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Indications
Asenapine sublingual tablets are indicated for: Schizophrenia in adults [see Clinical Studies (14.1) ] Bipolar I disorder [see Clinical Studies (14.2) ] Acute monotherapy of manic or mixed episodes, in adults and pediatric patients 10 to 17 years of age Adjunctive treatment to lithium or valproate in adults Maintenance monotherapy treatment in adults Asenapine sublingual tablets are an atypical antipsychotic indicated for ( 1 ): Schizophrenia in adults Bipolar I disorder Acute monotherapy treatment of manic or mixed episodes, in adults and pediatric patients 10 to 17 years of age Adjunctive treatment to lithium or valproate in adults Maintenance monotherapy treatment in adults
Contraindications
Asenapine sublingual tablets are contraindicated in patients with: Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C) [see Specific Populations (8.7) , Clinical Pharmacology (12.3 )]. A history of hypersensitivity reactions to asenapine. Reactions have included anaphylaxis, angioedema, hypotension, tachycardia, swollen tongue, dyspnea, wheezing and rash [see Warnings and Precautions (5.6) , Adverse Reactions (6) ]. Severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C).
( 8.7 , 12.3 ) Known hypersensitivity to asenapine sublingual tablets, or to any components in the formulation. ( 4 , 5.6 , 17 )
Warnings and precautions
Cerebrovascular Adverse Reactions in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis: Increased incidence of cerebrovascular adverse reactions (e.g., stroke, transient ischemic attack). ( 5.2 ) Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome: Manage with immediate discontinuation and close monitoring. ( 5.3 ) Tardive Dyskinesia: Discontinue if clinically appropriate. ( 5.4 ) Metabolic Changes: Monitor for hyperglycemia/diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and weight gain.
( 5.5 ) Orthostatic Hypotension: Monitor heart rate and blood pressure and warn patients with known cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, and risk of dehydration or syncope. ( 5.7 ) Leukopenia, Neutropenia, and Agranulocytosis: Perform complete blood counts (CBC) in patients with pre-existing low white blood cell count (WBC) or history of leukopenia or neutropenia. Consider discontinuing asenapine sublingual tablets if a clinically significant decline in WBC occurs in absence of other causative factors.
( 5.9 ) QT Prolongation: Increases in QT interval; avoid use with drugs that also increase the QT interval and in patients with risk factors for prolonged QT interval. (5.10 ) Seizures: Use cautiously in patients with a history of seizures or with conditions that lower the seizure threshold. ( 5.12 ) Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment: Use caution when operating machinery. ( 5.13 )
5.1Increased Mortality in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis
Elderly patients with dementia-related psychosis treated with antipsychotic drugs are at an increased risk of death. Analyses of 17 placebo-controlled trials (modal duration of 10 weeks), largely in patients taking atypical antipsychotic drugs, revealed a risk of death in drug-treated patients of between 1.6 to 1.7 times the risk of death in placebo-treated patients. Over the course of a typical 10-week controlled trial, the rate of death in drug-treated patients was about 4.5%, compared to a rate of about 2.6% in the placebo group.
Although the causes of death were varied, most of the deaths appeared to be either cardiovascular (e.g., heart failure, sudden death) or infectious (e.g., pneumonia) in nature. Asenapine sublingual tablets are not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5.2) ].
5.2Cerebrovascular Adverse Events, Including Stroke, In Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis
In placebo-controlled trials in elderly subjects with dementia, patients randomized to risperidone, aripiprazole, and olanzapine had a higher incidence of stroke and transient ischemic attack, including fatal stroke. Asenapine sublingual tablets are not approved for the treatment of patients with dementia-related psychosis [see Boxed Warning , Warnings and Precautions (5.1) ].
5.3Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome
A potentially fatal symptom complex sometimes referred to as Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (NMS) has been reported in association with administration of antipsychotic drugs. Clinical manifestations of NMS are hyperpyrexia, muscle rigidity, delirium, and autonomic instability. Additional signs may include elevated creatine phosphokinase, myoglobinuria (rhabdomyolysis), and acute renal failure. If NMS is suspected, immediately discontinue asenapine sublingual tablets and provide intensive symptomatic treatment and monitoring.
5.4Tardive Dyskinesia
Tardive dyskinesia, a syndrome consisting of potentially irreversible, involuntary, dyskinetic movements, may develop in patients treated with antipsychotic drugs, including asenapine sublingual tablets. The risk appears to be highest among the elderly, especially elderly women, but it is not possible to predict which patients are likely to develop the syndrome. Whether antipsychotic drug products differ in their potential to cause tardive dyskinesia is unknown.
The risk of tardive dyskinesia and the likelihood that it will become irreversible increase with the duration of treatment and the cumulative dose. The syndrome can develop after a relatively brief treatment period, even at low doses. It may also occur after discontinuation of treatment. There is no known treatment for tardive dyskinesia, although the syndrome may remit, partially or completely, if antipsychotic treatment is discontinued.
Antipsychotic treatment itself, however, may suppress (or partially suppress) the signs and symptoms of the syndrome, possibly masking the underlying process. The effect that symptomatic suppression has upon the long-term course of tardive dyskinesia is unknown. Given these considerations, asenapine sublingual tablets should be prescribed in a manner most likely to reduce the risk of tardive dyskinesia. Chronic antipsychotic treatment should generally be reserved for patients: 1) who suffer from a chronic illness that is known to respond to antipsychotic drugs; and 2) for whom alternative, effective, but potentially less harmful treatments are not available or appropriate.
In patients who do require chronic treatment, use the lowest dose and the shortest duration of treatment producing a satisfactory clinical response should be sought. Periodically reassess the need for continued treatment. If signs and symptoms of TD appear in a patient on asenapine sublingual tablets, drug discontinuation should be considered. However, some patients may require treatment with asenapine sublingual tablets despite the presence of the syndrome.
5.5Metabolic Changes
Atypical antipsychotic drugs, including asenapine sublingual tablets, have caused metabolic changes, including hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and body weight gain. Although all of the drugs in the class to date have been shown to produce some metabolic changes, each drug has its own specific risk profile. Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Mellitus Hyperglycemia, in some cases extreme and associated with ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar coma or death, has been reported in patients treated with atypical antipsychotics.
There have been reports of hyperglycemia in patients treated with asenapine sublingual tablets. Assess fasting plasma glucose before or soon after initiation of antipsychotic medication, and monitor periodically during long-term treatment. Adult Patients: Pooled data from the short-term placebo-controlled schizophrenia and bipolar mania trials are presented in Table 1. TABLE 1: Changes in Fasting Glucose in Adult Patients Schizophrenia (6-weeks) Bipolar I Disorder (3-weeks) Placebo Asenapine sublingual tablets Placebo Asenapine sublingual tablets 5 mg twice daily 10 mg twice daily 5 or 10 mg twice daily § 5 mg twice daily 10 mg twice daily 5 or 10 mg twice daily † Mean Change from Baseline in Fasting Glucose at Endpoint Change from Baseline (mg/dL) (N*) -0.2 (232) 3.8 (158) 1.1 (153) 3.2 (377) 0 (174) 4.1 (84) 3.5 (81) 1.7 (321) Proportion of Patients with Shifts from Baseline to Endpoint Normal to High <100 to ≥126 mg/dL (n/N**) 4.1% (7/170) 4.5% (5/111) 4.5% (5/111) 5.0% (13/262) 2.4% (3/126) 0% (0/53) 1.7% (1/60) 1.8% (4/224) Borderline to High ≥100 and <126 to ≥126 mg/dL (n/N**) 5.9% (3/51) 6.8 (3/44)% 6.3% (2/32) 10.5% (10/95) 0% (0/39) 12.5% (3/24) 15.8% (3/19) 12.8% (10/78) N* = Number of patients who had assessments at both Baseline and Endpoint.
N** = Number of patients at risk at Baseline with assessments at both Baseline and Endpoint. § Includes patients treated with flexible dose of asenapine 5 or 10 mg twice daily (N=90) † Includes patients treated with flexible dose of asenapine 5 or 10 mg twice daily (N=379). In a 52-week, double-blind, comparator-controlled trial that included primarily patients with schizophrenia, the mean increase from baseline of fasting glucose was 2.4 mg/dL.
Pediatric Patients: Data from the short-term, placebo-controlled trial in pediatric patients with bipolar I disorder are shown in Table 2. TABLE 2: Changes in Fasting Glucose in Pediatric Subjects Bipolar I Disorder (3-weeks) Placebo Asenapine
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Interactions
Antihypertensive Drugs: Asenapine sublingual tablets may cause hypotension. ( 5.7 , 7.1 , 12.3 ) Paroxetine (CYP2D6 substrate and inhibitor): Reduce paroxetine by half when used in combination with asenapine sublingual tablets. ( 7.1 , 12.3 )
7.1 Drugs Having Clinically Important Drug Interactions with Asenapine Sublingual Tablets Table 12: Clinically Important Drug Interactions with Asenapine Sublingual Tablets Concomitant Drug Name or Drug Class Clinical Rationale Clinical Recommendation Antihypertensive Drugs Because of its α 1 -adrenergic antagonism with potential for inducing hypotension, asenapine sublingual tablets may enhance the effects of certain antihypertensive agents [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7) ].
Monitor blood pressure and adjust dosage of antihypertensive drug accordingly. Strong CYP1A2 Inhibitors (e.g., Fluvoxamine) Asenapine sublingual tablets are metabolized by CYP1A2. Marginal increase of asenapine exposure was observed when asenapine sublingual tablets are used with fluvoxamine at 25 mg administered twice daily [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ] . However, the tested fluvoxamine dose was suboptimal. Full therapeutic dose of fluvoxamine is expected to cause a greater increase in asenapine exposure.
Dosage reduction for asenapine sublingual tablets based on clinical response may be necessary. CYP2D6 substrates and inhibitors (e.g., paroxetine) Asenapine sublingual tablets may enhance the inhibitory effects of paroxetine on its own metabolism. Concomitant use of paroxetine with asenapine sublingual tablets increased the paroxetine exposure by 2-fold as compared to use paroxetine alone [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) ].
Reduce paroxetine dose by half when paroxetine is used in combination with asenapine sublingual tablets.
7.2Drugs Having No Clinically Important Interactions with Asenapine Sublingual Tablets
No dosage adjustment of asenapine sublingual tablets are necessary when administered concomitantly with paroxetine (see Table 12 in Drug Interactions (7.1) for paroxetine dosage adjustment), imipramine, cimetidine, valproate, lithium, or a CYP3A4 inducer (e.g., carbamazepine, phenytoin, rifampin). In addition, valproic acid and lithium pre-dose serum concentrations collected from an adjunctive therapy study were comparable between asenapine-treated patients and placebo-treated patients indicating a lack of effect of asenapine on valproic and lithium plasma levels.
Adverse reactions
The following adverse reactions are discussed in more detail in other sections of the labeling: Use in Elderly Patients with Dementia-Related Psychosis [see Boxed Warning and Warnings and Precautions (5.1 and 5.2 )] Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)] Tardive Dyskinesia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4 )] Metabolic Changes [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5 )] Hypersensitivity Reactions [see Contraindications , Warnings and Precautions (5.6 )] Orthostatic Hypotension, Syncope, and other Hemodynamic Effects [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7 )] Falls [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8 )] Leukopenia, Neutropenia, and Agranulocytosis [see Warnings and Precautions (5.9 )] QT Interval Prolongation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.10 )] Hyperprolactinemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.11 )] Seizures [see Warnings and Precautions (5.12 )] Potential for Cognitive and Motor Impairment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.13 )] Body Temperature Regulation [see Warnings and Precautions (5.14 )] Dysphagia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.15 )] The most common adverse reactions (≥5% and at least twice the rate of placebo) reported with acute treatment in adults with schizophrenia were akathisia, oral hypoesthesia, and somnolence.
The safety profile of asenapine sublingual tablets in the maintenance treatment of schizophrenia in adults was similar to that seen with acute treatment. The most common adverse reactions (≥5% and at least twice the rate of placebo) reported with acute monotherapy treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults were somnolence, oral hypoesthesia dizziness, extrapyramidal symptoms (excluding akathisia) and akathisia; and during the adjunctive therapy trial in bipolar I disorder in adults were somnolence and oral hypoesthesia.
The rates were lower at the 5mg twice daily dose than the 10mg twice daily dose for all of these most common adverse reactions. The safety profile of asenapine sublingual tablets in the maintenance treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults was similar to that seen with acute treatment. The adult information below is derived from a clinical trial database for asenapine sublingual tablets consisting of over 5,355 patients and/or healthy subjects exposed to one or more sublingual doses of asenapine sublingual tablets.
A total of 1,427 asenapine-treated patients were treated for at least 24 weeks and 785 asenapine sublingual tablets-treated patients had at least 52 weeks of exposure at therapeutic doses. In a 3-week monotherapy trial, the most common adverse reactions (≥5% and at least twice the rate of placebo) reported in pediatric patients with bipolar I disorder treated with asenapine sublingual tablets were somnolence, dizziness, dysgeusia, oral hypoesthesia, nausea, increased appetite, fatigue, and increased weight.
No new major safety findings were reported from a 50-week, open-label, uncontrolled safety trial. A total of 651 pediatric patients were treated with asenapine sublingual tablets. Of these patients, 352 pediatric patients were treated with asenapine sublingual tablets for at least 180 days and 58 pediatric patients treated with asenapine sublingual tablets had at least 1 year of exposure. The safety of asenapine sublingual tablets was evaluated in 403 pediatric patients with bipolar I disorder who participated in a 3-week, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, of whom 302 patients received asenapine sublingual tablets at fixed doses ranging from 2.5 mg to 10 mg twice daily.
The stated frequencies of adverse reactions represent the proportion of individuals who experienced a treatment- emergent adverse event 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. The most commonly observed adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and at least twice that for placebo) were ( 6.1 ): Schizophrenia Adults: akathisia, oral hypoesthesia, somnolence.
Bipolar I Disorder Adults (Monotherapy): somnolence, oral hypoesthesia, dizziness, extrapyramidal symptoms (excluding akathisia) and akathisia. Bipolar I Disorder Pediatric Patients (Monotherapy): somnolence, dizziness, dysgeusia, oral paresthesia, nausea, increased appetite, fatigue, increased weight. Bipolar I Disorder Adults (Adjunctive): somnolence, oral hypoesthesia. To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Breckenridge Pharmaceutical, Inc. at 1-800-367-3395 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
6.1Clinical 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. Adult Patients with Schizophrenia: The following findings are based on the short-term placebo-controlled pre-marketing trials for schizophrenia (a pool of three 6-week fixed-dose trials and one 6-week flexible-dose trial) in which sublingual asenapine sublingual tablets was administered in doses ranging from 5 to 10 mg twice daily.
Adverse Reactions Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment: A total of 9% of asenapine sublingual tablets-treated patients and 10% of placebo-treated patients discontinued due to adverse reactions. There were no drug-related adverse reactions associated with discontinuation in patients treated with asenapine sublingual tablets at the rate of at least 1% and at least twice the placebo rate. Adverse Reactions Occurring at an Incidence of 2% or More in asenapine sublingual tablets -Treated Patients with Schizophrenia: Adverse reactions associated with the use of asenapine sublingual tablets (incidence of 2% or greater, rounded to the nearest percent, and asenapine sublingual tablets incidence greater than placebo) that occurred during acute therapy (up to 6-weeks in patients with schizophrenia) are shown in Table 8 .
Table 8: Adverse Reactions Reported in 2% or More of Adult Patients in Any Asenapine Sublingual Tablets Dose Group and Which Occurred at Greater Incidence Than in the Placebo Group in 6-Week Schizophrenia Trials System Organ Class/ Preferred Term Placebo N=378 % Asenapine Sublingual Tablets 5 mg twice daily N=274 % Asenapine Sublingual Tablets 10mg twice daily N=208 % All Asenapine Sublingual Tablets§ 5mg or 10 mg twice daily N=572 % Gastrointestinal disorders Constipation 6 7 4 5 Dry mouth 1 3 1 2 Oral hypoesthesia 1 6 7 5 Salivary hypersecretion 0 <1 4 2 Stomach discomfort 1 <1 3 2 Vomiting 5 4 7 5 General disorders Fatigue 3 4 3 3 Irritability <1 2 1 2 Investigations Increased weight <1 2 2 3 Metabolism disorders Increased appetite <1 3 0 2 Nervous system disorders Akathisia * 3 4 11 6 Dizziness 4 7 3 5 Extrapyramidal symptoms (excluding akathisia)† 7 9 12 10 Somnolence‡ 7 15 13 13 Psychiatric disorders Insomnia 13 16 15 15 Vascular disorders Hypertension 2 2 3 2 * Akathisia includes: akathisia and hyperkinesia. † Extrapyramidal symptoms included dystonia, oculogyration, dyskinesia, tardive dyskinesia, muscle rigidity, parkinsonism, tremor, and extrapyramidal disorder (excluding akathisia). ‡ Somnolence includes the following events: somnolence, sedation, and hypersomnia. § Also includes the Flexible-dose trial (N=90).
Dose-Related Adverse Reactions : In the short term schizophrenia trials the incidence of akathisia appeared to be dose-related (see Table 8). Monotherapy in Adult Patients with Bipolar Mania: The following findings are based on the short-term placebo-controlled trials for bipolar mania (a pool of two 3-week flexible-dose trials and one 3-week fixed-dose trial) in which sublingual asenapine sublingual tablets was administered in doses of 5 mg or 10 mg twice daily.
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Composition
Active ingredients
ASENAPINE MALEATE EQ 5MG BASE
Strengths and forms
The FDA lists each strength of a product separately; these pages share one label.
Prognia shows this product information for reference and learning. It is not treatment advice and can lag behind the official text. Always check the current product information and local protocols before prescribing.
Adverse Reactions Associated with Discontinuation of Treatment: Approximately 10% (61/620) of asenapine sublingual
