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Sirolimus is a brand name for Sirolimus. The medicine, its uses, side effects and dosage are the same regardless of brand.
Used for: 1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Sirolimus is an mTOR inhibitor immunosuppressant indicated for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients aged ≥13 years receiving renal transplants: Patients at low- to moderate-immunologic risk: Use initially with cyclosporine (CsA) and corticosteroids. CsA withdrawal is recommended 2…
Verbatim from this product's FDA label. Tap a section to expand.
3 ) ]. Tablets should not be crushed, chewed or split. Patients unable to take the tablets should be prescribed the solution and instructed in its use.
Renal Transplant Patients :
Administer once daily by mouth, consistently with or without food ( 2 ). 1 ). 5 ). 3 ). 2 ). 2 ). 3 ).
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis Patients:
Administer once daily by mouth, consistently with or without food ( 2 ). 4 ). 4 ). 3 ). 17 ). 1 General Dosing Guidance for Renal Transplant Patients The initial dose of sirolimus tablets should be administered as soon as possible after transplantation.
2 ) ]. Frequent sirolimus tablets dose adjustments based on non-steady-state sirolimus concentrations can lead to overdosing or underdosing because sirolimus has a long half-life. Once sirolimus tablets maintenance dose is adjusted, patients should continue on the new maintenance dose for at least 7 to 14 days before further dosage adjustment with concentration monitoring.
In most patients, dose adjustments can be based on simple proportion: new sirolimus tablets dose = current dose x (target concentration/current concentration). A loading dose should be considered in addition to a new maintenance dose when it is necessary to increase sirolimus trough concentrations: sirolimus loading dose = 3 x (new maintenance dose - current maintenance dose).
The maximum sirolimus tablets dose administered on any day should not exceed 40 mg. If an estimated daily dose exceeds 40 mg due to the addition of a loading dose, the loading dose should be administered over 2 days. Sirolimus trough concentrations should be monitored at least 3 to 4 days after a loading dose(s).
Two milligrams (2 mg) of Sirolimus Oral Solution have been demonstrated to be clinically equivalent to 2 mg Sirolimus Tablets; hence, at this dose these two formulations are interchangeable. 3 ) ]. 2 Renal Transplant Patients at Low- to Moderate-Immunologic Risk Sirolimus and Cyclosporine Combination Therapy For de novo renal transplant patients, it is recommended that sirolimus tablets be used initially in a regimen with cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
e. a daily maintenance dose of 2 mg should be preceded with a loading dose of 6 mg. 5 ) ]. 5 ) ]. 3 ) ]. 3 ) ]. The safety and efficacy of this combination in high-immunologic risk patients has not been studied beyond the first 12 months.
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label. 16 )] The most common (≥ 30%) adverse reactions observed with sirolimus in clinical studies for organ rejection prophylaxis in recipients of renal transplantation are: peripheral edema, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, creatinine increased, constipation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, fever, urinary tract infection, anemia, nausea, arthralgia, pain, and thrombocytopenia.
The most common (≥20%) adverse reactions observed with sirolimus in the clinical study for the treatment of LAM are: stomatitis, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, nasopharyngitis, acne, chest pain, peripheral edema, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, myalgia, and hypercholesterolemia.
The following adverse reactions resulted in a rate of discontinuation of > 5% in clinical trials for renal transplant rejection prophylaxis: creatinine increased, hypertriglyceridemia, and TTP. In patients with LAM, 11% of subjects discontinued due to adverse reactions, with no single adverse reaction leading to discontinuation in more than one patient being treated with sirolimus.
Prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients receiving renal transplants:
Most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥ 30%) are peripheral edema, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, creatinine increased, abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, fever, urinary tract infection, anemia, nausea, arthralgia, pain, and thrombocytopenia ( 6 ).
6 ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. gov/medwatch. 1 ) ]. The safety profiles in the two studies were similar. The incidence of adverse reactions in the randomized, double blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial (Study 2) in which 219 renal transplant patients received sirolimus oral solution 2 mg/day, 208 received sirolimus oral solution 5 mg/day, and 124 received placebo is presented in Table 1 below.
13 ) Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Can cause fetal harm. 1 Increased Susceptibility to Infection and the Possible Development of Lymphoma Increased susceptibility to infection and the possible development of lymphoma and other malignancies, particularly of the skin, may result from immunosuppression.
2 ) ]. Oversuppression of the immune system can also increase susceptibility to infection, including opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis, fatal infections, and sepsis. Only physicians experienced in immunosuppressive therapy and management of organ transplant patients should use sirolimus for prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients receiving renal transplants.
Patients receiving the drug should be managed in facilities equipped and staffed with adequate laboratory and supportive medical resources. The physician responsible for maintenance therapy should have complete information requisite for the follow-up of the patient.
2 Liver Transplantation - Excess Mortality, Graft Loss, and Hepatic Artery Thrombosis The safety and efficacy of sirolimus as immunosuppressive therapy have not been established in liver transplant patients; therefore, such use is not recommended.
The use of sirolimus has been associated with adverse outcomes in patients following liver transplantation, including excess mortality, graft loss and hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT). In a study in de novo liver transplant patients, the use of sirolimus in combination with tacrolimus was associated with excess mortality and graft loss (22% in combination versus 9% on tacrolimus alone).
Many of these patients had evidence of infection at or near the time of death. In this and another study in de novo liver transplant patients, the use of sirolimus in combination with cyclosporine or tacrolimus was associated with an increase in HAT (7% in combination versus 2% in the control arm); most cases of HAT occurred within 30 days post-transplantation, and most led to graft loss or death.
4 ) ]. Hypersensitivity to sirolimus ( 4 ).
Not medical advice. Always read the patient information leaflet and follow your prescriber or pharmacist.
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Therefore, after the first 12 months following transplantation, any adjustments to the immunosuppressive regimen should be considered on the basis of the clinical status of the patient. For patients receiving sirolimus with cyclosporine, sirolimus therapy should be initiated with a loading dose of up to 15 mg on day 1 post-transplantation.
Beginning on day 2, an initial maintenance dose of 5 mg/day should be given. 5 ) ]. 5 ) ]. Prednisone should be administered at a minimum of 5 mg/day. Antibody induction therapy may be used. 4 Dosing in Patients with Lymphangioleiomyomatosis For patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis, the initial sirolimus dose should be 2 mg/day.
5 ) ]. In most patients, dose adjustments can be based on simple proportion: new sirolimus dose = current dose x (target concentration/current concentration). Frequent sirolimus dose adjustments based on non-steady-state sirolimus concentrations can lead to overdosing or under dosing because sirolimus has a long half-life.
Once sirolimus maintenance dose is adjusted, patients should continue on the new maintenance dose for at least 7 to 14 days before further dosage adjustment with concentration monitoring. Once a stable dose is achieved, therapeutic drug monitoring should be performed at least every three months.
21 ), Drug Interactions ( 7 ) ]. Therapeutic drug monitoring should not be the sole basis for adjusting sirolimus therapy. Careful attention should be made to clinical signs/symptoms, tissue biopsy findings, and laboratory parameters.
3 ) ]. Following cyclosporine withdrawal in transplant patients at low- to moderate-immunologic risk, the target sirolimus trough concentrations should be 16 to 24 ng/mL for the first year following transplantation. Thereafter, the target sirolimus concentrations should be 12 to 20 ng/mL.
The above recommended 24 hour trough concentration ranges for sirolimus are based on chromatographic methods. Currently in clinical practice, sirolimus whole blood concentrations are being measured by both chromatographic and immunoassay methodologies.
3 ) ]. Adjustments to the targeted range should be made according to the assay utilized to determine sirolimus trough concentrations. Since results are assay and laboratory dependent, and the results may change over time, adjustments to the targeted therapeutic range must be made with a detailed knowledge of the site-specific assay used.
Therefore, communication should be maintained with the laboratory performing the assay. A discussion of different assay methods is contained in Clinical Therapeutics, Volume 22, Supplement B, April 2000 [ see References ( 15 ) ]. 6 Patients with Low Body Weight The initial dosage in patients ≥ 13 years who weigh less than 40 kg should be adjusted, based on body surface area, to 1 mg/m 2 /day.
The loading dose should be 3 mg/m 2 . 7 Patients with Hepatic Impairment It is recommended that the maintenance dose of sirolimus be reduced by approximately one third in patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment and by approximately one half in patients with severe hepatic impairment.
3 ) ]. 7 ) ].
The study population had a mean age of 46 years (range 15 to 71 years), the distribution was 67% male, and the composition by race was: White (78%), Black (11%), Asian (3%), Hispanic (2%), and Other (5%). All patients were treated with cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
Data (≥ 12 months post-transplant) presented in the following table show the adverse reactions that occurred in at least one of the sirolimus treatment groups with an incidence of ≥ 20%. 1 ) ]. In general, adverse reactions related to the administration of sirolimus were dependent on dose/concentration.
Although a daily maintenance dose of 5 mg, with a loading dose of 15 mg, was shown to be safe and effective, no efficacy advantage over the 2 mg dose could be established for renal transplant patients. Patients receiving 2 mg of sirolimus oral solution per day demonstrated an overall better safety profile than did patients receiving 5 mg of sirolimus oral solution per day.
Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in one clinical trial of a drug cannot be directly compared with rates in the clinical trials of the same or another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice.
TABLE 1 ADVERSE REACTIONS OCCURRING AT A FREQUENCY OF ≥ 20% IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE SIROLIMUS TREATMENT GROUPS IN A STUDY OF PROPHYLAXIS OF ORGAN REJECTION FOLLOWING RENAL TRANSPLANTATION (%) AT ≥ 12 MONTHS POST-TRANSPLANTATION (STUDY 2) a a: Patients received cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
–––Sirolimus Oral Solution––– Adverse Reaction 2 mg/day (n = 218) 5 mg/day (n = 208) Placebo (n = 124) Peripheral edema 54 58 48 Hypertriglyceridemia 45 57 23 Hypertension 45 49 48 Hypercholesterolemia 43 46 23 Creatinine increased 39 40 38 Constipation 36 38 31 Abdominal pain 29 36 30 Diarrhea 25 35 27 Headache 34 34 31 Fever 23 34 35 Urinary tract infection 26 33 26 Anemia 23 33 21 Nausea 25 31 29 Arthralgia 25 31 18 Thrombocytopenia 14 30 9 Pain 33 29 25 Acne 22 22 19 Rash 10 20 6 Edema 20 18 15 The following adverse reactions were reported less frequently (≥ 3%, but < 20%) Body as a Whole – Sepsis, lymphocele, herpes zoster, herpes simplex.
Cardiovascular – Venous thromboembolism (including pulmonary embolism, deep venous thrombosis), tachycardia. Digestive System – Stomatitis. Hematologic and Lymphatic System – Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome (TTP/HUS), leukopenia.
Metabolic/Nutritional – Abnormal healing, increased lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), hypokalemia, diabetes mellitus. Musculoskeletal System – Bone necrosis. Respiratory System – Pneumonia, epistaxis. Skin – Melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma.
8 ) ], ovarian cysts, menstrual disorders (including amenorrhea and menorrhagia). Less frequently (< 3%) occurring adverse reactions included: lymphoma/post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, mycobacterial infections (including M.
tuberculosis ), pancreatitis, cytomegalovirus (CMV), and Epstein-Barr virus. Increased Serum Cholesterol and Triglycerides The use of sirolimus in renal transplant patients was associated with increased serum cholesterol and triglycerides that may require treatment.
In Studies 1 and 2, in de novo renal transplant patients who began the study with fasting, total serum cholesterol < 200 mg/dL or fasting, total serum triglycerides < 200 mg/dL, there was an increased incidence of hypercholesterolemia (fasting serum cholesterol > 240 mg/dL) or hypertriglyceridemia (fasting serum triglycerides > 500 mg/dL), respectively, in patients receiving both sirolimus 2 mg and sirolimus 5 mg compared with azathioprine and placebo controls.
Treatment of new-onset hypercholesterolemia with lipid-lowering agents was required in 42 to 52% of patients enrolled in the sirolimus arms of Studies 1 and 2 compared with 16% of patients in the placebo arm and 22% of patients in the azathioprine arm.
, statins, fibrates). 7 ) ]. , wound, vascular, airway, ureteral, biliary). 1 ) ]. At 24 months (Study 1) and 36 months (Study 2) post-transplant, there were no significant differences among treatment groups. TABLE 2 INCIDENCE (%) OF MALIGNANCIES IN STUDY 1 (24 MONTHS) AND STUDY 2 (36 MONTHS) POST-TRANSPLANT a,b a: Patients received cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
b: Includes patients who prematurely discontinued treatment. c: Patients may be counted in more than one category. 2 ) ]. All patients were treated with corticosteroids. The safety profile prior to randomization (start of cyclosporine withdrawal) was similar to that of the 2 mg sirolimus groups in Studies 1 and 2.
Following randomization (at 3 months), patients who had cyclosporine eliminated from their therapy experienced higher incidences of the following adverse reactions: abnormal liver function tests (including increased AST/SGOT and increased ALT/SGPT), hypokalemia, thrombocytopenia, and abnormal healing.
Conversely, the incidence of the following adverse events was higher in patients who remained on cyclosporine than those who had cyclosporine withdrawn from therapy: hypertension, cyclosporine toxicity, increased creatinine, abnormal kidney function, toxic nephropathy, edema, hyperkalemia, hyperuricemia, and gum hyperplasia.
Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure improved significantly following cyclosporine withdrawal. 2 ) ] is presented in Table 3. In Study 3, the incidence of lymphoma/lymphoproliferative disease was similar in all treatment groups.
The overall incidence of malignancy was higher in patients receiving sirolimus plus cyclosporine compared with patients who had cyclosporine withdrawn. Conclusions regarding these differences in the incidence of malignancy could not be made because Study 3 was not designed to consider malignancy risk factors or systematically screen subjects for malignancy.
In addition, more patients in the sirolimus with cyclosporine group had a pre-transplantation history of skin carcinoma. TABLE 3 INCIDENCE (%) OF MALIGNANCIES IN STUDY 3 (CYCLOSPORINE WITHDRAWAL STUDY) AT 36 MONTHS POST-TRANSPLANT a,b a: Patients received cyclosporine and corticosteroids.
b: Includes patients who prematurely discontinued treatment. c: Patients may be counted in more than one category. 3 ) ]. Overall, the incidence and nature of adverse reactions was similar to those seen in previous combination studies with sirolimus.
3 % at 12 months. 4 ) ]. In a study evaluating the safety and efficacy of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to sirolimus (initial target sirolimus concentrations of 12 to 20 ng/mL, and then 8 to 20 ng/mL, by chromatographic assay) in maintenance renal transplant patients, enrollment was stopped in the subset of patients (n = 87) with a baseline glomerular filtration rate of less than 40 mL/min.
There was a higher rate of serious adverse events, including pneumonia, acute rejection, graft loss and death, in this stratum of the sirolimus treatment arm. The subset of patients with a baseline glomerular filtration rate of less than 40 mL/min had 2 years of follow-up after randomization.
4% (1/29) in the sirolimus conversion group and CNI continuation group, respectively. In the subset of patients with a baseline glomerular filtration rate of greater than 40 mL/min, there was no benefit associated with conversion with regard to improvement in renal function and a greater incidence of proteinuria in the sirolimus conversion arm.
4% (1/273) treatment groups was observed with 2:1 randomization scheme. In a second study evaluating the safety and efficacy of conversion from tacrolimus to sirolimus 3 months to 5 months post - kidney transplant, a higher rate of adverse events, discontinuations due to adverse events, acute rejection, and new onset diabetes mellitus was observed following conversion to sirolimus.
4 ) ]. 6 ) ]. The use of sirolimus in combination with calcineurin inhibitors and corticosteroids was associated with a higher incidence of deterioration of renal function (creatinine increased) compared to calcineurin inhibitor-based therapy, serum lipid abnormalities (including, but not limited to, increased serum triglycerides and cholesterol), and urinary tract infections.
7 ) ]. The adverse drug reactions observed in this trial were consistent with the known safety profile for renal transplant patients receiving sirolimus, with the addition of weight decreased which was reported at a greater incidence with sirolimus when compared to placebo.
Adverse reactions occurring at a frequency of ≥20% in the sirolimus treatment group and greater than placebo include stomatitis, diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, nasopharyngitis, acne, chest pain, peripheral edema, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, myalgia, and hypercholesterolemia.
7 Postmarketing Experience The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of sirolimus in transplant patients. 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.
Body as a Whole – Lymphedema. Cardiovascular – Pericardial effusion (including hemodynamically significant effusions and tamponade requiring intervention in children and adults) and fluid accumulation. Digestive System – Ascites. Hematological/Lymphatic – Pancytopenia, neutropenia.
Hepatobiliary Disorders – Hepatotoxicity, including fatal hepatic necrosis, with elevated sirolimus trough concentrations. 4 ) ]. Infections – Tuberculosis. BK virus associated nephropathy has been observed in patients receiving immunosuppressants, including sirolimus.
This infection may be associated with serious outcomes, including deteriorating renal function and renal graft loss. 10 ) ]. Clostridium difficile enterocolitis . Metabolic/Nutritional – Liver function test abnormal, AST/SGOT increased, ALT/SGPT increased, hypophosphatemia, hyperglycemia, diabetes mellitus.
Nervous system - Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Respiratory – Cases of interstitial lung disease (including pneumonitis, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia [BOOP], and pulmonary fibrosis), some fatal, with no identified infectious etiology have occurred in patients receiving immunosuppressive regimens including sirolimus.
In some cases, the interstitial lung disease has resolved upon discontinuation or dose reduction of sirolimus. 11 ) ]; pulmonary hemorrhage; pleural effusion; alveolar proteinosis. 4 ) ]. Urogenital - Nephrotic syndrome, proteinuria, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, ovarian cysts, menstrual disorders (including amenorrhea and menorrhagia).
Azoospermia has been reported with the use of sirolimus and has been reversible upon discontinuation of sirolimus in most cases.
5 ) ]. 3 Lung Transplantation – Bronchial Anastomotic Dehiscence Cases of bronchial anastomotic dehiscence, most fatal, have been reported in de novo lung transplant patients when sirolimus has been used as part of an immunosuppressive regimen.
The safety and efficacy of sirolimus as immunosuppressive therapy have not been established in lung transplant patients; therefore, such use is not recommended. 7 ) ]. 5 Angioedema Sirolimus has been associated with the development of angioedema.
The concomitant use of sirolimus with other drugs known to cause angioedema, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, may increase the risk of developing angioedema. 2 ) ]. In some cases, the angioedema has resolved upon discontinuation or dose reduction of sirolimus.
1 ) ]. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors such as sirolimus have been shown in vitro to inhibit production of certain growth factors that may affect angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation, and vascular permeability. 1 ) ].
Appropriate measures should be considered to minimize such complications. Patients with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m 2 may be at increased risk of abnormal wound healing based on data from the medical literature. There have also been reports of fluid accumulation, including peripheral edema, lymphedema, pleural effusion, ascites, and pericardial effusions (including hemodynamically significant effusions and tamponade requiring intervention in children and adults), in patients receiving sirolimus.
1 ) ]. There were increased incidences of hypercholesterolemia (43 to 46%) and/or hypertriglyceridemia (45 to 57%) in patients receiving sirolimus compared with placebo controls (each 23%). The risk/benefit should be carefully considered in patients with established hyperlipidemia before initiating an immunosuppressive regimen including sirolimus.
Any patient who is administered sirolimus should be monitored for hyperlipidemia. If detected, interventions such as diet, exercise, and lipid-lowering agents should be initiated as outlined by the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines.
, statins, fibrates). Despite anti-lipid management, up to 50% of patients had fasting serum cholesterol levels > 240 mg/dL and triglycerides above recommended target levels. 7%) and rhabdomyolysis (< 1%). In these trials, the number of patients was too small and duration of follow-up too short to evaluate the long-term impact of sirolimus on cardiovascular mortality.
During sirolimus therapy with or without cyclosporine, patients should be monitored for elevated lipids, and patients administered an HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor and/or fibrate should be monitored for the possible development of rhabdomyolysis and other adverse effects, as described in the respective labeling for these agents.
8 Decline in Renal Function Renal function should be closely monitored during the coadministration of sirolimus with cyclosporine, because long-term administration of the combination has been associated with deterioration of renal function.
Patients treated with cyclosporine and sirolimus were noted to have higher serum creatinine levels and lower glomerular filtration rates compared with patients treated with cyclosporine and placebo or azathioprine controls (Studies 1 and 2).
The rate of decline in renal function in these studies was greater in patients receiving sirolimus and cyclosporine compared with control therapies. Appropriate adjustment of the immunosuppressive regimen, including discontinuation of sirolimus and/or cyclosporine, should be considered in patients with elevated or increasing serum creatinine levels.
In patients at low- to moderate-immunologic risk, continuation of combination therapy with cyclosporine beyond 4 months following transplantation should only be considered when the benefits outweigh the risks of this combination for the individual patients.
, aminoglycosides and amphotericin B) that are known to have a deleterious effect on renal function. In patients with delayed graft function, sirolimus may delay recovery of renal function. 9 Proteinuria Periodic quantitative monitoring of urinary protein excretion is recommended.
4 ) ]. Patients with the greatest amount of urinary protein excretion prior to sirolimus conversion were those whose protein excretion increased the most after conversion. 4% in the CNI continuation group of patients. 7% in the CNI continuation group of patients.
In some patients, reduction in the degree of urinary protein excretion was observed for individual patients following discontinuation of sirolimus. The safety and efficacy of conversion from calcineurin inhibitors to sirolimus in maintenance renal transplant patients have not been established.
10 Latent Viral Infections Immunosuppressed patients are at increased risk for opportunistic infections, including activation of latent viral infections. These include BK virus-associated nephropathy, which has been observed in renal transplant patients receiving immunosuppressants, including sirolimus.
7 ) ]. Patient monitoring may help detect patients at risk for BK virus-associated nephropathy. Reduction in immunosuppression should be considered for patients who develop evidence of BK virus-associated nephropathy. Cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), sometimes fatal have been reported in patients treated with immunosuppressants, including sirolimus.
PML commonly presents with hemiparesis, apathy, confusion, cognitive deficiencies and ataxia. Risk factors for PML include treatment with immunosuppressant therapies and impairment of immune function. In immunosuppressed patients, physicians should consider PML in the differential diagnosis in patients reporting neurological symptoms and consultation with a neurologist should be considered as clinically indicated.
Consideration should be given to reducing the amount of immunosuppression in patients who develop PML. In transplant patients, physicians should also consider the risk that reduced immunosuppression represents to the graft. 11 Interstitial Lung Disease/Non-Infectious Pneumonitis Cases of interstitial lung disease [ILD] (including pneumonitis, bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia [BOOP], and pulmonary fibrosis), some fatal, with no identified infectious etiology have occurred in patients receiving immunosuppressive regimens including sirolimus.
In some cases, the ILD was reported with pulmonary hypertension (including pulmonary arterial hypertension [PAH]) as a secondary event. In some cases, the ILD has resolved upon discontinuation or dose reduction of sirolimus. 7 ) ]. 12 De Novo Use Without Cyclosporine The safety and efficacy of de novo use of sirolimus without cyclosporine is not established in renal transplant patients.
In a multicenter clinical study, de novo renal transplant patients treated with sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), steroids, and an IL-2 receptor antagonist had significantly higher acute rejection rates and numerically higher death rates compared to patients treated with cyclosporine, MMF, steroids, and IL-2 receptor antagonist.
A benefit, in terms of better renal function, was not apparent in the treatment arm with de novo use of sirolimus without cyclosporine. These findings were also observed in a similar treatment group of another clinical trial. 7 ) ]. 14 Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Cases of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia have been reported in transplant patients not receiving antimicrobial prophylaxis.
Therefore, antimicrobial prophylaxis for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia should be administered for 1 year following transplantation. Cytomegalovirus (CMV) prophylaxis is recommended for 3 months after transplantation, particularly for patients at increased risk for CMV disease.
1 ) ], sirolimus can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. In animal studies, sirolimus caused embryo-fetal toxicity when administered during the period of organogenesis at maternal exposures that were equal to or less than human exposures at the recommended lowest starting dose.
Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. 1 ) ] . 1 )] . Sirolimus is an anti-proliferative drug and affects rapidly dividing cells like the germ cells. 17 Different Sirolimus Trough Concentration Reported between Chromatographic and Immunoassay Methodologies Currently in clinical practice, sirolimus whole blood concentrations are being measured by various chromatographic and immunoassay methodologies.
5 )] . 18 Skin Cancer Events Patients on immunosuppressive therapy are at increased risk for skin cancer. 7 )]. 19 Immunizations The use of live vaccines should be avoided during treatment with sirolimus; live vaccines may include, but are not limited to, the following: measles, mumps, rubella, oral polio, BCG, yellow fever, varicella, and TY21a typhoid.
Immunosuppressants may affect response to vaccination. Therefore, during treatment with sirolimus, vaccination may be less effective. 2 )] . 21 Cannabidiol Drug Interactions When cannabidiol and sirolimus are co-administered, closely monitor for an increase in sirolimus blood levels and for adverse reactions suggestive of sirolimus toxicity.
5 )].