Nitisinone
FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Harliku, Nitisinone, Nityr, Orfadin
- Brand Names
- Harliku, Nitisinone, Nityr, Orfadin
- Drug Class
- 4-Hydroxyphenyl-Pyruvate Dioxygenase Inhibitor [EPC]
- Route
- ORAL
- Dosage Form
- CAPSULE
- Product Type
- HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG
Description
11 DESCRIPTION Nitisinone capsules contains nitisinone, which is a hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase inhibitor indicated as an adjunct to dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine in the treatment of hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT-1). Nitisinone occurs as white to yellow colored powder. It is practically insoluble in water and sparingly soluble in 2M Sodium Hydroxide, Ethanol and Methanol. Chemically, nitisinone is 2-[2-nitro-4-(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl] cyclohexane-1,3-dione, and the structural formula is: Figure 1. The molecular formula is C14H10F3NO5 with a relative mass of 329.23 Inert ingredients in the formulation are: Citric acid anhydrous, hypromellose, mannitol and stearic acid. The empty hard gelatin capsules contains gelatin, sodium lauryl sulfate and titanium dioxide. The capsules shells are imprinted in edible ink which contains black iron oxide, potassium hydroxide, propylene glycol, shellac and strong ammonia solution.
What Is Nitisinone Used For?
1 INDICATIONS & USAGE Nitisinone capsules are indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT-1) in combination with dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine. Nitisinone is a hydroxy-phenylpyruvate dioxygenase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of adult and pediatric patients with hereditary tyrosinemia type 1 (HT-1) in combination with dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine.
Dosage and Administration
2 DOSAGE & ADMINISTRATION Recommended Dosage ( 2.1 ): The recommended starting dosage is 0.5 mg/kg orally twice daily. Titrate the dosage based on biochemical and/or clinical response, as described in the full prescribing information. The maximum total daily dosage is 2 mg/kg orally. Administration ( 2.2 ): Maintain dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine Take Nitisinone capsules at least one hour before, or two hours after a meal For patients who have difficulties swallowing capsules, the capsules may be opened and the contents suspended in a small amount of water, formula or apple sauce immediately before use. 2.1 Dosage Starting Dosage The recommended starting dosage of Nitisinone capsules is 0.5 mg/kg administered orally twice daily Dosage Titration Titrate the dosage in each individual patient based on biochemical and/or clinical response. Monitor plasma and/or urine succinylacetone concentrations, liver function parameters and alpha-fetoprotein levels. If succinylacetone is still detectable in blood or urine 4 weeks after the start of nitisinone treatment, increase the nitisinone dosage to 0.75 mg/kg twice daily. A maximum total daily dosage of 2 mg/kg may be needed based on the evaluation of all biochemical parameters. If the biochemical response is satisfactory (undetectable blood and/or urine succinylacetone), the dosage should be adjusted only according to body weight gain and not according to plasma tyrosine levels. During initiation of therapy, or if there is a deterioration in the patient’s condition, it may be necessary to follow all available biochemical parameters more closely (i.e. plasma and/or urine succinylacetone, urine 5-aminolevulinate (ALA) and erythrocyte porphobilinogen (PBG)-synthase activity). Maintain plasma tyrosine levels below 500 micromol/L by dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine intake [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )]. In patients who develop plasma tyrosine levels above 500 micromol/L, assess dietary tyrosine and phenylalanine intake. Do not adjust the nitisinone dosage in order to lower the plasma tyrosine concentration. Additional pediatric use information is approved for Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB PUBL’s ORFADIN (nitisinone) capsules. However, due to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB PUBL’s marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that pediatric information. 2.2 Administration Administration of Nitisinone Capsules: Maintain dietary restriction of tyrosine and phenylalanine when taking nitisinone. Capsules:Take at least one hour before, or two hours after a meal [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)] . For patients who have difficulty swallowing the capsules, the capsules may be opened and the contents suspended in a small amount of water, formula or apple sauce immediately before use.
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Most common adverse reactions (>1%) are elevated tyrosine levels, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, conjunctivitis, corneal opacity, keratitis, photophobia, eye pain, blepharitis, cataracts, granulocytopenia, epistaxis, pruritus, exfoliative dermatitis, dry skin, maculopapular rash and alopecia. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Novitium Pharma at 1-855-204-1431 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. Nitisinone was studied in one open-label, uncontrolled study of 207 patients with HT-1, ages 0 to 22 years at enrollment (median age 9 months), who were diagnosed with HT-1 by the presence of succinylacetone in the urine or plasma. The starting dose of nitisinone was 0.3 to 0.5 mg/kg twice daily, and the dose was increased in some patients to 1 mg/kg twice daily based on weight, biochemical, and enzyme markers. The recommended starting dosage of nitisinone is 0.5 mg/kg twice daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 )]. Median duration of treatment was 22 months (range 0.1 to 80 months). The most serious adverse reactions reported during nitisinone treatment were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, porphyria, and ocular/visual complaints associated with elevated tyrosine levels [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.2 )] . Fourteen patients experienced ocular/visual events. The duration of the symptoms varied from 5 days to 2 years. Six patients had thrombocytopenia, three of which had platelet counts 30,000/microL or lower. In 4 patients with thrombocytopenia, platelet counts gradually returned to normal (duration up to 47 days) without change in nitisinone dose. No patients developed infections or bleeding as a result of the episodes of leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. Patients with HT- 1 are at increased risk of developing porphyric crises, hepatic neoplasms, and liver failure requiring liver transplantation. These complications of HT-1 were observed in patients treated with nitisinone for a median of 22 months during the clinical trial (liver transplantation 13%, liver failure 7%, malignant hepatic neoplasms 5%, benign hepatic neoplasms 3%, porphyria 1%). The most common adverse reactions reported in the clinical trial are summarized in Table 1. TABLE 1 Most Common Adverse Reactions in Patients with HT-1 Treated with Nitisinone* Elevated tyrosine levels >10% Leukopenia 3% Thrombocytopenia 3% Conjunctivitis 2% Corneal opacity 2% Keratitis 2% Photophobia 2% Eye pain 1% Blepharitis 1% Cataracts 1% Granulocytopenia 1% Epistaxis 1% Pruritus 1% Exfoliative dermatitis 1% Dry skin 1% Maculopapular rash 1% Alopecia 1% *reported in at least 1% of patients Adverse reactions reported in less than 1% of the patients, included death, seizure, brain tumor, encephalopathy, hyperkinesia, cyanosis, abdominal pain, diarrhea, enanthema, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, melena, elevated hepatic enzymes, liver enlargement, hypoglycemia, septicemia, and bronchitis.
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Nitisinone is a moderate CYP2C9 inhibitor, a weak CYP2E1 inducer and an inhibitor of OAT1/OAT3. Table 2 includes drugs with clinically important drug interactions when administered concomitantly with nitisinone and instructions for preventing or managing them. Table 2: Clinically Relevant Interactions Affecting Co-Administered Drugs Sensitive CYP2C9 Substrates (e.g., celecoxib, tolbutamide) or CYP2C9 Substrates with a Narrow Therapeutic Index (e.g., phenytoin, warfarin) Clinical Impact Increased exposure of the co-administered drugs metabolized by CYP2C9. [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] Intervention Reduce the dosage of the co-administered drugs metabolized by CYP2C9 drug by half. Additional dosage adjustments may be needed to maintain therapeutic drug concentrations for narrow therapeutic index drugs. See prescribing information for those drugs. OAT1/OAT3 Substrates (e.g., adefovir, ganciclovir, methotrexate) Clinical Impact Increased exposure of the interacting drug [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] Intervention Monitor for potential adverse reactions related to the co-administered drug. CYP2C9 Substrates : Increased systemic exposure of these co-administered drugs; reduce the dosage. Additional dosage adjustments may be needed to maintain therapeutic drug concentrations for narrow therapeutic index drugs. ( 7 ) OAT1/OAT3 Substrates : Increased systemic exposure of these co-administered drugs; monitor for potential adverse reactions. ( 7 ) Additional pediatric use information is approved for Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB PUBL's Orfadin (nitisinone) capsules. However, due to Swedish Orphan Biovitrum AB PUBL's marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that pediatric information.
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS None. None ( 4 )
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Limited available data with nitisinone use in pregnant women are not sufficient to determine a drug-associated risk of adverse developmental outcomes. Animal reproduction studies have been conducted for nitisinone. In these studies, nitisinone was administered to mice and rabbits during organogenesis with oral doses of nitisinone up to 20 and 8 times respectively, the recommended initial dose of 1 mg/kg/day. In mice, nitisinone caused incomplete skeletal ossification of fetal bones and decreased pup survival at doses 0.4 times the recommended initial dose, and increased gestational length at doses 4 times the recommended initial dose. In rabbits, nitisinone caused maternal toxicity and incomplete skeletal ossification of fetal bones at doses 1.6 times the recommended initial dose [see Data]. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population are unknown. 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. Data Animal Data Reproduction studies have been performed in mice at oral doses of about 0.4, 4 and 20 times the recommended initial dose (1 mg/kg/day) and in rabbits at oral doses of about 1.6, 4 and 8 times the recommended initial dose based on the body surface area. In mice, nitisinone has been shown to cause incomplete skeletal ossification of fetal bones at 0.4, 4 and 20 times the recommended initial dose, increased gestational length at 4 and 20 times the recommended initial dose, and decreased pup survival at 0.4 times the recommended initial dose based on the body surface area. In rabbits, nitisinone caused incomplete skeletal ossification of fetal bones at 1.6, 4 and 8 times the recommended initial dose based on the body surface area.
Overdosage
10 OVERDOSAGE Accidental ingestion of nitisinone by individuals eating normal diets not restricted in tyrosine and phenylalanine will result in elevated tyrosine levels. In healthy subjects given a single 1 mg/kg dose of nitisinone, the plasma tyrosine level reached a maximum of 1200 micromol/L at 48 to 120 hours after dosing. After a washout period of 14 days, the mean value of plasma tyrosine was still 808 micromol/L. Fasted follow-up samples obtained from volunteers several weeks later showed tyrosine values back to normal. There were no reports of changes in vital signs or laboratory data of any clinical significance. One patient reported sensitivity to sunlight. Hyper-tyrosinemia has been reported with nitisinone treatment [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] .
How Supplied
16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING Nitisinone Capsules 2 mg for oral administration containing 2 mg of nitisinone, are supplied as follows: White Opaque Hard gelatin capsule shell Size #3, imprinted with black ink as "008" on cap and "Novitium 2 mg" on body, filled with white to off white powder blend. NDC 63629-2234-1 Bottles of 60 capsules with child-resistant closure and tamper resistant induction sealing Store at room temperature between 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), excursions permitted to 15°C and 30°C (59°F and 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.