alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor

Acarbose

Approved 27 Jul 2011OralTablet

The FDA lists this product in 24 strengths and forms.

Indications

Acarbose Tablets are indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Contraindications

Acarbose Tablets are contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to the drug. Acarbose Tablets are contraindicated in patients with diabetic ketoacidosis or cirrhosis. Acarbose Tablets are also contraindicated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, colonic ulceration, partial intestinal obstruction or in patients predisposed to intestinal obstruction. In addition, Acarbose Tablets are contraindicated in patients who have chronic intestinal diseases associated with marked disorders of digestion or absorption and in patients who have conditions that may deteriorate as a result of increased gas formation in the intestine.

Interactions

Drug Interactions Certain drugs tend to produce hyperglycemia and may lead to loss of blood glucose control. These drugs include the thiazides and other diuretics, corticosteroids, phenothiazines, thyroid products, estrogens, oral contraceptives, phenytoin, nicolinic acid, sympathomimetics, calcium channel-blocking drugs, and isoniazid. When such drugs are administered to a patient receiving Acarbose Tablets, the patient should be closely observed for loss of blood glucose control.

When such drugs are withdrawn from patients receiving Acarbose Tablets in combination with sulfonylureas or insulin, patients should be observed closely for any evidence of hypoglycemia. Patients Receiving Sulfonylureas or Insulin: Sulfonylurea agents or insulin may cause hypoglycemia. Acarbose Tablets given in combination with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause a further lowering of blood glucose and may increase the potential for hypoglycemia.

If hypoglycemia occurs, appropriate adjustments in the dosage of these agents should be made. Very rarely, individual cases of hypoglycemic shock have been reported in patients receiving Acarbose Tablets therapy in combination with sulfonylureas and/or insulin. Intestinal adsorbents (for example, charcoal) and digestive enzyme preparations containing carbohydrate-splitting enzymes (for example, amylase, pancreatin) may reduce the effect of Acarbose Tablets and should not be taken concomitantly.

Acarbose Tablets have been shown to change the bioavailability of digoxin when they are coadministered, which may require digoxin dose adjustment. (See CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Drug-Drug Interactions. )

At a glance

Brand name: Acarbose
Pharmacologic class: alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitor
Route: Oral
Dosage form: Tablet
Applicant: Strides Pharma
Status: Prescription
FDA approval: 27 Jul 2011
Application: ANDA090912-003

Contraindications

Interactions

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

PREGNANCY Teratogenic Effects: Pregnancy Category B. The safety of Acarbose Tablets in pregnant women has not been established. Reproduction studies have been performed in rats at doses up to 480 mg/kg (corresponding to 9 times the exposure in humans, based on drug blood levels) and have revealed no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to acarbose. In rabbits, reduced maternal body weight gain, probably the result of the pharmacodynamic activity of high doses of acarbose in the intestines, may have been responsible for a slight increase in the number of embryonic losses.

However, rabbits given 160 mg/kg acarbose (corresponding to 10 times the dose in man, based on body surface area) showed no evidence of embryotoxicity and there was no evidence of teratogenicity at a dose 32 times the dose in man (based on body surface area). There are, however, no adequate and well-controlled studies of Acarbose Tablets in pregnant women. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of the human response, this drug should be used during pregnancy only if clearly needed.

Because current information strongly suggests that abnormal blood glucose levels during pregnancy are associated with a higher incidence of congenital anomalies as well as increased neonatal morbidity and mortality, most experts recommend that insulin be used during pregnancy to maintain blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible. Nursing Mothers A small amount of radioactivity has been found in the milk of lactating rats after administration of radiolabeled acarbose.

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, Acarbose Tablets should not be administered to a nursing woman. Pediatric Use Safety and effectiveness of Acarbose Tablets in pediatric patients have not been established. Geriatric Use Of the total number of subjects in clinical studies of Acarbose Tablets in the United States, 27% were 65 and over, while 4% were 75 and over.

No overall differences in safety and effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects. The mean steady-state area under the curve (AUC) and maximum concentrations of acarbose were approximately 1.5 times higher in elderly compared to young volunteers; however, these differences were not statistically significant.

Adverse reactions

Digestive Tract Gastrointestinal symptoms are the most common reactions to Acarbose Tablets. In U.S. placebo-controlled trials, the incidences of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and flatulence were 19%, 31%, and 74% respectively in 1255 patients treated with Acarbose Tablets 50-300 mg t.i.d., whereas the corresponding incidences were 9%, 12%, and 29% in 999 placebo-treated patients. In a one-year safety study, during which patients kept diaries of gastrointestinal symptoms, abdominal pain and diarrhea tended to return to pretreatment levels over time, and the frequency and intensity of flatulence tended to abate with time.

The increased gastrointestinal tract symptoms in patients treated with Acarbose Tablets are a manifestation of the mechanism of action of Acarbose Tablets and are related to the presence of undigested carbohydrate in the lower GI tract. If the prescribed diet is not observed, the intestinal side effects may be intensified. If strongly distressing symptoms develop in spite of adherence to the diabetic diet prescribed, the doctor must be consulted and the dose temporarily or permanently reduced.

Elevated Serum Transaminase Levels See PRECAUTIONS . Other Abnormal Laboratory Findings Small reductions in hematocrit occurred more often in Acarbose Tablets-treated patients than in placebo-treated patients but were not associated with reductions in hemoglobin. Low serum calcium and low plasma vitamin B 6 levels were associated with Acarbose Tablets therapy but are thought to be either spurious or of no clinical significance.

Postmarketing Adverse Event Reports Additional adverse events reported from worldwide postmarketing experience include fulminant hepatitis with fatal outcome, hypersensitive skin reactions (for example, rash, erythema, exanthema and urticaria), edema, ileus/subileus, jaundice and/or hepatitis and associated liver damage, thrombocytopenia, and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (see PRECAUTIONS ). Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis There have been rare postmarketing reports of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis associated with the use of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, including Acarbose Tablets.

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis may present with symptoms of diarrhea, mucus discharge, rectal bleeding, and constipation. Complications may include pneumoperitoneum, volvulus, intestinal obstruction, intussusception, intestinal hemorrhage, and intestinal perforation. If pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is suspected, discontinue Acarbose Tablets and perform the appropriate diagnostic imaging. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.

You may report side effects to Strides Pharma Inc. at 1-877-244-9825 or go to www.strides.com

Acarbose

Indications

Contraindications

Interactions

At a glance

Two medicines in one question?

Acarbose

Indications

Contraindications

Interactions

At a glance

Two medicines in one question?

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Adverse reactions

Composition

Strengths and forms

Official product information