Deriform

Maintenance Treatment Of COPD

Deriform (arformoterol tartrate) Inhalation Solution is indicated for the long-term, twice daily (morning and evening) maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Deriform Inhalation Solution is for use by nebulization only.

Important Limitations Of Use

Deriform Inhalation Solution is not indicated to treat acute deteriorations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Deriform Inhalation Solution is not indicated to treat asthma. The safety and effectiveness of Deriform Inhalation Solution in asthma have not been established.

The recommended dose of Deriform (arformoterol tartrate) Inhalation Solution is one 15 mcg unitdose vial administered twice daily (morning and evening) by nebulization. A total daily dose of greater than 30 mcg (15 mcg twice daily) is not recommended.

Deriform Inhalation Solution should be administered by the orally inhaled route via a standard jet nebulizer connected to an air compressor (see the accompanying Medication Guide). Deriform Inhalation Solution should not be swallowed. Deriform Inhalation Solution should be stored refrigerated in foil pouches. After opening the pouch, unused unit-dose vials should be returned to, and stored in, the pouch. An opened unit-dose vial should be used right away.

If the recommended maintenance treatment regimen fails to provide the usual response, medical advice should be sought immediately, as this is often a sign of destabilization of COPD. Under these circumstances, the therapeutic regimen should be reevaluated and additional therapeutic options should be considered.

No dose adjustment is required for patients with renal or hepatic impairment. However, since the clearance of Deriform Inhalation Solution is prolonged in patients with hepatic impairment, they should be monitored closely.

The drug compatibility (physical and chemical), efficacy, and safety of Deriform Inhalation Solution when mixed with other drugs in a nebulizer have not been established.

The safety and efficacy of Deriform Inhalation Solution have been established in clinical trials when administered using the PARILC® Plus nebulizer (with a face mask or mouthpiece) and the PARI DURA NEB™ 3000 compressor. The safety and efficacy of Deriform Inhalation Solution delivered from non-compressor based nebulizer systems have not been established.

Deriform Inhalation Solution is contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to arformoterol, racemic formoterol or to any other components of this product.

All LABA, including Deriform Inhalation Solution, are contraindicated in patients with asthma without use of a long-term asthma control medication.

WARNINGS

Included as part of the PRECAUTIONS section.

PRECAUTIONS

Asthma-Related Deaths

Data from a large placebo-controlled study in asthma patients showed that long-acting beta₂–adrenergic agonists (LABA) increase the risk of asthma-related death. This finding is considered a class effect of LABA, including arformoterol, the active ingredient in Deriform Inhalation Solution. The safety and efficacy of Deriform Inhalation Solution in patients with asthma have not been established. All LABA, including Deriform Inhalation Solution, are contraindicated in patients with asthma without use of a long-term asthma control medication. Data are not available to determine whether the rate of deaths in patients with COPD is increased by long-acting beta₂ - adrenergic agonists.

A 28-week, placebo-controlled US study comparing the safety of salmeterol with placebo, each added to usual asthma therapy, showed an increase in asthma-related deaths in patients receiving salmeterol (13/13,176 in patients treated with salmeterol vs. 3/13,179 in patients treated with placebo; RR 4.37, 95% CI 1.25, 15.34). The increased risk of asthma-related death is considered a class effect of the longacting beta₂-adrenergic agonists, including Deriform Inhalation Solution. No study adequate to determine whether the rate of asthma-related death is increased in patients treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution has been conducted.

Clinical studies with racemic formoterol suggested a higher incidence of serious asthma exacerbations in patients who received racemic formoterol than in those who received placebo. The sizes of these studies were not adequate to precisely quantify the differences in serious asthma exacerbation rates between treatment groups.

Deterioration Of Disease And Acute Episodes

Deriform Inhalation Solution should not be initiated in patients with acutely deteriorating COPD, which may be a life-threatening condition. The use of Deriform Inhalation Solution in this setting is inappropriate.

Deriform Inhalation Solution is not indicated for the treatment of acute episodes of bronchospasm, i.e., as rescue therapy and extra doses should not be used for that purpose. Acute symptoms should be treated with an inhaled short-acting beta₂-agonist.

When beginning Deriform Inhalation Solution, patients who have been taking inhaled short-acting beta₂-agonists on a regular basis (e.g., four times a day) should be instructed to discontinue the regular use of these drugs and use them only for symptomatic relief of acute respiratory symptoms. When prescribing Deriform Inhalation Solution, the healthcare provider should also prescribe an inhaled, short-acting beta₂-agonist and instruct the patient how it should be used. Increasing inhaled beta₂- agonist use is a signal of deteriorating disease for which prompt medical attention is indicated. COPD may deteriorate acutely over a period of hours or chronically over several days or longer. If Deriform Inhalation Solution no longer controls the symptoms of bronchoconstriction, or the patient's inhaled, short-acting beta₂-agonist becomes less effective or the patient needs more inhalation of shortacting beta₂-agonist than usual, these may be markers of deterioration of disease. In this setting, a reevaluation of the patient and the COPD treatment regimen should be undertaken at once. Increasing the daily dosage of Deriform Inhalation Solution beyond the recommended 15 mcg twice daily dose is not appropriate in this situation.

Excessive Use Of Deriform Inhalation Solution And Use with Other Long-Acting Beta₂- Agonists

Fatalities have been reported in association with excessive use of inhaled sympathomimetic drugs. As with other inhaled beta₂-adrenergic drugs, Deriform Inhalation Solution should not be used more often, at higher doses than recommended, or in conjunction with other medications containing longacting beta₂-agonists.

Paradoxical Bronchospasm

As with other inhaled beta₂-agonists, Deriform Inhalation Solution can produce paradoxical bronchospasm that may be life-threatening. If paradoxical bronchospasm occurs, Deriform Inhalation Solution should be discontinued immediately and alternative therapy instituted.

Cardiovascular Effects

Deriform Inhalation Solution, like other beta₂-agonists, can produce a clinically significant cardiovascular effect in some patients as measured by increases in pulse rate, systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure, and/or symptoms. If such effects occur, the drug may need to be discontinued. In addition, beta-agonists have been reported to produce ECG changes, such as flattening of the T-wave, prolongation of the QTc interval, and ST segment depression. The clinical significance of these findings is unknown. Deriform Inhalation Solution, as with other sympathomimetic amines, should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension.

Coexisting Conditions

Deriform Inhalation Solution, like other sympathomimetic amines, should be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular disorders, especially coronary insufficiency, cardiac arrhythmias, and hypertension; in patients with convulsive disorders or thyrotoxicosis, and in patients who are unusually responsive to sympathomimetic amines. In two pooled, 12-week, placebo-controlled trials investigating Deriform Inhalation Solution doses of 15 μg BID, 25 μg BID, and 50 μg QD, changes in mean predose and 2-hour post dose systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure were seen as a general fall of 2-4 mm/Hg; for pulse rate the mean of maximal increases were 8.8-12.0 beats/min. Over the course of a one-year study measuring serial electrocardiograms while receiving a dose of 50 mcg daily of Deriform Inhalation Solution resulted in an approximately 3.0 ms increase in QT_C-F compared to the active comparator, salmeterol. Doses of the related beta₂-agonist albuterol, when administered intravenously, have been reported to aggravate preexisting diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis.

Hypokalemia And Hyperglycemia

Beta-agonist medications may produce significant hypokalemia in some patients, possibly through intracellular shunting, which has the potential to produce adverse cardiovascular effects. The decrease in serum potassium is usually transient, not requiring supplementation. Beta-agonist medications may produce transient hyperglycemia in some patients.

Clinically significant and dose-related changes in serum potassium and blood glucose were infrequent during clinical trials with long-term administration of Deriform Inhalation Solution at the recommended dose.

Immediate Hypersensitivity Reactions

Immediate hypersensitivity reactions may occur after administration of Deriform Inhalation Solution as demonstrated by cases of anaphylactic reaction, urticaria, angioedema, rash and bronchospasm.

Patient Counseling Information

Advise the patient to read the FDA-approved patient labeling (Medication Guide and Instructions for Use) with each new prescription and refill.

The complete text of the Medication Guide is reprinted at the end of this document. Patients should be given the following information:

Asthma-Related Deaths, Acute Exacerbations Or Deteriorations

Patients should be informed that long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonists, such as Deriform Inhalation Solution, increase risk of asthma-related death in patients with asthma.

Deriform Inhalation Solution is not indicated to relieve acute respiratory symptoms and extra doses should not be used for that purpose. Acute symptoms should be treated with an inhaled, short-acting beta₂-agonist (the healthcare provider should prescribe the patient with such medication and instruct the patient in how it should be used). Patients should be instructed to seek medical attention if their symptoms worsen despite recommended doses of Deriform Inhalation Solution, if Deriform Inhalation Solution treatment becomes less effective, or if they need more inhalations of a short-acting beta₂-agonist than usual.

Appropriate Dosing

Patients should not stop using Deriform Inhalation Solution unless told to do so by a healthcare provider because symptoms may get worse. Patients should not inhale more than one dose at any one time. The daily dosage of Deriform Inhalation Solution should not exceed one unit-dose vial (15 mcg) by inhalation twice daily (30 mcg total daily dose). Excessive use of sympathomimetics may cause significant cardiovascular effects, and may be fatal.

Concomitant Therapy

Patients who have been taking inhaled, short-acting beta₂-agonists (e.g., levalbuterol) on a regular basis should be instructed to discontinue the regular use of these products and use them only for the symptomatic relief of acute symptoms.

Deriform Inhalation Solution should not be used in conjunction with other inhaled medications containing long-acting beta₂-agonists. Patients should be warned not to stop or change the dose of other concomitant COPD therapy without medical advice, even if symptoms improve after initiating treatment with Deriform Inhalation Solution.

Common Adverse Reactions With Beta2-Agonists

Patients should be informed that treatment with beta₂-agonists may lead to adverse reactions that include palpitations, chest pain, rapid heart rate, increased or decreased blood pressure, headache, tremor, nervousness, dry mouth, muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, low blood potassium, high blood sugar, high blood acid, or trouble sleeping.

Instructions For Administration

It is important that patients understand how to use Deriform Inhalation Solution with a nebulizer appropriately and how it should be used in relation to other medications to treat COPD they are taking. Patients should be instructed not to mix other medications with Deriform Inhalation Solution and not to inject or swallow Deriform Inhalation Solution. Patients should throw the plastic dispensing vials away immediately after use. Due to their small size, the vials pose a danger of choking to young children.

Women should be advised to contact their physician if they become pregnant or if they are nursing.

FDA-Approved Medication Guide

See the accompanying Medication Guide.

Nonclinical Toxicology

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment Of Fertility

Long-term studies were conducted in mice using oral administration and rats using inhalation administration to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of arformoterol.

In a 24-month carcinogenicity study in CD-1 mice, arformoterol caused a dose-related increase in the incidence of uterine and cervical endometrial stromal polyps and stromal cell sarcoma in female mice at oral doses of 1 mg/kg and above (AUC exposure approximately 70 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose).

In a 24-month carcinogenicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats, arformoterol caused a statistically significant increase in the incidence of thyroid gland c-cell adenoma and carcinoma in female rats at an inhalation dose of 200 mcg/kg (AUC exposure approximately 130 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose). There were no tumor findings with an inhalation dose of 40 mcg/kg (AUC exposure approximately 55 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose).

Arformoterol was not mutagenic or clastogenic in the following tests: mutagenicity tests in bacteria, chromosome aberration analyses in mammalian cells, and micronucleus test in mice.

Arformoterol had no effects on fertility and reproductive performance in rats at oral doses up to 10 mg/kg (approximately 2700 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis).

Use In Specific Populations

Pregnancy

Teratogenic Effects

Pregnancy Category C

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of Deriform Inhalation Solution in pregnant women. Arformoterol has been shown to be teratogenic in rats and rabbits. Arformoterol also caused neonatal mortality and developmental delays in rats. Because animal reproduction studies are not always predictive of human response, Deriform Inhalation Solution should be used during pregnancy, only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Arformoterol has been shown to be teratogenic in rats based upon findings of omphalocele (umbilical hernia), a malformation, at oral doses equal to and greater than approximately 370 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose. Increased pup loss at birth and during lactation and decreased pup weights were observed in rats at oral doses equal to and greater than approximately 1100 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose. Delays in development were evident with an oral dose approximately 2400 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose.

Arformoterol has been shown to be teratogenic in rabbits based upon findings of malpositioned right kidney, a malformation, at oral doses equal to and greater than approximately 8400 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose. Malformations including brachydactyly, bulbous aorta, and liver cysts were observed at oral doses equal to and greater than approximately 22,000 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis. Malformations including adactyly, lobular dysgenesis of the lung, and interventricular septal defect were observed at an oral dose approximately 43,000 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis. Embryolethality was observed at an oral dose approximately 43,000 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis. Decreased pup body weights were observed at oral doses equal to and greater than approximately 22,000 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m basis. There were no teratogenic findings in rabbits with oral doses equal to or less than approximately 4900 times adult exposure at the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose.

Labor And Delivery

There are no human studies that have investigated the effects of Deriform Inhalation Solution on preterm labor or labor at term.

Because beta-agonists may potentially interfere with uterine contractility, Deriform Inhalation Solution should be used during labor and delivery only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.

Nursing Mothers

In reproductive studies in rats, arformoterol was excreted in the milk. It is not known whether arformoterol is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when Deriform Inhalation Solution is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

Deriform Inhalation Solution is approved for use in the long-term maintenance treatment of bronchoconstriction associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This disease does not occur in children. The safety and efficacy of Deriform Inhalation Solution in pediatric patients have not been established.

Geriatric Use

Of the 873 patients who received Deriform Inhalation Solution in two placebo-controlled clinicalstudies in adults with COPD, 391 (45%) were 65 years of age or older while 96 (11%) were 75 years of age or older. No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between these subjects and younger subjects. Among subjects age 65 years and older, 129 (33%) received Deriform Inhalation Solution at the recommended dose of 15 mcg twice daily, while the remainder received higher doses. ECG alerts for ventricular ectopy in patients 65 to ≤ 75 years of age were comparable among patients receiving 15 mcg twice daily, 25 mcg twice daily, and placebo (3.9%, 5.2%, and 7.1%, respectively). A higher frequency (12.4%) was observed when Deriform Inhalation Solution was dosed at 50 mcg once daily. The clinical significance of this finding is not known. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out.

Hepatic Impairment

Deriform Inhalation Solution should be used cautiously in patients with hepatic impairment due to increased systemic exposure in these patients.

Renal Impairment

The systemic exposure to arformoterol was similar to renally impaired patients compared with demographically matched healthy control subjects.

Long-acting beta₂-adrenergic agonists increase the risk of asthma-related death.

Beta₂-Agonist Adverse Reaction Profile

Adverse reactions to Deriform Inhalation Solution are expected to be similar in nature to other beta₂- adrenergic receptor agonists including: angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, palpitation, muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis and insomnia.

Clinical Trials Experience

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in clinical practice.

Adults With COPD In Short-Term Trials (12 weeks)

The safety data described below for adults ≥ 35 years of age are based on 2 clinical trials of 12 weeks. In the 2 trials of 12 weeks duration, 1456 patients (860 males and 596 females, ages 34 to 89 years old) with COPD were treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily, 25 mcg twice daily, 50 mcg once daily, salmeterol 42 mcg twice daily, or placebo. The racial/ethnic distribution in these two trials included 1383 Caucasians, 49 Blacks, 10 Asians, and 10 Hispanics, and 4 patients classified as Other. Among the 1,456 COPD patients in two 12-week, placebo-controlled trials, 288 were treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 293 were treated with placebo. Doses of 25 mcg twice daily and 50 mcg once daily were also evaluated.

Table 1 shows adverse reaction rates among patients from these two trials where the frequency was greater than or equal to 2% in the Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily group and where the rate in the Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily group exceeded the rate in the placebo group. The total number and percent of patients who reported adverse events were 202 (70%) in the 15 mcg twice daily and 219 (75%) in the placebo groups. Ten adverse events demonstrated a dose relationship: asthenia, fever, bronchitis, COPD, headache, vomiting, hyperkalemia, leukocytosis, nervousness, and tremor.

Table 1: Number of Patients Experiencing Adverse Events from Two 12-Week, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trials

Adverse events occurring in patients treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily with a frequency of < 2%, but greater than placebo, were as follows:

Body as a Whole: abscess, allergic reaction, digitalis intoxication, fever, hernia, injection site pain, neck rigidity, neoplasm, pelvic pain, retroperitoneal hemorrhage

Cardiovascular: arteriosclerosis, atrial flutter, AV block, congestive heart failure, heart block, myocardial infarct, QT interval prolonged, supraventricular tachycardia, inverted T-wave

Digestive: constipation, gastritis, melena, oral moniliasis, periodontal abscess, rectal hemorrhage

Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders : dehydration, edema, glucose tolerance decreased, gout, hyperglycemia, hyperlipemia, hypoglycemia, hypokalemia

Musculoskeletal: arthralgia, arthritis, bone disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, tendinous contracture

Nervous : agitation, cerebral infarct, circumoral paresthesia, hypokinesia, paralysis, somnolence, tremor

Respiratory: carcinoma of the lung, respiratory disorder, voice alteration

Skin and Appendages : dry skin, herpes simplex, herpes zoster, skin discoloration, skin hypertrophy

Special Senses : abnormal vision, glaucoma

Urogenital: breast neoplasm, calcium crystalluria, cystitis, glycosuria, hematuria, kidney calculus, nocturia, PSA increase, pyuria, urinary tract disorder, urine abnormality.

In these trials, the overall frequency of all cardiovascular adverse events was 6.9% in Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 13.3% in the placebo group. There were no frequently occurring specific cardiovascular adverse events for Deriform Inhalation Solution (frequency ≥ 1% and greater than placebo). The rate of COPD exacerbations was also comparable between the Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and placebo groups, 12.2% and 15.1%, respectively.

Adults With COPD In Long-Term (52-week) Safety Trial

Deriform Inhalation Solution was evaluated in one 52 week double-blind, randomized, placebocontrolled, safety trial conducted in patients with moderate to severe COPD. The primary endpoint was time to either respiratory death or first COPD exacerbation-related hospitalization, whichever occurred first. The event had to be a death or hospitalization for which the patient's respiratory status was predominant and/or inciting contributor, as determined by the clinical investigator. The objective of the trial was to demonstrate that the risk of respiratory death or COPD exacerbation-related hospitalization for patients treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution was not greater than 40% more than the risk for patient treated with placebo. A total of 841 patients (479 males and 361 females, ages 41 to 94 years old) with COPD were randomized: 420 to Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 421 to placebo. Of the randomized patients, 255 (61%) in the Deriform Inhalation Solution group and 211 (50%) in the placebo group, completed one year of treatment. The trial objective was met demonstrating that COPD patients treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution are not at an increased risk of respiratory death or COPD exacerbation-related hospitalizations compared to placebo.

The expected signs and symptoms associated with overdosage of Deriform (arformoterol tartrate) Inhalation Solution are those of excessive beta-adrenergic stimulation and/or occurrence or exaggeration of any of the signs and symptoms listed under ADVERSE REACTIONS. Signs and symptoms may include angina, hypertension or hypotension, tachycardia, with rates up to 200 beats/min, arrhythmias, nervousness, headache, tremor, dry mouth, palpitation, muscle cramps, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, malaise, hypokalemia, hyperglycemia, metabolic acidosis and insomnia. As with all inhaled sympathomimetic medications, cardiac arrest and even death may be associated with an overdose of Deriform Inhalation Solution.

Treatment of overdosage consists of discontinuation of Deriform Inhalation Solution together with institution of appropriate symptomatic and/or supportive therapy. The judicious use of a cardioselective beta-receptor blocker may be considered, bearing in mind that such medication can produce bronchospasm. There is insufficient evidence to determine if dialysis is beneficial for overdosage of Deriform Inhalation Solution. Cardiac monitoring is recommended in cases of overdosage.

Clinical signs in dogs included flushing of the body surface and facial area, reddening of the ears and gums, tremor, and increased heart rate. A death was reported in dogs after a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg (approximately 4500 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis). Death occurred for a rat that received arformoterol at a single inhalation dose of 1600 mcg/kg (approximately 430 times the maximum recommended daily inhalation dose in adults on a mg/m² basis).

Systemic Safety And Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Relationships

The predominant adverse effects of inhaled beta₂-agonists occur as a result of excessive activation of systemic beta-adrenergic receptors. The most common adverse effects may include skeletal muscle tremor and cramps, insomnia, tachycardia, decreases in plasma potassium, and increases in plasma glucose.

Effects On Serum Potassium And Serum Glucose Levels

Changes in serum potassium and serum glucose were evaluated in a dose-ranging study of twice daily (5 mcg, 15 mcg, or 25 mcg; 215 patients with COPD) and once daily (15 mcg, 25 mcg, or 50 mcg; 191 patients with COPD) Deriform Inhalation Solution in COPD patients. At 2 and 6 hours post dose at week 0 (after the first dose), mean changes in serum potassium ranging from 0 to -0.3 mEq/L were observed in the Deriform Inhalation Solution groups with similar changes observed after 2 weeks of treatment. Changes in mean serum glucose levels, ranging from a decrease of 1.2 mg/dL to an increase of 32.8 mg/dL were observed for Deriform Inhalation Solution dose groups at both 2 and 6 hours post dose, both after the first dose and 14 days of daily treatment.

Electrophysiology

The effect of Deriform Inhalation Solution on QT interval was evaluated in a dose-ranging study following multiple doses of Deriform Inhalation Solution 5 mcg, 15 mcg, or 25 mcg twice daily or 15 mcg, 25 mcg, or 50 mcg once daily for 2 weeks in patients with COPD. ECG assessments were performed at baseline, time of peak plasma concentration and throughout the dosing interval. Different methods of correcting for heart rate were employed, including a subject-specific method and the Fridericia method.

Relative to placebo, the mean change in subject-specific QTc averaged over the dosing interval ranged from -1.8 to 2.7 msec, indicating little effect of Deriform Inhalation Solution on cardiac repolarization after 2 weeks of treatment. The maximum mean change in subject-specific QTc for the Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily dose was 17.3 msec, compared with 15.4 msec in the placebo group. No apparent correlation of QTc with arformoterol plasma concentration was observed.

Electrocardiographic Monitoring In Patients With COPD

The effect of different doses of Deriform Inhalation Solution on cardiac rhythm was assessed using 24-hour Holter monitoring in two 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of 1,456 patients with COPD (873 received Deriform Inhalation Solution at 15 or 25 mcg twice daily or 50 mcg once daily doses; 293 received placebo; 290 received salmeterol). The 24-hour Holter monitoring occurred once at baseline, and up to 3 times during the 12-week treatment period. The rates of new-onset cardiac arrhythmias not present at baseline over the double-blind 12-week treatment period were similar (approximately 33-34%) for patients who received Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily to those who received placebo. There was a dose-related increase in new, treatment-emergent arrhythmias seen in patients who received Deriform Inhalation Solution 25 mcg twice daily and 50 mcg once daily, 37.6% and 40.1%, respectively. The frequencies of new treatment-emergent events of non-sustained (3-10 beat run) and sustained ( > 10 beat run) ventricular tachycardia were 7.4% and 1.1% in Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 6.9% and 1.0% in placebo. In patients who received Deriform Inhalation Solution 25 mcg twice daily and 50 mcg once daily, the frequencies of non-sustained (6.2% and 8.2%, respectively) and sustained ventricular tachycardia (1.0% and 1.0%, respectively) were similar. Five cases of ventricular tachycardia were reported as adverse events (1 in Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 4 in placebo), with two of these events leading to discontinuation of treatment (2 in placebo).

There were no baseline occurrences of atrial fibrillation/flutter observed on 24-hour Holter monitoring in patients treated with Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily or placebo. New, treatmentemergent atrial fibrillation/flutter occurred in 0.4% of patients who received Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 0.3% of patients who received placebo. There was a dose-related increase in the frequency of atrial fibrillation/flutter reported in the Deriform Inhalation Solution 25 mcg twice daily and 50 mcg once daily dose groups of 0.7% and 1.4%, respectively. Two cases of atrial fibrillation/flutter were reported as adverse events (1 in Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily and 1 in placebo).

Dose-related increases in mean maximum change in heart rate in the 12 hours after dosing were also observed following 12 weeks of dosing with Deriform Inhalation Solution 15 mcg twice daily (8.8 bpm), 25 mcg twice daily (9.9 bpm) and 50 mcg once daily (12 bpm) versus placebo (8.5 bpm).

Tachyphylaxis/Tolerance

Tolerance to the effects of inhaled beta-agonists can occur with regularly-scheduled, chronic use.

In two placebo-controlled clinical trials in patients with COPD involving approximately 725 patients in each, the overall efficacy of Deriform Inhalation Solution was maintained throughout the 12-weektrial duration. However, tolerance to the bronchodilator effect of Deriform Inhalation Solution was observed after 6 weeks of dosing, as measured by a decrease in trough FEV₁. FEV₁ improvement at the end of the 12-hour dosing interval decreased by approximately one-third (22.1% mean improvement after the first dose compared to 14.6% at week 12). Tolerance to the trough FEV₁ bronchodilator effect of Deriform Inhalation Solution was not accompanied by other clinical manifestations of tolerance in these trials.

The pharmacokinetics (PK) of arformoterol have been investigated in healthy subjects, elderly subjects, renally and hepatically impaired subjects, and COPD patients following the nebulization of the recommended therapeutic dose and doses up to 96 mcg.

Absorption

In COPD patients administered 15 mcg arformoterol every 12 hours for 14 days, the mean steady-state peak (R,R)-formoterol plasma concentration (Cmax) and systemic exposure (AUC0-12h) were 4.3 pg/mL and 34.5 pg•hr/mL, respectively. The median steady-state peak (R,R)-formoterol plasma concentration time (tmax) was observed approximately one-half hour after drug administration.

Systemic exposure to (R,R)-formoterol increased linearly with dose in COPD patients following arformoterol doses of 5 mcg, 15 mcg, or 25 mcg twice daily for 2 weeks or 15 mcg, 25 mcg, or 50 mcg once daily for 2 weeks.

In a crossover study in patients with COPD, when arformoterol 15 mcg inhalation solution and 12 and 24

In a crossover study in patients with COPD, when arformoterol 15 mcg inhalation solution and 12 and 24 mcg formoterol fumarate inhalation powder (Foradil® Aerolizer®) was administered twice daily for 2 weeks, the accumulation index was approximately 2.5 based on the plasma (R,R)-formoterol concentrations in all three treatments. At steady- state, geometric means of systemic exposure (AUC0-12h) to (R,R)-formoterol following 15 mcg of arformoterol inhalation solution and 12 mcg of formoterol fumarate inhalation powder were 39.33 pg•hr/mL and 33.93 pg•hr/mL, respectively (ratio 1.16; 90% CI 1.00, 1.35), while the geometric means of the Cmax were 4.30 pg/mL and 4.75 pg/mL, respectively (ratio 0.91; 90% CI 0.76, 1.09).

In a study in patients with asthma, treatment with arformoterol 50 mcg with pre- and post-treatment with activated charcoal resulted in a geometric mean decrease in (R,R)-formoterol AUC0-6h by 27% and C by 23% as compared to treatment with arformoterol 50 mcg alone. This suggests that a substantial portion of systemic drug exposure is due to pulmonary absorption.

Distribution

The binding of arformoterol to human plasma proteins in vitro was 52-65% at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 ng/mL of radiolabeled arformoterol. The concentrations of arformoterol used to assess the plasma protein binding were higher than those achieved in plasma following inhalation of multiple doses of 50 mcg arformoterol.

Metabolism

In vitro profiling studies in hepatocytes and liver microsomes have shown that arformoterol is primarily metabolized by direct conjugation (glucuronidation) and secondarily by O-demethylation. At least five human uridine diphosphoglucuronosyltransferase (UGT) isozymes catalyze arformoterol glucuronidation in vitro. Two cytochrome P450 isozymes (CYP2D6 and secondarily CYP2C19) catalyze the O-demethylation of arformoterol.

Arformoterol was almost entirely metabolized following oral administration of 35 mcg of radiolabeled arformoterol in eight healthy subjects. Direct conjugation of arformoterol with glucuronic acid was the major metabolic pathway. Most of the drug-related material in plasma and urine was in the form of glucuronide or sulfate conjugates of arformoterol. O-Desmethylation and conjugates of the Odesmethyl metabolite were relatively minor metabolites accounting for less than 17% of the dose recovered in urine and feces.

Elimination

After administration of a single oral dose of radiolabeled arformoterol to eight healthy male subjects, 63% of the total radioactive dose was recovered in urine and 11% in feces within 48 hours. A total of 89% of the total radioactive dose was recovered within 14 days, with 67% in urine and 22% in feces. Approximately 1% of the dose was recovered as unchanged arformoterol in urine over 14 days. Renal clearance was 8.9 L/hr for unchanged arformoterol in these subjects.

In COPD patients given 15 mcg inhaled arformoterol twice a day for 14 days, the mean terminal half-life of arformoterol was 26 hours.