Metreleptin

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Myalept

Brand Names
Myalept
Dosage Form
LIQUID
Product Type
BULK INGREDIENT

⚠ Boxed Warning (Black Box)

WARNING: RISK OF ANTI-METRELEPTIN ANTIBODIES WITH NEUTRALIZING ACTIVITY AND RISK OF LYMPHOMA Anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity have been identified in patients treated with MYALEPT. The consequences of these neutralizing antibodies are not well characterized but could include inhibition of endogenous leptin action and/or loss of MYALEPT efficacy. Severe infection and/or worsening metabolic control have been reported. Test for anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity in patients who develop severe infections or show signs suspicious for loss of MYALEPT efficacy during treatment. Contact Amryt Pharmaceuticals DAC at 1-866-216-1526 for neutralizing antibody testing of clinical samples [see Contraindications (4.1) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. T-cell lymphoma has been reported in patients with acquired generalized lipodystrophy, both treated and not treated with MYALEPT. Carefully consider the benefits and risks of treatment with MYALEPT in patients with significant hematologic abnormalities and/or acquired generalized lipodystrophy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ]. Because of these risks associated with the development of anti-metreleptin antibodies that neutralize endogenous leptin and/or MYALEPT and the risk for lymphoma, MYALEPT is available only through a restricted program under a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) called the MYALEPT REMS PROGRAM [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ]. WARNING: RISK OF ANTI-METRELEPTIN ANTIBODIES WITH NEUTRALIZING ACTIVITY AND RISK OF LYMPHOMA See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. Anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity have been identified in patients treated with MYALEPT. The consequences are not well characterized but could include inhibition of endogenous leptin action and loss of MYALEPT efficacy. Worsening metabolic control and/or severe infection have been reported. Test for anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity in patients with severe infections or loss of efficacy during MYALEPT treatment. Contact Amryt Pharmaceuticals DAC at 1-866-216-1526 for neutralizing antibody testing. ( 4.1 ), ( 5.1 ) T-cell lymphoma has been reported in patients with acquired generalized lipodystrophy, both treated and not treated with MYALEPT. Carefully consider the benefits and risks of treatment with MYALEPT in patients with significant hematologic abnormalities and/or acquired generalized lipodystrophy. ( 5.2 ) MYALEPT is available only through a restricted program called the MYALEPT REMS PROGRAM. ( 5.3 )

Description

11 DESCRIPTION MYALEPT (metreleptin) for injection is a recombinant human leptin analog for injection that binds to and activates the leptin receptor. Metreleptin (recombinant methionyl-human leptin) is produced in E. coli and differs from native human leptin by the addition of a methionine residue at its amino terminus. Metreleptin is a 147-amino acid, nonglycosylated, polypeptide with one disulfide bond between Cys-97 and Cys-147 and a molecular weight of approximately 16.15 kDa. MYALEPT is supplied as a sterile, white, solid, lyophilized cake containing 11.3 mg that is reconstituted with 2.2 mL of BWFI or WFI to a final formulation of 5 mg/mL metreleptin for subcutaneous injection. Inactive ingredients are: glutamic acid (1.47 mg/mL), glycine (20 mg/mL), polysorbate 20 (0.1 mg/mL), and sucrose (10 mg/mL), pH 4.25.

What Is Metreleptin Used For?

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE MYALEPT is a leptin analog indicated as an adjunct to diet as replacement therapy to treat the complications of leptin deficiency in patients with congenital or acquired generalized lipodystrophy. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use The safety and effectiveness of MYALEPT for the treatment of complications of partial lipodystrophy have not been established. ( 1 ) The safety and effectiveness of MYALEPT for the treatment of liver disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), have not been established. ( 1 ) MYALEPT is not indicated for use in patients with HIV-related lipodystrophy. ( 1 ) MYALEPT is not indicated for use in patients with metabolic disease, without concurrent evidence of generalized lipodystrophy. ( 1 ) 1.1 Patients with Generalized Lipodystrophy MYALEPT (metreleptin) for injection is indicated as an adjunct to diet as replacement therapy to treat the complications of leptin deficiency in patients with congenital or acquired generalized lipodystrophy. Limitations of Use The safety and effectiveness of MYALEPT for the treatment of complications of partial lipodystrophy have not been established. The safety and effectiveness of MYALEPT for the treatment of liver disease, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), have not been established. MYALEPT is not indicated for use in patients with HIV-related lipodystrophy. MYALEPT is not indicated for use in patients with metabolic disease, including diabetes mellitus and hypertriglyceridemia, without concurrent evidence of congenital or acquired generalized lipodystrophy.

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Administer as a subcutaneous injection once daily after the lyophilized cake is reconstituted with Bacteriostatic Water for Injection (BWFI) or preservative-free sterile Water for Injection (WFI). ( 2.1 ) The recommended daily dosages are: Body weight 40 kg or less: starting dose 0.06 mg/kg/day, increase or decrease by 0.02 mg/kg to a maximum daily dose of 0.13 mg/kg. ( 2.1 ) Males greater than 40 kg body weight: starting dose 2.5 mg/day, increase or decrease by 1.25 mg to 2.5 mg/day to a maximum dose of 10 mg/day. ( 2.1 ) Females greater than 40 kg body weight: starting dose 5 mg/day, increase or decrease by 1.25 mg to 2.5 mg/day to a maximum dose of 10 mg/day. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 Recommended Dosing See Table 1 for the recommended daily dose and maximum recommended daily dose in adults and pediatric patients. Based on clinical response (e.g., inadequate metabolic control) or other considerations (e.g., tolerability issues, excessive weight loss [especially in pediatric patients]), MYALEPT dosage may be decreased or increased to the maximum dosage listed in Table 1. Table 1: MYALEPT Recommended Dosage Baseline weight Starting daily dose (injection volume) Dose adjustments (injection volume) Maximum daily dose (injection volume) Less than or equal to 40 kg (males and females) 0.06 mg/kg (0.012 mL/kg) 0.02 mg/kg (0.004 mL/kg) 0.13 mg/kg (0.026 mL/kg) Males greater than 40 kg 2.5 mg (0.5 mL) 1.25 mg (0.25 mL) to 2.5 mg (0.5 mL) 10 mg (2 mL) Females greater than 40 kg 5 mg (1 mL) 1.25 mg (0.25 mL) to 2.5 mg (0.5 mL) 10 mg (2 mL) In pediatric patients, small volumes for administration can result in medication errors when measured incorrectly [see Dosage and Administration (2.3) , Adverse Reactions (6.3) ] . Table 2 provides example doses and volumes by weight . For patients using insulin syringes, the volume conversion is 100 Units/mL. Table 2: Example Dosing Chart for Patients Less than or Equal to 40 kg Weight Starting Dose Dose Adjustment Maximum Dose 5 kg 0.30 mg (0.06 mL or 6 Units) 0.10 mg (0.02 mL or 2 Units) 0.65 mg (0.13 mL or 13 Units) 10 kg 0.60 mg (0.12 mL or 12 Units) 0.20 mg (0.04 mL or 4 Units) 1.3 mg (0.26 mL or 26 Units) 15 kg 0.90 mg (0.18 mL or 18 Units) 0.30 mg (0.06 mL or 6 Units) 1.95 mg (0.39 mL or 39 Units) 20 kg 1.2 mg (0.24 mL or 24 Units) 0.40 mg (0.08 mL or 8 Units) 2.6 mg (0.52 mL or 52 Units) 25 kg 1.5 mg (0.3 mL or 30 Units) 0.50 mg (0.1 mL or 10 Units) 3.25 mg (0.65 mL or 65 Units) 30 kg 1.8 mg (0.36 mL or 36 Units) 0.60 mg (0.12 mL or 12 Units) 3.9 mg (0.78 mL or 78 Units) 35 kg 2.1 mg (0.42 mL or 42 Units) 0.70 mg (0.14 mL or 14 Units) 4.55 mg (0.91 mL or 91 Units) 40 kg 2.4 mg (0.48 mL or 48 Units) 0.80 mg (0.16 mL or 16 Units) 5.2 mg (1.03 mL or 103 Units) MYALEPT should be administered once daily at the same time every day. MYALEPT can be administered any time of day without regard to the timing of meals. Instruct patients that if a dose is missed, administer the dose as soon as noticed, and...

Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Most common in clinical trials (≥10%): headache, hypoglycemia, decreased weight, abdominal pain. ( 5.4 , 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Amryt Pharmaceuticals DAC at 1-855-303-2347 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. Open-Label, Single-Arm Study The safety of MYALEPT was evaluated in 48 patients with generalized lipodystrophy in a single-arm, open-label study [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. The median duration of exposure in this trial was 2.7 years with a range of 3.6 months to 10.9 years. The most frequent adverse reactions are summarized in Table 3. Table 3: Adverse Reactions of 5% or Greater Incidence in Patients with Generalized Lipodystrophy Receiving MYALEPT in an Open-Label, Single-Arm Study All Subjects N=48 (%) 1. Hypoglycemic events were assessed as mild, moderate, severe, or life threatening based on the protocol specified definitions: Mild: Documentation of low plasma glucose values with no symptoms; Moderate: Presence of clinical symptoms requiring ingestion of glucose, self-alleviated; Severe: Presence of neuroglycopenic symptoms requiring assistance from others for alleviation; Life threatening: Loss of consciousness and/or requiring intervention by administration of intravenous glucose or intramuscular glucagon. Headache 6 (13) Hypoglycemia 1 6 (13) Decreased weight 6 (13) Abdominal pain 5 (10) Arthralgia 4 (8) Dizziness 4 (8) Ear infection 4 (8) Fatigue 4 (8) Nausea 4 (8) Ovarian cyst 4 (8) Upper respiratory tract infection 4 (8) Anemia 3 (6) Back pain 3 (6) Diarrhea 3 (6) Paresthesia 3 (6) Proteinuria 3 (6) Pyrexia 3 (6) In patients with generalized lipodystrophy receiving MYALEPT in this study, less common adverse reactions included injection-site erythema and urticaria (N=2 [4%]). Six patients (13%) had 7 adverse reactions of hypoglycemia, 6 of which occurred in the setting of concomitant insulin use, with or without oral antihyperglycemic agents. Two patients (4%) had events of pancreatitis, both of whom had a medical history of pancreatitis. 6.2 Immunogenicity As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity. Anti-metreleptin antibodies were detected in 84% (36/43) of generalized lipodystrophy patients studied in the MYALEPT trials. Total anti-metreleptin antibody titers ranged between 1:5 and 1:1,953,125. The incompleteness of the current immunogenicity database precludes understanding of the magnitude and persistence of the observed anti-drug antibody responses. Anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity associated with adverse events consistent with loss of endogenous leptin activity and/or loss of MYALEPT efficacy were observed in 6% (2/33) of the patients with generalized lipodystrophy tested. Adverse events reported in these two patients included severe infections and worsening of metabolic control (increases in HbA 1c and/or triglycerides). Test for anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity in patients who develop severe infections or show signs suspicious for loss of MYALEPT efficacy during treatment. Contact Amryt Pharmaceuticals DAC at 1-866-216-1526 for testing of clinical samples. The detection of antibody formation is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. The immunogenicity assays utilized in clinical trials lacked sensitivity, resulting in potential underestimation of the number of samples positive for anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors including assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection,...

Drug Interactions

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS No formal drug interaction studies were performed. Leptin is a cytokine and may have the potential to alter the formation of cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes. This should be taken into account when prescribing concomitant drugs metabolized by CYP450 (e.g., oral contraceptives and drugs with a narrow therapeutic index). The effect of metreleptin on CYP450 enzymes may be clinically relevant for CYP450 substrates with narrow therapeutic index, where the dose is individually adjusted. Upon initiation or discontinuation of MYALEPT, in patients being treated with these types of agents, therapeutic monitoring of effect (e.g., warfarin) or drug concentration (e.g., cyclosporine or theophylline) should be performed and the individual dose of the agent adjusted as needed.

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS General obesity not associated with congenital leptin deficiency. ( 4.1 ) Hypersensitivity to metreleptin. ( 4.2 ) 4.1 General Obesity MYALEPT is contraindicated in patients with general obesity not associated with congenital leptin deficiency. MYALEPT has not been shown to be effective in treating general obesity, and the development of anti-metreleptin antibodies with neutralizing activity has been reported in obese patients treated with MYALEPT [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ]. 4.2 Hypersensitivity MYALEPT is contraindicated in patients with prior severe hypersensitivity reactions to metreleptin or to any of the product components. Known hypersensitivity reactions have included anaphylaxis, urticaria and generalized rash [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ].

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a program that monitors outcomes in women exposed to MYALEPT during pregnancy. Women who become pregnant during MYALEPT treatment are encouraged to enroll. Patients or their physicians should call 1-855-669-2537 to enroll. Risk Summary Available pharmacovigilance reports with the use of MYALEPT in pregnant women are insufficient to evaluate for any drug-associated risk for major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. These reports describe similar adverse pregnancy outcomes as those documented in women with lipodystrophy (see Clinical Considerations ) . In an animal reproduction study, no adverse developmental effects were observed with subcutaneous administration of metreleptin to pregnant mice during organogenesis at doses 7- and 15-fold the maximum recommended clinical dose, based on body surface area of a 20- and 60-kg patient, respectively. In a pre- and postnatal development study in mice, subcutaneous administration of metreleptin caused prolonged gestation and dystocia resulting in maternal death during parturition and lower survival of offspring in the immediate postnatal period at doses starting approximately at the maximum recommended clinical dose (see Data ) . MYALEPT contains benzyl alcohol when reconstituted with BWFI. MYALEPT contains no preservative when reconstituted with WFI. Because benzyl alcohol is rapidly metabolized by a pregnant woman, benzyl alcohol exposure in the fetus is unlikely. However, adverse reactions have occurred in premature neonates and low birth weight infants who received intravenously administered benzyl alcohol-containing drugs [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) and Use in Specific Populations (8.4) ]. Therefore, if therapy with MYALEPT is needed during pregnancy, consider using preservative-free WFI when reconstituting [see Dosage and Administration (2.2) ]. The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated...

Overdosage

10 OVERDOSAGE In one post-marketing case, a dose miscalculation resulted in an infant being exposed to a 10-fold overdose of metreleptin for 8 months. In this case, prolonged overdose was associated with severe anorexia causing vitamin and zinc deficiencies, iron deficiency anemia, protein calorie malnutrition, and poor weight gain, which resolved following supportive treatment and dose adjustment. In the event of an overdose, patients should be monitored and appropriate supportive treatment be initiated as dictated by the patient's clinical status.

How Supplied

16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING 16.1 How Supplied MYALEPT (metreleptin) for injection for subcutaneous administration is supplied in a single carton containing one vial for reconstitution (NDC 76431-210-01). Each vial contains 11.3 mg metreleptin (as a sterile, white, solid, lyophilized cake) to deliver 5 mg per mL of metreleptin when reconstituted with 2.2 mL of BWFI or WFI. 16.2 Storage and Handling MYALEPT should be stored in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) and protected from light until preparing for use. Keep MYALEPT vials in the carton when not in use. MYALEPT should not be used past the expiration date. Do not freeze MYALEPT. Do not use if the white lyophilized cake is discolored. Use with BWFI: when MYALEPT is reconstituted with BWFI, the vial can be used for multiple doses within 3 days when stored in the refrigerator at 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C) and protected from light. Use with WFI: when MYALEPT is reconstituted with WFI, the vial can be used for a single dose should be administered immediately. Unused reconstituted solution cannot be saved for later use and should be discarded. After reconstitution, the vials should not be frozen (below 0°C) or shaken vigorously. If the reconstituted product is inadvertently frozen, it should be thrown away. After reconstitution, the mixture should be clear and colorless. Do not use if visible particulates are present in the solution. Keep out of the reach of children.

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.