Nevirapine

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Nevirapine

Brand Names: Nevirapine
Dosage Form: TABLET
Product Type: DRUG FOR FURTHER PROCESSING

⚠ Boxed Warning (Black Box)

WARNING: LIFE-THREATENING (INCLUDING FATAL) HEPATOTOXICITY and SKIN REACTIONS WARNING: LIFE-THREATENING (INCLUDING FATAL) HEPATOTOXICITY and SKIN REACTIONS HEPATOTOXICITY: Severe, life-threatening, and in some cases fatal hepatotoxicity, particularly in the first 18 weeks, has been reported in patients treated with nevirapine. In some cases, patients presented with non-specific prodromal signs or symptoms of hepatitis and progressed to hepatic failure. These events are often associated with rash. Female gender and higher CD4 + cell counts at initiation of therapy place patients at increased risk; women with CD4 + cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm3, including pregnant women receiving nevirapine tablets in combination with other antiretrovirals for the treatment of HIV-1 infection, are at the greatest risk. However, hepatotoxicity associated with nevirapine use can occur in both genders, all CD4 + cell counts and at any time during treatment. Hepatic failure has also been reported in patients without HIV taking nevirapine for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Use of nevirapine for occupational and non-occupational PEP is contraindicated [see Contraindications ( 4 )]. Patients with signs or symptoms of hepatitis, or with increased transaminases combined with rash or other systemic symptoms, must discontinue nevirapine and seek medical evaluation immediately [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. SKIN REACTIONS: Severe, life-threatening skin reactions, including fatal cases, have occurred in patients treated with nevirapine. These have included cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and hypersensitivity reactions characterized by rash, constitutional findings, and organ dysfunction. Patients developing signs or symptoms of severe skin reactions or hypersensitivity reactions must discontinue nevirapine and seek medical evaluation immediately. Transaminase levels should be checked immediately for all patients who develop a rash in the first 18 weeks of treatment. The 14-day lead-in period with nevirapine 200 mg daily dosing has been observed to decrease the incidence of rash and must be followed [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. MONITORING FOR HEPATOTOXICITY AND SKIN REACTIONS: Patients must be monitored intensively during the first 18 weeks of therapy with nevirapine to detect potentially life-threatening hepatotoxicity or skin reactions. Extra vigilance is warranted during the first 6 weeks of therapy, which is the period of greatest risk of these events. Do not restart nevirapine following clinical hepatitis, or transaminase elevations combined with rash or other systemic symptoms, or following severe skin rash or hypersensitivity reactions. In some cases, hepatic injury has progressed despite discontinuation of treatment. WARNING: LIFE-THREATENING (INCLUDING FATAL) HEPATOTOXICITY and SKIN REACTIONS See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning.

Fatal and non-fatal hepatotoxicity have been reported in patients taking nevirapine tablets. Discontinue immediately if clinical hepatitis or transaminase elevations combined with rash or other systemic symptoms occur. Do not restart nevirapine tablets after recovery. ( 5.1 )

Fatal and non-fatal skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and hypersensitivity reactions, have been reported. Discontinue immediately if severe skin reactions, hypersensitivity reactions, or any rash with systemic symptoms occur. Check transaminase levels immediately for all patients who develop a rash in the first 18 weeks of treatment. Do not restart nevirapine tablets after recovery. ( 5.2 )

Monitoring during the first 18 weeks of therapy is essential. Extra vigilance is warranted during the first 6 weeks of therapy, which is the period of greatest risk of these events. ( 5.1 , 5.2 )

Description

11 DESCRIPTION Nevirapine Tablets USP is the brand name for nevirapine, a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) with activity against Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1). Nevirapine is structurally a member of the dipyridodiazepinone chemical class of compounds. The chemical name of nevirapine is 11-cyclopropyl-5,11-dihydro-4-methyl-6H-dipyrido [3,2-b:2',3'-e][1,4] diazepin-6-one. Nevirapine is a white to off-white crystalline powder with the molecular weight of 266.30 and the molecular formula C 15 H 14 N 4 O. Nevirapine has the following structural formula: Nevirapine Tablets, USP are for oral administration. Each tablet contains 200 mg of nevirapine and the inactive ingredients microcrystalline cellulose, lactose monohydrate, povidone, sodium starch glycolate, colloidal silicon dioxide and magnesium stearate str

What Is Nevirapine Used For?

1 INDICATIONS & USAGE Nevirapine tablets are indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients 15 days and older [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 , 14.2 )]. Limitations of Use: Based on serious and life-threatening hepatotoxicity observed in controlled and uncontrolled trials, nevirapine tablets is not recommended to be initiated, unless the benefit outweighs the risk, in:

adult females with CD4 + cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm 3 or

adult males with CD4 + cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm 3 [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )].

Nevirapine tablets are an NNRTI indicated in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) infection in adults and pediatric patients 15 days and older. ( 1 ) Limitations of Use: Based on serious and life-threatening hepatotoxicity observed in controlled and uncontrolled trials, nevirapine tablets is not recommended to be initiated, unless the benefit outweighs the risk, in:

adult females with CD4 + cell counts greater than 250 cells/mm 3

adult males with CD4 + cell counts greater than 400 cells/mm 3 ( 1 , 5.1 )

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION

The 14-day lead-in period must be strictly followed; it has been demonstrated to reduce the frequency of rash. ( 2.4 , 5.2 )

If any patient experiences rash during the 14-day lead-in period, do not increase dose until the rash has resolved. Do not continue the lead-in dosing regimen beyond 28 days. ( 2.4 )

If dosing is interrupted for greater than 7 days, restart 14-day lead-in dosing. ( 2.4 ) Adults Pediatric Patients* (≥16 yrs) (≥15 days) First 14 days 200 mg once daily 150 mg/m 2 once daily After 14 days 200 mg twice daily 150 mg/m 2 twice daily *Total daily dose should not exceed 400 mg for any patient. 2.1 Adult Patients The recommended dose for nevirapine tablets is one 200 mg tablet daily for the first 14 days, followed by one 200 mg tablet twice daily, in combination with other antiretroviral agents. The 14-day lead-in period with nevirapine tablets 200 mg daily dosing must be strictly followed as the lead-in period has been observed to decrease the incidence of rash [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. If rash persists beyond the 14-day lead-in period, do not dose escalate to 200 mg twice daily. The 200 mg once-daily dosing regimen should not be continued beyond 28 days, at which point, an alternative regimen should be sought. For concomitantly administered antiretroviral therapy, the manufacturer’s recommended dosage and monitoring should be followed. 2.3 Monitoring of Patients Intensive clinical and laboratory monitoring, including liver enzyme tests, is essential at baseline and during the first 18 weeks of treatment with nevirapine tablets. The optimal frequency of monitoring during this period has not been established. Some experts recommend clinical and laboratory monitoring more often than once per month, and in particular, would include monitoring of liver enzyme tests at baseline, prior to dose escalation, and at two weeks post-dose escalation. After the initial 18-week period, frequent clinical and laboratory monitoring should continue throughout nevirapine tablets treatment [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5 )] . In some cases, hepatic injury has progressed despite discontinuation of treatment. 2.4 Dosage Adjustment Patients with Rash Discontinue nevirapine tablets if a patient experiences severe rash or any rash accompanied by constitutional findings [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. Do not increase nevirapine tablets dose if a patient experiences mild to moderate rash without constitutional symptoms during the 14-day lead-in period of 200 mg/day (150 mg/m 2 /day in pediatric patients) until the rash has resolved [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. The total duration of the once daily lead-in dosing period should not exceed 28 days at which point an alternative regimen should be sought. Patients with Hepatic Events If a clinical (symptomatic) hepatic event occurs, permanently discontinue nevirapine tablets. Do not restart nevirapine after...

Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS

The most common adverse reaction is rash. In adults, the incidence of rash is 15% versus 6% with placebo, with Grade 3/4 rash occurring in 2% of subjects. ( 6.1 )

In pediatric subjects the incidence of rash (all causality) was 21%. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Macleods Pharma USA, Inc. at 1-888-943-3210 or 1-855-926-3384 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 clinical practice. Clinical Trial Experience in Adult Patients The most serious adverse reactions associated with nevirapine are hepatitis, hepatic failure, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and hypersensitivity reactions. Hepatitis/hepatic failure may be isolated or associated with signs of hypersensitivity which may include severe rash or rash accompanied by fever, general malaise, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, blisters, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial edema, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, lymphadenopathy, or renal dysfunction [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.2 )]. Hepatic Reaction In controlled clinical trials, symptomatic hepatic events regardless of severity occurred in 4% (range 0% to 11%) of subjects who received nevirapine and 1% of subjects in control groups. Female gender and higher CD4 + cell counts (greater than 250 cells/mm 3 in women and greater than 400 cells/mm 3 in men) place patients at increased risk of these events [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. Asymptomatic transaminase elevations (AST or ALT greater than 5X ULN) were observed in 6% (range 0% to 9%) of subjects who received nevirapine and 6% of subjects in control groups. Co-infection with hepatitis B or C and/or increased transaminase elevations at the start of therapy with nevirapine are associated with a greater risk of later symptomatic events (6 weeks or more after starting nevirapine) and asymptomatic increases in AST or ALT. Liver enzyme abnormalities (AST, ALT, GGT) were observed more frequently in subjects receiving nevirapine than in controls (see Table 3). Skin Reaction The most common clinical toxicity of nevirapine is rash, which can be severe or life-threatening [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. Rash occurs most frequently within the first 6 weeks of therapy. Rashes are usually mild to moderate, maculopapular erythematous cutaneous eruptions, with or without pruritus, located on the trunk, face and extremities. In controlled clinical trials (Trials 1037, 1038, 1046, and 1090), Grade 1 and 2 rashes were reported in 13% of subjects receiving nevirapine compared to 6% receiving placebo during the first 6 weeks of therapy. Grade 3 and 4 rashes were reported in 2% of nevirapine recipients compared to less than 1% of subjects receiving placebo. Women tend to be at higher risk for development of nevirapine-associated rash [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )]. Treatment-related, adverse experiences of moderate or severe intensity observed in greater than 2% of subjects receiving nevirapine in placebo-controlled trials are shown in Table 2. Table 2 Percentage of Subjects with Moderate or Severe Drug-Related Events in Adult Placebo-Controlled Trials Trial 1090 1 Trials 1037, 1038, 1046 2 Nevirapine Placebo Nevirapine Placebo (n=1121) (n=1128) (n=253) (n=203) Median exposure (weeks) 58 52 28 28 Any adverse event 15% 11% 32% 13% Rash 5 2 7 2 Nausea 1 1 9 4 Granulocytopenia 2 3 <1 0 Headache 1 <1 4 1 Fatigue <1 <1 5 4 Diarrhea <1 1 2 1 Abdominal pain <1 <1 2 0 Myalgia <1 0 1 2 1 Background therapy included 3TC for all subjects and combinations of NRTIs and PIs. Subjects had CD4 + cell counts less than 200 cells/mm 3 . 2 Background...

Drug Interactions

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Nevirapine is principally metabolized by the liver via the cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, 3A and 2B6. Nevirapine is known to be an inducer of these enzymes. As a result, drugs that are metabolized by these enzyme systems may have lower than expected plasma levels when co-administered with nevirapine. The specific pharmacokinetic changes that occur with co-administration of nevirapine and other drugs are listed in Clinical Pharmacology , Table 5. Clinical comments about possible dosage modifications based on established drug interactions are listed in Table 4. The data in Tables 4 and 5 are based on the results of drug interaction trials conducted in HIV-1 seropositive subjects unless otherwise indicated. In addition to established drug interactions, there may be potential pharmacokinetic interactions between nevirapine and other drug classes that are metabolized by the cytochrome P450 system. These potential drug interactions are also listed in Table 4. Although specific drug interaction trials in HIV-1 seropositive subjects have not been conducted for some classes of drugs listed in Table 4, additional clinical monitoring may be warranted when co-administering these drugs. The in vitro interaction between nevirapine and the antithrombotic agent warfarin is complex. As a result, when giving these drugs concomitantly, plasma warfarin levels may change with the potential for increases in coagulation time. When warfarin is co-administered with nevirapine, anticoagulation levels should be monitored frequently. Table 4 Established and Potential Drug Interactions: Use with Caution, Alteration in Dose or Regimen May Be Needed Due to Drug Interaction Established Drug Interactions: See Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ), Table 5 for Magnitude of Interaction. Drug Name Effect on Concentration of Nevirapine or Concomitant Drug Clinical Comment HIV Antiviral Agents: Protease Inhibitors (PIs) Atazanavir/Ritonavir* ↓ Atazanavir ↑ Nevirapine Do not co-administer nevirapine with atazanavir because nevirapine substantially decreases atazanavir exposure and there is a potential risk for nevirapine-associated toxicity due to increased nevirapine exposures. Fosamprenavir* ↓ Amprenavir ↑ Nevirapine Co-administration of nevirapine and fosamprenavir without ritonavir is not recommended. Fosamprenavir/Ritonavir* ↓ Amprenavir ↑ Nevirapine No dosing adjustments are required when nevirapine is co-administered with 700/100 mg of fosamprenavir/ritonavir twice daily. The combination of nevirapine administered with fosamprenavir/ritonavir once daily has not been studied. Indinavir* ↓ Indinavir The appropriate doses of this combination of indinavir and nevirapine with respect to efficacy and safety have not been established. Lopinavir/Ritonavir* ↓Lopinavir Dosing in adult patients: A dose adjustment of lopinavir/ritonavir to 500/125 mg tablets twice daily or 533/133 mg (6.5 mL) oral solution twice daily is recommended when used in combination with nevirapine....

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Nevirapine is contraindicated:

in patients with moderate or severe (Child-Pugh Class B or C, respectively) hepatic impairment [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Use in Specific Populations ( 8.7 )].

for use as part of occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )].

Patients with moderate or severe (Child-Pugh Class B or C, respectively) hepatic impairment. ( 4 , 5.1 , 8.7 )

Use as part of occupational and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) regimens, an unapproved use. ( 4 , 5.1 )

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women exposed to nevirapine during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) at 1-800-258-4263. Risk Summary Available data from the APR show no difference in the risk of overall major birth defects for nevirapine compared with the background rate for major birth defects of 2.7% in the U.S. reference population of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) [see Data]. The rate of miscarriage is not reported in the APR. The estimated background rate of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies in the U.S. general population is 15-20%. The background risk of birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. Methodological limitations of the APR include the use of MACDP as the external comparator group. The MACDP population is not disease-specific, evaluates women and infants from a limited geographic area, and does not include outcomes for births that occurred at <20 weeks gestation. In literature reports, immediate-release nevirapine exposure (C min ) can be up to 29% lower during pregnancy. However, as this reduction was not found to be clinically meaningful, dose adjustment is not necessary [see Data]. There is a risk for severe hepatic events in pregnant women exposed to nevirapine [see Clinical Considerations]. In animal reproduction studies, no evidence of adverse developmental outcomes was observed following oral administration of nevirapine during organogenesis in the rat and rabbit, at systemic exposures (AUC) to nevirapine approximately equal (rats) and 50% higher (rabbits) than the exposure in humans at the recommended 400 mg daily dose [see Data]. Clinical Considerations Maternal adverse reactions Severe hepatic events, including fatalities, have been reported in pregnant women receiving chronic nevirapine therapy as...

Overdosage

10 OVERDOSAGE There is no known antidote for nevirapine overdosage. Cases of nevirapine overdose at doses ranging from 800 to 1800 mg per day for up to 15 days have been reported. Patients have experienced events including edema, erythema nodosum, fatigue, fever, headache, insomnia, nausea, pulmonary infiltrates, rash, vertigo, vomiting, and weight decrease. All events subsided following discontinuation of nevirapine.

How Supplied

16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Nevirapine tablets USP, 200 mg, are white to off white, oval, biconvex, uncoated tablets having “M” and “L” debossed on one side, with a deep score separating the “M” & “L” and “1” and “1” debossed on the other side with a breakline separating “1” and “1”. Nevirapine tablets are supplied in Bottles of 60 tablets (NDC 33342-004-09). Nevirapine tablets are supplied in unit dose packages of 60 (6x10) Unit of use tablets (NDC 33342-004-24). Nevirapine tablets are supplied in unit dose packages of 120 (12x10) Unit of use tablets (NDC 33342-004-25). Dispense in tight container as defined in the USP/NF. Storage Store between 20º to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15°to 30°C (59° to 86°F). Store in a safe place 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.