Dulaglutide

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Trulicity

Brand Names: Trulicity
Dosage Form: INJECTION, SOLUTION
Product Type: DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING

⚠ Boxed Warning (Black Box)

WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS In male and female rats, dulaglutide causes a dose-related and treatment-duration-dependent increase in the incidence of thyroid C-cell tumors (adenomas and carcinomas) after lifetime exposure. It is unknown whether TRULICITY causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as human relevance of dulaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ), and Nonclinical Toxicology ( 13.1 )] . TRULICITY is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk of MTC with use of TRULICITY and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with TRULICITY [see Contraindications ( 4 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . WARNING: RISK OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Dulaglutide causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats. It is unknown whether TRULICITY causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as the human relevance of dulaglutide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined ( 5.1 , 13.1 ). TRULICITY is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC and in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk of MTC and symptoms of thyroid tumors ( 4 , 5.1 ).

Description

11 DESCRIPTION Dulaglutide is a human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. The molecule is a fusion protein that consists of 2 identical, disulfide-linked chains, each containing an N-terminal GLP-1 analog sequence covalently linked to the Fc portion of a modified human immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) heavy chain by a small peptide linker and is produced using mammalian cell (Chinese hamster ovary) culture. The GLP-1 analog portion of dulaglutide is 90% homologous to native human GLP-1 (7-37). Structural modifications were introduced in the GLP-1 part of the molecule responsible for interaction with the enzyme dipeptidyl-peptidase-IV (DPP-4). Additional modifications were made in an area with a potential T-cell epitope and in the areas of the IgG4 Fc part of the molecule responsible for binding the high-affinity Fc receptors and half-antibody formation. The overall molecular weight of dulaglutide is approximately 63 kilodaltons. TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection is a clear, colorless, sterile, preservative-free solution for subcutaneous use. Each single-dose pen contains a 0.5 mL solution of 0.75 mg, 1.5 mg, 3 mg, or 4.5 mg of dulaglutide and the following excipients: citric acid anhydrous (0.07 mg), mannitol (23.2 mg), polysorbate 80 (0.10 mg for 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg; 0.125 mg for 3 mg and 4.5 mg), and trisodium citrate dihydrate (1.37 mg), in water for injection.

What Is Dulaglutide Used For?

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE TRULICITY ® is indicated: As an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal stroke) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. TRULICITY ® is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist indicated ( 1 ): As an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults and pediatric patients 10 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes mellitus. To reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who have established cardiovascular disease or multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Limitations of Use: Has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Consider other antidiabetic therapies in these patients ( 1 , 5.2 ). Not for treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus ( 1 ). Not recommended in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis ( 1 , 5.6 ). Limitations of Use TRULICITY: Has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] . Consider other antidiabetic therapies in patients with a history of pancreatitis. Should not be used in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Has not been studied in patients with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis and is therefore not recommended in these patients [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] .

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Adult Dosage ( 2.1 ) Recommended starting dosage is 0.75 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. Increase dosage to 1.5 mg once weekly for additional glycemic control. If additional glycemic control is needed, increase dosage in 1.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dosage. Maximum recommended dosage is 4.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. Pediatric Dosage ( 2.2 ) Recommended starting dosage is 0.75 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. If additional glycemic control is needed, increase dosage to the maximum recommended dosage of 1.5 mg once weekly after at least 4 weeks on the 0.75 mg dosage. Recommendations Regarding Missed Dose ( 2.3 ) If a dose is missed, administer the missed dose as soon as possible if there are at least 3 days (72 hours) until the next scheduled dose. Important Administration Instructions ( 2.4 ) Administer once weekly at any time of day with or without food. Inject subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. 2.1 Adult Dosage The recommended starting dosage of TRULICITY is 0.75 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. Increase the dosage to 1.5 mg once weekly for additional glycemic control. If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage in 1.5 mg increments after at least 4 weeks on the current dosage. The maximum recommended dosage is 4.5 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. 2.2 Pediatric Dosage The recommended starting dosage of TRULICITY is 0.75 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly. If additional glycemic control is needed, increase the dosage to the maximum recommended dosage of 1.5 mg once weekly after at least 4 weeks on the 0.75 mg dosage. 2.3 Recommendations Regarding Missed Dose If a dose is missed, instruct patients to administer the dose as soon as possible if there are at least 3 days (72 hours) until the next scheduled dose. If less than 3 days remain before the next scheduled dose, skip the missed dose and administer the next dose on the regularly scheduled day. In each case, patients can then resume their regular once weekly dosing schedule. The day of weekly administration can be changed, if necessary, as long as the last dose was administered 3 or more days before the new day of administration. 2.4 Important Administration Instructions Prior to initiation, train patients and caregivers on proper injection technique [see Instructions for Use] . Administer TRULICITY once weekly, any time of day, with or without food. Inject TRULICITY subcutaneously in the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Rotate injection sites with each dose. Inspect TRULICITY visually before use. It should appear clear and colorless. Do not use TRULICITY if particulate matter or coloration is seen. When using TRULICITY with insulin, administer as separate injections and never mix. It is acceptable to inject TRULICITY and insulin in the same body region, but the injections should not be adjacent to each other.

Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious reactions are described below or elsewhere in the prescribing information: Risk of Thyroid C-cell Tumors [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Pancreatitis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Hypoglycemia with Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues or Insulin [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] Acute Kidney Injury [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] Severe Gastrointestinal Disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] Diabetic Retinopathy Complications in Patients with a History of Diabetic Retinopathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] Acute Gallbladder Disease [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.8 )] Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) are nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite ( 6.1 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Eli Lilly and Company at 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979) 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. Adverse Reactions in the Clinical Trials in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Pool of Adult Placebo-Controlled Trials for TRULICITY 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg Doses The data in Table 1 are derived from a pool of placebo-controlled trials and include 1,670 adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus exposed to TRULICITY with a mean duration of exposure of 23.8 weeks [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . The mean age of patients was 56 years, 1% were 75 years or older and 53% were male. The population was 69% White, 7% Black or African American, 13% Asian; 30% were of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity. At baseline, the population had diabetes for an average of 8 years, a mean HbA1c of 8.0%, and 2.5% of the population reported retinopathy. Baseline estimated renal function was normal or mildly impaired (eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) in 96%. Table 1 shows adverse reactions, excluding hypoglycemia, occurring in ≥5% of TRULICITY treated adult patients and more commonly than placebo in a pool of placebo-controlled trials. Table 1: Adverse Reactions in Pool of Placebo-Controlled Trials That Occurred in ≥5% of TRULICITY-Treated Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus a Includes diarrhea, fecal volume increased, frequent bowel movements. b Includes retching, vomiting, vomiting projectile. c Includes abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, abdominal pain lower, abdominal pain upper, abdominal tenderness, gastrointestinal pain. d Includes fatigue, asthenia, malaise. Note: Percentages reflect the number of patients that reported at least 1 treatment-emergent occurrence of the adverse reaction. Adverse Reaction Placebo (N=568) % TRULICITY 0.75 mg (N=836) % TRULICITY 1.5 mg (N=834) % Nausea 5.3 12.4 21.1 Diarrhea a 6.7 8.9 12.6 Vomiting b 2.3 6.0 12.7 Abdominal Pain c 4.9 6.5 9.4 Decreased Appetite 1.6 4.9 8.6 Dyspepsia 2.3 4.1 5.8 Fatigue d 2.6 4.2 5.6 Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions In the pool of placebo-controlled trials, gastrointestinal (GI) adverse reactions occurred more frequently among patients who received TRULICITY compared to patients who received placebo (placebo 21%, 0.75 mg 32%, 1.5 mg 41%). A higher percentage of patients who received TRULICITY 0.75 mg (1.3%) and TRULICITY 1.5 mg (3.5%) discontinued treatment due to GI adverse reactions than patients who received placebo (0.2%). Investigators graded the severity of GI adverse reactions that occurred in those treated with 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg of TRULICITY as “mild” in 58% and 48% of cases, respectively, “moderate” in 35% and 42% of cases, respectively, or “severe” in 7% and 11% of cases, respectively. The following GI adverse reactions were reported more frequently in TRULICITY-treated patients than...

Drug Interactions

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Oral Medications: Delays gastric emptying and has the potential to reduce the rate of absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications ( 7.1 , 12.3 ). 7.1 Oral Medications TRULICITY delays gastric emptying and thus has the potential to reduce the rate of absorption of concomitantly administered oral medications. The delay in gastric emptying is dose-dependent but is attenuated with the recommended dose escalation to higher doses of TRULICITY [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 )] . The delay is largest after the first dose and diminishes with subsequent doses. In clinical pharmacology studies, TRULICITY 1.5 mg did not affect the absorption of the tested orally administered medications to a clinically relevant degree [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . There is limited experience with the use of concomitant medications in clinical trials with TRULICITY doses of 3 mg and 4.5 mg. Monitor drug levels of oral medications with a narrow therapeutic index (e.g., warfarin) when concomitantly administered with TRULICITY. 7.2 Concomitant Use with an Insulin Secretagogue (e.g., Sulfonylurea) or with Insulin When initiating TRULICITY, consider reducing the dose of concomitantly administered insulin secretagogues (such as sulfonylureas) or insulin to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) and Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )].

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS TRULICITY is contraindicated in patients with: Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2) [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Serious hypersensitivity reaction to dulaglutide or to any of the product components. Serious hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylactic reactions and angioedema have been reported with TRULICITY [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] . Patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 ( 4 , 5.1 ). Patients with a serious hypersensitivity reaction to dulaglutide or any of the product components ( 4 , 5.4 ).

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Limited data with TRULICITY in pregnant women are not sufficient to determine a drug-associated risk for major birth defects and miscarriage. There are clinical considerations regarding the risks of poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy [see Clinical Considerations]. Based on animal reproduction studies, there may be risks to the fetus from exposure to dulaglutide during pregnancy. TRULICITY should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. In pregnant rats administered dulaglutide during organogenesis, early embryonic deaths, fetal growth reductions, and fetal abnormalities occurred at systemic exposures at least 6-times human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 4.5 mg/week. In pregnant rabbits administered dulaglutide during organogenesis, major fetal abnormalities occurred at 5-times human exposure at the MRHD. Adverse embryo/fetal effects in animals occurred in association with decreased maternal weight and food consumption attributed to the pharmacology of dulaglutide [see Data] . The estimated background risk of major birth defects is 6–10% in women with pre-gestational diabetes with an HbA1c >7% and has been reported to be as high as 20–25% in women with an HbA1c >10%. The estimated background risk of 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 Poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery and delivery complications. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, stillbirth, and macrosomia-related morbidity. Data Animal Data Pregnant rats given subcutaneous doses of...

Overdosage

10 OVERDOSAGE Overdoses have been reported in clinical studies. Effects associated with these overdoses were primarily mild or moderate gastrointestinal events (e.g., nausea, vomiting) and non-severe hypoglycemia. In the event of overdose, appropriate supportive care (including frequent plasma glucose monitoring) should be initiated according to the patient's clinical signs and symptoms.

How Supplied

16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Product: 50090-6571 NDC: 50090-6571-0 .5 mL in a SYRINGE / 4 in a CARTON

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.