8.1Pregnancy Risk Summary Based
on animal reproduction studies, there may be risks to the fetus from exposure to lixisenatide, a component of SOLIQUA 100/33, during pregnancy. SOLIQUA 100/33 should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus. The limited available data with SOLIQUA 100/33 and lixisenatide in pregnant women is not sufficient to inform a drug-associated risk of major birth defects and miscarriage.
Published studies with insulin glargine use during pregnancy have not reported a clear association with insulin glargine and major birth defect or miscarriage risk [see Data ] . There are risks to the mother and fetus associated with poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy [see Clinical Considerations ] . Lixisenatide administered to pregnant rats and rabbits during organogenesis was associated with visceral closure and skeletal defects at systemic exposures that decreased maternal food intake and weight gain during gestation, and that are 1-time and 6-times higher than the 20 mcg/day highest clinical dose, respectively, based on plasma AUC [see Data ] .
The estimated background risk of major birth defects is 6%–10% in women with pregestational diabetes with a HbA1c >7 and has been reported to be as high as 20%–25% in women with a HbA1c >10. The estimated background risk of miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2%–4% and 15%–20%, respectively.
Clinical considerations Disease-associated maternal and/or embryo/fetal risk Poorly controlled diabetes in pregnancy increases the maternal risk for diabetic ketoacidosis, pre-eclampsia, spontaneous abortions, preterm delivery, and delivery complications. Poorly controlled diabetes increases the fetal risk for major birth defects, still birth, and macrosomia related morbidity. Data Human data Insulin glargine Published data do not report a clear association with insulin glargine and major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes when insulin glargine is used during pregnancy.
However, these studies cannot definitely establish the absence of any risk because of methodological limitations including small sample size and some lacking comparator groups. Animal data Animal reproduction studies were not conducted with the combined products in SOLIQUA 100/33. The following data are based on studies conducted with the individual components of SOLIQUA 100/33. Lixisenatide In pregnant rats receiving twice daily subcutaneous doses of 2.5, 35, or 500 mcg/kg during organogenesis (gestation day 6 to 17), fetuses were present with visceral closure defects (e.g., microphthalmia, bilateral anophthalmia, diaphragmatic hernia) and stunted growth.
Impaired ossification associated with skeletal malformations (e.g., bent limbs, scapula, clavicle, and pelvis) were observed at ≥2.5 mcg/kg/dose, resulting in systemic exposure that is 1-time the 20 mcg/day clinical dose, based on plasma AUC. Decreases in maternal body weight, food consumption, and motor activity were observed concurrent with the adverse fetal findings, which confounds the interpretation of relevance of these malformations to the human risk assessment.
Placental transfer of lixisenatide to developing rat fetuses is low with a concentration ratio in fetal/maternal plasma of 0.1%. In pregnant rabbits receiving twice daily subcutaneous doses of 2.5, 25, 250 mcg/kg during organogenesis (gestation day 6 to 18), fetuses were present with multiple visceral and skeletal malformations, including closure defects, at ≥5 mcg/kg/day or systemic exposures that are 6-times the 20 mcg/day highest clinical dose, based on plasma AUC.
Decreases in maternal body weight, food consumption, and motor activity were observed concurrent with the fetal findings, which confounds the interpretation of relevance of these malformations to the human risk assessment. Placental transfer of lixisenatide to developing rabbit fetuses is low with a concentration ratio in fetal/maternal plasma of ≤0.3%. In a second study in pregnant rabbits, no drug-related malformations were observed from twice daily subcutaneous doses of 0.15, 1.0, and 2.5 mcg/kg administered during organogenesis, resulting in systemic exposures up to 9-times the clinical exposure at 20 mcg/day, based on plasma AUC.
In pregnant rats given twice daily subcutaneous doses of 2, 20, or 200 mcg/kg from gestation day 6 through lactation, decreases in maternal body weight, food consumption, and motor activity were observed at all doses. Skeletal malformations and increased pup mortality were observed at 400 mcg/kg/day, which is approximately 200-times the 20 mcg/day clinical dose based on mcg/m 2 . Insulin glargine Subcutaneous reproduction and teratology studies have been performed with insulin glargine and regular human insulin in rats and Himalayan rabbits.
Insulin glargine was given to female rats before mating, during mating, and throughout pregnancy at doses up to 0.36 mg/kg/day, which is approximately 2-times the recommended human subcutaneous high dose of 60 units/day (0.0364 mg/kg/day), based on mg/m 2 . In rabbits, doses up to 0.072 mg/kg/day, which is approximately 1-time the maximum recommended human subcutaneous dose of 60 units/day (0.0364 mg/kg/day), based on mg/m 2 , were administered during organogenesis.
The effects of insulin glargine did not generally differ from those observed with regular human insulin in rats or rabbits. However, in rabbits, five fetuses from two litters of the high-dose group exhibited dilation of the cerebral ventricles. Fertility and early embryonic development appeared normal.
