Pravastatin Sodium
FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Pravastatin Sodium
- Brand Names
- Pravastatin Sodium
- Route
- ORAL
- Dosage Form
- TABLET
- Product Type
- HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG
Description
11 DESCRIPTION Pravastatin Sodium Tablets, USP is a statin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Pravastatin sodium, USP is designated chemically as 1-Naphthaleneheptanoic acid, 1,2,6,7,8,8a-hexahydro-β,δ,6-trihydroxy-2-methyl-8-(2-methyl-1-oxobutoxy)-, monosodium salt, [1S-[1α(βS*,δS*),2α,6α,8β(R*),8aα]]-. Structural formula: Pravastatin sodium, USP is an odorless, white to off-white, fine or crystalline powder. It is a relatively polar hydrophilic compound with a partition coefficient (octanol/water) of 0.59 at a pH of 7.0. It is soluble in methanol and water (>300 mg/mL), slightly soluble in isopropanol, and practically insoluble in acetone, acetonitrile, chloroform, and ether. Pravastatin Sodium Tablets, USP for oral use contain 10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg, and 80 mg pravastatin sodium, which is equivalent to 9.48 mg, 18.97 mg, 37.94 mg and 75.88 mg of pravastatin, respectively. Inactive ingredients include: colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium stearate, mannitol, meglumine, microcrystalline cellulose and starch. The 10 mg, 20 mg and 80 mg tablets also contain D&C yellow no. 10 aluminum lake and the 40 mg tablet also contains D&C yellow no. 10 aluminum lake and FD&C blue no. 1 aluminum lake. structure
What Is Pravastatin Sodium Used For?
1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Pravastatin sodium tablets are indicated: To reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization procedures, and cardiovascular mortality in adults with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) without clinically evident coronary heart disease (CHD). To reduce the risk of coronary death, myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization procedures, stroke or transient ischemic attack, and slow the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in adults with clinically evident CHD. As an adjunct to diet to reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia. As an adjunct to diet to reduce LDL-C in pediatric patients ages 8 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with: Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia. Hypertriglyceridemia. Pravastatin sodium tablets are an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor (statin) indicated ( 1 ): To reduce the risk of myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization procedures, and cardiovascular mortality in adults with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) without clinically evident coronary heart disease (CHD). To reduce the risk of coronary death, myocardial infarction, myocardial revascularization procedures, stroke or transient ischemic attack, and slow the progression of coronary atherosclerosis in adults with clinically evident CHD. As an adjunct to diet to reduce LDL-C in adults with primary hyperlipidemia. As an adjunct to diet to reduce LDL-C in pediatric patients ages 8 years and older with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH). As an adjunct to diet for the treatment of adults with: Primary dysbetalipoproteinemia. Hypertriglyceridemia.
Dosage and Administration
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Take orally once daily at any time of the day, with or without food ( 2.1 ). For patients that require a high-intensity statin or are unable to achieve their LDL-C goal receiving pravastatin sodium tablets 80 mg daily, prescribe alternative LDL-C-lowering treatment ( 2.1 ). Assess LDL-C when clinically appropriate, as early as 4 weeks after initiating pravastatin sodium, and adjust the dosage if necessary ( 2.1 ). Adults: recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium tablets 40 mg to 80 mg once daily. ( 2.2 ) Pediatric Patients ( 2.3 ): aged 8 to 13 years, the recommended dosage is 20 mg once daily. aged 14 to 18 years, the recommended starting dosage is 40 mg once daily. Severe renal impairment: recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium 10 mg once daily. Recommended maximum pravastatin sodium tablets dosage is 40 mg once daily. ( 2.4 ) See full prescribing information for dosage modifications due to drug interactions ( 2.5 , 7 ). Important Dosage and Administration Information Take pravastatin sodium tablets orally once daily as a single dose at any time of the day, with or without food. For patients that require a high-intensity statin or are unable to achieve their LDL-C goal receiving pravastatin sodium tablets 80 mg daily, prescribe alternative LDL-C-lowering treatment. Assess LDL-C when clinically appropriate, as early as 4 weeks after initiating pravastatin sodium tablets, and adjust the dosage if necessary. 2.2 Recommended Dosage in Adult Patients The recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium tablets 40 mg to 80 mg once daily. Recommended Dosage in Pediatric Patients 8 Years of Age and Older with HeFH In pediatric patients aged 8 to 13 years, the recommended dosage is pravastatin sodium tablets 20 mg once daily. In pediatric patients aged 14 to 18 years, the recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium tablets 40 mg once daily. 2.4 Recommended Dosage in Patients with Renal Impairment In patients with severe renal impairment, the recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium 10 mg once daily. The maximum recommended dosage of pravastatin sodium tablets in patients with severe renal impairment is 40 mg once daily [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. The recommended dosage of pravastatin sodium tablets for patients with mild or moderate renal impairment is the same as patients with normal renal function. 2.5 Dosage and Administration Modifications Due to Drug Interactions In patients taking a bile acid sequestrant, administer pravastatin sodium tablets at least 1 hour before or 4 hours after the bile acid sequestrant [See Drug Interactions ( 7.2 )]. Concomitant use of pravastatin sodium tablets with the following drugs requires dosage modifications of pravastatin sodium tablets [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Drug Interactions ( 7.1 )] : Cyclosporine In patients taking cyclosporine, the recommended starting dosage is pravastatin sodium 10 mg once daily. The maximum...
Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following important adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] Hepatic Dysfunction [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] Increases in HbA1c and Fasting Serum Glucose Levels [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 )] In short-term clinical trials, the most commonly reported adverse reactions (≥2% and greater than placebo) were: musculoskeletal pain, nausea/vomiting, upper respiratory infection, diarrhea, and headache. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA at 1 (888) 721-7115 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 pravastatin sodium placebo-controlled clinical trials, 1313 patients (age range 20 to 76 years, 32% women, 93.5% White, 5% Black, 0.9% Hispanic, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% Other) with a median treatment duration of 14 weeks, 3.3% of patients on pravastatin sodium and 1.2% patients on placebo discontinued due to adverse reactions (regardless of causality). The most common adverse reactions that led to treatment discontinuation and occurred at an incidence greater than placebo were: hepatic transaminase elevations, nausea, anxiety/depression, and dizziness. Adverse reactions (regardless of causality) reported in ≥2% of pravastatin sodium-treated patients in placebo-controlled trials of up to 8 months duration are identified in Table 1: Table 1: Adverse Reactions in ≥2% of Patients Treated with Pravastatin (Any Dose) and at an Incidence Greater Than Placebo in Short-Term Placebo-Controlled Trials % Placebo N=411 % Any Dose N=902 Nausea/Vomiting 7.1 7.4 Diarrhea 5.6 6.7 Headache 4.6 6.3 Upper Respiratory Infection 5.8 5.9 Angina Pectoris 3.4 4.5 Rash 1.4 4.5 CPK Increased 3.6 4.1 Dizziness 3.4 3.5 ALT Increased 1.2 2.9 Chest Pain 1.9 2.7 Cough 1.7 2.5 Myalgia 1.2 2.3 Influenza 0.7 2 g-GT Increased 1.2 2 Adverse Reactions (regardless of causality) The safety and tolerability of pravastatin sodium at a dose of 80 mg in 2 controlled trials with a mean exposure of 8.6 months was similar to that of pravastatin sodium at lower doses except that 4 out of 464 patients taking 80 mg of pravastatin had a single elevation of CK >10 times ULN compared to 0 out of 115 patients taking 40 mg of pravastatin. In pravastatin sodium placebo-controlled clinical trials, 21,483 patients (age range 24 to 75 years, 10.3% women, 52.3% White, 0.8% Black, 0.5% Hispanic, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% Other, 46.1% not recorded) had a median treatment duration of 261 weeks. Adverse reactions (regardless of causality) were pooled from 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (West of Scotland Coronary Prevention Study [WOS]; Cholesterol and Recurrent Events study [CARE]; Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischemic Disease study [LIPID]; Pravastatin Limitation of Atherosclerosis in the Coronary Arteries study [PLAC I]; Pravastatin, Lipids and Atherosclerosis in the Carotids study [PLAC II]; Regression Growth Evaluation Statin Study [REGRESS]; and Kuopio Atherosclerosis Prevention Study [KAPS]) involving a total of 10,764 patients treated with pravastatin sodium 40 mg and 10,719 patients treated with placebo. Patients were exposed to pravastatin sodium for a mean of 4 to 5.1 years in WOS, CARE, and LIPID and 1.9 to 2.9 years in PLAC I, PLAC II, KAPS, and REGRESS. Adverse reactions (regardless of causality) occurring in ≥5% of patients treated with pravastatin sodium in these studies are identified in Table 2. Table 2: Adverse Reactions in ≥5% of Patients Treated with Pravastatin 40 mg and at an Incidence Greater than Placebo...
Drug Interactions
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS See full prescribing information for details regarding concomitant use of pravastatin sodium with other drugs that increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. ( 2.5 , 7.1 ) Bile Acid Sequestrants: in patients taking a bile acid sequestrant, administer pravastatin sodium at least 1 hour before or at least 4 hours after the bile acid sequestrant ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Drug Interactions that Increase the Risk of Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis with Pravastatin Sodium Pravastatin sodium is a substrate of the transport protein OATP1B1. Pravastatin sodium plasma levels can be significantly increased with concomitant administration of inhibitors of OATP1B1. Table 3 includes a list of drugs that increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis when used concomitantly with pravastatin sodium and instructions for preventing or managing them [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) and Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )]. Table 3: Drug Interactions that Increase the Risk of Myopathy and Rhabdomyolysis with Pravastatin Sodium Gemfibrozil Clinical Impact: There is an increased risk of myopathy/rhabdomyolysis when pravastatin Sodium is administered with gemfibrozil Intervention: Avoid concomitant use of gemfibrozil with pravastatin sodium. Cyclosporine Clinical Impact: The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of cyclosporine with pravastatin sodium. Intervention: Initiate with a dosage of pravastatin sodium 10 mg once daily. Do not exceed pravastatin sodium 20 mg once daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 )]. Select Macrolide Antibiotics Clinical Impact: The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased by concomitant use of clarithromycin or erythromycin with pravastatin sodium. Other macrolides (e.g., azithromycin) have the potential to increase pravastatin sodium exposures and increase the risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis when used concomintantly. Intervention: For patients taking erythromycin or clarithromycin, do not exceed 40 mg pravastatin sodium once daily [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.5 )]. Niacin Clinical Impact: Cases of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis have been observed with concomitant use of niacin with pravastatin sodium. Intervention: Consider if the benefit of using niacin concomitantly with pravastatin sodium outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. If concomitant use is decided, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of myopathy, particularly during initiation of therapy and during upward dose titration of either drug. Fibrates (other than Gemfibrozil) Clinical Impact: Fibrates may cause myopathy when given alone. The risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis is increased with concomitant use of fibrates with pravastatin sodium. Intervention: Consider if the benefit of using fibrates concomitantly with pravastatin sodium outweighs the increased risk of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. If concomitant use is decided, monitor patients for signs and symptoms of myopathy, particularly...
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] . Hypersensitivity to any pravastatin or any excipients in pravastatin sodium tablets. Hypersensitivity to pravastatin or any excipient in pravastatin sodium tablets ( 4 ) Acute liver failure or decompensated cirrhosis ( 4 , 5.3 )
Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary Discontinue pravastatin sodium when pregnancy is recognized. Alternatively, consider the ongoing therapeutic needs of the individual patient. pravastatin sodium decreases synthesis of cholesterol and possibly other biologically active substances derived from cholesterol; therefore, pravastatin sodium may cause fetal harm when administered to pregnant patients based on the mechanism of action [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.1 )]. In addition, treatment of hyperlipidemia is not generally necessary during pregnancy. Atherosclerosis is a chronic process and the discontinuation of lipid- lowering drugs during pregnancy should have little impact on the outcome of long-term therapy of primary hyperlipidemia for most patients. Available data from case series and prospective and retrospective observational cohort studies over decades of use with statins in pregnant women have not identified a drug-associated risk of major congenital malformations. Published data from prospective and retrospective observational cohort studies with pravastatin sodium use in pregnant women are insufficient to determine if there is a drug-associated risk of miscarriage (see Data). In animal reproduction studies, no evidence of fetal malformations was seen in pregnant rats or rabbits orally administered pravastatin during the period of organogenesis at doses that resulted in 10 times and 120 times, respectively, the human exposure at the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) of 80 mg/day, based on body surface area (mg/m 2 ). An imbalance in some fetal skeletal variations, increased offspring mortality, and developmental delays occurred when pregnant rats were exposed to 10 times to 12 times the MRHD during organogenesis to parturition (see Data ). The estimated background risk of major birth defects and 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...
Overdosage
10 OVERDOSAGE No specific antidotes for pravastatin sodium are known. Contact Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) for latest recommendations.
How Supplied
16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING 16.1 How Supplied Pravastatin Sodium Tablets, USP are supplied as: Strength How Supplied NDC Tablet Description 40 mg of pravastatin sodium, USP bottles of 30 51655-594-52 green, rounded-rectangular, biconvex tablets with “G5” debossed on one side and “40” debossed on the other side. Bottles contain a desiccant canister. Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Keep tightly closed (protect from moisture). Protect from light. 16.1 How Supplied Pravastatin Sodium Tablets, USP are supplied as: Strength How Supplied NDC Tablet Description 40 mg of pravastatin sodium, USP bottles of 30 51655-594-52 green, rounded-rectangular, biconvex tablets with “G5” debossed on one side and “40” debossed on the other side. Bottles contain a desiccant canister. Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Keep tightly closed (protect from moisture). Protect from light.
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.