 1 and 2 below.

Table 1. Mean (±SD) plasma pharmacokinetic parameter values following administration of a single dose of one 500 mg Alinia Tablet with food to subjects ≥ 12 years of age

Table 2. Mean (± SD) plasma pharmacokinetic parameter values following administration of a single dose of Alinia for Oral Suspension with food to subjects 1 through 11 years of age

Alinia for Oral Suspension is not bioequivalent to Alinia Tablets. The relative bioavailability of the suspension compared to the tablet was 70%.

Effect of Food: When Alinia Tablets are administered with food, the AUCι of tizoxanide and tizoxanide glucuronide in plasma is increased almost two-fold and the Cmax is increased by almost 50%.

When Alinia for Oral Suspension was administered with food, the AUCι of tizoxanide and tizoxanide glucuronide increased by about 45-50% and the Cmax increased by ≥10%.

Alinia Tablets and for Oral Suspension were administered with food in clinical trials and hence they are recommended to be administered with food (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION).

Multiple dosing: Following oral administration of a single Alinia Tablet every 12 hours for 7 consecutive days, there was no significant accumulation of nitazoxanide metabolites tizoxanide or tizoxanide glucuronide detected in plasma.

Distribution: In plasma, more than 99% of tizoxanide is bound to proteins.

Metabolism: Following oral administration in humans, nitazoxanide is rapidly hydrolyzed to an active metabolite, tizoxanide (desacetyl-nitazoxanide). Tizoxanide then undergoes conjugation, primarily by glucuronidation. In vitro metabolism studies have demonstrated that tizoxanide has no significant inhibitory effect on cytochrome P450 enzymes.

Elimination: Tizoxanide is excreted in the urine, bile and feces, and tizoxanide glucuronide is excreted in urine and bile. Approximately two-thirds of the oral dose of nitazoxanide is excreted in the feces and one-third in the urine.

Special Populations

Patients with Impaired Hepatic and/or Renal Function: The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide in patients with impaired hepatic and/or renal function has not been studied.

Geriatric Patients: The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide in geriatric patients has not been studied.

Pediatric Patients: The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide following administration of Alinia Tablets in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age has not been studied. The pharmacokinetics of nitazoxanide following administration of Alinia for Oral Suspension in pediatric patients less than one year of age has not been studied.

Microbiology

Mechanism of action

The antiprotozoal activity of nitazoxanide is believed to be due to interference with the pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR) enzyme-dependent electron transfer reaction which is essential to anaerobic energy metabolism. Studies have shown that the PFOR enzyme from Giardia lamblia directly reduces nitazoxanide by transfer of electrons in the absence of ferredoxin. The DNA-derived PFOR protein sequence of Cryptosporidium parvum appears to be similar to that of Giardia lamblia. Interference with the PFOR enzyme-dependent electron transfer reaction may not be the only pathway by which nitazoxanide exhibits antiprotozoal activity.

Activity in vitro

Nitazoxanide and its metabolite, tizoxanide, are active in vitro in inhibiting the growth of (i) sporozoites and oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum and (ii) trophozoites of Giardia lamblia.

Drug Resistance

A potential for development of resistance by Cryptosporidium parvum or Giardia lamblia to nitazoxanide has not been examined.

Susceptibility Tests

For protozoa such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia, standardized tests for use in clinical microbiology laboratories are not available.

Clinical Studies

Diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia in adults and adolescents 12 years of age or older

In a double-blind, controlled study (Study 1) conducted in Peru and Egypt in adults and adolescents with diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia, a three-day course of treatment with Alinia Tablets administered 500 mg BID was compared with a placebo tablet and Alinia for Oral Suspension administered 500mg/25mL of suspension BID for 3 days. A second double-blind, controlled study (Study 2) conducted in Egypt in adults and adolescents with diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia compared Alinia Tablets administered 500 mg BID for 3 days to a placebo. For both of these studies, clinical response was evaluated 4 to 7 days following the end of treatment. A clinical response of 'well' was defined as 'no symptoms, no watery stools and no more than 2 soft stools with no hematochezia within the past 24 hours' or 'no symptoms and no unformed stools within the past 48 hours.' The following clinical response rates were obtained:

Adult and Adolescent Patients with Diarrhea Caused by Giardia lamblia Clinical Response Rates* 4 to 7 Days Post-therapy % (Number of Successes/Total)

Some of the patients with 'well' clinical responses had Giardia lamblia cysts in their stool samples 4 to 7 days following the end of treatment. The relevance of stool examination results in these patients is unknown. Patients should be managed based upon clinical response to treatment.

Diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia in pediatric patients 1 through 11 years of age

In a randomized, controlled study conducted in Peru in 110 pediatric patients with diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia, a three-day course of treatment with nitazoxanide (100 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 24-47 months, 200 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 4 through 11 years) was compared to a five-day course of treatment with metronidazole (125 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 2 through 5 years, 250 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 6 through 11 years). Clinical response was evaluated 7 to 10 days following initiation of treatment with a 'well' response defined as 'no symptoms, no watery stools and no more than 2 soft stools with no hematochezia within the past 24 hours' or 'no symptoms and no unformed stools within the past 48 hours.' The following clinical cure rates were obtained:

Pediatric Patients with Diarrhea Caused by Giardia lamblia Clinical Response Rates 7 to 10 Days Following Initiation of Therapy Intent-to-Treat and Per Protocol Analyses % (Number of Successes/Total ), [95% Confidence Interval]

Some of the patients with 'well' clinical responses had Giardia lamblia cysts in their stool samples 4 to 7 days following the end of treatment. The relevance of stool examination results in these patients is unknown. Patients should be managed based upon clinical response to treatment.

Diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum in pediatric patients 1 through 11 years of age

In two double-blind, controlled studies in pediatric patients with diarrhea caused by Cryptosporidium parvum, a three-day course of treatment with nitazoxanide (100 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 12-47 months, 200 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 4 through 11 years) was compared with a placebo. One study was conducted in Egypt in outpatients ages 1 through 11 years with diarrhea caused by C. parvum. Another study was conducted in Zambia in malnourished pediatric patients admitted to the hospital with diarrhea caused by C. parvum. Clinical response was evaluated 3 to 7 days post-therapy with a 'well' response defined as 'no symptoms, no watery stools and no more than 2 soft stools with no hematochezia within the past 24 hours' or 'no symptoms and no unformed stools within the past 48 hours.' The following clinical response rates were obtained:

Pediatric Patients with Diarrhea Caused by Cryptosporidium parvum Clinical Response Rates 3 to 7 Days Post-therapy, Intent-to-Treat Analyses % (Number of Successes/Total)

Some of the patients with 'well' clinical responses had Cryptosporidium oocysts in their stool samples 3 to 7 days following the end of treatment. The relevance of stool examination results in these patients is unknown. Patients should be managed based upon clinical response to treatment.

Another double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted in hospitalized, severely malnourished pediatric patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) in Zambia. In this study, a three day course of nitazoxanide suspension (100 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 12-47 months, 200 mg BID in pediatric patients ages 4 through 11 years) did not produce clinical cure rates that were significantly different from the placebo control.

Alinia Tablets and Alinia for Oral Suspension should be taken with food.

Diabetic patients and caregivers should be aware that the oral suspension contains 1.48 grams of sucrose per 5 mL.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This is a summary and does not contain all possible information about this product. For complete information about this product or your specific health needs, ask your health care professional. Always seek the advice of your health care professional if you have any questions about this product or your medical condition. This information is not intended as individual medical advice and does not substitute for the knowledge and judgment of your health care professional. This information does not contain any assurances that this product is safe, effective, or appropriate for you.

NITAZOXANIDE - ORAL TABLET

(nih-tah-ZOX-ah-nide)

COMMON BRAND NAME(S): Alinia

USES: This medication is used to treat diarrhea due to certain intestinal parasitic infections (i.e., Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia).

HOW TO USE: Take this medication by mouth every 12 hours for 3 days with food, or as directed by your doctor.

Children less than 11 years of age should not take these tablets. Instead, they should take nitazoxanide suspension.

Antibiotics work best when the amount of medicine in your body is kept at a constant level. Therefore, take this drug at evenly spaced intervals.

Continue to take this medication until the full-prescribed amount is finished even if symptoms disappear after a few doses. Stopping this medication too early may allow the parasites to continue to grow, which may result in a relapse of the infection.

Inform your doctor if your condition worsens or does not improve.

SIDE EFFECTS: This medication is generally well tolerated when taken as directed.

Remember that your doctor has prescribed this medication because he or she has judged that the benefit to you is greater than the risk of side effects. Many people using this medication do not have serious side effects.

A very serious allergic reaction to this drug is unlikely, but seek immediate medical attention if it occurs. Symptoms of a serious allergic reaction may include: rash, itching, swelling, severe dizziness, trouble breathing.

This is not a complete list of possible side effects. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact the doctor or pharmacist.

Contact your doctor for medical advice about side effects. The following numbers do not provide medical advice, but in the US you may report side effects to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at 1-800-FDA-1088. In Canada, you may call Health Canada at 1-866-234-2345.

PRECAUTIONS: Before taking nitazoxanide, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it or if you have any other allergies.

Before using this medication, tell the doctor or pharmacist your medical history, especially of: liver disease, kidney disease, weak immune system (e.g., HIV infection).

Do not take over-the-counter medications to treat diarrhea without first checking with your doctor or pharmacist.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant before using this medication.

It is not known whether this medication passes into breast milk. Consult your doctor before breast-feeding.

DRUG INTERACTIONS: Your healthcare professionals (e.g., doctor or pharmacist) may already be aware of any possible drug interactions and may be monitoring you for it. Do not start, stop or change the dosage of any medicine before checking with them first.

Before using this medication, tell the doctor or pharmacist of all prescription and nonprescription products you may use.

Keep a list of all your medications with you, and share the list with your doctor and pharmacist.

OVERDOSE: If overdose is suspected, contact your local poison control center or emergency room immediately. US residents can call the US national poison hotline at 1-800-222-1222. Canadian residents should call their local poison control center directly.

NOTES: Do not share this medication with others.

This medication has been prescribed for your current condition only. Do not use it later for another infection unless told to do so by the doctor. A different medication may be necessary in those cases.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids to keep from becoming dehydrated from your diarrhea. Do not replace fluids with non-pasteurized milk or juices. If you are not sure of the right kinds of fluids to drink, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Also, avoid eating uncooked meats, eggs, or shellfish.

MISSED DOSE: If you miss a dose, use it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.

STORAGE: Store at room temperature at 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Brief storage between 59-86 degrees F (15-30 degrees C) is permitted. Do not store in the bathroom. Keep all medicines away from children and pets.

Do not flush medications down the toilet or pour them into a drain unless instructed to do so. Properly discard this product when it is expired or no longer needed. Consult your pharmacist or local waste disposal company for more details about how to safely discard your product.

Information last revised July 2008 Copyright(c) 2008 First DataBank, Inc.