Indications and Important Safety Information for ALIMTA® (pemetrexed
for injection)
Indications
ALIMTA is indicated in combination with cisplatin therapy for the initial treatment
of patients with locally advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung
cancer.
ALIMTA is indicated for the maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced
or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer whose disease has not progressed
after four cycles of platinum-based first-line chemotherapy.
ALIMTA is indicated as a single agent for the treatment of patients with locally
advanced or metastatic nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer after prior chemotherapy.
Limitations of Use
ALIMTA is not indicated for the treatment of patients with squamous cell non-small
cell lung cancer.
ALIMTA in combination with cisplatin is indicated for the treatment of patients
with malignant pleural mesothelioma whose disease is unresectable or who are otherwise
not candidates for curative surgery.
Important Safety Information
Myelosuppression is usually the dose-limiting toxicity with ALIMTA therapy.
Contraindication
ALIMTA is contraindicated in patients who have a history of severe hypersensitivity reaction
to pemetrexed or to any other ingredient used in the formulation.
Warnings and Precautions
Patients must be instructed to take folic acid and vitamin B12 with ALIMTA as a prophylactic measure to reduce treatment-related hematologic and GI toxicities.
Pretreatment with dexamethasone or its equivalent has been reported to reduce the incidence and severity of skin rash.
ALIMTA can suppress bone marrow function, as manifested by neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia (or pancytopenia). Reduce doses for subsequent cycles based on hematologic and nonhematologic toxicities.
ALIMTA should not be administered to patients with a creatinine clearance <45 mL/min. One patient with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance 19 mL/min) who did not receive folic acid and vitamin B12 died of drug-related toxicity following administration of ALIMTA alone.
Caution should be used when administering NSAIDs concurrently with ALIMTA to patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance from 45 to 79 mL/min). Patients with mild to moderate renal insufficiency should avoid taking NSAIDs with short elimination half-lives for a period of 2 days before, the day of, and 2 days following administration of ALIMTA. In the absence of data regarding potential interaction between ALIMTA and NSAIDs with longer half-lives, all patients taking these NSAIDs should interrupt dosing for at least 5 days before, the day of, and 2 days following ALIMTA administration. If concomitant administration of NSAIDs is necessary, patients should be monitored closely for toxicity, especially myelosuppression, renal, and gastrointestinal toxicity. No dose adjustment of ALIMTA is needed with concomitant NSAIDs in patients with normal renal function.
Patients should not begin a new cycle of treatment unless the ANC is ≥1500 cells/mm3, the platelet count is ≥100,000 cells/mm3, and creatinine clearance is ≥45 mL/min.
Pregnancy Category D—ALIMTA may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Women should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus and should be advised to use effective contraceptive measures to prevent pregnancy during treatment with ALIMTA.
Drug Interactions
See Warnings and Precautions for specific information regarding NSAID administration in patients with renal insufficiency.
Concomitant administration of nephrotoxic drugs or substances that are tubularly secreted could result in delayed clearance of ALIMTA.
Use in Specific Patient Populations
It is recommended that nursing be discontinued if the mother is being treated with ALIMTA or discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug for the mother.
Efficacy of ALIMTA in pediatric patients has not been demonstrated. The most common toxicities reported in the studied pediatric patients were hematological (leukopenia, neutropenia/granulocytopenia, anemia, thrombocytopenia, and lymphopenia), liver function abnormalities (increased ALT/AST), fatigue, and nausea.
Dose adjustments may be necessary in patients with hepatic insufficiency.
Dosage and Administration Guidelines
Complete blood cell counts, including platelet counts and periodic chemistry tests, should be performed on all patients receiving ALIMTA.
Dose adjustments at the start of a subsequent cycle should be based on nadir hematologic counts or maximum nonhematologic toxicity from the preceding cycle of therapy. Modify or suspend therapy according to the Dosage Reduction Guidelines in the full Prescribing Information.
Abbreviated Adverse Reactions (% incidence) – 1st-line NSCLC
The most severe adverse reactions (grades 3/4) with ALIMTA in combination with cisplatin versus gemcitabine in combination with cisplatin, respectively, for the 1st-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were neutropenia (15 vs 27); leukopenia (5 vs 8); thrombocytopenia (4 vs 13); anemia (6 vs 10); fatigue (7 vs 5); nausea (7 vs 4); vomiting (6 vs 6); anorexia (2 vs 1); and creatinine elevation (1 vs 1).
Common adverse reactions (all grades) with ALIMTA in combination with cisplatin versus gemcitabine in combination with cisplatin, respectively, were nausea (56 vs 53); fatigue (43 vs 45); vomiting (40 vs 36); anemia (33 vs 46); neutropenia (29 vs 38); anorexia (27 vs 24); constipation (21 vs 20); leukopenia (18 vs 21); stomatitis/pharyngitis (14 vs 12); alopecia (12 vs 21); diarrhea (12 vs 13); thrombocytopenia (10 vs 27); neuropathy/sensory (9 vs 12); taste disturbance (8 vs 9); rash/desquamation (7 vs 8); and dyspepsia/heartburn (5 vs 6).
Abbreviated Adverse Reactions (% incidence) – Maintenance NSCLC
The most severe adverse reactions (grades 3/4) with ALIMTA as a single agent versus placebo, respectively, for the maintenance treatment of patients with locally advanced nonsquamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were anemia (3 vs 1); neutropenia (3 vs 0); leukopenia (2 vs 1); fatigue (5 vs 1); nausea (1 vs 1); anorexia (2 vs 0); mucositis/stomatitis (1 vs 0); diarrhea (1 vs 0); infection (2 vs 0); and neuropathy-sensory (1 vs 0).
Common adverse reactions (all grades) with ALIMTA as a single agent versus placebo, respectively, were anemia (15 vs 6); neutropenia (6 vs 0); leukopenia (6 vs 1); increased ALT (10 vs 4); increased AST (8 vs 4); fatigue (25 vs 11); nausea (19 vs 6); anorexia (19 vs 5); vomiting (9 vs 1); mucositis/stomatitis (7 vs 2); diarrhea (5 vs 3); infection (5 vs 2); neuropathy-sensory (9 vs 4); and rash/desquamation (10 vs 3).
Abbreviated Adverse Reactions (% incidence) – 2nd-line NSCLC
The most severe adverse reactions (grades 3/4) with ALIMTA as a single agent versus docetaxel, respectively, for the 2nd-line treatment of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were neutropenia (5 vs 40); leukopenia (4 vs 27); thrombocytopenia (2 vs 0); anemia (4 vs 4); fatigue (5 vs 5); nausea (3 vs 2); anorexia (2 vs 3); vomiting (2 vs 1); increased ALT (2 vs 0); increased AST (1 vs 0); and stomatitis/pharyngitis (1 vs 1).
Common adverse reactions (all grades) with ALIMTA as a single agent versus docetaxel, respectively, were fatigue (34 vs 36); nausea (31 vs 17); anorexia (22 vs 24); anemia (19 vs 22); vomiting (16 vs 12); stomatitis/pharyngitis (15 vs 17); rash (14 vs 6); diarrhea (13 vs 24); leukopenia (12 vs 34); and neutropenia (11 vs 45).
Abbreviated Adverse Reactions (% incidence) – MPM
The most severe adverse reactions (grades 3/4) with ALIMTA in combination with cisplatin versus cisplatin alone, respectively, for the treatment of patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) were neutropenia (23 vs 3); leukopenia (15 vs 1); thrombocytopenia (5 vs 0); anemia (4 vs 0); nausea (12 vs 6); vomiting (11 vs 4); fatigue (10 vs 9); creatinine elevation (1 vs 1); and creatinine clearance decrease (1 vs 2).
Common adverse reactions (all grades) with ALIMTA in combination with cisplatin versus cisplatin alone, respectively, were neutropenia (56 vs 13); leukopenia (53 vs 17); anemia (26 vs 10); thrombocytopenia (23 vs 9); nausea (82 vs 77); vomiting (57 vs 50); fatigue (48 vs 42); and stomatitis/pharyngitis (23 vs 6).
For safety and dosing guidelines, see complete Warnings and Precautions, Adverse Reactions, and Dosage and Administration sections in the full
Prescribing Information.
PM_HCP_ISI_All_30NOV2011