The following serious adverse reactions are discussed elsewhere in the label:

• Perforations and Fistula [see BOXED WARNING, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hemorrhage [see BOXED WARNING, WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Thromboembolic Events [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Wound Complications [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hypertension [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Osteonecrosis of the Jaw [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Proteinuria [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

Clinical Trial 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 COMETRIQ was evaluated in 330 patients with progressive metastatic medullary thyroid cancer randomized to receive 140 mg COMETRIQ (n = 214) or placebo (n = 109) administered daily until disease progression or intolerable toxicity in a randomized, doubleblind, controlled trial. [See Clinical Studies] The data described below reflect a median exposure to COMETRIQ for 204 days. The population exposed to COMETRIQ was 70% male, 90% white, and had a median age of 55 years.

Adverse reactions which occurred in ≥ 25% of COMETRIQ-treated patients occurring more frequently in the COMETRIQ arm with a between-arm difference of ≥ 5% included, in order of decreasing frequency: diarrhea, stomatitis, palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia syndrome (PPES), decreased weight, decreased appetite, nausea, fatigue, oral pain, hair color changes, dysgeusia, hypertension, abdominal pain, and constipation. The most common laboratory abnormalities ( > 25%) were increased AST, increased ALT, lymphopenia, increased ALP, hypocalcemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, hypophosphatemia, and hyperbilirubinemia. Grade 3-4 adverse reactions and laboratory abnormalities which occurred in ≥ 5% of COMETRIQ-treated patients occurring more frequently in the COMETRIQ arm with a between-arm difference of ≥ 2% included, in order of decreasing frequency; diarrhea, PPES, lymphopenia, hypocalcemia, fatigue, hypertension, asthenia, increased ALT, decreased weight, stomatitis, and decreased appetite (see Table 1, Table 2).

Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 6% of patients receiving COMETRIQ and resulted from hemorrhage, pneumonia, septicemia, fistulas, cardiac arrest, respiratory failure, and unspecified death. Fatal adverse reactions occurred in 5% of patients receiving placebo and resulted from septicemia, pneumonia, and general deterioration.

The dose was reduced in 79% of patients receiving COMETRIQ compared to 9% of patients receiving placebo. The median number of dosing delays was one in patients receiving COMETRIQ compared to none in patients receiving placebo. Adverse reactions led to study treatment discontinuation in 16% of patients receiving COMETRIQ and in 8% of patients receiving placebo. The most frequent adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation in patients treated with COMETRIQ were: hypocalcemia, increased lipase, PPES, diarrhea, fatigue, hypertension, nausea, pancreatitis, tracheal fistula formation and vomiting.

Increased levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were observed in 57% of patients receiving COMETRIQ after the first dose compared to 19% of patients receiving placebo (regardless of baseline value). Ninety-two percent (92%) of patients on the COMETRIQ arm had a prior thyroidectomy, and 89% were taking thyroid hormone replacement prior to the first dose.

Table 1 : Per-Patient Incidence of Selected Adverse Reactions in Protocol XL184-301 Occurring at a Higher Incidence in COMETRIQ-Treated Patients [Between Arm Difference of ≥ 5% (All Grades)¹or ≥ 2% (Grades 3-4)]

Table 2: Percent-Patient Incidence of Laboratory Abnormalities Occurring at a Higher Incidence in COMETRIQ-Treated Patients in Protocol XL184-301 [Between Arm Difference of ≥ 5% (All Grades) or ≥ 2% (Grades 3-4)]

Nearly all COMETRIQ-treated patients (96% vs. 84% placebo) experienced elevated blood pressure and there was a doubling in the incidence of overt hypertension in COMETRIQ-treated patients over placebo-treated patients (61% vs. 30%) according to modified Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) staging criteria. No patients developed malignant hypertension.

Table 3: Per-Patient Incidence of Hypertensio n in Protocol XL184-301

Read the Cometriq (cabozantinib capsules) Side Effects Center for a complete guide to possible side effects »

Effect of CYP3A4 Inhibitors

Administration of a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor, ketoconazole (400 mg daily for 27 days) to healthy subjects increased single-dose plasma cabozantinib exposure (AUC0-inf) by 38%. Avoid taking a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin, atazanavir, indinavir, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin, voriconazole) when taking COMETRIQ [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Effect of CYP3A4 Inducers

Administration of a strong CYP3A4 inducer, rifampin (600 mg daily for 31 days) to healthy subjects decreased single-dose plasma cabozantinib exposure (AUC0-inf) by 77%. Avoid chronic co-administration of strong CYP3A4 inducers (e.g., dexamethasone, phenytoin, carbamazepine, rifampin, rifabutin, rifapentine, phenobarbital, St. John's Wort) with COMETRIQ [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION and WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Last reviewed on RxList: 12/6/2012
This monograph has been modified to include the generic and brand name in many instances.