Eptifibatide injection is a platelet aggregation inhibitor indicated for: Treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) managed medically or with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ( 1.1 ) Treatment of patients undergoing PCI (including intracoronary stenting) ( 1.2 )
1.1Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS)
Eptifibatide injection is indicated to decrease the rate of a combined endpoint of death or new myocardial infarction (MI) in patients with ACS (unstable angina [UA]/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction [NSTEMI]), including patients who are to be managed medically and those undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
1.2Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
Eptifibatide injection is indicated to decrease the rate of a combined endpoint of death, new MI, or need for urgent intervention in patients undergoing PCI, including those undergoing intracoronary stenting [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 , 14.2 )] .
Contraindications
Treatment with eptifibatide injection is contraindicated in patients with: A history of bleeding diathesis, or evidence of active abnormal bleeding within the previous 30 days Severe hypertension (systolic blood pressure >200 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure >110 mm Hg) not adequately controlled on antihypertensive therapy Major surgery within the preceding 6 weeks History of stroke within 30 days or any history of hemorrhagic stroke Current or planned administration of another parenteral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor Dependency on renal dialysis Hypersensitivity to eptifibatide injection or any component of the product (hypersensitivity reactions that occurred included anaphylaxis and urticaria).
Bleeding diathesis or bleeding within the previous 30 days. ( 4 ) Severe uncontrolled hypertension. ( 4 ) Major surgery within the preceding 6 weeks. ( 4 ) Stroke within 30 days or any history of hemorrhagic stroke. ( 4 ) Coadministration of another parenteral GP IIb/IIIa inhibitor. ( 4 ) Dependency on renal dialysis. ( 4 ) Known hypersensitivity to any component of the product. ( 4 )
Two medicines in one question?
Name two or more medicines and Osler runs an interaction check. A severe interaction is stated at the very top of the answer.
Eptifibatide injection can cause serious bleeding. If bleeding cannot be controlled, discontinue eptifibatide injection immediately. Minimize vascular and other traumas. If heparin is given concomitantly, monitor aPTT or ACT. ( 5.1 ) Thrombocytopenia: Discontinue eptifibatide injection and heparin. Monitor and treat condition appropriately. ( 5.2 )
5.1Bleeding
Bleeding is the most common complication encountered during eptifibatide injection therapy. Administration of eptifibatide injection is associated with an increase in major and minor bleeding, as classified by the criteria of the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Study group (TIMI) [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] . Most major bleeding associated with eptifibatide injection has been at the arterial access site for cardiac catheterization or from the gastrointestinal or genitourinary tract.
Minimize the use of arterial and venous punctures, intramuscular injections, and the use of urinary catheters, nasotracheal intubation, and nasogastric tubes. When obtaining intravenous access, avoid non-compressible sites (e.g., subclavian or jugular veins). Use of Thrombolytics, Anticoagulants, and Other Antiplatelet Agents Risk factors for bleeding include older age, a history of bleeding disorders, and concomitant use of drugs that increase the risk of bleeding (thrombolytics, oral anticoagulants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and P2Y 12 inhibitors).
Concomitant treatment with other inhibitors of platelet receptor glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa should be avoided. In patients treated with heparin, bleeding can be minimized by close monitoring of the aPTT and ACT [see Dosage and Administration ( 2 )] . Care of the Femoral Artery Access Site in Patients Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) In patients undergoing PCI, treatment with eptifibatide injection is associated with an increase in major and minor bleeding at the site of arterial sheath placement.
After PCI, eptifibatide infusion should be continued until hospital discharge or up to 18 to 24 hours, whichever comes first. Heparin use is discouraged after the PCI procedure. Early sheath removal is encouraged while eptifibatide injection is being infused. Prior to removing the sheath, it is recommended that heparin be discontinued for 3 to 4 hours and an aPTT of <45 seconds or ACT <150 seconds be achieved. In any case, both heparin and eptifibatide injection should be discontinued and sheath hemostasis should be achieved at least 2 to 4 hours before hospital discharge.
If bleeding at access site cannot be controlled with pressure, infusion of eptifibatide injection and heparin should be discontinued immediately.
5.2Thrombocytopenia
There have been reports of acute, profound thrombocytopenia (immune-mediated and non-immune mediated) with eptifibatide injection. In the event of acute profound thrombocytopenia or a confirmed platelet decrease to <100,000/mm 3 , discontinue eptifibatide injection and heparin (unfractionated or low-molecular weight). Monitor serial platelet counts, assess the presence of drug-dependent antibodies, and treat as appropriate [see Adverse Reactions ( 6.1 )] .
There has been no clinical experience with eptifibatide injection initiated in patients with a baseline platelet count <100,000/mm 3 . If a patient with low platelet counts is receiving eptifibatide injection, their platelet count should be monitored closely.
Interactions
Coadministration of antiplatelet agents, thrombolytics, heparin, aspirin, and chronic NSAID use increases the risk of bleeding. Avoid concomitant use with other glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors. ( 7.1 )
7.1Use of Thrombolytics, Anticoagulants, and Other Antiplatelet Agents Coadministration
of antiplatelet agents, thrombolytics, heparin, aspirin, and chronic NSAID use increases the risk of bleeding. Concomitant treatment with other inhibitors of platelet receptor GP IIb/IIIa should be avoided.
Pregnancy and breastfeeding
8.1Pregnancy Risk Summary
Available data on eptifibatide use in pregnant women from published literature and the pharmacovigilance database are insufficient to establish a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Untreated myocardial infarction can be fatal to the pregnant woman and fetus [see Clinical Considerations ] . In animal reproduction studies, there was no evidence of adverse developmental effects when eptifibatide was administered intravenously to pregnant rats and rabbits at approximately 4 times the recommended maximum daily human dose.
The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively. Clinical Considerations Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk: Myocardial infarction is a medical emergency in pregnancy which can be fatal to the pregnant woman and fetus if left untreated.
Therapy for the pregnant woman should not be withheld because of potential concerns regarding the effects of eptifibatide injection on the fetus. Data Animal Data: Embryo-fetal development studies have been performed by continuous intravenous infusion of eptifibatide in pregnant rats during the period of organogenesis at total daily doses of up to 72 mg/kg/day (about 4 times the recommended maximum daily human dose on a body surface area basis) and in pregnant rabbits during the period of organogenesis at total daily doses of up to 36 mg/kg/day (also about 4 times the recommended maximum daily human dose on a body surface area basis).
These studies revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus due to eptifibatide.
Adverse reactions
The following serious adverse reaction is also discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Bleeding [see Contraindications ( 4 ) and Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] Bleeding and hypotension are the most commonly reported adverse reactions. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Slate Run Pharmaceuticals, LLC at 1-888-341-9214 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
6.1Clinical Trials Experience
Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in the clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice. A total of 16,782 patients were treated in the Phase III clinical trials (PURSUIT, ESPRIT, and IMPACT II) [see Clinical Studies ( 14 )] . These 16,782 patients had a mean age of 62 years (range: 20-94 years).
Eighty-nine percent of the patients were Caucasian, with the remainder being predominantly Black (5%) and Hispanic (5%). Sixty-eight percent were men. Because of the different regimens used in PURSUIT, IMPACT II, and ESPRIT, data from the 3 studies were not pooled. Bleeding and hypotension were the most commonly reported adverse reactions (incidence ≥5% and greater than placebo) in the eptifibatide injection controlled clinical trial database.
Bleeding The incidence of bleeding and transfusions in the PURSUIT and ESPRIT studies are shown in Table 2 . Bleeding was classified as major or minor by the criteria of the TIMI study group. Major bleeding consisted of intracranial hemorrhage and other bleeding that led to decreases in hemoglobin greater than 5 g/dL. Minor bleeding included spontaneous gross hematuria, spontaneous hematemesis, other observed blood loss with a hemoglobin decrease of more than 3 g/dL, and other hemoglobin decreases that were greater than 4 g/dL but less than 5 g/dL.
In patients who received transfusions, the corresponding loss in hemoglobin was estimated through an adaptation of the method of Landefeld et al. Table 2. Bleeding and Transfusions in the PURSUIT and ESPRIT Studies Note: Denominator is based on patients for whom data are available. * For major and minor bleeding, patients are counted only once according to the most severe classification. † Includes transfusions of whole blood, packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, cryoprecipitate, platelets, and autotransfusion during the initial hospitalization.
PURSUIT (ACS) Placebo n (%) EptifibatideInjection 180/2 n (%) Patients 4696 4679 Major bleeding* 425 (9.3%) 498 (10.8%) Minor bleeding* 347 (7.6%) 604 (13.1%) Requiring transfusions† 490 (10.4%) 601 (12.8%) ESPRIT (PCI) Placebo n (%) EptifibatideInjection 180/2/180 n (%) Patients 1024 1040 Major bleeding* 4 (0.4%) 13 (1.3%) Minor bleeding* 18 (2%) 29 (3%) Requiring transfusions† 11 (1.1%) 16 (1.5%) The majority of major bleeding reactions in the ESPRIT study occurred at the vascular access site (1 and 8 patients, or 0.1% and 0.8% in the placebo and eptifibatide injection groups, respectively).
Bleeding at “other” locations occurred in 0.2% and 0.4% of patients, respectively. In the PURSUIT study, the greatest increase in major bleeding in eptifibatide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients was also associated with bleeding at the femoral artery access site (2.8% versus 1.3%). Oropharyngeal (primarily gingival), genitourinary, gastrointestinal, and retroperitoneal bleeding were also seen more commonly in eptifibatide-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients.
Among patients experiencing a major bleed in the IMPACT II study, an increase in bleeding on eptifibatide injection versus placebo was observed only for the femoral artery access site (3.2% versus 2.8%). Table 3 displays the incidence of TIMI major bleeding according to the cardiac procedures carried out in the PURSUIT study. The most common bleeding complications were related to cardiac revascularization (CABG-related or femoral artery access site bleeding).
A corresponding table for ESPRIT is not presented, as every patient underwent PCI in the ESPRIT study and only 11 patients underwent CABG. Table 3. Major Bleeding by Procedures in the PURSUIT Study Note: Denominators are based on the total number of patients whose TIMI classification was resolved. Placebo n (%) EptifibatideInjection 180/2 n (%) Patients 4577 4604 Overall incidence of major bleeding 425 (9.3%) 498 (10.8%) Breakdown by procedure: CABG 375 (8.2%) 377 (8.2%) Angioplasty without CABG 27 (0.6%) 64 (1.4%) Angiography without angioplasty or CABG 11 (0.2%) 29 (0.6%) Medical therapy only 12 (0.3%) 28 (0.6%) In the PURSUIT and ESPRIT studies, the risk of major bleeding with eptifibatide injection increased as patient weight decreased.
This relationship was most apparent for patients weighing less than 70 kg. Bleeding resulting in discontinuation of the study drug was more frequent among patients receiving eptifibatide injection than placebo (4.6% versus 0.9% in ESPRIT, 8% versus 1% in PURSUIT, 3.5% versus 1.9% in IMPACT II). Intracranial Hemorrhage and Stroke Intracranial hemorrhage was rare in the PURSUIT, IMPACT II, and ESPRIT clinical studies. In the PURSUIT study, 3 patients in the placebo group, 1 patient in the group treated with eptifibatide injection 180/1.3, and 5 patients in the group treated with eptifibatide injection 180/2 experienced a hemorrhagic stroke.
The overall incidence of stroke was 0.5% in patients receiving eptifibatide injection 180/1.3, 0.7% in patients receiving eptifibatide injection 180/2, and 0.8% in placebo patients. In the IMPACT II study, intracranial hemorrhage was experienced by 1 patient treated with eptifibatide injection 135/0.5, 2 patients treated with eptifibatide injection 135/0.75, and 2 patients in the placebo group. The overall incidence of stroke was 0.5% in patients receiving 135/0.5 eptifibatide injection, 0.7% in patients receiving eptifibatide injection 135/0.75, and 0.7% in the placebo group.
In the ESPRIT study, there were 3 hemorrhagic strokes, 1 in the placebo group and 2 in the eptifibatide injection group. In addition there was 1 case of cerebral infarction in the eptifibatide injection group. Immunogenicity/Thrombocytopenia The potential for development of antibodies to eptifibatide has been studied in 433 subjects. Eptifibatide injection was nonantigenic in 412 patients receiving a single administration of eptifibatide injection (135 mcg/kg bolus followed by a continuous infusion of either 0.5 mcg/kg/min or 0.75 mcg/kg/min), and in 21 subjects to whom eptifibatide injection (135 mcg/kg bolus followed by a continuous infusion of 0.75 mcg/kg/min) was administered twice, 28 days apart.
In both cases, plasma for antibody detection was collected approximately 30 days after each dose. The development of antibodies to eptifibatide at higher doses has not been evaluated. In patients with suspected eptifibatide-related immune-mediated thrombocytopenia, IgG antibodies that react with the GP IIb/IIIa complex were identified in the presence of eptifibatide and in eptifibatide-naïve patients. These findings suggest acute thrombocytopenia after the administration of eptifibatide injection can develop as a result of naturally occurring drug-dependent antibodies or those induced by prior exposure to eptifibatide injection.
Similar antibodies were identified with other GP IIb/IIIa ligand-mimetic agents. Immune-mediated thrombocytopenia with eptifibatide injection may be associated with hypotension and/or other signs of hypersensitivity. In the PURSUIT and IMPACT II studies, the incidence of thrombocytopenia (<100,000/mm 3 or ≥50% reduction from baseline) and the incidence of platelet transfusions were similar between patients treated with eptifibatide injection and placebo.
In the ESPRIT study, the incidence was 0.6% in the placebo group and 1.2% in the eptifibatide injection group. Other Adverse Reactions In the PURSUIT and ESPR
Our copy of this section ends here. The full text is in the official label at the FDA. Open in the register
In other countries
The same active substances on other registers, the same brand first.
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.
