Valsartan

FDA Drug Information • Also known as: Diovan, Valsartan

Brand Names: Diovan, Valsartan
Drug Class: Angiotensin 2 Receptor Blocker [EPC]
Route: ORAL
Dosage Form: TABLET
Product Type: HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG

⚠ Boxed Warning (Black Box)

WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY When pregnancy is detected, discontinue ENTRESTO as soon as possible (5.1) Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus (5.1) WARNING: FETAL TOXICITY See full prescribing information for complete boxed warning. When pregnancy is detected, discontinue ENTRESTO as soon as possible. ( 5.1 ) Drugs that act directly on the renin-angiotensin system can cause injury and death to the developing fetus. ( 5.1 )

Description

11 DESCRIPTION ENTRESTO (sacubitril and valsartan) is a combination of a neprilysin inhibitor and an angiotensin II receptor blocker. ENTRESTO contains a complex comprised of anionic forms of sacubitril and valsartan, sodium cations, and water molecules in the molar ratio of 1:1:3:2.5, respectively. Following oral administration, the complex dissociates into sacubitril (which is further metabolized to LBQ657) and valsartan. The complex is chemically described as Octadecasodiumhexakis(4-{[(1 S ,3 R )-1-([1,1´-biphenyl]-4-ylmethyl)-4-ethoxy-3-methyl-4-oxobutyl]amino}-4-oxobutanoate)hexakis( N -pentanoyl- N -{[2´-(1 H -tetrazol-1-id-5-yl)[1,1´-biphenyl]-4-yl]methyl}-L-valinate)—water (1/15). Its empirical formula (hemipentahydrate) is C 48 H 55 N 6 O 8 Na 3 2.5 H 2 O. Its molecular mass is 957.99 g/mol and its schematic structural formula is: ENTRESTO is available as film-coated tablets for oral administration, containing 24 mg of sacubitril and 26 mg of valsartan; 49 mg of sacubitril and 51 mg of valsartan; and 97 mg of sacubitril and 103 mg of valsartan. The tablet inactive ingredients are colloidal silicon dioxide, crospovidone, low-substituted hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate (vegetable origin), microcrystalline cellulose, and talc. The film-coat inactive ingredients are hypromellose, iron oxide red (E172), polyethylene glycol 4000, talc, and titanium dioxide (E171). The film-coat for the 24 mg of sacubitril and 26 mg of valsartan tablet and the 97 mg of sacubitril and 103 mg of valsartan tablet also contains iron oxide black (E172). The film-coat for the 49 mg of sacubitril and 51 mg of valsartan tablet contains iron oxide yellow (E172). ENTRESTO SPRINKLE is available as film-coated oral pellets within capsules for oral administration, containing 6 mg of sacubitril and 6 mg of valsartan; and 15 mg of sacubitril and 16 mg of valsartan. The oral pellet inactive ingredients are colloidal silicon dioxide, hydroxypropylcellulose, magnesium stearate...

What Is Valsartan Used For?

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE ENTRESTO is a combination of sacubitril, a neprilisin inhibitor, and valsartan, an angiotensin II receptor blocker, and is indicated: to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adult patients with chronic heart failure. Benefits are most clearly evident in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below normal. ( 1.1 ) for the treatment of symptomatic heart failure with systemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction in pediatric patients aged one year and older. ENTRESTO reduces NT-proBNP and is expected to improve cardiovascular outcomes. ( 1.2 ) 1.1 Adult Heart Failure ENTRESTO is indicated to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure in adult patients with chronic heart failure. Benefits are most clearly evident in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) below normal. LVEF is a variable measure, so use clinical judgment in deciding whom to treat [see Clinical Studies (14.1)] . 1.2 Pediatric Heart Failure ENTRESTO is indicated for the treatment of symptomatic heart failure with systemic left ventricular systolic dysfunction in pediatric patients aged one year and older. ENTRESTO reduces NT-proBNP and is expected to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Dosage and Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION The recommended starting dosage for adults is 49 mg/51 mg orally twice daily. The target maintenance dose is 97 mg/103mg orally twice daily. ( 2.2 ) Adjust adult doses every 2 to 4 weeks to the target maintenance dose, as tolerated by the patient. ( 2.2 ) For pediatric patients, see the Full Prescribing Information for recommended dosage, titrations, preparation and administration instructions. ( 2.3 , 2.4 , 2.5 ) Reduce starting dose to half the usually recommended starting dosage for: patients not currently taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) or previously taking a low dose of these agents. ( 2.6 ) patients with severe renal impairment. ( 2.7 ) patients with moderate hepatic impairment. ( 2.8 ) 2.1 General Considerations ENTRESTO is contraindicated with concomitant use of an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. If switching from an ACE inhibitor to ENTRESTO allow a washout period of 36 hours between administration of the two drugs [see Contraindications (4) and Drug Interactions (7.1)] . 2.2 Adult Heart Failure The recommended starting dose of ENTRESTO is 49/51 mg orally twice-daily. Double the dose of ENTRESTO after 2 to 4 weeks to the target maintenance dose of 97/103 mg twice daily, as tolerated by the patient. 2.3 Pediatric Heart Failure For the recommended dosage for pediatric patients aged 1 year and older, refer to Table 1 if using the tablets, or Table 2 if using the oral pellets. Take the recommended dose orally twice daily. Adjust pediatric patient doses every 2 weeks, as tolerated by the patient. Table 1: Recommended Dose and Titration for Pediatric Patients Using Tablets † Use of the oral suspension or oral pellets (see Table 2) is recommended in these patients. Recommended mg/kg doses are of the combined amount of both sacubitril and valsartan [see Dosage and Administration (2.4, 2.5)] . ‡ Doses of 72 mg/78 mg can be achieved using three 24 mg/26 mg tablets [see Dosage Forms and Strengths (3)] . Titration Step Dose (twice daily) Weight (kg) Starting Second Final Less than 40 kg † 1.6 mg/kg 2.3 mg/kg 3.1 mg/kg At least 40 kg, less than 50 kg 24 mg/26 mg 49 mg/51 mg 72 mg/78 mg ‡ At least 50 kg 49 mg/51 mg 72 mg/78 mg ‡ 97 mg/103 mg Table 2: Recommended Dose and Titration for Pediatric Patients using ENTRESTO SPRINKLE † † When using capsules, more than one capsule may be needed to achieve recommended doses. Oral pellets are contained within each capsule. Use the entire contents of the capsules to achieve the dose. ‡ Recommended mg/kg doses are of the combined amount of sacubitril and valsartan [see Dosage and administration (2.4)] . * For patients 50 kg or more, see Table 1. Titration Step Dose (twice daily) Weight (kg) * Starting Second Final Less than 13 (use oral suspension ‡ ) 1.6 mg/kg 2.3 mg/kg 3.1 mg/kg 13 to less than 19 12 mg/12 mg (Two 6 mg/6 mg capsules) 18 mg/18 mg (Three 6 mg/6 mg capsules) 24 mg/24 mg (Four 6 mg/6 mg...

Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Clinically significant adverse reactions that appear in other sections of the labeling include: Angioedema [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] Impaired Renal Function [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Hyperkalemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] Adverse reactions occurring greater than or equal to 5% are hypotension, hyperkalemia, cough, dizziness, and renal failure. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation at 1-888-669-6682 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. A total of 6,622 heart failure patients were treated with ENTRESTO in the PARADIGM-HF (vs. enalapril) and PARAGON-HF (vs. valsartan) clinical trials. Of these, 5,085 were exposed for at least 1 year. Adult Heart Failure In PARADIGM-HF, patients were required to complete sequential enalapril and ENTRESTO run-in periods of (median) 15 and 29 days, respectively, prior to entering the randomized double-blind period comparing ENTRESTO and enalapril. During the enalapril run-in period, 1,102 patients (10.5%) were permanently discontinued from the study, 5.6% because of an adverse event, most commonly renal dysfunction (1.7%), hyperkalemia (1.7%) and hypotension (1.4%). During the ENTRESTO run-in period, an additional 10.4% of patients permanently discontinued treatment, 5.9% because of an adverse event, most commonly renal dysfunction (1.8%), hypotension (1.7%) and hyperkalemia (1.3%). Because of this run-in design, the adverse reaction rates described below are lower than expected in practice. In the double-blind period, safety was evaluated in 4,203 patients treated with ENTRESTO and 4,229 treated with enalapril. In PARADIGM-HF, patients randomized to ENTRESTO received treatment for up to 4.3 years, with a median duration of exposure of 24 months; 3,271 patients were treated for more than one year. Discontinuation of therapy because of an adverse event during the double-blind period occurred in 450 (10.7%) of ENTRESTO-treated patients and 516 (12.2%) of patients receiving enalapril. Adverse reactions occurring at an incidence of greater than or equal to 5% in patients who were treated with ENTRESTO in the double-blind period of PARADIGM-HF are shown in Table 3. In PARADIGM-HF, the incidence of angioedema was 0.1% in both the enalapril and ENTRESTO run-in periods. In the double-blind period, the incidence of angioedema was higher in patients treated with ENTRESTO than enalapril (0.5% and 0.2%, respectively). The incidence of angioedema in Black patients was 2.4% with ENTRESTO and 0.5% with enalapril [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] . Orthostasis was reported in 2.1% of patients treated with ENTRESTO compared to 1.1% of patients treated with enalapril during the double-blind period of PARADIGM-HF. Falls were reported in 1.9% of patients treated with ENTRESTO compared to 1.3% of patients treated with enalapril. Table 3: Adverse Reactions Reported in greater than or equal to 5% of Patients Treated with ENTRESTO in the Double-Blind Period of PARADIGM-HF ENTRESTO (n = 4,203) % Enalapril (n = 4,229) % Hypotension 18 12 Hyperkalemia 12 14 Cough 9 13 Dizziness 6 5 Renal failure/acute renal failure 5 5 In PARAGON-HF, no new adverse reactions were identified. Pediatric Heart Failure The adverse reactions observed in pediatric patients 1 year to less than 18 years old who received treatment with ENTRESTO were consistent with those observed in adult patients. Laboratory Abnormalities Hemoglobin and Hematocrit Decreases in hemoglobin/hematocrit of greater than 20% were observed in approximately 5% of both ENTRESTO- and enalapril-treated patients in the...

Drug Interactions

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Avoid concomitant use with aliskiren in patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60. ( 7.1 ) Potassium-sparing diuretics: May lead to increased serum potassium. ( 7.2 ) Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): May lead to increased risk of renal impairment. ( 7.3 ) Lithium: Increased risk of lithium toxicity. ( 7.4 ) 7.1 Dual Blockade of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Concomitant use of ENTRESTO with an ACE inhibitor is contraindicated because of the increased risk of angioedema [see Contraindications (4)] . Avoid use of ENTRESTO with an ARB, because ENTRESTO contains the angiotensin II receptor blocker valsartan. The concomitant use of ENTRESTO with aliskiren is contraindicated in patients with diabetes [see Contraindications (4)] . Avoid use with aliskiren in patients with renal impairment (eGFR less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ). 7.2 Potassium-Sparing Diuretics As with other drugs that block angiotensin II or its effects, concomitant use of potassium-sparing diuretics (e.g., spironolactone, triamterene, amiloride), potassium supplements, or salt substitutes containing potassium may lead to increases in serum potassium [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] . 7.3 Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) Including Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitors (COX-2 Inhibitors) In patients who are elderly, volume-depleted (including those on diuretic therapy), or with compromised renal function, concomitant use of NSAIDs, including COX-2 inhibitors, with ENTRESTO may result in worsening of renal function, including possible acute renal failure. These effects are usually reversible. Monitor renal function periodically. 7.4 Lithium Increases in serum lithium concentrations and lithium toxicity have been reported during concomitant administration of lithium with angiotensin II receptor antagonists. Monitor serum lithium levels during concomitant use with ENTRESTO.

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS ENTRESTO is contraindicated: in patients with hypersensitivity to any component in patients with a history of angioedema related to previous ACE inhibitor or ARB therapy [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)] with concomitant use of ACE inhibitors. Do not administer within 36 hours of switching from or to an ACE inhibitor [see Drug Interactions (7.1)] with concomitant use of aliskiren in patients with diabetes [see Drug Interactions (7.1)] Hypersensitivity to any component. ( 4 ) History of angioedema related to previous ACEi or ARB therapy. ( 4 ) Concomitant use with ACE inhibitors. ( 4 , 7.1 ) Concomitant use with aliskiren in patients with diabetes. ( 4 , 7.1 )

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

8.1 Pregnancy Risk Summary ENTRESTO can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Use of drugs that act on the renin-angiotensin system during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy reduces fetal renal function and increases fetal and neonatal morbidity and death ( see Clinical Considerations ). Most epidemiologic studies examining fetal abnormalities after exposure to antihypertensive use in the first trimester have not distinguished drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin system from other antihypertensive agents. In animal reproduction studies, ENTRESTO treatment during organogenesis resulted in increased embryo-fetal lethality in rats and rabbits and teratogenicity in rabbits ( see Data ). When pregnancy is detected, consider alternative drug treatment and discontinue ENTRESTO. However, if there is no appropriate alternative to therapy with drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin system, and if the drug is considered lifesaving for the mother, advise a pregnant woman of the potential risk to the fetus. The background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. 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. Clinical Considerations Fetal/Neonatal Adverse Reactions Oligohydramnios in pregnant women who use drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin system in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy can result in the following: reduced fetal renal function leading to anuria and renal failure, fetal lung hypoplasia, skeletal deformations, including skull hypoplasia, hypotension, and death. Perform serial ultrasound examinations to assess the intra-amniotic environment. Fetal testing may be appropriate, based on the week of gestation. Patients and physicians should be aware, however, that...

Overdosage

10 OVERDOSAGE Limited data are available with regard to overdosage in human subjects with ENTRESTO. In healthy volunteers, a single dose of ENTRESTO 583 mg sacubitril/617 mg valsartan, and multiple doses of 437 mg sacubitril/463 mg valsartan (14 days) have been studied and were well tolerated. Hypotension is the most likely result of overdosage due to the blood pressure lowering effects of ENTRESTO. Symptomatic treatment should be provided. ENTRESTO is unlikely to be removed by hemodialysis because of high protein binding.

How Supplied

16 HOW SUPPLIED/STORAGE AND HANDLING ENTRESTO (sacubitril/valsartan) tablets are unscored, ovaloid, biconvex, and film-coated. ENTRESTO film-coated oral pellets are round, biconvex in shape, and provided in a hard capsule. All strengths are packaged in bottles as described below. ENTRESTO Tablets Sacubitril/valsartan mg/mg Color Debossment Side 1/side 2 NDC 0078-XXXX-XX Bottle of 60 Bottle of 180 24/26 Violet white NVR/LZ 0659-20 0659-67 49/51 Pale yellow NVR/L1 0777-20 0777-67 97/103 Light pink NVR/L11 0696-20 0696-67 ENTRESTO SPRINKLE Sacubitril/valsartan mg/mg Color Print NDC 0078-XXXX-XX Bottle of 60 6/6 White cap and transparent body “NVR” and both parts with arrows and “04” 1231-20 15/16 Yellow cap and transparent body “NVR” and both parts with arrows and “10” 1238-20 Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F), excursions permitted between 15°C and 30°C (59°F and 86°F) [see USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Protect from moisture.

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.