1. Name Of The Medicinal Product
Zometa® 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion
2. Qualitative And Quantitative Composition
One bottle contains 4 mg zoledronic acid, corresponding to 4.264 mg zoledronic acid monohydrate.
For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.
3. Pharmaceutical Form
Solution for infusion
Clear and colourless solution
4. Clinical Particulars
4.1 Therapeutic Indications
- Prevention of skeletal related events (pathological fractures, spinal compression, radiation or surgery to bone, or tumour-induced hypercalcaemia) in adult patients with advanced malignancies involving bone.
- Treatment of adult patients with tumour-induced hypercalcaemia (TIH).
4.2 Posology And Method Of Administration
Zometa must only be prescribed and administered to patients by healthcare professionals experienced in the administration of intravenous bisphosphonates.
Posology
Prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone
Adults and elderly
The recommended dose in the prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone is 4 mg zoledronic acid every 3 to 4 weeks.
Patients should also be administered an oral calcium supplement of 500 mg and 400 IU vitamin D daily.
The decision to treat patients with bone metastases for the prevention of skeletal related events should consider that the onset of treatment effect is 2-3 months.
Treatment of TIH
Adults and elderly
The recommended dose in hypercalcaemia (albumin-corrected serum calcium
Renal impairment
TIH:
Zometa treatment in TIH patients who also have severe renal impairment should be considered only after evaluating the risks and benefits of treatment. In the clinical studies, patients with serum creatinine > 400 µmol/l or > 4.5 mg/dl were excluded. No dose adjustment is necessary in TIH patients with serum creatinine < 400 µmol/l or < 4.5 mg/dl (see section 4.4).
Prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone:
When initiating treatment with Zometa in patients with multiple myeloma or metastatic bone lesions from solid tumours, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance (CLcr) should be determined. CLcr is calculated from serum creatinine using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Zometa is not recommended for patients presenting with severe renal impairment prior to initiation of therapy, which is defined for this population as CLcr < 30 ml/min. In clinical trials with Zometa, patients with serum creatinine > 265 µmol/l or > 3.0 mg/dl were excluded.
For patients with normal renal function (defined as CLcr > 60 ml/min), zoledronic acid 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion may be administered directly without any further preparation. In patients with bone metastases presenting with mild to moderate renal impairment prior to initiation of therapy, which is defined for this population as CLcr 30–60 ml/min, reduced Zometa doses are recommended (see also section 4.4).
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* Doses have been calculated assuming target AUC of 0.66 (mg•hr/l) (CLcr = 75 ml/min). The reduced doses for patients with renal impairment are expected to achieve the same AUC as that seen in patients with creatinine clearance of 75 ml/min.
Following initiation of therapy, serum creatinine should be measured prior to each dose of Zometa and treatment should be withheld if renal function has deteriorated. In the clinical trials, renal deterioration was defined as follows:
- For patients with normal baseline serum creatinine (< 1.4 mg/dl or < 124 µmol/l), an increase of 0.5 mg/dl or 44 µmol/l;
- For patients with abnormal baseline creatinine (> 1.4 mg/dl or > 124 µmol/l), an increase of 1.0 mg/dl or 88 µmol/l.
In the clinical studies, Zometa treatment was resumed only when the creatinine level returned to within 10% of the baseline value (see section 4.4). Zometa treatment should be resumed at the same dose as that given prior to treatment interruption.
Paediatric population
The safety and efficacy of zoledronic acid in children aged 1 year to 17 years have not been established. Currently available data are described in sections 4.4 and 5.1 but no recommendation on a posology can be made.
Method of administration
Intravenous use.
Zometa 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion should be given as a single intravenous infusion in no less than 15 minutes.
In patients with normal renal function, defined as CLcr > 60 ml/min, zoledronic acid 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion must not be further diluted.
In patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, reduced Zometa doses are recommended (see section “Posology” above and section 6.3).
To prepare reduced doses for patients with baseline CLcr
Table 1: Preparation of reduced doses of Zometa 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion
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Zometa 4 mg/100 ml solution for infusion must not be mixed with other infusion solutions and should be administered as a single intravenous solution in a separate infusion line.
Patients must be maintained well hydrated prior to and following administration of Zometa.
4.3 Contraindications
• Hypersensitivity to the active substance, to other bisphosphonates or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1
• Breast-feeding (see section 4.6)
4.4 Special Warnings And Precautions For Use
General
Patients must be assessed prior to administration of Zometa to ensure that they are adequately hydrated.
Overhydration should be avoided in patients at risk of cardiac failure.
Standard hypercalcaemia-related metabolic parameters, such as serum levels of calcium, phosphate and magnesium, should be carefully monitored after initiating Zometa therapy. If hypocalcaemia, hypophosphataemia, or hypomagnesaemia occurs, short-term supplemental therapy may be necessary. Untreated hypercalcaemia patients generally have some degree of renal function impairment, therefore careful renal function monitoring should be considered.
Zometa contains the same active substance as found in Aclasta (zoledronic acid). Patients being treated with Zometa should not be treated with Aclasta or any other bisphosphonate concomitantly, since the combined effects of these agents are unknown.
Renal insufficiency
Patients with TIH and evidence of deterioration in renal function should be appropriately evaluated with consideration given as to whether the potential benefit of treatment with Zometa outweighs the possible risk.
The decision to treat patients with bone metastases for the prevention of skeletal related events should consider that the onset of treatment effect is 2–3 months.
Zometa has been associated with reports of renal dysfunction. Factors that may increase the potential for deterioration in renal function include dehydration, pre-existing renal impairment, multiple cycles of Zometa and other bisphosphonates as well as use of other nephrotoxic medicinal products. While the risk is reduced with a dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid administered over 15 minutes, deterioration in renal function may still occur. Renal deterioration, progression to renal failure and dialysis have been reported in patients after the initial dose or a single dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid. Increases in serum creatinine also occur in some patients with chronic administration of Zometa at recommended doses for prevention of skeletal related events, although less frequently.
Patients should have their serum creatinine levels assessed prior to each dose of Zometa. Upon initiation of treatment in patients with bone metastases with mild to moderate renal impairment, lower doses of zoledronic acid are recommended. In patients who show evidence of renal deterioration during treatment, Zometa should be withheld. Zometa should only be resumed when serum creatinine returns to within 10% of baseline. Zometa treatment should be resumed at the same dose as that given prior to treatment interruption.
In view of the potential impact of zoledronic acid on renal function, the lack of clinical safety data in patients with severe renal impairment (in clinical trials defined as serum creatinine
Hepatic insufficiency
As only limited clinical data are available in patients with severe hepatic insufficiency, no specific recommendations can be given for this patient population.
Osteonecrosis of the jaw
Osteonecrosis of the jaw has been reported in patients, predominantly those with cancer, receiving treatment with medicinal products that inhibit bone resorption, such as Zometa. Many of these patients were also receiving chemotherapy and corticosteroids. The majority of reported cases have been associated with dental procedures such as tooth extraction. Many had signs of local infection including osteomyelitis.
A dental examination with appropriate preventive dentistry should be considered prior to treatment with bisphosphonates in patients with concomitant risk factors (e.g. cancer, chemotherapy, corticosteroids, poor oral hygiene).
While on treatment, these patients should avoid invasive dental procedures if possible. For patients who develop osteonecrosis of the jaw while on bisphosphonate therapy, dental surgery may exacerbate the condition. For patients requiring dental procedures, there are no data available to suggest whether discontinuation of bisphosphonate treatment reduces the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw. Clinical judgement of the treating physician should guide the management plan of each patient based on individual benefit/risk assessment.
Musculoskeletal pain
In post-marketing experience, severe and occasionally incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle pain have been reported in patients taking Zometa. However, such reports have been infrequent. The time to onset of symptoms varied from one day to several months after starting treatment. Most patients had relief of symptoms after stopping treatment. A subset had recurrence of symptoms when rechallenged with Zometa or another bisphosphonate.
Atypical fractures of the femur
Atypical subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures have been reported with bisphosphonate therapy, primarily in patients receiving long-term treatment for osteoporosis. These transverse or short oblique fractures can occur anywhere along the femur from just below the lesser trochanter to just above the supracondylar flare. These fractures occur after minimal or no trauma and some patients experience thigh or groin pain, often associated with imaging features of stress fractures, weeks to months before presenting with a completed femoral fracture. Fractures are often bilateral; therefore the contralateral femur should be examined in bisphosphonate-treated patients who have sustained a femoral shaft fracture. Poor healing of these fractures has also been reported. Discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy in patients suspected to have an atypical femur fracture should be considered pending evaluation of the patient, based on an individual benefit risk assessment.
During bisphosphonate treatment patients should be advised to report any thigh, hip or groin pain and any patient presenting with such symptoms should be evaluated for an incomplete femur fracture.
4.5 Interaction With Other Medicinal Products And Other Forms Of Interaction
In clinical studies, Zometa has been administered concomitantly with commonly used anticancer agents, diuretics, antibiotics and analgesics without clinically apparent interactions occurring. Zoledronic acid shows no appreciable binding to plasma proteins and does not inhibit human P450 enzymes in vitro (see section 5.2), but no formal clinical interaction studies have been performed.
Caution is advised when bisphosphonates are administered with aminoglycosides, since both agents may have an additive effect, resulting in a lower serum calcium level for longer periods than required.
Caution is indicated when Zometa is used with other potentially nephrotoxic medicinal products. Attention should also be paid to the possibility of hypomagnesaemia developing during treatment.
In multiple myeloma patients, the risk of renal dysfunction may be increased when Zometa is used in combination with thalidomide.
4.6 Pregnancy And Lactation
Pregnancy
There are no adequate data on the use of zoledronic acid in pregnant women. Animal reproduction studies with zoledronic acid have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3). The potential risk for humans is unknown. Zometa should not be used during pregnancy.
Breast-feeding
It is not known whether zoledronic acid is excreted into human milk. Zometa is contraindicated in breast-feeding women (see section 4.3).
Fertility
Zoledronic acid was evaluated in rats for potential adverse effects on fertility of the parental and F1 generation. This resulted in exaggerated pharmacological effects considered to be related to the compound's inhibition of skeletal calcium metabolisation, resulting in periparturient hypocalcaemia, a bisphosphonate class effect, dystocia and early termination of the study. Thus these results precluded determining a definitive effect of zoledronic acid on fertility in humans.
4.7 Effects On Ability To Drive And Use Machines
Adverse reactions, such as dizziness and somnolence, may have influence on the ability to drive or use machines, therefore caution should be exercised with the use of Zometa along with driving and operating of machinery.
4.8 Undesirable Effects
Summary of the safety profile
Within three days after Zometa administration, an acute phase reaction has commonly been reported, with symptoms including bone pain, fever, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia and rigors; these symptoms usually resolve within a few days (see description of selected adverse reactions).
The following are the important identified risks with Zometa in the approved indications:
Renal function impairment, osteonecrosis of the jaw, acute phase reaction, hypocalcaemia, ocular adverse events, atrial fibrillation, anaphylaxis. The frequencies for each of these identified risks are shown in Table 2.
Tabulated list of adverse reactions
The following adverse reactions, listed in Table 2, have been accumulated from clinical studies and post-marketing reports following predominantly chronic treatment with 4 mg zoledronic acid:
Table 2
Adverse reactions are ranked under headings of frequency, the most frequent first, using the following convention: Very common (
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Description of selected adverse reactions
Renal function impairment
Zometa has been associated with reports of renal dysfunction. Factors that may increase the potential for deterioration in renal function include dehydration, pre-existing renal impairment, multiple cycles of Zometa or other bisphosphonates, as well as concomitant use of nephrotoxic medicinal products or using a shorter infusion time than currently recommended. Renal deterioration, progression to renal failure and dialysis have been reported in patients after the initial dose or a single dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid (see section 4.4).
Osteonecrosis of the jaw
Cases of osteonecrosis (primarily of the jaws) have been reported, predominantly in cancer patients treated with medicinal products that inhibit bone resorption, such as Zometa. Many of these patients had signs of local infection including osteomyelitis, and the majority of the reports refer to cancer patients following tooth extractions or other dental surgeries. Osteonecrosis of the jaws has multiple documented risk factors including a diagnosis of cancer, concomitant therapies (e.g. chemotherapy, radiotherapy, corticosteroids) and co-morbid conditions (e.g. anaemia, coagulopathies, infection, pre-existing oral disease). Although causality has not been determined, it is recommended to avoid dental surgery as recovery may be prolonged (see section 4.4).
Atrial fibrillation
In one 3-year, randomised, double-blind controlled trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid 5 mg once yearly vs. placebo in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), the overall incidence of atrial fibrillation was 2.5% (96 out of 3,862) and 1.9% (75 out of 3,852) in patients receiving zoledronic acid 5 mg and placebo, respectively. The rate of atrial fibrillation serious adverse events was 1.3% (51 out of 3,862) and 0.6% (22 out of 3,852) in patients receiving zoledronic acid 5 mg and placebo, respectively. The imbalance observed in this trial has not been observed in other trials with zoledronic acid, including those with Zometa (zoledronic acid) 4 mg every 3-4 weeks in oncology patients. The mechanism behind the increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in this single clinical trial is unknown.
Acute phase reaction
This adverse drug reaction consists of a constellation of symptoms that includes fever, myalgia, headache, extremity pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and arthralgia. The onset time is
Atypical fractures of the femur
During post-marketing experience the following reactions have been reported (frequency rare):
Atypical subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures (bisphopsphonate class adverse reaction).
4.9 Overdose
Clinical experience with acute overdose of Zometa is limited. The administration of doses up to 48 mg of zoledronic acid in error has been reported. Patients who have received doses higher than those recommended (see section 4.2) should be carefully monitored, since renal function impairment (including renal failure) and serum electrolyte (including calcium, phosphorus and magnesium) abnormalities have been observed. In the event of hypocalcaemia, calcium gluconate infusions should be administered as clinically indicated.
5. Pharmacological Properties
5.1 Pharmacodynamic Properties
Pharmacotherapeutic group: Drugs for treatment of bone diseases, bisphosphonates, ATC code: M05BA08
Zoledronic acid belongs to the class of bisphosphonates and acts primarily on bone. It is an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption.
The selective action of bisphosphonates on bone is based on their high affinity for mineralised bone, but the precise molecular mechanism leading to the inhibition of osteoclastic activity is still unclear. In long-term animal studies, zoledronic acid inhibits bone resorption without adversely affecting the formation, mineralisation or mechanical properties of bone.
In addition to being a potent inhibitor of bone resorption, zoledronic acid also possesses several anti-tumour properties that could contribute to its overall efficacy in the treatment of metastatic bone disease. The following properties have been demonstrated in preclinical studies:
- In vivo: Inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption, which alters the bone marrow microenvironment, making it less conducive to tumour cell growth, anti-angiogenic activity and anti-pain activity.
- In vitro: Inhibition of osteoblast proliferation, direct cytostatic and pro-apoptotic activity on tumour cells, synergistic cytostatic effect with other anti-cancer drugs, anti-adhesion/invasion activity.
Clinical trial results in the prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone
The first randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study compared zoledronic acid 4 mg to placebo for the prevention of skeletal related events (SREs) in prostate cancer patients. Zoledronic acid 4 mg significantly reduced the proportion of patients experiencing at least one skeletal related event (SRE), delayed the median time to first SRE by > 5 months, and reduced the annual incidence of events per patient - skeletal morbidity rate. Multiple event analysis showed a 36% risk reduction in developing SREs in the zoledronic acid 4 mg group compared with placebo. Patients receiving zoledronic acid 4 mg reported less increase in pain than those receiving placebo, and the difference reached significance at months 3, 9, 21 and 24. Fewer zoledronic acid 4 mg patients suffered pathological fractures. The treatment effects were less pronounced in patients with blastic lesions. Efficacy results are provided in Table 3.
In a second study including solid tumours other than breast or prostate cancer, zoledronic acid 4 mg significantly reduced the proportion of patients with an SRE, delayed the median time to first SRE by > 2 months, and reduced the skeletal morbidity rate. Multiple event analysis showed 30.7% risk reduction in developing SREs in the zoledronic acid 4 mg group compared with placebo. Efficacy results are provided in Table 4.
Table 3: Efficacy results (prostate cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy)
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* Includes vertebral and non-vertebral fractures
** Accounts for all skeletal events, the total number as well as time to each event during the trial
NR Not Reached
NA Not Applicable
Table 4: Efficacy results (solid tumours other than breast or prostate cancer)
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