2.1       Administration

      Since VIOKACE is not enteric-coated, it should be taken in combination with a proton pump inhibitor [see Indications and Usage (1)].

      VIOKACE should be taken during meals or snacks, with sufficient fluid. Tablets should be swallowed whole. Do not crush or chew tablets. Care should be taken to ensure that no drug is retained in the mouth to avoid mucosal irritation. 

2.2       Dosage

      Dosage recommendations for pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy were published following the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Consensus Conferences.1,2,3 VIOKACE should be administered in a manner consistent with the recommendations of the Conferences provided in the following paragraph. Only the adult dosing guidelines are shown below. Patients may be dosed on a fat ingestion-based or actual body weight-based dosing scheme. 

      Additional recommendations for pancreatic enzyme therapy in patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy are based on a clinical trial conducted in these populations.

      Enzyme dosing should begin with 500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal to a maximum of 2,500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal (or less than or equal to 10,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per day), or less than 4,000 lipase units/g fat ingested per day.

      Usually, half of the prescribed VIOKACE dose for an individualized full meal should be given with each snack. The total daily dosage should reflect approximately three meals plus two or three snacks per day.

      In one clinical trial, patients received VIOKACE at a dose of 125,280 lipase units per meal while consuming 100 g of fat per day [see Clinical Studies (14)]. Lower starting doses recommended in the literature are consistent with the 500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal lowest starting dose recommended for adults in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Consensus Conferences Guidelines.1, 2, 3, 4 The initial starting dose and increases in the dose per meal should be individualized based on clinical symptoms, the degree of steatorrhea present, and the fat content of the diet.

      Limitations on Dosing

      Dosing should not exceed the recommended maximum dosage set forth by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Consensus Conferences Guidelines.1,2,3 If symptoms and signs of steatorrhea persist, the dosage may be increased by the healthcare professional. Patients should be instructed not to increase the dosage on their own. There is great inter-individual variation in response to enzymes; thus, a range of doses is recommended. Changes in dosage may require an adjustment period of several days. If doses are to exceed 2,500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal, further investigation is warranted. Doses greater than 2,500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal (or greater than 10,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per day) should be used with caution and only if they are documented to be effective by 3-day fecal fat measures that indicate a significantly improved coefficient of fat absorption. Doses greater than 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal have been associated with colonic stricture, indicative of fibrosing colonopathy, in children less than 12 years of age [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].  Patients currently receiving higher doses than 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal should be examined and the dosage either immediately decreased or titrated downward to a lower range.

5.1       Fibrosing Colonopathy

      Fibrosing colonopathy has been reported following treatment with different pancreatic enzyme products.5,6 Fibrosing colonopathy is a rare, serious adverse reaction initially described in association with high-dose pancreatic enzyme use, usually over a prolonged period of time and most commonly reported in pediatric patients with cystic fibrosis. The underlying mechanism of fibrosing colonopathy remains unknown. Doses of pancreatic enzyme products exceeding 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal have been associated with colonic stricture in children less than 12 years of age.1 Patients with fibrosing colonopathy should be closely monitored because some patients may be at risk of progressing to stricture formation. It is uncertain whether regression of fibrosing colonopathy occurs.1 It is generally recommended, unless clinically indicated, that enzyme doses should be less than 2,500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal (or less than 10,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per day) or less than 4,000 lipase units/g fat ingested per day [see Dosage and Administration (2.2)].

      Doses greater than 2,500 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal (or greater than 10,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per day) should be used with caution and only if they are documented to be effective by 3-day fecal fat measures that indicate a significantly improved coefficient of fat absorption. Patients receiving higher doses than 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal should be examined and the dosage either immediately decreased or titrated downward to a lower range.

5.2       Potential for Irritation to Oral Mucosa

      Care should be taken to ensure that no drug is retained in the mouth to avoid irritation of oral mucosa, and/or loss of enzyme activity. VIOKACE should not be crushed or chewed [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) and Patient Counseling Information (17.1)]. 

5.3       Potential for Risk of Hyperuricemia

      Caution should be exercised when prescribing VIOKACE to patients with gout, renal impairment, or hyperuricemia. Porcine-derived pancreatic enzyme products contain purines that may increase blood uric acid levels.

5.4       Potential for Viral Exposure from the Product Source

      VIOKACE is sourced from pancreatic tissue from pigs used for food consumption. Although the risk that VIOKACE will transmit an infectious agent to humans has been reduced by testing for certain viruses during manufacturing and by inactivating certain viruses during manufacturing, there is a theoretical risk for transmission of viral disease, including diseases caused by novel or unidentified viruses. Thus, the presence of porcine viruses that might infect humans cannot be definitely excluded. However, no cases of transmission of an infectious illness associated with the use of porcine pancreatic extracts have been reported.

5.5       Allergic Reactions

      Caution should be exercised when administering pancrelipase to a patient with a known allergy to proteins of porcine origin. Rarely, severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, asthma, hives, and pruritus, have been reported with other pancreatic enzyme products with different formulations of the same active ingredient (pancrelipase). The risks and benefits of continued VIOKACE treatment in patients with severe allergy should be taken into consideration with the overall clinical needs of the patient.

5.6       Potential for Exacerbation of Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance

      VIOKACE tablets contain lactose monohydrate. Patients who have lactose intolerance may not be able to tolerate VIOKACE.  

6.1       Clinical 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 the rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.

      The short-term safety of VIOKACE was assessed in a single, multicenter, randomized, parallel, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of 50 patients, ages 24-70 years, with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) due to chronic pancreatitis or pancreatectomy. VIOKACE Tablets (20,880 USP units of lipase per tablet) or placebo were administered as 22 tablets per day (6 tablets with 3 meals and 2 tablets with 2 of 3 snacks). Duration of exposure ranged from 6 to 7 days. The majority of the subjects were Caucasian (96%) and male (82%).

      The most common adverse reactions (greater than or equal to 7%) were biliary tract stones and anal pruritus. Table 1 enumerates adverse reactions that occurred in at least 1 patient (greater than or equal to 3%) treated with VIOKACE at a higher rate than with placebo. Two adverse reactions reported in greater than one patient were biliary tract stones and anal pruritus.

6.2       Postmarketing Experience

      Post-marketing data for VIOKACE have been available since 2003.  The safety data are similar to that described below. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

      Pancreatic enzyme products (delayed and immediate-release) with different formulations of the same active ingredient (pancrelipase) have been used for the treatment of patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis and other conditions, such as chronic pancreatitis. The long-term safety profile of these products has been described in the medical literature. The most serious adverse events included fibrosing colonopathy, distal intestinal obstruction syndrome (DIOS), recurrence of pre-existing carcinoma, and severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, asthma, hives, and pruritus. The most commonly reported adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation and nausea, and skin disorders including pruritus, urticaria and rash.

8.1       Pregnancy

      Risk Summary

 Published data from case reports with pancrelipase use in pregnant women have not identified a drug-associated risk of major birth defects, miscarriage or other adverse maternal or fetal outcomes. Pancrelipase is minimally absorbed systematically; therefore, maternal use is not expected to result in fetal exposure to the drug. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with pancrelipase.

      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.

8.2       Lactation

      Risk Summary

       There are no data on the presence of pancrelipase in either human or animal milk, the effects on the breastfed infant, or the effects on milk production. Pancrelipase is minimally absorbed systemically following oral administration, therefore maternal use is not expected to result in clinically relevant exposure of breastfed infants to the drug. The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother’s clinical need for VIOKACE and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from VIOKACE or from the underlying maternal conditions.

8.4       Pediatric Use

      The safety and effectiveness of VIOKACE in pediatric patients have not been established.   In general, delayed-release (enteric-coated) capsules should be used for pediatric patients. Due to greater degradation in the gastric environment, VIOKACE, a non-enteric-coated, pancreatic enzyme replacement product, may have decreased bioavailability and therefore may be less efficacious than enteric-coated formulations.7, 8 Thus, use of VIOKACE in pediatric patients may increase the risk of inadequate treatment of pancreatic insufficiency and result in suboptimal weight gain, malnutrition and/or need for larger doses of pancreatic enzyme replacement [See Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]  The efficacy of VIOKACE was established in adult patients with concomitant proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy. The long-term safety of PPI use in pediatric patients has not been established.

8.5       Geriatric Use

      Clinical studies of VIOKACE did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, usually starting at the low end of the dosing range, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy.

12.1       Mechanism of Action

      The pancreatic enzymes in VIOKACE catalyze the hydrolysis of fats to monoglycerides, glycerol and free fatty acids, proteins into peptides and amino acids, and starches into dextrins and short chain sugars such as maltose and maltriose in the duodenum and proximal small intestine, thereby acting like digestive enzymes physiologically secreted by the pancreas.

12.3       Pharmacokinetics

      Pancreatic enzymes are not absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract in appreciable amounts.

13.1       Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

      Carcinogenicity, genetic toxicology, and animal fertility studies have not been performed with pancrelipase.

17.1       Dosing and Administration

• Instruct patients and caregivers that VIOKACE should only be taken as directed by their doctor. Patients should be advised that the total daily dose should not exceed 10,000 lipase units/kg body weight/day unless clinically indicated. This needs to be especially emphasized for patients eating multiple snacks and meals per day. Patients should be informed that if a dose is missed, the next dose should be taken with the next meal or snack as directed. Doses should not be doubled [see Dosage and Administration (2)].
  
• Instruct patients and caregivers that VIOKACE should always be taken with food.  Patients should swallow the intact tablets with adequate amounts of liquid at mealtimes [see Dosage and Administration (2)].

17.2       Fibrosing Colonopathy

      Advise patients and caregivers to follow dosing instructions carefully, as doses of pancreatic enzyme products exceeding 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal have been associated with colonic strictures in children below the age of 12 years [see Dosage and Administration (2) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].

17.3       Allergic Reactions

      Advise patients and caregivers to contact their healthcare professional immediately if allergic reactions to VIOKACE develop [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)].

 

Distributed by:

Allergan USA, Inc.

Madison, NJ 07940

Manufactured by:

Confab Laboratories, Inc.

St. Hubert, Canada

VIOKACE® is a registered trademark of Allergan Sales, LLC.

© 2020 Allergan. All rights reserved.

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