Geser

Secondary hyperparathyroidism

Adults

Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in adult patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance dialysis therapy.

Paediatric population

Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) in children aged 3 years and older with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on maintenance dialysis therapy in whom secondary HPT is not adequately controlled with standard of care therapy.

Geser may be used as part of a therapeutic regimen including phosphate binders and/or Vitamin D sterols, as appropriate.

Parathyroid carcinoma and primary hyperparathyroidism in adults

Reduction of hypercalcaemia in adult patients with:

- parathyroid carcinoma.

- primary HPT for whom parathyroidectomy would be indicated on the basis of serum calcium levels (as defined by relevant treatment guidelines), but in whom parathyroidectomy is not clinically appropriate or is contraindicated.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism

Adults and elderly (> 65 years)

The recommended starting dose for adults is 30 mg once per day. Geser should be titrated every 2 to 4 weeks to a maximum dose of 180 mg once daily to achieve a target parathyroid hormone (PTH) in dialysis patients of between 150-300 pg/mL (15.9-31.8 pmol/L) in the intact PTH (iPTH) assay. PTH levels should be assessed at least 12 hours after dosing with Geser. Reference should be made to current treatment guidelines.

PTH should be measured 1 to 4 weeks after initiation or dose adjustment of Geser. PTH should be monitored approximately every 1-3 months during maintenance. Either the intact PTH (iPTH) or bio-intact PTH (biPTH) may be used to measure PTH levels; treatment with Geser does not alter the relationship between iPTH and biPTH.

Dose adjustment based on serum calcium levels

Corrected serum calcium should be measured and monitored and should be at or above the lower limit of the normal range prior to administration of first dose of Geser. The normal calcium range may differ depending on the methods used by your local laboratory.

During dose titration, serum calcium levels should be monitored frequently, and within 1 week of initiation or dose adjustment of Geser. Once the maintenance dose has been established, serum calcium should be measured approximately monthly. In the event that corrected serum calcium levels fall below 8.4 mg/dL (2.1 mmol/L) and/or symptoms of hypocalcaemia occur the following management is recommended:

Paediatric population

Corrected serum calcium should be in the upper range of, or above, the age-specified reference interval prior to administration of first dose of Geser, and closely monitored. The normal calcium range differs depending on the methods used by your local laboratory and the age of the child/patient.

The recommended starting dose for children aged > 3 years to < 18 years is ≤ 0.20 mg/kg once daily based on the patient's dry weight (see table 1).

The dose can be increased to achieve a desired target iPTH range. The dose should be increased sequentially through available dose levels (see table 1) no more frequently than every 4 weeks. The dose can be increased up to a maximum dose of 2.5 mg/kg/day, not to exceed a total daily dose of 180 mg.

Table 1. Geser daily dose in paediatric patients

Dose adjustment based on PTH levels

PTH levels should be assessed at least 12 hours after dosing with Geser and iPTH should be measured 1 to 4 weeks after initiation or dose adjustment of Geser.

The dose should be adjusted based on iPTH as shown below:

- If iPTH is < 150 pg/mL (15.9 pmol/L) and > 100 pg/mL (10.6 pmol/L), decrease the dose of Geser to the next lower dose.

- If iPTH < 100 pg/mL (10.6 pmol/L), stop Geser treatment, restart Geser at the next lower dose once the iPTH is > 150 pg/mL (15.9 pmol/L). If Geser treatment has been stopped for more than 14 days, restart at the recommended starting dose.

Dose adjustment based on serum calcium levels

Serum calcium should be measured within 1 week after initiation or dose adjustment of Geser.

Once the maintenance dose has been established, weekly measurement of serum calcium is recommended. Serum calcium levels in paediatric patients should be maintained within the normal range. If serum calcium levels decrease below the normal range or symptoms of hypocalcaemia occur, appropriate dose adjustment steps should be taken as shown in table 2 below:

Table 2: Dose adjustment in paediatric patients > 3 to < 18 years of age

The safety and efficacy of Geser in children aged less than 3 years for the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism have not been established. Insufficient data are available.

Parathyroid carcinoma and primary hyperparathyroidism

Adults and elderly (> 65 years)

The recommended starting dose of Geser for adults is 30 mg twice per day. The dose of Geser should be titrated every 2 to 4 weeks through sequential doses of 30 mg twice daily, 60 mg twice daily, 90 mg twice daily, and 90 mg three or four times daily as necessary to reduce serum calcium concentration to or below the upper limit of normal. The maximum dose used in clinical trials was 90 mg four times daily.

Serum calcium should be measured within 1 week after initiation or dose adjustment of Geser. Once maintenance dose levels have been established, serum calcium should be measured every 2 to 3 months. After titration to the maximum dose of Geser, serum calcium should be periodically monitored; if clinically relevant reductions in serum calcium are not maintained, discontinuation of Geser therapy should be considered.

Paediatric population

The safety and efficacy of Geser in children for the treatment of parathyroid carcinoma and primary hyperparathyroidism have not been established. No data are available.

Hepatic impairment

No change in starting dose is necessary. Geser should be used with caution in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment and treatment should be closely monitored during dose titration and continued treatment.

Method of administration

For oral use.

Tablets should be taken whole and should not be chewed, crushed or divided.

It is recommended that Geser be taken with food or shortly after a meal, as studies have shown that bioavailability of cinacalcet is increased when taken with food.

Geser is also available as granules for paediatric use. Children who require doses lower than 30 mg, or who are unable to swallow tablets should receive Geser granules.

Hypocalcaemia.

Serum calcium

Life threatening events and fatal outcomes associated with hypocalcaemia have been reported in adult and paediatric patients treated with Geser. Manifestations of hypocalcaemia may include paraesthesias, myalgias, cramping, tetany and convulsions. Decreases in serum calcium can also prolong the QT interval, potentially resulting in ventricular arrhythmia secondary to hypocalcaemia. Cases of QT prolongation and ventricular arrhythmia have been reported in patients treated with cinacalcet. Caution is advised in patients with other risk factors for QT prolongation such as patients with known congenital long QT syndrome or patients receiving medicinal products known to cause QT prolongation.

Since cinacalcet lowers serum calcium, patients should be monitored carefully for the occurrence of hypocalcaemia. Serum calcium should be measured within 1 week after initiation or dose adjustment of Geser.

Adults

Geser treatment should not be initiated in patients with a serum calcium (corrected for albumin) below the lower limit of the normal range.

In CKD patients receiving dialysis who were administered Geser, approximately 30% of patients had at least one serum calcium value less than 7.5 mg/dL (1.9 mmol/L).

Paediatric population

Geser should only be initiated for the treatment of secondary HPT in children > 3 years old with ESRD on maintenance dialysis therapy, in whom secondary HPT is not adequately controlled with standard of care therapy, where serum calcium is in the upper range of, or above, the age-specified reference interval.

Closely monitor serum calcium levels and patient compliance during treatment with cinacalcet. Do not initiate cinacalcet or increase the dose if non-compliance is suspected.

Prior to initiating cinacalcet and during treatment, consider the risks and benefits of treatment and the ability of the patient to comply with the recommendations to monitor and manage the risk of hypocalcaemia.

Inform paediatric patients and/or their caregivers about the symptoms of hypocalcaemia and about the importance of adherence to instructions about serum calcium monitoring, and posology and method of administration.

CKD patients not on dialysis

Cinacalcet is not indicated for CKD patients not on dialysis. Investigational studies have shown that adult CKD patients not on dialysis treated with cinacalcet have an increased risk for hypocalcaemia (serum calcium levels < 8.4 mg/dL [2.1 mmol/L]) compared with cinacalcet-treated CKD patients on dialysis, which may be due to lower baseline calcium levels and/or the presence of residual kidney function.

Seizures

Cases of seizures have been reported in patients treated with Geser. The threshold for seizures is lowered by significant reductions in serum calcium levels. Therefore, serum calcium levels should be closely monitored in patients receiving Geser, particularly in patients with a history of a seizure disorder.

Hypotension and/or worsening heart failure

Cases of hypotension and/or worsening heart failure have been reported in patients with impaired cardiac function, in which a causal relationship to cinacalcet could not be completely excluded and may be mediated by reductions in serum calcium levels.

Co-administration with other medicinal products

Administer Geser with caution in patients receiving any other medicinal products known to lower serum calcium. Closely monitor serum calcium.

Patients receiving Geser should not be given etelcalcetide. Concurrent administration may result in severe hypocalcaemia.

General

Adynamic bone disease may develop if PTH levels are chronically suppressed below approximately 1.5 times the upper limit of normal with the iPTH assay. If PTH levels decrease below the recommended target range in patients treated with Geser, the dose of Geser and/or vitamin D sterols should be reduced or therapy discontinued.

Testosterone levels

Testosterone levels are often below the normal range in patients with end-stage renal disease. In a clinical study of adult ESRD patients on dialysis, free testosterone levels decreased by a median of 31.3% in the Geser-treated patients and by 16.3% in the placebo-treated patients after 6 months of treatment. An open-label extension of this study showed no further reductions in free and total testosterone concentrations over a period of 3 years in Geser-treated patients. The clinical significance of these reductions in serum testosterone is unknown.

Hepatic impairment

Due to the potential for 2 to 4 fold higher plasma levels of cinacalcet in patients with moderate to severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh classification), Geser should be used with caution in these patients and treatment should be closely monitored.

Lactose

Patients with rare hereditary problems of galactose intolerance, the Lapp lactase deficiency or glucose-galactose malabsorption should not take this medicine.

Dizziness and seizures, which may have major influence on the ability to drive and use machines, have been reported by patients taking Geser.

a) Summary of the safety profile

Secondary hyperparathyroidism, parathyroid carcinoma and primary hyperparathyroidism

Based on available data from patients receiving cinacalcet in placebo-controlled studies and single-arm studies the most commonly reported adverse reactions were nausea and vomiting. Nausea and vomiting were mild to moderate in severity and transient in nature in the majority of patients. Discontinuation of therapy as a result of undesirable effects was mainly due to nausea and vomiting.

b) Tabulated list of adverse reactions

Adverse reactions, considered at least possibly attributable to cinacalcet treatment in the placebo-controlled studies and single-arm studies based on best-evidence assessment of causality are listed below using the following convention: very common (> 1/10); common (> 1/100 to < 1/10); uncommon (> 1/1,000 to < 1/100); rare (> 1/10,000 to < 1/1,000); very rare (< 1/10,000).

Incidence of adverse reactions from controlled clinical studies and post-marketing experience are:

^†see section 4.4

^*see section c

c) Description of selected adverse reactions

Hypersensitivity reactions

Hypersensitivity reactions including angioedema and urticaria have been identified during post-marketing use of Geser. The frequencies of the individual preferred terms including angioedema and urticaria cannot be estimated from available data.

Hypotension and/or worsening heart failure

There have been reports of idiosyncratic cases of hypotension and/or worsening heart failure in cinacalcet-treated patients with impaired cardiac function in post-marketing safety surveillance, the frequencies of which cannot be estimated from available data.

QT prolongation and ventricular arrhythmia secondary to hypocalcaemia

QT prolongation and ventricular arrhythmia secondary to hypocalcaemia have been identified during post-marketing use of Geser, the frequencies of which cannot be estimated from available data.

d) Paediatric population

The safety of Geser for the treatment of secondary HPT in paediatric patients with ESRD receiving dialysis was evaluated in two randomised controlled studies and one single-arm study. Among all paediatric subjects exposed to cinacalcet in clinical studies a total of 19 subjects (24.1%; 64.5 per 100 subject years) had at least one adverse event of hypocalcaemia. A fatal outcome was reported in a paediatric clinical trial patient with severe hypocalcaemia.

Geser should be used in paediatric patients only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk.

Reporting of suspected adverse reactions

Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via:

United Kingdom

Yellow Card Scheme

Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store

Ireland

HPRA Pharmacovigilance

Earlsfort Terrace

IRL - Dublin 2

Tel: +353 1 6764971

Fax: +353 1 6762517

Website: www.hpra.ie

e-mail: [email protected]

Doses titrated up to 300 mg once daily have been administered to adult patients receiving dialysis without adverse outcome. A daily dose of 3.9 mg/kg was prescribed to a paediatric patient receiving dialysis in a clinical study with subsequent mild stomach ache, nausea and vomiting..

Overdose of Geser may lead to hypocalcaemia. In the event of overdose, patients should be monitored for signs and symptoms of hypocalcaemia, and treatment should be symptomatic and supportive. Since cinacalcet is highly protein-bound, haemodialysis is not an effective treatment for overdose.

Pharmacotherapeutic group: Calcium homeostasis, anti-parathyroid agents. ATC code: H05BX01.

Mechanism of action

The calcium sensing receptor on the surface of the chief cell of the parathyroid gland is the principal regulator of PTH secretion. Cinacalcet is a calcimimetic agent which directly lowers PTH levels by increasing the sensitivity of the calcium sensing receptor to extracellular calcium. The reduction in PTH is associated with a concomitant decrease in serum calcium levels.

Reductions in PTH levels correlate with cinacalcet concentration.

After steady state is reached, serum calcium concentrations remain constant over the dosing interval.

Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Adults

Three, 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies were conducted in ESRD patients with uncontrolled secondary HPT receiving dialysis (n = 1,136). Demographic and baseline characteristics were representative of the dialysis patient population with secondary HPT. Mean baseline iPTH concentrations across the 3 studies were 733 and 683 pg/mL (77.8 and 72.4 pmol/L) for the cinacalcet and placebo groups, respectively. 66% of patients were receiving vitamin D sterols at study entry, and > 90% were receiving phosphate binders. Significant reductions in iPTH, serum calcium-phosphorus product (Ca x P), calcium, and phosphorus were observed in the cinacalcet-treated patients compared with placebo-treated patients receiving standard of care, and the results were consistent across the 3 studies. In each of the studies, the primary endpoint (proportion of patients with an iPTH ≤ 250 pg/mL (≤ 26.5 pmol/L)) was achieved by 41%, 46%, and 35% of patients receiving cinacalcet, compared with 4%, 7%, and 6% of patients receiving placebo. Approximately 60% of cinacalcet-treated patients achieved a > 30% reduction in iPTH levels, and this effect was consistent across the spectrum of baseline iPTH levels. The mean reductions in serum Ca x P, calcium, and phosphorus were 14%, 7% and 8%, respectively.

Reductions in iPTH and Ca x P were maintained for up to 12 months of treatment. Cinacalcet decreased iPTH and Ca x P, calcium and phosphorus levels regardless of baseline iPTH or Ca x P level, dialysis modality (PD versus HD), duration of dialysis, and whether or not vitamin D sterols were administered.

Reductions in PTH were associated with non-significant reductions of bone metabolism markers (bone specific alkaline phosphatase, N-telopeptide, bone turnover and bone fibrosis). In post-hoc analyses of pooled data from 6 and 12 months clinical studies, Kaplan-Meier estimates of bone fracture and parathyroidectomy were lower in the cinacalcet group compared with the control group.

Investigational studies in patients with CKD and secondary HPT not undergoing dialysis indicated that cinacalcet reduced PTH levels to a similar extent as in patients with ESRD and secondary HPT receiving dialysis. However, efficacy, safety, optimal doses and treatment targets have not been established in treatment of predialytic renal failure patients. These studies show that CKD patients not undergoing dialysis treated with cinacalcet have an increased risk for hypocalcaemia compared with cinacalcet-treated ESRD patients receiving dialysis, which may be due to lower baseline calcium levels and/or the presence of residual kidney function.

EVOLVE (EValuation Of Cinacalcet Therapy to Lower CardioVascular Events) was a randomised, double-blind clinical study evaluating cinacalcet versus placebo for the reduction of the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular events in 3,883 patients with secondary HPT and CKD receiving dialysis. The study did not meet its primary objective of demonstrating a reduction in risk of all-cause mortality or cardiovascular events including myocardial infarction, hospitalisation for unstable angina, heart failure or peripheral vascular event (HR 0.93; 95% CI: 0.85, 1.02; p = 0.112). After adjusting for baseline characteristics in a secondary analysis, the HR for the primary composite endpoint was 0.88; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.97.

Paediatric population

The efficacy and safety of cinacalcet for the treatment of secondary HPT in paediatric patients with ESRD receiving dialysis was evaluated in two randomised controlled studies and one single-arm study.

Study 1 was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which 43 patients aged 6 to < 18 years were randomised to receive either cinacalcet (n = 22) or placebo (n = 21). The study consisted of a 24-week dose titration period followed by a 6-week efficacy assessment phase (EAP), and a 30-week open-label extension. The mean age at baseline was 13 (range 6 to 18) years. The majority of patients (91%) were using vitamin D sterols at baseline. The mean (SD) iPTH concentrations at baseline were 757.1 (440.1) pg/mL for the cinacalcet group and 795.8 (537.9) pg/mL for the placebo group. The mean (SD) corrected total serum calcium concentrations at baseline were 9.9 (0.5) mg/dL for the cinacalcet group and 9.9 (0.6) mg/dL for the placebo group. The mean maximum daily dose of cinacalcet was 1.0 mg/kg/day.

The percentage of patients who achieved the primary endpoint (> 30% reduction from baseline in mean plasma iPTH during the EAP; weeks 25 to 30) was 55% in the cinacalcet group and 19.0% in the placebo group (p = 0.02). The mean serum calcium levels during the EAP were within the normal range for the cinacalcet treatment group. This study was terminated early due to a fatality with severe hypocalcaemia in the cinacalcet group.

Study 2 was an open-label study in which 55 patients aged 6 to < 18 years (mean 13 years) were randomised to receive either cinacalcet in addition to standard of care (SOC, n = 27) or SOC alone (n = 28). The majority of patients (75%) were using vitamin D sterols at baseline. The mean (SD) iPTH concentrations at baseline were 946 (635) pg/mL for the cinacalcet + SOC group and 1228 (732) pg/mL for the SOC group. The mean (SD) corrected total serum calcium concentrations at baseline were 9.8 (0.6) mg/dL for the cinacalcet + SOC group and 9.8 (0.6) mg/dL for the SOC group. 25 subjects received at least one dose of cinacalcet and the mean maximum daily dose of cinacalcet was 0.55 mg/kg/day. The study did not meet its primary endpoint (> 30% reduction from baseline in mean plasma iPTH during the EAP; weeks 17 to 20). Reduction of > 30% from baseline in mean plasma iPTH during the EAP was achieved by 22% of patients in the cinacalcet + SOC group and 32% of patients in the SOC group.

Study 3 was a 26-week, open-label, single-arm safety study in patients aged 8 months to < 6 years (mean age 3 years). Patients receiving concomitant medications known to prolong the corrected QT interval were excluded from the study. The mean dry weight at baseline was 12 kg. The starting dose of cinacalcet was 0.20 mg/kg. The majority of patients (89%) were using vitamin D sterols at baseline.

Seventeen patients received at least one dose of cinacalcet and 11 completed at least 12 weeks of treatment. None had corrected serum calcium < 8.4 mg/dL (2.1 mmol/L) for ages 2-5 years. iPTH concentrations from baseline were reduced by > 30% in 71% (12 out of 17) of patients in the study.

Parathyroid carcinoma and Primary Hyperparathyroidism

In one study, 46 adult patients (29 with parathyroid carcinoma and 17 with primary HPT and severe hypercalcaemia who had failed or had contraindications to parathyroidectomy) received cinacalcet for up to 3 years (mean of 328 days for patients with parathyroid carcinoma and mean of 347 days for patients with primary HPT). Cinacalcet was administered at doses ranging from 30 mg twice daily to 90 mg four times daily. The primary endpoint of the study was a reduction of serum calcium of > 1 mg/dL (> 0.25 mmol/L). In patients with parathyroid carcinoma, mean serum calcium declined from 14.1 mg/dL to 12.4 mg/dL (3.5 mmol/L to 3.1 mmol/L), while in patients with primary HPT, serum calcium levels declined from 12.7 mg/dL to 10.4 mg/dL (3.2 mmol/L to 2.6 mmol/L). Eighteen (18) of 29 patients (62%) with parathyroid carcinoma and 15 of 17 subjects (88%) with primary HPT achieved a reduction in serum calcium of > 1 mg/dL (> 0.25 mmol/L).

In a 28 week placebo-controlled study, 67 adult patients with primary HPT who met criteria for parathyroidectomy on the basis of corrected total serum calcium (> 11.3 mg/dL (2.82 mmol/L) but ≤ 12.5 mg/dL (3.12 mmol/L), but who were unable to undergo parathyroidectomy were included. Cinacalcet was initiated at a dose of 30 mg twice daily and titrated to maintain a corrected total serum calcium concentration within the normal range. A significantly higher percentage of cinacalcet-treated patients achieved mean corrected total serum calcium concentration ≤ 10.3 mg/dL (2.57 mmol/L) and > 1 mg/dL (0.25 mmol/L) decrease from baseline in mean corrected total serum calcium concentration, when compared with the placebo-treated patients (75.8% versus 0% and 84.8% versus 5.9% respectively).

Absorption

After oral administration of Geser, maximum plasma cinacalcet concentration is achieved in approximately 2 to 6 hours. Based on between-study comparisons, the absolute bioavailability of cinacalcet in fasted subjects has been estimated to be about 20-25%. Administration of Geser with food results in an approximate 50-80% increase in cinacalcet bioavailability. Increases in plasma cinacalcet concentration are similar, regardless of the fat content of the meal.

At doses above 200 mg, the absorption was saturated probably due to poor solubility.

Distribution

The volume of distribution is high (approximately 1,000 litres), indicating extensive distribution. Cinacalcet is approximately 97% bound to plasma proteins and distributes minimally into red blood cells.

After absorption, cinacalcet concentrations decline in a biphasic fashion with an initial half-life of approximately 6 hours and a terminal half-life of 30 to 40 hours. Steady state levels of cinacalcet are achieved within 7 days with minimal accumulation. The pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet does not change over time.

Biotransformation

Cinacalcet is metabolised by multiple enzymes, predominantly CYP3A4 and CYP1A2 (the contribution of CYP1A2 has not been characterised clinically). The major circulating metabolites are inactive.

Based on in vitro data, cinacalcet is a strong inhibitor of CYP2D6, but is neither an inhibitor of other CYP enzymes at concentrations achieved clinically, including CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 nor an inducer of CYP1A2, CYP2C19 and CYP3A4.

Elimination

After administration of a 75 mg radiolabelled dose to healthy volunteers, cinacalcet was rapidly and extensively metabolised by oxidation followed by conjugation. Renal excretion of metabolites was the prevalent route of elimination of radioactivity. Approximately 80% of the dose was recovered in the urine and 15% in the faeces.

Linearity/non-linearity

The AUC and C_max of cinacalcet increase approximately linearly over the dose range of 30 to 180 mg once daily.

Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationship(s)

Soon after dosing, PTH begins to decrease until a nadir at approximately 2 to 6 hours post-dose, corresponding with cinacalcet C_max. Thereafter, as cinacalcet levels begin to decline, PTH levels increase until 12 hours post-dose, and then PTH suppression remains approximately constant to the end of the once daily dosing interval. PTH levels in Geser clinical trials were measured at the end of the dosing interval.

Elderly: There are no clinically relevant differences due to age in the pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet.

Renal Insufficiency: The pharmacokinetic profile of cinacalcet in patients with mild, moderate, and severe renal insufficiency, and those on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis is comparable to that in healthy volunteers.

Hepatic Insufficiency: Mild hepatic impairment did not notably affect the pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet. Compared to subjects with normal liver function, average AUC of cinacalcet was approximately 2-fold higher in subjects with moderate impairment and approximately 4-fold higher in subjects with severe impairment. The mean half-life of cinacalcet is prolonged by 33% and 70% in patients with moderate and severe hepatic impairment, respectively. Protein binding of cinacalcet is not affected by impaired hepatic function. Because doses are titrated for each subject based on safety and efficacy parameters, no additional dose adjustment is necessary for subjects with hepatic impairment.

Gender: Clearance of cinacalcet may be lower in women than in men. Because doses are titrated for each subject, no additional dose adjustment is necessary based on gender.

Paediatric Population: The pharmacokinetics of cinacalcet was studied in paediatric patients with ESRD receiving dialysis aged 3 to 17 years of age. After single and multiple once daily oral doses of cinacalcet, plasma cinacalcet concentrations (C_max and AUC values after normalisation by dose and weight) were similar to those observed in adult patients.

A population pharmacokinetic analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of demographic characteristics. This analysis showed no significant impact of age, sex, race, body surface area, and body weight on cinacalcet pharmacokinetics.

Smoking: Clearance of cinacalcet is higher in smokers than in non-smokers, likely due to induction of CYP1A2-mediated metabolism. If a patient stops or starts smoking, cinacalcet plasma levels may change and dose adjustment may be necessary.

Cinacalcet was not teratogenic in rabbits when given at a dose of 0.4 times, on an AUC basis, the maximum human dose for secondary HPT (180 mg daily). The non-teratogenic dose in rats was 4.4 times, on an AUC basis, the maximum dose for secondary HPT. There were no effects on fertility in males or females at exposures up to 4 times a human dose of 180 mg/day (safety margins in the small population of patients administered a maximum clinical dose of 360 mg daily would be approximately half those given above).

In pregnant rats, there were slight decreases in body weight and food consumption at the highest dose. Decreased foetal weights were seen in rats at doses where dams had severe hypocalcaemia. Cinacalcet has been shown to cross the placental barrier in rabbits.

Cinacalcet did not show any genotoxic or carcinogenic potential. Safety margins from the toxicology studies are small due to the dose-limiting hypocalcaemia observed in the animal models. Cataracts and lens opacities were observed in the repeat dose rodent toxicology and carcinogenicity studies, but were not observed in dogs or monkeys or in clinical studies where cataract formation was monitored. Cataracts are known to occur in rodents as a result of hypocalcaemia.

In in vitro studies, IC₅₀ values for the serotonin transporter and K_ATP channels were found to be 7 and 12-fold greater, respectively, than the EC₅₀ for the calcium-sensing receptor obtained under the same experimental conditions. The clinical relevance is unknown, however, the potential for cinacalcet to act on these secondary targets cannot be fully excluded.

In toxicity studies in juvenile dogs, tremors secondary to decreased serum calcium, emesis, decreased body weight and body weight gain, decreased red cell mass, slight decreases in bone densitometry parameters, reversible widening of the growth plates of long bones, and histological lymphoid changes (restricted to the thoracic cavity and attributed to chronic emesis) were observed. All of these effects were seen at a systemic exposure, on an AUC basis, approximately equivalent to the exposure in patients at the maximum dose for secondary HPT.

Not applicable.

No special requirements for disposal.

Any unused medicinal product or waste material should be disposed of in accordance with local requirements.