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Nusinersen

Also sold as: Spinraza

Oligonucleotides, AntisensePrescription OnlyGeneric Available

Related Medications

Important: Only drugs listed as "Exact Equivalents" (FDA AB-rated) are confirmed interchangeable. All other listings are for informational reference only and do NOT indicate that drugs can be substituted without a physician's explicit guidance.

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Drug Information

Mechanism of Action

12.1 Mechanism of Action SPINRAZA is an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) designed to treat SMA caused by mutations in chromosome 5q that lead to SMN protein deficiency. Using in vitro assays and studies in transgenic animal models of SMA, SPINRAZA was shown to increase exon 7 inclusion in SMN2 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) transcripts and production of full-length SMN protein.

Indications & Uses

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE SPINRAZA is indicated for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in pediatric and adult patients. SPINRAZA is a survival motor neuron-2 (SMN2)-directed antisense oligonucleotide indicated for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in pediatric and adult patients ( 1 )

Dosage & Administration

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION SPINRAZA is administered intrathecally ( 2.1 ) Dosing Information ( 2.1 ) The recommended dosage is 12 mg (5 mL) per administration Initiate SPINRAZA treatment with 4 loading doses: the first three loading doses should be administered at 14-day intervals; the 4 th loading dose should be administered 30 days after the 3 rd dose. A maintenance dose should be administered once every 4 months thereafter. Important Preparation and Administration Instructions ( 2.2 ) Allow to warm to room temperature prior to administration Administer within 4 hours of removal from vial Prior to administration, remove 5 mL of cerebrospinal fluid Administer as intrathecal bolus injection over 1 to 3 minutes Laboratory Testing and Monitoring to Assess Safety ( 2.3 ) At baseline and prior to each dose, obtain a platelet count, coagulation laboratory testing, and quantitative spot urine protein testing 2.1 Dosing Information SPINRAZA is administered intrathecally by, or under the direction of, healthcare professionals experienced in performing lumbar punctures. Recommended Dosage The recommended dosage is 12 mg (5 mL) per administration. Initiate SPINRAZA treatment with 4 loading doses. The first three loading doses should be administered at 14-day intervals. The 4th loading dose should be administered 30 days after the 3rd dose. A maintenance dose should be administered once every 4 months thereafter. Missed Dose Missed Loading Dose If a loading dose (any of the 4 loading doses) is missed, administer the missed loading dose as soon as possible; adjust the date for the subsequent doses to maintain the recommended interval between doses. Missed Maintenance Dose Less than 8 months from last dose Administer the missed maintenance dose as soon as possible; then administer the next maintenance dose per the originally scheduled date, as long as these two doses are administered at least 14 days apart. At least 8 months but less than 16 months from last dose Administer the missed maintenance dose as soon as possible, followed by one additional dose 14 days later, and then administer the next maintenance dose 4 months thereafter. At least 16 months but less than 40 months from last dose Administer the missed maintenance dose as soon as possible, followed by two additional doses 14 days apart, and then administer the next maintenance dose 4 months thereafter. At least 40 months from last dose Restart dosing as described in Recommended Dosage. 2.2 Important Preparation and Administration Instructions SPINRAZA is for intrathecal use only. Prepare and use SPINRAZA according to the following steps using aseptic technique. Each vial is intended for single dose only. Preparation Store SPINRAZA in the carton in a refrigerator until time of use. Allow the SPINRAZA vial to warm to room temperature (25 o C/77 o F) prior to administration. Do not use external heat sources. Inspect the SPINRAZA vial for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Do not administer SPINRAZA if visible particulates are observed or if the liquid in the vial is discolored. The use of external filters is not required. Withdraw 12 mg (5 mL) of SPINRAZA from the single-dose vial into a syringe and discard unused contents of the vial. Administer SPINRAZA within 4 hours of removal from vial. Administration Consider sedation as indicated by the clinical condition of the patient. Consider ultrasound or other imaging techniques to guide intrathecal administration of SPINRAZA, particularly in younger patients. Prior to administration, remove 5 mL of cerebrospinal fluid. Administer SPINRAZA as an intrathecal bolus injection over 1 to 3 minutes using a spinal anesthesia needle [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.1 )]. Do not administer SPINRAZA in areas of the skin where there are signs of infection or inflammation [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.3 )]. 2.3 Laboratory Testing and Monitoring to Assess Safety Conduct the following laboratory tests at baseline and prior to each dose of SPINRAZA and as clinically needed [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 , 5.2 )] : Platelet count Prothrombin time; activated partial thromboplastin time Quantitative spot urine protein testing

Side Effects (Adverse Reactions)

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following serious adverse reactions are described in detail in other sections of the labeling: Thrombocytopenia and Coagulation Abnormalities [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Renal Toxicity [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 )] The most common adverse reactions that occurred in at least 20% of SPINRAZA-treated patients and occurred at least 5% more frequently than in control patients were: lower respiratory infection and constipation in patients with infantile-onset SMA ( 6.1 ) pyrexia, headache, vomiting, and back pain in patients with later-onset SMA ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Biogen at 1-844-477-4672 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 SPINRAZA cannot be directly compared to rates in clinical trials of other drugs and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. In clinical studies, 346 patients (47% male, 76% Caucasian) were treated with SPINRAZA, including 314 exposed for at least 6 months, 258 exposed for at least 1 year, and 138 exposed for at least 2 years. The safety of SPINRAZA was studied in presymptomatic infants with SMA; pediatric patients (approximately 3 days to 16 years of age at first dose) with symptomatic SMA; in a sham-controlled trial in infants with symptomatic SMA (Study 1; n=80 for SPINRAZA, n=41 for control); in a sham-controlled trial in children with symptomatic SMA (Study 2; n=84 for SPINRAZA, n=42 for control); in an open-label study in presymptomatic infants (Study 3, n=25) and other studies in symptomatic infants (n=54) and later-onset patients (n=103). In Study 1, 58 patients were exposed for at least 6 months and 28 patients were exposed for at least 12 months. In Study 2, 84 patients were exposed for at least 6 months and 82 patients were exposed for at least 12 months. Clinical Trial in Infantile-Onset SMA (Study 1) In Study 1, baseline disease characteristics were largely similar in the SPINRAZA-treated patients and sham-control patients except that SPINRAZA-treated patients at baseline had a higher percentage compared to sham-control patients of paradoxical breathing (89% vs 66%), pneumonia or respiratory symptoms (35% vs 22%), swallowing or feeding difficulties (51% vs 29%), and requirement for respiratory support (26% vs 15%). The most common adverse reactions that occurred in at least 20% of SPINRAZA-treated patients and occurred at least 5% more frequently than in control patients were lower respiratory infection and constipation. Serious adverse reactions of atelectasis were more frequent in SPINRAZA-treated patients (18%) than in control patients (10%). Because patients in Study 1 were infants, adverse reactions that are verbally reported could not be assessed in this study. Table 1. Adverse Reactions that Occurred in at Least 5% of SPINRAZA Patients and Occurred at Least 5% More Frequently or At Least 2 Times as Frequently Than in Control Patients with Infantile-Onset SMA (Study 1) 1 Loading doses followed by 12 mg (5 mL) once every 4 months 2 Includes adenovirus infection, bronchiolitis, bronchitis, bronchitis viral, corona virus infection, Influenza, lower respiratory tract infection, lower respiratory tract infection viral, lung infection, parainfluenzae virus infection, pneumonia, pneumonia bacterial, pneumonia influenzal, pneumonia moraxella, pneumonia parainfluenzae viral, pneumonia pneumococcal, pneumonia pseudomonal, pneumonia respiratory syncytial viral, pneumonia viral, and respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis. Adverse Reactions SPINRAZA 12 mg 1 N = 80 % Sham-Procedure Control N = 41 % Lower respiratory infection 2 55 37 Constipation 35 22 Teething 18 7 Urinary tract infection 9 0 Upper respiratory tract congestion 8 2 Ear infection 6 2 Flatulence 5 2 Decreased weight 5 2 In an open-label clinical study in infants with symptomatic SMA, severe hyponatremia was reported in a patient treated with SPINRAZA requiring salt supplementation for 14 months. Cases of rash were reported in patients treated with SPINRAZA. One patient, 8 months after starting SPINRAZA treatment, developed painless red macular lesions on the forearm, leg, and foot over an 8-week period. The lesions ulcerated and scabbed over within 4 weeks, and resolved over several months. A second patient developed red macular skin lesions on the cheek and hand ten months after the start of SPINRAZA treatment, which resolved over 3 months. Both cases continued to receive SPINRAZA and had spontaneous resolution of the rash. SPINRAZA may cause a reduction in growth as measured by height when administered to infants, as suggested by observations from the controlled study. It is unknown whether any effect of SPINRAZA on growth would be reversible with cessation of treatment. Clinical Trial in Later-Onset SMA (Study 2) In Study 2, baseline disease characteristics were

Contraindications

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS None. None.

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