Avacincaptad Pegol

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Izervay

Brand Names
Izervay
Route
INTRAVITREAL
Dosage Form
INJECTION
Product Type
HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG

Description

11 DESCRIPTION IZERVAY contains avacincaptad pegol sodium, a complement C5 inhibitor. Avacincaptad pegol is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) aptamer, covalently bound to an approximately 43-kiloDalton (kDa) branched polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecule. The molecular formula of avacincaptad pegol (free acid form) is C 395 H 492 N 142 O 262 P 39 F 21 ((CH 2 ) 2 O) n where n~970 and the molecular weight is approximately 56 kDa. The structure of avacincaptad pegol sodium is presented below. IZERVAY (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) is a sterile, clear to slightly opalescent, colorless to slightly yellowish solution in a single-dose glass vial for intravitreal administration. Each single-dose vial is designed to deliver 0.1 mL of solution containing 2 mg avacincaptad pegol (oligonucleotide basis), 0.198 mg dibasic sodium phosphate heptahydrate, 0.0256 mg monobasic sodium phosphate monohydrate, and 0.83 mg sodium chloride. IZERVAY is formulated in Water for Injection, with a target pH of 7.3. IZERVAY does not contain an anti-microbial preservative. Avacincaptad_Pegol

What Is Avacincaptad Pegol Used For?

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE IZERVAY ® is indicated for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). IZERVAY is a complement inhibitor indicated for the treatment of geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) ( 1 ).

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended dosage for IZERVAY is 2 mg (0.1 mL of 20 mg/mL solution) administered by intravitreal injection to each affected eye once monthly (approximately 28 ± 7 days) ( 2.2 ). 2.1 General Dosing Information IZERVAY must be administered by a qualified physician. 2.2 Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage for IZERVAY is 2 mg (0.1 mL of 20 mg/mL solution) administered by intravitreal injection to each affected eye once monthly (approximately every 28 ± 7 days). 2.3 Preparation for Administration Important information you should know before you begin:

  • Read all the instructions carefully before using IZERVAY.
  • The IZERVAY kit includes a glass vial, filter needle, and an empty syringe. The glass vial, filter needle, and empty syringe are for single use only.
  • Store IZERVAY in the refrigerator at temperatures between 2ºC to 8ºC (36ºF to 46ºF). Do not freeze. Do not shake.
  • Prior to use, allow IZERVAY to reach room temperature, 20⁰C to 25⁰C (68⁰F to 77⁰F). The IZERVAY vial may be kept at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Keep the vial in the original carton to protect from light.
  • Use aseptic technique to carry out the preparation of the intravitreal injection.
  • Each vial should only be used for the treatment of a single eye. Step 1: Gather Supplies Gather the following supplies ( see Figure A ): a. One IZERVAY vial (included) b. One sterile 5-micron filter needle 18-gauge x 1½ inch (included) c. One sterile 1 mL Luer lock syringe with a 0.1 mL dose mark (included) d. One sterile injection needle 30‑gauge x ½ inch (not included) NOTE: a 30-gauge injection needle is recommended to avoid increased injection forces that could be experienced with smaller diameter needles. e. Alcohol swab (not included) Figure A Step 2: Inspect Vial Inspect the liquid in the vial. It should be a clear to slightly opalescent, colorless to slightly yellow liquid solution ( see Figure B ). Do not use if particulates, cloudiness, or discoloration are visible. Do not use if the packaging, vial, filter needle, injection needle, and/or empty syringe are expired, damaged, or have been tampered with. Figure B Step 3: Orient Vial Place the vial upright on a flat surface for about 1 minute after removal from packaging to make sure all liquid settles at the bottom of the vial (see Figure C ) . Gently tap the vial with your finger to remove any liquid that may stick to the top of the vial (see Figure D ) . Figure C ______________________________________ Figure D Step 4: Clean Vial Remove the flip-off cap from the vial ( see Figure E ). Gently wipe the vial septum with an alcohol swab ( see Figure F ). Figure E Figure F Step 5: Attach Filter Needle Using aseptic technique, firmly attach the included 18-gauge x 1½ inch filter needle onto the 1 mL Luer lock syringe and twist clockwise to secure (see Figure G ) . Figure G Step 6: Insert Filter Needle into Vial Using aseptic technique, push the filter needle all the way into the center of the...

  • Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

    6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following potentially serious adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling:

  • Ocular and periocular infections [see Contraindications (4.1) ]
  • Active intraocular inflammation [see Contraindications (4.2) ]
  • Endophthalmitis and retinal detachments [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]
  • Neovascular AMD [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ]
  • Increase in intraocular pressure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 5%) were conjunctival hemorrhage, increased IOP, blurred vision, neovascular age-related macular degeneration, punctate keratitis, and eye pain ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Astellas Pharma US, Inc. at 1-800-727-7003 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 avacincaptad pegol was evaluated in 733 patients with AMD in two sham-controlled studies (GATHER1 and GATHER2). Of these patients, 292 were treated with intravitreal IZERVAY 2 mg (0.1 mL of 20 mg/mL solution) [see Clinical Studies (14) ] . Three hundred thirty-two (332) patients were assigned to sham. Adverse reactions reported in ≥2% of patients who received treatment with IZERVAY for up to 12 months pooled across the GATHER1 and GATHER2 studies are listed below in Table 1 . Table 1: Common Ocular Adverse Reactions (≥2%) and greater than Sham in Study Eye up to 12 months 1 Blurred vision includes visual impairment, vision blurred, visual acuity reduced, visual acuity reduced transiently. Adverse Drug Reactions IZERVAY N=292 Sham N=332 Conjunctival hemorrhage 13% 9% Increased IOP 9% 1% Blurred vision 1 8% 5% Choroidal neovascularization 7% 4% Eye pain 4% 3% Vitreous floaters 2% <1% Blepharitis 2% <1% Adverse reactions reported in ≥ 2% of patients who received treatment with IZERVAY for up to 24 months in the GATHER2 study are listed below in Table 2 . Table 2: Common Ocular Adverse Reactions (≥ 2%) and greater than Sham in Study Eye up to 24 months 1 Blurred vision includes visual impairment, vision blurred, visual acuity reduces, visual acuity reduced transiently and blindness transient. 2 Punctate keratitis includes punctate keratitis and keratitis. Adverse Drug Reactions IZERVAY (N=225) Sham (N=222) Conjunctival hemorrhage 17% 9% Blurred vision 1 14% 5% Increased IOP 13% 1% Choroidal neovascularization 12% 9% Punctate keratitis 2 10% 8% Eye pain 7% 4% Retinal hemorrhage 4% 3% Vitreous floaters 4% <1% Ocular hypertension 4% 0 Blepharitis 3% <1% Corneal abrasion 2% <1% Photopsia, optic ischemic neuropathy, vitreous hemorrhage, vitreal cells, vitritis, and endophthalmitis were each reported in ≤ 1% of patients treated with IZERVAY for up to 24 months across the GATHER1 and GATHER2 studies.

  • Contraindications

    4 CONTRAINDICATIONS

  • Ocular or periocular infections ( 4.1 ).
  • Active intraocular inflammation ( 4.2 ). 4.1 Ocular or Periocular Infections IZERVAY is contraindicated in patients with ocular or periocular infections. 4.2 Active Intraocular Inflammation IZERVAY is contraindicated in patients with active intraocular inflammation.

  • Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

    8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of IZERVAY administration in pregnant women. The use of IZERVAY may be considered following an assessment of the risks and benefits. Administration of avacincaptad pegol to pregnant rats and rabbits throughout the period of organogenesis resulted in no evidence of adverse effects to the fetus or pregnant female at intravenous (IV) doses 5.5 times and 3.4 times the human exposure, respectively, based on Area Under the Curve (AUC), following a single 2 mg intravitreal (IVT) dose (see Data ) . In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risks of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15%-20%, respectively. Data Animal Data An embryo fetal developmental toxicity study was conducted with pregnant rats. Pregnant rats received daily IV injections of avacincaptad pegol from day 6 to day 17 of gestation at 0.1, 0.4, 1.2 mg/kg/day. No maternal or embryofetal adverse effects were observed at any dose evaluated. An increase in the incidence of a non-adverse skeletal variation, described as short thoracolumbar (ossification site without distal cartilage) supernumerary ribs, was observed at all doses evaluated. The clinical relevance of this finding is unknown. Plasma exposures at the high dose were 5.5 times the human AUC of 999 ng

  • day/mL (23976 ng
  • hr/mL) following a single 2 mg IVT dose. An embryo fetal developmental toxicity study was conducted with pregnant rabbits. Pregnant rabbits received daily IV injections of avacincaptad pegol from day 7 to day 19 of gestation at 0.12, 0.4, 1.2 mg/kg/day. No maternal or embryofetal adverse effects were observed at any dose evaluated. Plasma exposure in pregnant rabbits at the highest dose of 1.2 mg/kg/day was 3.4 times the human AUC of 999 ng
  • day/mL (23976 ng
  • hr/mL) following a single 2 mg IVT dose.

  • How Supplied

    16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING 16.1 How Supplied IZERVAY (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) is supplied as a sterile, clear to slightly opalescent, colorless to slightly yellowish 20 mg/mL solution in a single-dose glass vial. Each glass vial contains an overfill amount to allow administration of a single 0.1 mL dose of solution containing 2 mg of avacincaptad pegol (oligonucleotide basis). Each IZERVAY carton (NDC 82829-002-01) contains one glass vial, one sterile 5-micron transfer filter needle (18-gauge x 1½ inch, 1.2 mm x 40 mm), and one sterile 1 mL Luer lock syringe. 16.2 Storage and Handling Store IZERVAY in the refrigerator between 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F). Do not freeze. Do not shake. Keep the vial in the original carton to protect from light. Prior to use, the unopened glass vial of IZERVAY may be kept at room temperature, 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), for up to 24 hours. Ensure that the injection is given immediately after preparation of the dose. 16.1 How Supplied IZERVAY (avacincaptad pegol intravitreal solution) is supplied as a sterile, clear to slightly opalescent, colorless to slightly yellowish 20 mg/mL solution in a single-dose glass vial. Each glass vial contains an overfill amount to allow administration of a single 0.1 mL dose of solution containing 2 mg of avacincaptad pegol (oligonucleotide basis). Each IZERVAY carton (NDC 82829-002-01) contains one glass vial, one sterile 5-micron transfer filter needle (18-gauge x 1½ inch, 1.2 mm x 40 mm), and one sterile 1 mL Luer lock syringe.

    About This Information

    This drug information is sourced from FDA-approved labeling via the openFDA database. It is intended for educational and reference purposes only. This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making decisions about medication. Drug information may be updated by the FDA; check with your pharmacist for the most current information.

    What are side effects?

    Side effects are unwanted reactions that can occur when taking a medication. They range from mild (headache, nausea) to severe (allergic reactions, organ damage). Not everyone experiences side effects, and severity varies. Report any concerning side effects to your doctor.

    What are drug interactions?

    Drug interactions occur when a medication is affected by another drug, food, or supplement. Interactions can make medications less effective or cause dangerous side effects. Always tell your doctor about all medications and supplements you take.