Description
Indications
Pharmacology
Dosage & Administration
Recommended Dosage: The recommended dosage of Azacitidine is 300 mg orally once daily with or without food on Days 1 through 14 of each 28-day cycle. Continue Azacitidine until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Administer an antiemetic 30 minutes prior to each dose of Azacitidine for the first 2 cycles. Antiemetic prophylaxis may be omitted after 2 cycles if there has been no nausea and vomiting. If the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is less than 0.5 Gi/L on Day 1 of a cycle, do not administer Azacitidine (Azacitidine). Delay the start of the cycle until the ANC is 0.5 Gi/L or more.
Instruct patients on the following:
- Do not split, crush, or chew Azacitidine tablets.
- Take a dose about the same time each day.
- If a dose of Azacitidine is missed, or not taken at the usual time, take the dose as soon as possible on the same day, and resume the normal schedule the following day. Do not take 2 doses on the same day.
- If a dose is vomited, do not take another dose on the same day. Resume the normal schedule the following day. Azacitidine is a hazardous drug. Follow applicable special handling and disposal procedures.
Monitoring and Dosage Modifications for Adverse Reactions: Monitor complete blood count every other week for the first 2 cycles and prior to the start of each cycle thereafter. Increase monitoring to every other week for the 2 cycles after any dose reduction for myelosuppression.
Contraindications
Side Effects
Azarest. 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.
- Hypersensitivity reaction
- Interstitial lung disease
- Tumor lysis syndrome
- Sweet’s syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis)
- Necrotizing fasciitis (including fatal cases)
- Differentiation syndrome
Pregnancy & Lactation
Lactation: There are no data regarding the presence of Azacitidine in human milk or the effects on the breastfed child or milk production. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in the breastfed child, advise women not to breastfeed during treatment with Azacitidine and for 1 week after the last dose.
Precautions & Warnings
Myelosuppression: New or worsening Grade 3 or 4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 49% and 22% of patients who received Azarest, respectively. Febrile neutropenia occurred in 12%. A dose reduction was required for 7% and 2% of patients due to neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, respectively. Less than 1% of patients discontinued Azarest due to either neutropenia or thrombocytopenia. Monitor complete blood counts and modify the dosage as recommended. Provide standard supportive care, including hematopoietic growth factors, if myelosuppression occurs.
Increased Early Mortality in Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes: In AZA-MDS-003 (NCT01566695), 216 patients with red blood cell transfusion-dependent anemia and thrombocytopenia due to myelodysplastic syndromes were randomized to Azarest or placebo. One hundred and seven patients received a median of 5 cycles of Azarest 300 mg daily for 21 days of a 28-day cycle. Enrollment was discontinued early due to a higher incidence of early fatal and/or serious adverse reactions in patients who received Azarest compared with placebo. The most frequent fatal adverse reaction was sepsis. The safety and effectiveness of Azarest for treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes have not been established. Treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes with Azarest is not recommended outside of controlled trials.
Embryo-Fetal Toxicity: Based on the mechanism of action and findings in animals, Azarest can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Azarest administered to pregnant rats via a single intraperitoneal dose less than the recommended human daily dose of oral Azarest on a mg/m2 basis caused fetal death and anomalies. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk to a fetus. Advise females of reproductive potential to use effective contraception during treatment with Azarest and for at
least 6 months after the last dose. Advise males with female partners of reproductive potential to use effective
contraception during treatment with Azarest and for at least 3 months after the last dose.





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