Calcifediol

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Rayaldee

Brand Names
Rayaldee
Route
ORAL
Dosage Form
CAPSULE, EXTENDED RELEASE
Product Type
HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG

Description

11 DESCRIPTION Calcifediol, USP, the active ingredient in RAYALDEE, is synthetically manufactured as calcifediol monohydrate. Calcifediol is also known as calcidiol, 25-hydroxycholecalciferol or 25-hydroxyvitamin D 3 . Calcifediol monohydrate is a white crystalline powder, has a calculated molecular weight of 418.65 and is soluble in alcohol and fatty oils but practically insoluble in water. Chemically, calcifediol monohydrate is (3β,5Z,7E)-9,10-secocholesta-5,7,10(19)-triene-3,25-diol monohydrate and its structural formula is: RAYALDEE is formulated as extended-release capsules containing 30 mcg of calcifediol. RAYALDEE is available as soft capsules or two-piece banded hard capsules containing 30 mcg of calcifediol for oral administration. Each capsule contains the following excipients: butylated hydroxytoluene, dehydrated alcohol, hypromellose, lauroyl polyoxylglycerides, mineral oil, monoglycerides and diglycerides, and paraffin. The soft capsule shells contain carrageenan, FD&C Blue #1, modified starch, purified water, sodium phosphate dibasic, sorbitol sorbitan solution, and titanium dioxide. Medium chain triglyceride (fractionated coconut) oil is used as a lubricant during manufacture, and trace amounts may be present in the final formulation. The hard capsule shells contain gellan gum, hypromellose, and titanium dioxide. calcifediol Chemical Structure

What Is Calcifediol Used For?

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE RAYALDEE is a vitamin D 3 analog indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adult patients with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. Limitations of Use RAYALDEE is not indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease or in patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis. RAYALDEE is a vitamin D 3 analog indicated for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism in adults with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use: RAYALDEE is not indicated in patients with stage 5 chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease on dialysis. ( 1 )

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

  • The initial dose of RAYALDEE is 30 mcg administered orally once daily at bedtime. Serum calcium should be below 9.8 mg/dL before initiating treatment. ( 2 )
  • Monitor serum calcium, phosphorus, 25-hydroxyvitamin D and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) 3 months after starting therapy or changing dose. ( 2.2 , 5.3 )
  • Increase the dose to 60 mcg once daily after 3 months if intact PTH is above the treatment goal. Ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL, phosphorus is below 5.5 mg/dL and 25-hydroxyvitamin D is below 100 ng/mL before increasing the dose. ( 2.2 )
  • Suspend dosing if intact PTH is persistently abnormally low, serum calcium is consistently above the normal range or serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D is consistently above 100 ng/mL. ( 2.2 ) 2.1 Important Dosage and Administration Information
  • Ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL before initiating treatment [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ].
  • Instruct patients to swallow RAYALDEE capsules whole.
  • Instruct patients to skip a missed dose and to resume taking the medicine at the next regularly scheduled time. Do not administer an extra dose. 2.2 Starting Dose and Dose Titration
  • The initial dose of RAYALDEE is 30 mcg administered orally once daily at bedtime.
  • The maintenance dose of RAYALDEE should target serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels between 30 and 100 ng/mL, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels within the desired therapeutic range, serum calcium (corrected for low albumin) within the normal range and serum phosphorus below 5.5 mg/dL.
  • Monitor serum calcium, serum phosphorus, serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D and intact PTH levels at a minimum of 3 months after initiation of therapy or dose adjustment, and subsequently at least every 6 to 12 months.
  • Increase the dose to 60 mcg orally once daily at bedtime after approximately 3 months, if intact PTH remains above the desired therapeutic range. Prior to raising the dose, ensure serum calcium is below 9.8 mg/dL, serum phosphorus is below 5.5 mg/dL and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D is below 100 ng/mL.
  • Suspend dosing if intact PTH is persistently and abnormally low to reduce the risk of adynamic bone disease [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ], if serum calcium is consistently above the normal range to reduce the risk of hypercalcemia [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ], or if serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D is consistently above 100 ng/mL. Restart at a reduced dose after these laboratory values have normalized.

  • Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

    6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following important adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label:

  • Hypercalcemia [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ]
  • Adynamic Bone Disease [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] The most common adverse reactions (≥3% and more frequent than placebo) were anemia, nasopharyngitis, increased blood creatinine, dyspnea, cough, congestive heart failure and constipation. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact OPKO Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-844-729-2539 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trial Experience Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed cannot be directly compared to rates in other trials and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. The data in Table 1 are derived from two pivotal studies described below [ see Clinical Studies ( 14 ) ]. These data reflect exposure of 285 subjects to RAYALDEE 30 or 60 mcg daily for up to 6 months (mean 24 weeks, range 1 to 31 weeks). The mean age of the study population was 66 years old (range 25-85 years). Half of the subjects were male, 65% were White, and 32% were African-American or Black. At baseline, subjects had secondary hyperparathyroidism, stage 3 (52%) or 4 (48%) chronic kidney disease without macroalbuminuria and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. The most common causes of chronic kidney disease were diabetes and hypertension and the mean estimated GFR at baseline was 31 mL/min/1.73m 2 . At baseline, mean plasma intact PTH was 148 pg/mL, mean serum calcium was 9.2 mg/dL, mean serum phosphorus was 3.7 mg/dL and mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D was 20 ng/mL. Table 1 shows common adverse reactions associated with the use of RAYALDEE in the pooled placebo-controlled trials. These adverse reactions were not present at baseline, occurred more commonly on RAYALDEE than on placebo, and occurred in at least 1.4% of patients treated with RAYALDEE. Table 1. Common Adverse Reactions in Placebo-controlled Trials Reported in ≥1.4% of RAYALDEE-Treated Subjects Adverse Reaction Placebo N=144 RAYALDEE N=285 % % Anemia 3.5 4.9 Nasopharyngitis 2.8 4.9 Blood creatinine increased 1.4 4.9 Dyspnea 2.8 4.2 Cough 2.1 3.5 Cardiac failure congestive 0.7 3.5 Constipation 2.8 3.2 Bronchitis 0.7 2.8 Hyperkalemia 0.7 2.5 Osteoarthritis 0.7 2.1 Hyperuricemia 0.7 1.8 Contusion 0.0 1.8 Pneumonia 0.7 1.4 Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease 0.0 1.4 Increase in Serum Calcium Patients randomized to RAYALDEE experienced a greater mean (SE) increase in serum calcium (P<0.001) than patients randomized to placebo [i.e., 0.2 (0.02) mg/dL on RAYALDEE versus 0.1 (0.03) mg/dL on placebo from baseline to trial end]. Six subjects (2%) in the RAYALDEE treatment group and no subjects (0%) in the placebo group required dose reductions for protocol-defined hypercalcemia (two consecutive serum calcium values greater than 10.3 mg/dL). A total of 4.2% of RAYALDEE treated subjects and 2.1% of placebo treated subjects experienced at least one elevation in serum calcium above the upper limit of normal (10.5 mg/dL). Increase in Serum Phosphorus Patients randomized to RAYALDEE experienced a greater mean (SE) increase in serum phosphorus than patients randomized to placebo [i.e., 0.2 (0.03) mg/dL on RAYALDEE versus 0.1 (0.04) mg/dL on placebo from baseline to trial end]. One subject (0.4%) in the RAYALDEE treatment group met protocol-defined hyperphosphatemia (two consecutive serum phosphorus values greater than 5.5 mg/dL deemed to be study drug related) compared to no subjects in the placebo group. A total of 45% of RAYALDEE treated subjects and 44% of placebo treated subjects experienced at least one elevation in serum phosphorus above the upper limit of normal (4.5 mg/dL).

  • Drug Interactions

    7 DRUG INTERACTIONS

  • Co-administration of cytochrome P450 inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, may alter serum levels of calcifediol. ( 7.1 )
  • Co-administration of thiazides may cause hypercalcemia. ( 7.2 )
  • Cholestyramine may impair the absorption of calcifediol. ( 7.3 )
  • The half-life of calcifediol is reduced by drugs stimulating microsomal hydroxylation, such as phenobarbital or other anticonvulsants. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 CYP3A Inhibitors Cytochrome P450 inhibitors, such as ketoconazole, atazanavir, clarithromycin, indinavir, itraconazole, nefazodone, nelfinavir, ritonavir, saquinavir, telithromycin or voriconazole, may inhibit enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism (CYP24A1 and CYP27B1), and may alter serum levels of calcifediol. Dose adjustment of RAYALDEE may be required, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, intact PTH and serum calcium concentrations should be closely monitored if a patient initiates or discontinues therapy with a strong CYP3A4 inhibitor. 7.2 Thiazides Thiazides are known to induce hypercalcemia by reducing excretion of calcium in the urine. Concomitant administration of thiazides with RAYALDEE may cause hypercalcemia. Patients may require more frequent serum calcium monitoring in this setting [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ]. 7.3 Cholestyramine Cholestyramine has been reported to reduce intestinal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and may impair the absorption of calcifediol, the active ingredient in RAYALDEE. Dose adjustment of RAYALDEE may be required, and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D, intact PTH and serum calcium concentrations should be closely monitored if a patient initiates or discontinues therapy with cholestyramine. 7.4 Other Agents Phenobarbital or other anticonvulsants or other compounds that stimulate microsomal hydroxylation reduce the half-life of calcifediol, the active ingredient in RAYALDEE. Dose adjustment of RAYALDEE may be required, and serum total 25-hydroxyvitamin D, intact PTH and serum calcium concentrations should be closely monitored if a patient initiates or discontinues therapy with phenobarbital or other anticonvulsants.

  • Contraindications

    4 CONTRAINDICATIONS None. None ( 4 )

    Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

    8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no human data with calcifediol use in pregnant women to identify a drug-associated risk for major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. There are risks to the mother and fetus associated with chronic kidney disease in pregnancy (see Clinical Considerations ) . In animal reproduction studies, calcifediol increased skeletal and soft tissue malformation when rabbits were given once daily oral doses representing ≥8 times the human dose of 60 mcg/day, based on body surface area (mg/m 2 ), during the period of organogenesis. No adverse developmental effects were observed in rats given up to 10 times the human dose, based on body surface area (mg/m 2 ), during organogenesis. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2-4% and 15-20%, respectively. Clinical Considerations Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk Chronic kidney disease in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for hypertension, miscarriage, preterm labor, and preeclampsia. Chronic kidney disease increases the fetal risk for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), prematurity, polyhydramnios, still birth, and low birth weight. Data Animal Data Calcifediol was given orally to pregnant rats and rabbits during the period of organogenesis (in rats, from gestation day [GD] 6 to 15; in rabbits, from GD 6 to 18). Rats were given 0, 12, 40, 60 mcg/kg/day; and rabbits were given 0, 5, 25, 50 mcg/kg/day, representing up to 10 and 16 times, respectively, a human dose of 60 mcg/day, based on body surface area (mg/m 2 ). In rats, no adverse developmental effects were observed at calcifediol doses up to 60 mcg/kg/day. In rabbits, increased incidences of domed skull, enlarged atrium of the heart, and dilatation of pulmonary artery, were...

    Overdosage

    10 OVERDOSAGE Excessive administration of RAYALDEE can cause hypercalciuria, hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, or oversuppression of intact PTH. Common symptoms of vitamin D overdosage may include constipation, decreased appetite, dehydration, fatigue, irritability, muscle weakness, or vomiting. Treatment of acute accidental overdosage with RAYALDEE should consist of general supportive measures. If the overdosage is discovered within a short time, induce emesis or perform gastric lavage to prevent further absorption. Obtain serial serum and urine calcium measurements, and assess any electrocardiographic abnormalities due to hypercalcemia. Discontinue supplemental calcium. Treat with standard medical care if persistent and markedly elevated serum calcium levels occur. Calcifediol is not significantly removed by dialysis.

    How Supplied

    16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING RAYALDEE is supplied as 30 mcg calcifediol in blue, oval extended-release soft capsules, imprinted O: Bottles of 30 [ NDC 70301-1001-1 ] Bottles of 60 [ NDC 70301-1001-2 ] RAYALDEE is also supplied as 30 mcg calcifediol in white extended-release two-piece banded hard capsules, imprinted O on the cap and 30 on the body: Bottles of 30 [ NDC 70301-1002-1 ] Bottles of 60 [ NDC 70301-1002-2 ] Store at 20 to 25°C (68 to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15 to 30°C (59 to 86°F) [ see USP Controlled Room Temperature ].

    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.