Sutent

SIDE EFFECTS

The following serious adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the labeling.

• Hepatotoxicity [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Cardiovascular Events [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• QT Interval Prolongation and Torsade de Pointes [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hypertension [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hemorrhagic Events [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Thrombotic Microangiopathy [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Proteinuria [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Dermatologic Toxicities [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Thyroid Dysfunction [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hypoglycemia [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (ONJ) [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Wound Healing [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

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 data described in the Warnings and Precautions reflect exposure to SUTENT (N = 7527) in GIST, advanced RCC, adjuvant treatment of RCC, and pNET [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. In this database, the most common adverse reactions (≥25%) are fatigue/asthenia, diarrhea, mucositis/stomatitis, nausea, decreased appetite/anorexia, vomiting, abdominal pain, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, bleeding events, dysgeusia/altered taste, dyspepsia, and thrombocytopenia.

The data below reflect exposure to SUTENT in 966 patients who participated in the treatment phase of randomized trials of GIST (n=202), advanced RCC (n=375), adjuvant treatment of RCC (n=306), and pNET (n=83) [see Clinical Studies].

Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor (GIST)

The safety of SUTENT was evaluated in Study 1, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which previously treated patients with GIST received SUTENT 50 mg daily on Schedule 4/2 (n=202) or placebo (n=102).

Median duration of blinded study treatment was 2 cycles for patients on SUTENT (mean: 3.0; range: 1-9) and 1 cycle (mean; 1.8; range: 1-6) for patients on placebo at the time of the interim analysis. Dose reductions occurred in 23 patients (11%) on SUTENT and none on placebo. Dose interruptions occurred in 59 patients (29%) on SUTENT and 31 patients (30%) on placebo. The rates of treatment-emergent, nonfatal adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation were 7% and 6% in the SUTENT and placebo groups, respectively.

Most treatment-emergent adverse reactions in both study arms were Grade 1 or 2 in severity. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse reactions were reported in 56% versus 51% of patients on SUTENT versus placebo, respectively, in the double-blind treatment phase of the trial. Table 1 compares the incidence of common (≥10%) treatment-emergent adverse reactions for patients receiving SUTENT and reported more commonly in patients receiving SUTENT than in patients receiving placebo.

Table 1. Adverse Reactions Reported in Study 1 in ≥10% of GIST Patients Who Received SUTENT in the Double-Blind Treatment Phase and More Commonly Than in Patients Given Placebo*

In the double-blind treatment phase of GIST Study 1, oral pain other than mucositis/stomatitis occurred in 12 patients (6%) on SUTENT versus 3 (3%) on placebo. Hair color changes occurred in 15 patients (7%) on SUTENT versus 4 (4%) on placebo. Alopecia was observed in 10 patients (5%) on SUTENT versus 2 (2%) on placebo.

Table 2 provides common (≥10%) treatment-emergent laboratory abnormalities.

Table 2. Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in Study 1 in ≥10% of GIST Patients Who Received SUTENT or Placebo in the Double-Blind Treatment Phase*

After an interim analysis, the study was unblinded and patients on the placebo arm were given the opportunity to receive open-label SUTENT treatment [see Clinical Studies]. For 241 patients randomized to the SUTENT arm, including 139 who received SUTENT in both the double-blind and open-label treatment phases, the median duration of SUTENT treatment was 6 cycles (mean: 8.5; range: 1–44). For the 255 patients who ultimately received open-label SUTENT treatment, median duration of study treatment was 6 cycles (mean: 7.8; range: 1–37) from the time of the unblinding. A total of 118 patients (46%) required dosing interruptions, and a total of 72 patients (28%) required dose reductions. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse reactions resulting in permanent discontinuation was 20%. The most common Grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse reactions experienced by patients receiving SUTENT in the open-label treatment phase were fatigue (10%), hypertension (8%), asthenia (5%), diarrhea (5%), hand-foot syndrome (5%), nausea (4%), abdominal pain (3%), anorexia (3%), mucositis (2%), vomiting (2%), and hypothyroidism (2%).

Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC)

The safety of SUTENT was evaluated in Study 3, a double-blind, active-controlled trial in which previously untreated patients with locally advanced or metastatic RCC received SUTENT 50 mg daily on Schedule 4/2 (n=375) or IFN-α 9 million International Units (MIU) (n=360). The median duration of treatment was 11.1 months (range: 0.4-46.1) for SUTENT treatment and 4.1 months (range: 0.1–45.6) for IFN-α treatment. Dose interruptions occurred in 202 patients (54%) on SUTENT and 141 patients (39%) on IFN-α. Dose reductions occurred in 194 patients (52%) on SUTENT and 98 patients (27%) on IFN-α. Discontinuation rates due to adverse reactions were 20% for SUTENT and 24% for IFN-α. Most treatment-emergent adverse reactions in both study arms were Grade 1 or 2 in severity. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse reactions were reported in 77% versus 55% of patients on SUTENT versus IFN-α, respectively.

Table 3 compares the incidence of common (≥10%) treatment-emergent adverse reactions for patients receiving SUTENT versus IFN-α.

Table 3. Adverse Reactions Reported in Study 3 in ≥10% of Patients With RCC Who Received SUTENT or IFN-α*

Treatment-emergent Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities are presented in Table 4.

Table 4. Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in Study 3 in ≥10% of Treatment-Naive RCC Patients Who Received SUTENT or IFN-α

Long-Term Safety In RCC

The long-term safety of SUTENT in patients with metastatic RCC was analyzed across 9 completed clinical studies conducted in the first-line, bevacizumab-refractory, and cytokine-refractory treatment settings. The analysis included 5739 patients, of whom 807 (14%) were treated for at least 2 years and 365 (6%) for at least 3 years. Prolonged treatment with SUTENT did not appear to be associated with new types of adverse reactions. There appeared to be no increase in the yearly incidence of adverse reactions at later time points. Hypothyroidism increased during the second year of treatment with new cases reported up to year 4.

Adjuvant Treatment Of RCC

The safety of SUTENT was evaluated in S-TRAC, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which patients who had undergone nephrectomy for RCC received SUTENT 50 mg daily (n=306) on Schedule 4/2 or placebo (n=304). The median duration of treatment was 12.4 months (range: 0.13-14.9) for SUTENT and 12.4 months (range: 0.03-13.7) for placebo. Permanent discontinuation due to an adverse reaction occurred in 28% of patients on SUTENT and 6% on placebo. Adverse reactions leading to permanent discontinuation in >2% of patients include hand-foot syndrome and fatigue/asthenia. Dosing interruptions or delays occurred in 166 (54%) and 84 (28%) patients on SUTENT and placebo, respectively. One hundred forty patients (45.8%) out of 306 patients in the SUTENT arm and 15 patients (5%) out of 304 patients in the placebo arm had dose reductions.

Table 5 compares the incidence of common (≥10%) treatment-emergent adverse reactions for patients receiving SUTENT versus placebo.

Table 5. Adverse Reactions Reported in S-TRAC in ≥10% of Patients With RCC Who Received SUTENT and More Commonly Than in Patients Given Placebo*

Grade 4 adverse reactions in patients on SUTENT included hand-foot syndrome (1%), fatigue (<1%), abdominal pain (< 1%), stomatitis (<1%), and pyrexia (< 1%). Grade 4 adverse reactions in patients on placebo included asthenia (<1%) and hypertension (<1%).

Grade 3-4 laboratory abnormalities that occurred in ≥2% of patients receiving SUTENT include neutropenia (13%), thrombocytopenia (5%), leukopenia (3%), lymphopenia (3%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (2%), elevated aspartate aminotransferase (2%), hyperglycemia (2%), and hyperkalemia (2%).

Advanced Pancreatic Neuroendocrine Tumors (pNET)

The safety of SUTENT was evaluated in Study 6, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in which patients with progressive pNET received SUTENT 37.5 mg daily continuous dosing (n=83) or placebo (n=82). The median number of days on treatment was 139 days (range: 13-532 days) for patients on SUTENT and 113 days (range: 1-614 days) for patients on placebo. Nineteen patients (23%) on SUTENT and 4 patients (5%) on placebo were on study for >1 year. Dose interruptions occurred in 25 patients (30%) on SUTENT and 10 patients (12%) on placebo. Dose reductions occurred in 26 patients (31%) on SUTENT and 9 patients (11%) on placebo. Discontinuation rates due to adverse reactions were 22% for SUTENT and 17% for placebo.

Most treatment-emergent adverse reactions in both study arms were Grade 1 or 2 in severity. Grade 3 or 4 treatment-emergent adverse reactions were reported in 54% versus 50% of patients on SUTENT versus placebo, respectively. Table 6 compares the incidence of common (≥10%) treatment-emergent adverse reactions for patients receiving SUTENT and reported more commonly in patients receiving SUTENT than in patients receiving placebo.

Table 6. Adverse Reactions Reported in the pNET Study 6 in ≥10% of Patients Who Received SUTENT and More Commonly Than in Patients Given Placebo*

Table 7 provides common (≥10%) treatment-emergent laboratory abnormalities.

Table 7. Laboratory Abnormalities Reported in the pNET Study 6 in ≥10% of Patients Who Received SUTENT

Venous Thromboembolic Events

In patients treated with SUTENT (N=7527) for GIST, advanced RCC, adjuvant treatment of RCC and pNET, 3.5% of patients experienced a venous thromboembolic event; 2.2% Grade 3-4.

Reversible Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome

There have been reports (<1%), some fatal, of patients presenting with seizures and radiological evidence of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS). Patients with seizures and signs/symptoms consistent with RPLS, such as hypertension, headache, decreased alertness, altered mental functioning, and visual loss, including cortical blindness, should be controlled with medical management including control of hypertension. Temporary suspension of SUTENT is recommended; following resolution, treatment may be resumed at the discretion of the treating healthcare provider.

Pancreatic Function

Pancreatitis was observed in 5 patients (1%) receiving SUTENT for treatment-naive RCC compared to 1 patient (<1%) receiving IFN-α. In a trial of patients receiving adjuvant treatment for RCC, 1 patient (<1%) on SUTENT and none on placebo experienced pancreatitis. Pancreatitis was observed in 1 patient (1%) receiving SUTENT for pNET and 1 patient (1%) receiving placebo.

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of SUTENT. Because these reactions 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 drug exposure.

Blood and lymphatic system disorders: hemorrhage associated with thrombocytopenia*. Suspension of SUTENT is recommended; following resolution, treatment may be resumed at the discretion of the treating healthcare provider.

Gastrointestinal disorders: esophagitis.

Hepatobiliary disorders: cholecystitis, particularly acalculous cholecystitis.

Immune system disorders: hypersensitivity reactions, including angioedema.

Infections and infestations: serious infection (with or without neutropenia)*. The infections most commonly observed with SUTENT treatment include respiratory, urinary tract, skin infections, and sepsis/septic shock.

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: fistula formation, sometimes associated with tumor necrosis and/or regression*; myopathy and/or rhabdomyolysis with or without acute renal failure*. Patients with signs or symptoms of muscle toxicity should be managed as per standard medical practice.

Renal and urinary disorders: renal impairment and/or failure*.

Respiratory disorders: pulmonary embolism*, pleural effusion*.

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: pyoderma gangrenosum, including positive dechallenges.

Vascular disorders: arterial (including aortic) aneurysms, dissections*, and rupture*; arterial thromboembolic events*. The most frequent events included cerebrovascular accident, transient ischemic attack, and cerebral infarction.

*including some fatalities.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Sutent (Sunitinib Malate)