Ziprasidone

12.1 Mechanism of Action The mechanism of action of ziprasidone in the treatment of the listed indications could be mediated through a combination of dopamine type 2 (D 2 ) and serotonin type 2 (5HT 2 ) antagonism.

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Ziprasidone capsules are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, as monotherapy for the acute treatment of bipolar manic or mixed episodes, and as an adjunct to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder. When deciding among the alternative treatments available for the condition needing treatment, the prescriber should consider the finding of ziprasidone’s greater capacity to prolong the QT/QTc interval compared to several other antipsychotic drugs [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ]. Prolongation of the QTc interval is associated in some other drugs with the ability to cause torsade de pointes-type arrhythmia, a potentially fatal polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, and sudden death. In many cases this would lead to the conclusion that other drugs should be tried first. Whether ziprasidone will cause torsade de pointes or increase the rate of sudden death is not yet known [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] Schizophrenia Ziprasidone capsules are indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 ) ]. Bipolar I Disorder (Acute Mixed or Manic Episodes and Maintenance Treatment as an Adjunct to Lithium or Valproate) Ziprasidone capsules are indicated as monotherapy for the acute treatment of adults with manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 )]. Ziprasidone capsules are indicated as an adjunct to lithium or valproate for the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder in adults [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 ) ]. Ziprasidone capsule is an atypical antipsychotic. In choosing among treatments, prescribers should be aware of the capacity of ziprasidone capsule to prolong the QT interval and may consider the use of other drugs first. (1) Ziprasidone capsules are indicated for the: • treatment of schizophrenia in adults. ( 1 ) • acute treatment of adults as monotherapy of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Administer capsules orally with food. Do not open, crush, or chew. ( 2.1 ) Schizophrenia: Initiate at 20 mg twice daily. Daily dosage may be adjusted up to 80 mg twice daily. Dose adjustments should occur at intervals of not less than 2 days. Safety and efficacy has been demonstrated in doses up to 100 mg twice daily. The lowest effective dose should be used. ( 2.2 ) Acute treatment of manic/mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder: Initiate at 40 mg twice daily. Increase to 60 mg or 80 mg twice daily on day 2 of treatment. Subsequent dose adjustments should be based on tolerability and efficacy within the range of 40 to 80 mg twice daily. ( 2.3 ) Maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder as an adjunct to lithium or valproate: Continue treatment at the same dose on which the patient was initially stabilized, within the range of 40 to 80 mg twice daily. ( 2.3 ) 2.1 Administration Information for Ziprasidone Capsules Administer ziprasidone capsules orally with food. Swallow capsules whole, do not open, crush, or chew the capsules. 2.2 Schizophrenia Dose Selection Ziprasidone capsules should be administered at an initial daily dose of 20 mg twice daily with food. In some patients, daily dosage may subsequently be adjusted on the basis of individual clinical status up to 80 mg twice daily. Dosage adjustments, if indicated, should generally occur at intervals of not less than 2 days, as steady-state is achieved within 1 to 3 days. In order to ensure use of the lowest effective dose, patients should ordinarily be observed for improvement for several weeks before upward dosage adjustment. Efficacy in schizophrenia was demonstrated in a dose range of 20 mg to 100 mg twice daily in short-term, placebo-controlled clinical trials. There were trends toward dose response within the range of 20 mg to 80 mg twice daily, but results were not consistent. An increase to a dose greater than 80 mg twice daily is not generally recommended. The safety of doses above 100 mg twice daily has not been systematically evaluated in clinical trials [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. Maintenance Treatment While there is no body of evidence available to answer the question of how long a patient treated with ziprasidone should remain on it, a maintenance study in patients who had been symptomatically stable and then randomized to continue ziprasidone or switch to placebo demonstrated a delay in time to relapse for patients receiving ziprasidone capsules [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ]. No additional benefit was demonstrated for doses above 20 mg twice daily. Patients should be periodically reassessed to determine the need for maintenance treatment. 2.3 Bipolar I Disorder (Acute Mixed or Manic Episodes and Maintenance Treatment as an Adjunct to Lithium or Valproate) Acute Treatment of Manic or Mixed Episodes In adults oral ziprasidone should be administered at an initial daily dose of 40 mg twice daily with food. The dose may then be increased to 60 mg or 80 mg twice daily on the second day of treatment and subsequently adjusted on the basis of tolerance and efficacy within the range 40 mg to 80 mg twice daily. In the flexible-dose clinical trials, the mean daily dose administered was approximately 120 mg [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 ) ]. Maintenance Treatment (as an adjunct to lithium or valproate) Continue treatment at the same dose on which the patient was initially stabilized, within the range of 40 mg to 80 mg twice daily with food. Patients should be periodically reassessed to determine the need for maintenance treatment [see Clinical Studies ( 14.2 )] . 2.5 Switching Patients to or from a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor (MAOI) Antidepressant At least 14 days must elapse between discontinuation of an MAOI (intended to treat psychiatric disorders) and initiation of therapy with ziprasidone capsules. In addition, at least 3 days should be allowed after stopping ziprasidone capsules before starting an MAOI intended to treat psychiatric disorders [see Contraindications (4.3) , Warnings and Precautions (5.2) , and Drug Interactions (7.1) ].

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are described in more detail in other sections of the prescribinginformation: Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1) ] Cerebrovascular Adverse Reactions, Including Stroke, in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ] QT Prolongation and Risk of Sudden Death [see Contraindications (4.2) , Warnings and Precautions (5.3) ] Serotonin Syndrome [see Contraindications (4.3) , Warnings and Precautions (5.4) , Drug Interactions (7.1) ] Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5) ] Severe Cutaneous Adverse Reactions [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) ] Tardive Dyskinesia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ] Metabolic Changes [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8) ] Rash [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9) ] Orthostatic Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10) ] Falls [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11) ] Leukopenia, Neutropenia, and Agranulocytosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12) ] Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.13) ] Dysphagia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.14) ] Hyperprolactinemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.15 ) ] Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.16) ] Priapism [see Warnings and Precautions (5.17) ] Body Temperature Regulation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.18) ] Suicide [see Warnings and Precautions (5.19) ] Commonly observed adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and at least twice the incidence for placebo) were : • Schizophrenia: Somnolence, respiratory tract infection. (6.1) • Manic and Mixed Episodes Associated with Bipolar Disorder: Somnolence, extrapyramidal symptoms, dizziness, akathisia, abnormal vision, asthenia, vomiting (6.1) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact NorthStar Rx LLC at 1-800-206-7821 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. Clinical trials in adults for oral ziprasidone included approximately 5700 patients and/or normal subjects exposed to one or more doses of ziprasidone. Of these 5700, over 4800 were patients who participated in multiple-dose effectiveness trials, and their experience corresponded to approximately 1831 patient-years. These patients include: (1) 4331 patients who participated in multiple-dose trials, predominantly in schizophrenia, representing approximately 1698 patient-years of exposure as of February 5, 2000; and (2) 472 patients who participated in bipolar mania trials representing approximately 133 patient-years of exposure. An additional 127 patients with bipolar disorder participated in a long-term maintenance treatment study representing approximately 74.7 patient-years of exposure to ziprasidone. The conditions and duration of treatment with ziprasidone included open-label and double-blind studies, inpatient and outpatient studies and short-term and longer-term exposure. Adverse reactions during exposure were obtained by collecting voluntarily reported adverse experiences, as well as results of physical examinations, vital signs, weights, laboratory analyses, ECGs, and results of ophthalmologic examinations. The stated frequencies of adverse reactions represent the proportion of individuals who experienced, at least once, a treatment-emergent adverse reaction of the type listed. A reaction was considered treatment emergent if it occurred for the first time or worsened while receiving therapy following baseline evaluation. Adverse Findings Observed in Short-Term, Placebo-Controlled Trials with Oral Ziprasidone The following findings are based on the short-term placebo-controlled premarketing trials for schizophrenia (a pool of two 6-week, and two 4-week fixed-dose trials) and bipolar mania (a pool of two 3-week flexible-dose trials) in which ziprasidone was administered in doses ranging from 10 to 200 mg/day. Commonly Observed Adverse Reactions in Short Term-Placebo-Controlled Trials The following adverse reactions were the most commonly observed adverse reactions associated with the use of ziprasidone (incidence of 5% or greater) and not observed at an equivalent incidence among placebo-treated patients (ziprasidone incidence at least twice that for placebo): Schizophrenia trials (see Table 11) • Somnolence • Respiratory Tract Infection Bipolar trials (see Table 12) • Somnolence • Extrapyramidal Symptoms which includes the following adverse reaction terms: extrapyramidal syndrome, hypertonia, dystonia, dyskinesia, hypokinesia, tremor, paralysis and twitching. None of these adverse reactions occurred individually at an incidence greater than 10% in bipolar mania trials. • Di

7 DRUG INTERACTIONS Drug-drug interactions can be pharmacodynamic (combined pharmacologic effects) or pharmacokinetic (alteration of plasma levels). The risks of using ziprasidone in combination with other drugs have been evaluated as described below. All interactions studies have been conducted with oral ziprasidone. Based upon the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profile of ziprasidone, possible interactions could be anticipated: Ziprasidone should not be used in combination with other drugs that have demonstrated QT prolongation. ( 4.1 , 7.3 ) The absorption of ziprasidone is increased up to two-fold in the presence of food. (7.10) The full prescribing information contains additional drug interactions. (7) . 7.1 Metabolic Pathway Approximately two-thirds of ziprasidone is metabolized via a combination of chemical reduction by glutathione and enzymatic reduction by aldehyde oxidase. There are no known clinically relevant inhibitors or inducers of aldehyde oxidase. Less than one-third of ziprasidone metabolic clearance is mediated by cytochrome P450 catalyzed oxidation. 7.2 In Vitro Studies An in vitro enzyme inhibition study utilizing human liver microsomes showed that ziprasidone had little inhibitory effect on CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4, and thus would not likely interfere with the metabolism of drugs primarily metabolized by these enzymes. There is little potential for drug interactions with ziprasidone due to displacement [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ]. 7.3 Pharmacodynamic Interactions Ziprasidone should not be used with any drug that prolongs the QT interval [see Contraindications (4.1) ]. Given the primary CNS effects of ziprasidone, caution should be used when it is taken in combination with other centrally acting drugs. Because of its potential for inducing hypotension, ziprasidone may enhance the effects of certain antihypertensive agents. Ziprasidone may antagonize the effects of levodopa and dopamine agonists. Risk of serotonin syndrome with concomitant therapy with other serotonergic drugs such as SNRIs, SSRIs, triptans, tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, lithium, tryptophan, buspirone, amphetamines, and St. John’s Wort [see Contraindications ( 4.3 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 ), Adverse Reactions ( 6.2 )]. 7.4 Pharmacokinetic Interactions Carbamazepine Carbamazepine is an inducer of CYP3A4; administration of 200 mg twice daily for 21 days resulted in a decrease of approximately 35% in the AUC of ziprasidone. This effect may be greater when higher doses of carbamazepine are administered. Ketoconazole Ketoconazole, a potent inhibitor of CYP3A4, at a dose of 400 mg QD for 5 days, increased the AUC and C max of ziprasidone by about 35 to 40%. Other inhibitors of CYP3A4 would be expected to have similar effects. Cimetidine Cimetidine at a dose of 800 mg QD for 2 days did not affect ziprasidone pharmacokinetics. Antacid The co-administration of 30 mL of Maalox® with ziprasidone did not affect the pharmacokinetics of ziprasidone. 7.5 Lithium Ziprasidone at a dose of 40 mg twice daily administered concomitantly with lithium at a dose of 450 mg twice daily for 7 days did not affect the steady-state level or renal clearance of lithium. Ziprasidone dosed adjunctively to lithium in a maintenance trial of bipolar patients did not affect mean therapeutic lithium levels. 7.6 Oral Contraceptives In vivo studies have revealed no effect of ziprasidone on the pharmacokinetics of estrogen or progesterone components. Ziprasidone at a dose of 20 mg twice daily did not affect the pharmacokinetics of concomitantly administered oral contraceptives, ethinyl estradiol (0.03 mg) and levonorgestrel (0.15 mg). 7.7 Dextromethorphan Consistent with in vitro results, a study in normal healthy volunteers showed that ziprasidone did not alter the metabolism of dextromethorphan, a CYP2D6 model substrate, to its major metabolite, dextrorphan. There was no statistically significant change in the urinary dextromethorphan/dextrorphan ratio. 7.8 Valproate A pharmacokinetic interaction of ziprasidone with valproate is unlikely due to the lack of common metabolic pathways for the two drugs. Ziprasidone dosed adjunctively to valproate in a maintenance trial of bipolar patients did not affect mean therapeutic valproate levels. 7.9 Other Concomitant Drug Therapy Population pharmacokinetic analysis of schizophrenic patients enrolled in controlled clinical trials has not revealed evidence of any clinically significant pharmacokinetic interactions with benztropine, propranolol, or lorazepam. 7.10 Food Interaction The absolute bioavailability of a 20 mg dose under fed conditions is approximately 60%. The absorption of ziprasidone is increased up to two-fold in the presence of food [ see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].