1. Name Of The Medicinal Product
Viramune 50 mg/5 ml oral suspension
2. Qualitative And Quantitative Composition
Each ml of oral suspension contains 10 mg of nevirapine (as hemihydrate).
Each bottle contains 2.4 g of nevirapine.
Excipient: each ml of oral suspension contains 150 mg sucrose, 162 mg sorbitol, 1.8 mg of methyl parahydroxybenzoate and 0.24 mg of propyl parahydroxybenzoate.
For a full list of excipients, see section 6.1.
3. Pharmaceutical Form
Oral suspension
White to off-white homogenous suspension.
4. Clinical Particulars
4.1 Therapeutic Indications
Viramune is indicated in combination with other anti-retroviral medicinal products for the treatment of HIV-1 infected adults, adolescents, and children of any age (see section 4.4).
Most of the experience with Viramune is in combination with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs). The choice of a subsequent therapy after Viramune should be based on clinical experience and resistance testing (see section 5.1).
4.2 Posology And Method Of Administration
Viramune should be administered by physicians who are experienced in the treatment of HIV infection.
Posology
Patients 16 years and older
The recommended dose for Viramune is 20 ml (200 mg) oral suspension once daily for the first 14 days (this lead-in period should be used because it has been found to lessen the frequency of rash), followed by 20 ml (200 mg) oral suspension twice daily, in combination with at least two additional antiretroviral agents.
Viramune is also available as a 200 mg tablet for patients 16 years and older, or for older children, particularly adolescents, weighing 50 kg or more or whose BSA is above 1.25 m2.
If a dose is recognized as missed within 8 hours of when it was due, the patient should take the missed dose as soon as possible. If a dose is missed and it is more than 8 hours later, the patient should only take the next dose at the usual time.
Dose management considerations
Patients experiencing rash during the 14-day lead-in period of 200 mg/day (4 mg/kg/day or 150 mg/m2/day for paediatric patients) should not have their Viramune dose increased until the rash has resolved. The isolated rash should be closely monitored (please refer to section 4.4). The 200 mg once daily dosing regimen should not be continued beyond 28 days at which point in time an alternative treatment should be sought due to the possible risk of underexposure and resistance.
Patients who interrupt nevirapine dosing for more than 7 days should restart the recommended dosing regimen using the two week lead-in period.
For toxicities that require interruption of Viramune therapy, see section 4.4.
Special populations
Renal impairment
For patients with renal dysfunction requiring dialysis an additional 200 mg dose of nevirapine following each dialysis treatment is recommended. Patients with CLcr
Hepatic impairment
Nevirapine should not be used in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C, see section 4.3). No dose adjustment is necessary in patients with mild to moderate hepatic impairment (see sections 4.4 and 5.2).
Elderly:
Nevirapine has not been specifically investigated in patients over the age of 65.
Paediatric population
The total daily dose should not exceed 400 mg for any patient. Viramune may be dosed in paediatric patients either by body surface area (BSA) or by body weight as follows:
By BSA using the Mosteller formula the recommended oral dose for paediatric patients of all ages is 150 mg/m2 once daily for two weeks followed by 150 mg/m2 twice daily thereafter.
Calculation of the volume of Viramune® oral suspension (50 mg/5 ml) required for paediatric dosing on a body surface basis of 150 mg/m2:
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By weight the recommended oral dose for paediatric patients up to 8 years of age is 4 mg/kg once daily for two weeks followed by 7 mg/kg twice daily thereafter. For patients 8 years and older the recommended dose is 4 mg/kg once daily for two weeks followed by 4 mg/kg twice daily thereafter.
Calculation of the volume of Viramune® oral suspension (50 mg/5 ml) required for paediatric dosing after the two weeks lead-in period.
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All patients less than 16 years of age receiving Viramune oral suspension should have their weight or BSA checked frequently to assess if dose adjustments are necessary.
Method of administration
It is important that the entire measured dose of Viramune oral suspension is administered. This is assisted by the use of the supplied dispensing syringe. If an alternative measuring device is used (e.g. a dispensing cup or teaspoon for larger doses) it is important that the device is rinsed to ensure complete removal of residual oral suspension. Viramune may be taken with or without food.
4.3 Contraindications
Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients.
Readministration to patients who have required permanent discontinuation for severe rash, rash accompanied by constitutional symptoms, hypersensitivity reactions, or clinical hepatitis due to nevirapine.
Patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C) or pre-treatment ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN until baseline ASAT/ALAT are stabilised < 5 ULN.
Readministration to patients who previously had ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN during nevirapinetherapy and had recurrence of liver function abnormalities upon readministration of nevirapine (see section 4.4).
Herbal preparations containing St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) must not be used while taking Viramune due to the risk of decreased plasma concentrations and reduced clinical effects of nevirapine (see section 4.5).
4.4 Special Warnings And Precautions For Use
Viramune should only be used with at least two other antiretroviral agents (see section 5.1).
Viramune should not be used as the sole active antiretroviral, as monotherapy with any antiretroviral has shown to result in viral resistance.
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Cutaneous reactions
Severe and life-threatening skin reactions, including fatal cases, have occurred in patients treated with nevirapine mainly during the first 6 weeks of therapy. These have included cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis and hypersensitivity reactions characterised by rash, constitutional findings and visceral involvement. Patients should be intensively monitored during the first 18 weeks of treatment. Patients should be closely monitored if an isolated rash occurs. Nevirapine must be permanently discontinued in any patient experiencing severe rash or a rash accompanied by constitutional symptoms (such as fever, blistering, oral lesions, conjunctivitis, facial oedema, muscle or joint aches, or general malaise), including Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or toxic epidermal necrolysis. Nevirapine must be permanently discontinued in any patient experiencing hypersensitivity reaction (characterised by rash with constitutional symptoms, plus visceral involvement, such as hepatitis, eosinophilia, granulocytopenia, and renal dysfunction) see section 4.4.
Nevirapine administration above the recommended dose might increase the frequency and seriousness of skin reactions, such as Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis.
Rhabdomyolysis has been observed in patients experiencing skin and/or liver reactions associated with nevirapine use.
Concomitant prednisone use (40 mg/day for the first 14 days of Viramune administration) has been shown not to decrease the incidence of nevirapine-associated rash, and may be associated with an increase in incidence and severity of rash during the first 6 weeks of nevirapine therapy.
Some risk factors for developing serious cutaneous reactions have been identified, they include failure to follow the initial dosing of 200 mg daily (4 mg/kg or 150 mg/m2 for paediatric patients) during the lead-in period and a long delay between the initial symptoms and medical consultation. Women appear to be at higher risk than men of developing rash, whether receiving nevirapine or non- nevirapine containing therapy.
Patients should be instructed that a major toxicity of nevirapine is rash. They should be advised to promptly notify their physician of any rash and avoid delay between the initial symptoms and medical consultation. The majority of rashes associated with nevirapine occur within the first 6 weeks of initiation of therapy. Therefore, patients should be monitored carefully for the appearance of rash during this period. Patients should be instructed that dose escalation is not to occur if any rash occurs during the two-week lead-in dosing period, until the rash resolves. The 200 mg once daily dosing regimen should not be continued beyond 28 days at which point in time an alternative treatment should be sought due to the possible risk of underexposure and resistance. Careful monitoring of paediatric patients is especially warranted, particularly in the first 18 weeks of treatment, since these patients may be less likely than adults to notice, or report, skin reactions.
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Hepatic reactions
Severe and life-threatening hepatoxicity, including fatal fulminant hepatitis, has occurred in patients treated with nevirapine. The first 18 weeks of treatment is a critical period which requires close monitoring. The risk of hepatic events is greatest in the first 6 weeks of therapy. However the risk continues past this period and monitoring should continue at frequent intervals throughout treatment.
Rhabdomyolysis has been observed in patients experiencing skin and/or liver reactions associated with nevirapine use.
Increased ASAT or ALAT levels > 2.5 ULN and/or co-infection with hepatitis B and/or C at the start of antiretroviral therapy is associated with greater risk of hepatic adverse reactions during antiretroviral therapy in general, including nevirapine containing regimens.
Female gender and higher CD4 counts at the initiation of nevirapine therapy in treatment-naïve patients is associated with increased risk of hepatic adverse events. Women have a three fold higher risk than men for symptomatic, often rash-associated, hepatic events (5.8% versus 2.2%), and treatment-naïve patients of either gender with detectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma with higher CD4 counts at initiation of nevirapine therapy are at higher risk for symptomatic hepatic events with nevirapine. In a retrospective review of predominantly patients with a plasma HIV-1 viral load of 50 copies/ml or higher, women with CD4 counts >250 cells/mm3 had a 12 fold higher risk of symptomatic hepatic adverse events compared to women with CD4 counts <250 cells/mm3 (11.0% versus 0.9%). An increased risk was observed in men with detectable HIV-1 RNA in plasma and CD4 counts > 400 cells/mm3 (6.3% versus 1.2% for men with CD4 counts <400 cells/mm3). This increased risk for toxicity based on CD4 count thresholds has not been detected in patients with undetectable (i.e. < 50 copies/ml) plasma viral load.
Patients should be informed that hepatic reactions are a major toxicity of nevirapine requiring a close monitoring during the first 18 weeks. They should be informed that occurrence of symptoms suggestive of hepatitis should lead them to discontinue nevirapine and immediately seek medical evaluation, which should include liver function tests.
Liver monitoring
Clinical chemistry tests, which include liver function tests, should be performed prior to initiating nevirapine therapy and at appropriate intervals during therapy.
Abnormal liver function tests have been reported with nevirapine, some in the first few weeks of therapy.
Asymptomatic elevations of liver enzymes are frequently described and are not necessarily a contraindication to use nevirapine. Asymptomatic GGT elevations are not a contraindication to continue therapy.
Monitoring of hepatic tests should be done every two weeks during the first 2 months of treatment, at the 3rd month and then regularly thereafter. Liver test monitoring should be performed if the patient experiences signs or symptoms suggestive of hepatitis and/or hypersensitivity.
If ASAT or ALAT > 2.5 ULN before or during treatment, then liver tests should be monitored more frequently during regular clinic visits. Nevirapine must not be administered to patients with pre-treatment ASAT or ALAT > 5 ULN until baseline ASAT/ALAT are stabilised < 5 ULN (see section 4.3).
Physicians and patients should be vigilant for prodromal signs or findings of hepatitis, such as anorexia, nausea, jaundice, bilirubinuria, acholic stools, hepatomegaly or liver tenderness. Patients should be instructed to seek medical attention promptly if these occur.
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Liver disease
The safety and efficacy of Viramune has not been established in patients with significant underlying liver disorders. Viramune is contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C, see section 4.3). Pharmacokinetic results suggest caution should be exercised when nevirapine is administered to patients with moderate hepatic dysfunction (Child-Pugh B). Patients with chronic hepatitis B or C and treated with combination antiretroviral therapy are at an increased risk for severe and potentially fatal hepatic adverse events. In the case of concomitant antiviral therapy for hepatitis B or C, please refer also to the relevant product information for these medicinal products.
Patients with pre-existing liver dysfunction including chronic active hepatitis have an increased frequency of liver function abnormalities during combination antiretroviral therapy and should be monitored according to standard practice. If there is evidence of worsening liver disease in such patients, interruption or discontinuation of treatment must be considered.
Other warnings
Post-Exposure-Prophylaxis: Serious hepatotoxicity, including liver failure requiring transplantation, has been reported in HIV-uninfected individuals receiving multiple doses of Viramune in the setting of post-exposure-prophylaxis (PEP), an unapproved use. The use of Viramune has not been evaluated within a specific study on PEP, especially in term of treatment duration and therefore, is strongly discouraged.
Combination therapy with nevirapine is not a curative treatment of patients infected with HIV-1; patients may continue to experience illnesses associated with advanced HIV-1 infection, including opportunistic infections.
Combination therapy with nevirapine has not been shown to eliminate the risk of transmission of HIV-1 to others through sexual contact or contaminated blood.
Hormonal methods of birth control other than Depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) should not be used as the sole method of contraception in women taking Viramune, since nevirapine might lower the plasma concentrations of these medicinal products. For this reason, and to reduce the risk of HIV transmission, barrier contraception (e.g. condoms) is recommended. Additionally, when postmenopausal hormone therapy is used during administration of nevirapine, its therapeutic effect should be monitored.
Combination antiretroviral therapy has been associated with the redistribution of body fat (lipodystrophy) in HIV infected patients. The long-term consequences of these events are currently unknown. Knowledge about the mechanism is incomplete. A connection between visceral lipomatosis and PIs and lipoatrophy and NRTIs has been hypothesised. A higher risk of lipodystrophy has been associated with individual factors such as older age, and with medicinal product related factors such as longer duration of antiretroviral treatment and associated metabolic disturbances. Clinical examination should include evaluation for physical signs of fat redistribution. Consideration should be given to the measurement of fasting serum lipids and blood glucose. Lipid disorders should be managed as clinically appropriate (see section 4.8).
In clinical studies, Viramune has been associated with an increase in HDL- cholesterol and an overall improvement in the total to HDL-cholesterol ratio. However, in the absence of specific studies with nevirapine on modifying the cardiovascular risk in HIV infected patients, the clinical impact of these findings is not known. The selection of antiretroviral medicinal products must be guided primarily by their antiviral efficacy.
Osteonecrosis: Although the etiology is considered to be multifactorial (including corticosteroid use, alcohol consumption, severe immunosuppression, higher body mass index), cases of osteonecrosis have been reported particularly in patients with advanced HIV-disease and/or long-term exposure to combination antiretroviral therapy (CART). Patients should be advised to seek medical advice if they experience joint aches and pain, joint stiffness or difficulty in movement.
Immune Reactivation Syndrome: In HIV-infected patients with severe immune deficiency at the time of institution of combination antiretroviral therapy (CART), an inflammatory reaction to asymptomatic or residual opportunistic pathogens may arise and cause serious clinical conditions, or aggravation of symptoms. Typically, such reactions have been observed within the first few weeks or months of initiation of CART. Relevant examples are cytomegalovirus retinitis, generalised and/or focal mycobacterial infections, and Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia. Any inflammatory symptoms should be evaluated and treatment instituted when necessary.
The available pharmacokinetic data suggest that the concomitant use of rifampicin and Viramune is not recommended (please also refer to section 4.5).
Sucrose: Viramune oral suspension contains 150 mg of sucrose per ml. Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance, glucose-galactose malabsorption or sucrase-isomaltase insufficiency should not take this medicine.
Sorbitol: Viramune oral suspension contains 162 mg of sorbitol per ml. Patients with rare hereditary problems of fructose intolerance should not take this medicine.
Methyl and propyl parahydroxybenzoates: Viramune oral suspension contains methyl parahydroxybenzoate and propyl parahydroxybenzoate, which may cause allergic reaction (possibly delayed).
4.5 Interaction With Other Medicinal Products And Other Forms Of Interaction
Nevirapine is an inducer of CYP3A and potentially CYP2B6, with maximal induction occurring within 2-4 weeks of initiating multiple-dose therapy.
Compounds using this metabolic pathway may have decreased plasma concentrations when co-administered with nevirapine. Careful monitoring of the therapeutic effectiveness of P450 metabolised medicinal products is recommended when taken in combination with nevirapine.
The absorption of nevirapine is not affected by food, antacids or medicinal products which are formulated with an alkaline buffering agent.
The interaction data is presented as geometric mean value with 90% confidence interval (90% CI) whenever these data were available. ND = Not Determined, ↑ = Increased,
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