Dalfampridine
FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Ampyra, Dalfampridine
- Brand Names
- Ampyra, Dalfampridine
- Drug Class
- Potassium Channel Blocker [EPC]
- Route
- ORAL
- Dosage Form
- TABLET, EXTENDED RELEASE
- Product Type
- HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG
Description
11 DESCRIPTION Dalfampridine is a potassium channel blocker, available in a 10 mg tablet strength. Each tablet contains 10 mg dalfampridine, formulated as an extended-release tablet for twice-daily oral administration. Dalfampridine is also known by its chemical name, 4-aminopyridine, with the following structure: Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets are available in a 10 mg strength and are white to off white, oval shaped, biconvex, film-coated, tablets, debossed with "FH6" on one side and plain on other side, containing 10 mg of dalfampridine. Inactive ingredients consist of colloidal anhydrous silica, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose, polyethylene glycol, and titanium dioxide. Dalfampridine is a fine white powder with a molecular weight of 94.1, CAS 504-24-5, and a molecular formula of C 5 H 6 N 2 . At ambient conditions, dalfampridine is soluble in water, methanol, acetone, tetrahydrofuran, isopropanol, acetonitrile, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and ethanol. Chemical Structure
What Is Dalfampridine Used For?
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets are indicated as a treatment to improve walking in adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed [see Clinical Studies (14) ]. Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets are a potassium channel blocker indicated to improve walking in adult patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed ( 1 , 14 ).
Dosage and Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The maximum recommended dosage is 10 mg twice daily (approximately 12 hours apart). There is no evidence of additional benefit with doses greater than 10 mg twice daily. Adverse reactions, including seizures, were more frequent at higher doses. ( 2.1 ) Take with or without food. Administer tablets whole; do not divide, crush, chew, or dissolve ( 2.2 ) Patients should not take double or extra doses if they miss a dose. ( 2.2 ) Estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) should be known before initiating treatment with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets. In patients with mild renal impairment (CrCl 51 to 80 mL/min), Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets may reach plasma levels associated with a greater risk of seizures, and the potential benefits of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets should be carefully considered against the risk of seizures in these patients ( 2.3 , 5.2 , 8.6 ) 2.1 Dosage Information The maximum recommended dosage of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablet is one 10 mg tablet twice daily and should not be exceeded. Take doses approximately 12 hours apart. There is no evidence of additional benefit at doses greater than 10 mg twice daily. Adverse reactions, including seizures, and discontinuations because of adverse reactions were more frequent at higher doses. 2.2 Administration Instructions Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets can be taken with or without food. Administer tablets whole; do not divide, crush, chew, or dissolve Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets. If a dose is missed, patients should not take double or extra doses. 2.3 Renal Monitoring Prior to and During Treatment Estimated creatinine clearance (CrCl) should be known before initiating treatment with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, and monitored at least annually during treatment with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets. CrCl can be estimated using the following equation (multiply by 0.85 for women): CrCl = (140 - age ) × weight ( kg ) SerumCr ( mg / dl )× 72 2.4 Dosage in Patients with Renal Impairment In patients with mild renal impairment (CrCl 51 to 80 mL/min), Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets plasma levels may approach those seen at a dose of 15 mg twice daily, a dose that is 1.5 times the maximum recommended dose and may be associated with an increased risk of seizures. As mild renal impairment is common after age 50, estimating CrCl is particularly important in these patients. The potential benefits of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets should be carefully considered against the risk of seizures in these patients [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) and Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets are contraindicated in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment (CrCl≤50 mL/min).
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are described in more detail elsewhere in the labeling: Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] The most common adverse events (incidence ≥2% and at a rate greater than the placebo rate) for dalfampridine were urinary tract infection, insomnia, dizziness, headache, nausea, asthenia, back pain, balance disorder, multiple sclerosis relapse, paresthesia, nasopharyngitis, constipation, dyspepsia, and pharyngolaryngeal pain ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Accord Healthcare Inc. at 1-866-941-7875 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In three placebo-controlled clinical trials of up to 14 weeks duration, 4% (15/400) of patients treated with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 10 mg twice daily experienced one or more adverse reactions leading to discontinuation, compared to 2% (5/238) of placebo-treated patients. The adverse reactions leading to discontinuation of at least 2 patients treated with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets and that led to discontinuation more frequently compared to placebo were headache (Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 0.5%, placebo 0%), balance disorder (Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 0.5%, placebo 0%), dizziness (Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 0.5%, placebo 0%), and confusional state (Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 0.3%, placebo 0%). Table 1 lists adverse reactions that occurred in ≥2% of patients treated with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 10 mg twice daily, and more frequently than in placebo-treated patients, in controlled clinical trials. Table 1: Adverse Reactions with an Incidence ≥2% of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets Treated Adult MS Patients, and More Frequent with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets Compared to Placebo in Controlled Clinical Trials Adverse Reaction Placebo (N=238) % Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 10 mg twice daily (N=400) % Urinary tract infection 8 12 Insomnia 4 9 Dizziness 4 7 Headache 4 7 Nausea 3 7 Asthenia 4 7 Back pain 2 5 Balance disorder 1 5 Multiple sclerosis relapse 3 4 Paresthesia 3 4 Nasopharyngitis 2 4 Constipation 2 3 Dyspepsia 1 2 Pharyngolaryngeal pain 1 2 Other Adverse Reactions Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets have been evaluated in a total of 1,952 subjects, including 917 MS patients. A total of 741 patients have been treated with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets for over six months, 501 for over one year and 352 for over two years. The experience in open-label clinical trials is consistent with the safety profile observed in the placebo-controlled clinical trials. As in controlled clinical trials, a dose-dependent increase in the incidence of seizures has been observed in open-label clinical trials with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets in patients with MS as follows: Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets 10 mg twice daily 0.41 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 0.13 to 0.96); dalfampridine 15 mg twice daily 1.7 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 0.21 to 6.28). 6.2 Postmarketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use with dalfampridine. 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: vomiting, vertigo.
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS OCT2 Inhibitors: Concomitant use may cause an increased exposure and potential risk of seizures ( 7.1 ) 7.1 OCT2 Inhibitors Concurrent treatment with OCT2 inhibitors, such as cimetidine, may cause increased exposure to dalfampridine [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . Elevated levels of dalfampridine increase the risk of seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1 , 5.2) ]. The potential benefits of taking OCT2 inhibitors concurrently with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets should be considered against the risk of seizures in these patients. 7.2 Baclofen No interaction was identified between dalfampridine and baclofen [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] .
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS The use of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets are contraindicated in the following conditions: History of seizure [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ] Moderate or severe renal impairment (CrCl≤50 mL/min) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] History of hypersensitivity to dalfampridine or 4-aminopyridine; reactions have included anaphylaxis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4) ] History of seizure ( 4 ) Moderate or severe renal impairment (CrCl≤50 mL/min) ( 4 ) History of hypersensitivity to dalfampridine or 4-aminopyridine ( 4 )
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary There are no adequate data on the developmental risk associated with use of Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets in pregnant women. Administration of dalfampridine to animals during pregnancy and lactation resulted in decreased offspring viability and growth at clinically relevant doses [see Data]. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. Data Animal Data Oral administration of dalfampridine to pregnant rats and rabbits throughout organogenesis resulted in no evidence of developmental toxicity in either species. The highest doses tested (10 mg/kg/day in rats, 5 mg/kg/day in rabbits), which were associated with maternal toxicity, are approximately 5 times the MRHD on a body surface area (mg/m 2 ) basis. Oral administration of dalfampridine (0, 1, 3, and 9 to 6 mg/kg/day; high dose reduced during the second week of dosing) to female rats throughout pregnancy and lactation resulted in decreased offspring viability at the highest dose tested and decreased body weight in offspring at the mid and high doses. The no-effect dose for pre-and postnatal developmental toxicity in rats (1 mg/kg/day) is less than the MRHD on a mg/m 2 basis.
Overdosage
10 OVERDOSAGE Three cases of overdose were reported in controlled clinical trials with Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, involving two MS patients. The first patient took six times the currently recommended dose (60 mg) and was taken to the emergency room with altered mental state. The second patient took 40 mg doses on two separate occasions. In the first instance, she experienced a complex partial seizure and, in the second instance, a period of confusion. Both patients recovered by the following day without sequelae. Several cases of overdose are found in the scientific literature in which various formulations of dalfampridine were used, resulting in numerous adverse events including seizure, confusion, tremulousness, diaphoresis, and amnesia. In some instances, patients developed status epilepticus, requiring intensive supportive care and were responsive to standard therapy for seizures. In one published case report, an MS patient who ingested 300 mg of 4-aminopyridine (dalfampridine) developed a condition that resembled limbic encephalitis. This patient developed weakness, reduced awareness, memory loss, hypophonic speech, and temporal lobe hyperintensities on MRI. The patient's speech and language and ambulation improved over time, and an MRI at 4 months after the overdose no longer showed signal abnormalities. At one year, the patient continued to have difficulty with short term memory and learning new tasks.
How Supplied
16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Dalfampridine Extended-Release Tablets, 10 mg are white to off white, oval shaped,biconvex, film coated tablets, debossed with “FH6” on one side and plain on other side. The tablets are identified by a debossed code "FH6" on one side and are available as follows: NDC 16729-292-10 bottles of 30 tablets with child resistant closure NDC 16729-292-12 bottles of 60 tablets with child resistant closure NDC 16729-292-01 bottles of 100 tablets with child resistant closure NDC 16729-292-16 bottles of 500 tablets NDC 16729-292-17 bottles of 1000 tablets Store at 25°C (77°F). Excursions permitted 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F).
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.