Lacosamide: uses, appearance and warnings

Lacosamide oral solution is indicated for: Treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older ( 1.1 ) Adjunctive therapy in the treatment of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients 4 years of age and older ( 1.2 ) 1.1 Partial-Onset Seizures Lacosamide oral solution is indicated for the treatment of partial-onset seizures in patients 1 month of age and older. 1.2 Primary Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures Lacosamide oral solution is indicated as adjunctive therapy in the treatment of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in patients 4 years of age and older.

Lacosamide oral solution, USP • 10 mg/mL: clear, colorless to yellow or yellow-brown, strawberry-flavored liquid 10 mg/mL oral solution (3)

16.1 How Supplied Lacosamide Oral Solution, USP 10 mg/mL is a clear, colorless to yellow or yellow-brown, strawberry-flavored liquid, free from particulate matter. It is supplied in bottles as follows: 200 mL glass bottles NDC 73190-103-20 16.2 Storage and Handling Store at 20°C to 25°C (68°F to 77°F); excursions permitted between 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Do not freeze Lacosamide oral solution. Discard any unused lacosamide oral solution remaining after six (6) months of first opening the bottle

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Monitor patients for suicidal behavior and ideation ( 5.1 ) Lacosamide oral solution may cause dizziness and ataxia ( 5.2 ) Cardiac Rhythm and Conduction Abnormalities: Obtaining ECG before beginning and after titration to steady-state maintenance is recommended in patients with underlying proarrhythmic conditions or on concomitant medications that affect cardiac conduction; closely monitor these patients ( 5.3 , 7.2 ) Lacosamide oral solution may cause syncope ( 5.4 ) Lacosamide oral solution should be gradually withdrawn to minimize the potential of increased seizure frequency ( 5.5 ) Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)/ Multi-Organ Hypersensitivity: Discontinue if no alternate etiology ( 5.6 ) 5.1 Suicidal Behavior and Ideation Antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), including Lacosamide oral solution, increase the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior in patients taking these drugs for any indication. Patients treated with any AED for any indication should be monitored for the emergence or worsening of depression, suicidal thoughts or behavior, and/or any unusual changes in mood or behavior. Pooled analyses of 199 placebo-controlled clinical trials (mono- and adjunctive therapy) of 11 different AEDs showed that patients randomized to one of the AEDs had approximately twice the risk (adjusted Relative Risk 1.8, 95% CI:1.2, 2.7) of suicidal thinking or behavior compared to patients randomized to placebo. In these trials, which had a median treatment duration of 12 weeks, the estimated incidence of suicidal behavior or ideation among 27,863 AED-treated patients was 0.43%, compared to 0.24% among 16,029 placebo-treated patients, representing an increase of approximately one case of suicidal thinking or behavior for every 530 patients treated. There were four suicides in drug-treated patients in the trials and none in placebo-treated patients, but the number of events is too small to allow any conclusion about drug effect on suicide. The increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior with AEDs was observed as early as one week after starting treatment with AEDs and persisted for the duration of treatment assessed. Because most trials included in the analysis did not extend beyond 24 weeks, the risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior beyond 24 weeks could not be assessed. The risk of suicidal thoughts or behavior was generally consistent among drugs in the data analyzed. The finding of increased risk with AEDs of varying mechanisms of action and across a range of indications suggests that the risk applies to all AEDs used for any indication. The risk did not vary substantially by age (5 to 100 years) in the clinical trials analyzed. Table 3 shows absolute and relative risk by indication for all evaluated AEDs. Table 3: Risk by Indication for Antiepileptic Drugs in the Pooled Analysis Indication Placebo Patients with Events Per 1000 Patients Drug Patients with Events Per 1000 Patients Relative Risk: Incidence of Events in Drug Patients/ Incidence in Placebo Patients Risk Difference: Additional Drug Patients with Events Per 1000 Patients Epilepsy 1.0 3.4 3.5 2.4 Psychiatric 5.7 8.5 1.5 2.9 Other 1.0 1.8 1.9 0.9 Total 2.4 4.3 1.8 1.9 The relative risk for suicidal thoughts or behavior was higher in clinical trials for epilepsy than in clinical trials for psychiatric or other conditions, but the absolute risk differences were similar. Anyone considering prescribing Lacosamide oral solution or any other AED must balance this risk with the risk of untreated illness. Epilepsy and many other illnesses for which antiepileptics are prescribed are themselves associated with morbidity and mortality and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. Should suicidal thoughts and behavior emerge during treatment, the prescriber needs to consider whether the emergence of these symptoms in any given patient may be related to the illness being treated. 5.2 Dizziness and Ataxia Lacosamide oral solution may cause dizziness and ataxia in adult and pediatric patients. In adult patients with partial-onset seizures taking 1 to 3 concomitant AEDs, dizziness was experienced by 25% of patients randomized to the recommended doses (200 to 400 mg/day) of lacosamide (compared with 8% of placebo patients) and was the adverse reaction most frequently leading to discontinuation (3%). Ataxia was experienced by 6% of patients randomized to the recommended doses (200 to 400 mg/day) of lacosamide (compared to 2% of placebo patients). The onset of dizziness and ataxia was most commonly observed during titration. There was a substantial increase in these adverse reactions at doses higher than 400 mg/day [ see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 ) ]. If a loading dose is clinically indicated, administer with medical supervision because of the possibility of increased incidence of adverse reactions, including CNS adverse reactions such as dizziness and ataxia. 5.3 Cardiac Rhythm and Conduction Abnormalities PR Interval Prolongation, Atrioventricular Block, and Ventricular Tachyarrhythmia Dose-dependent prolongations in PR interval with lacosamide have been observed in clinical studies in adult patients and in healthy volunteers [ see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 ) ]. In adjunctive clinical trials in adult patients with partial-onset seizures, asymptomatic first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block was observed as an adverse reaction in 0.4% (4/944) of patients randomized to receive lacosamide and 0% (0/364) of patients randomized to receive placebo. One case of profound bradycardia was observed in a patient during a 15-minute infusion of 150 mg lacosamide . When lacosamide is given with other drugs that prolong the PR interval, further PR prolongation is possible. In the postmarketing setting, there have been reports of cardiac arrhythmias in patients treated with lacosamide , including bradycardia, AV block, and ventricular tachyarrhythmia, which have rarely resulted in asystole, cardiac arrest, and death. …

The following serious adverse reactions are described below and elsewhere in the labeling: Suicidal Behavior and Ideation [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 ) ] Dizziness and Ataxia [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) ] Cardiac Rhythm and Conduction Abnormalities [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 ) ] Syncope [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.4 ) ] Drug Reaction with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS)/Multiorgan Hypersensitivity Reactions [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 ) ] Adjunctive therapy: Most common adverse reactions in adults (≥10% and greater than placebo) are diplopia, headache, dizziness, nausea, and somnolence ( 6.1 ) Monotherapy: Most common adverse reactions are similar to those seen in adjunctive therapy studies ( 6.1 ) Pediatric patients: Adverse reactions are similar to those seen in adult patients ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contac …

7.1 Strong CYP3A4 or CYP2C9 Inhibitors Patients with renal or hepatic impairment who are taking strong inhibitors of CYP3A4 and CYP2C9 may have a significant increase in exposure to Lacosamide oral solution. Dose reduction may be necessary in these patients. 7.2 Concomitant Medications that Affect Cardiac Conduction Lacosamide oral solution should be used with caution in patients on concomitant medications that affect cardiac conduction (sodium channel blockers, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, potassium channel blockers) including those that prolong PR interval (including sodium channel blocking AEDs), because of a risk of AV block, bradycardia, or ventricular tachyarrhythmia. In such patients, obtaining an ECG before beginning Lacosamide oral solution, and after Lacosamide oral solution is titrated to steady-state, is recommended. …