4.1. Therapeutic indications

- Prevention of skeletal related events (pathological fractures, spinal compression, radiation or surgery to bone, or tumour-induced hypercalcaemia) in adult patients with advanced malignancies involving bone.

- Treatment of adult patients with tumour-induced hypercalcaemia (TIH)

4.2. Posology and method of administration

Zoledronic Acid must only be prescribed and administered to patients by healthcare professionals experienced in the administration of intravenous bisphosphonates. Patients treated with Zoledronic Acid should be given the package leaflet and the patient reminder card.

Posology

Prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone

Adults and older people

The recommended dose in the prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone is 4 mg zoledronic acid every 3 to 4 weeks. Patients should also be administered an oral calcium supplement of 500 mg and 400 IU vitamin D daily.

The decision to treat patients with bone metastases for the prevention of skeletal related events should consider that the onset of treatment effect is 2-3 months.

Treatment of TIH

Adults and older people

The recommended dose in hypercalcaemia (albumin-corrected serum calcium ≥ 12.0 mg/dl or 3.0 mmol/l) is a single dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid.

Renal impairment

TIH:

Zoledronic Acid treatment in TIH patients who also have severe renal impairment should be considered only after evaluating the risks and benefits of treatment. In the clinical studies, patients with serum creatinine > 400 µmol/l or > 4.5 mg/dl were excluded. No dose adjustment is necessary in TIH patients with serum creatinine < 400 µmol/l or < 4.5 mg/dl (see section 4.4).

Prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone:

When initiating treatment with Zoledronic Acid in patients with multiple myeloma or metastatic bone lesions from solid tumours, serum creatinine and creatinine clearance (CLcr) should be determined. CLcr is calculated from serum creatinine using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Zoledronic Acid is not recommended for patients presenting with severe renal impairment prior to initiation of therapy, which is defined for this population as CLcr < 30 ml/min. In clinical trials with zoledronic acid, patients with serum creatinine > 265 µmol/l or > 3.0 mg/dl were excluded.

In patients with bone metastases presenting with mild to moderate renal impairment prior to initiation of therapy, which is defined for this population as CLcr 30-60 ml/min, the following Zoledronic Acid dose is recommended (see also section 4.4):

Baseline creatinine clearance (ml/min)

Zoledronic acid recommended dose*

> 60

50-60

40-49

30-39

4.0 mg zoledronic acid

3.5 mg * zoledronic acid

3.3 mg * zoledronic acid

3.0 mg * zoledronic acid

*Doses have been calculated assuming target AUC of 0.66 (mg•hr/l) (CLcr=75 ml/min). The reduced doses for patients with renal impairment are expected to achieve the same AUC as that seen in patients with creatinine clearance of 75 ml/min.

Following initiation of therapy, serum creatinine should be measured prior to each dose of Zoledronic Acid and treatment should be withheld if renal function has deteriorated. In the clinical trials, renal deterioration was defined as follows:

- For patients with normal baseline serum creatinine (< 1.4 mg/dl or < 124 µmol/l), an increase of 0.5 mg/dl or 44 µmol/l;

- For patients with abnormal baseline creatinine (> 1.4 mg/dl or > 124 µmol/l), an increase of 1.0 mg/dl or 88 µmol/l.

In the clinical studies, zoledronic acid treatment was resumed only when the creatinine level returned to within 10% of the baseline value (see section 4.4). Zoledronic Acid treatment should be resumed at the same dose as that given prior to treatment interruption.

Paediatric population

The safety and efficacy of zoledronic acid in children aged 1 year to 17 years have not been established. Currently available data are described in section 5.1 but no recommendation on a posology can be made

Method of administration

Intravenous use.

Zoledronic Acid 4 mg/5 ml concentrate for solution for infusion, further diluted in 100 ml (see section 6.6), should be given as a single intravenous infusion in no less than 15 minutes.

In patients with mild to moderate renal impairment, reduced Zoledronic Acid doses are recommended (see section “Posology” above and section 6.3).

Instructions for preparing reduced doses of Zoledronic Acid

Withdraw an appropriate volume of the concentrate needed, as follows:

- 4.4 ml for 3.5 mg dose

- 4.1 ml for 3.3 mg dose

- 3.8 ml for 3.0 mg dose

For instructions on the dilution of the medicinal product before administration, see section 6.6. The withdrawn amount of concentrate must be further diluted in 100 ml of sodium chloride 9 mg/ml (0.9 %) solution for injection or glucose 50 mg/ml (5 %) solution for injection. The dose must be given as a single intravenous infusion over no less than 15 minutes.

Zoledronic Acid must not be mixed with calcium or other divalent cation-containing infusion solutions such as lactated Ringer's solution, and should be administered as a single intravenous solution in a separate infusion line.

Patients must be maintained well hydrated prior to and following administration of Zoledronic Acid

4.3. Contraindications

• Hypersensitivity to the active substance, to other bisphosphonates or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1

• Breast-feeding (see section 4.6)

4.4. Special warnings and precautions for use

General

Patients must be assessed prior to administration of Zoledronic Acid to ensure that they are adequately hydrated.

Overhydration should be avoided in patients at risk of cardiac failure.

Standard hypercalcaemia-related metabolic parameters, such as serum levels of calcium, phosphate and magnesium, should be carefully monitored after initiating Zoledronic Acid therapy. If hypocalcaemia, hypophosphataemia, or hypomagnesaemia occurs, short-term supplemental therapy may be necessary. Untreated hypercalcaemia patients generally have some degree of renal function impairment, therefore careful renal function monitoring should be considered.

Zoledronic acid Altan contains the same active substance as found in Aclasta (zoledronic acid). Patients being treated with Zoledronic Acid should not be treated with zoledronic acid or any other bisphosphonate concomitantly, since the combined effects of these agents are unknown.

Renal insufficiency

Patients with TIH and evidence of deterioration in renal function should be appropriately evaluated with consideration given as to whether the potential benefit of treatment with Zoledronic Acid outweighs the possible risk.

The decision to treat patients with bone metastases for the prevention of skeletal related events should consider that the onset of treatment effect is 2–3 months.

Zoledronic acid has been associated with reports of renal dysfunction. Factors that may increase the potential for deterioration in renal function include dehydration, pre-existing renal impairment, multiple cycles of zoledronic acid and other bisphosphonates as well as use of other nephrotoxic medicinal products. While the risk is reduced with a dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid administered over 15 minutes, deterioration in renal function may still occur. Renal deterioration, progression to renal failure and dialysis have been reported in patients after the initial dose or a single dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid. Increases in serum creatinine also occur in some patients with chronic administration of zoledronic acid at recommended doses for prevention of skeletal related events, although less frequently.

Patients should have their serum creatinine levels assessed prior to each dose of Zoledronic Acid. Upon initiation of treatment in patients with bone metastases with mild to moderate renal impairment, lower doses of zoledronic acid are recommended. In patients who show evidence of renal deterioration during treatment, Zoledronic Acid should be withheld. Zoledronic Acid should only be resumed when serum creatinine returns to within 10% of baseline. Zoledronic Acid treatment should be resumed at the same dose as that given prior to treatment interruption.

In view of the potential impact of zoledronic acid on renal function, the lack of clinical safety data in patients with severe renal impairment (in clinical trials defined as serum creatinine ≥ 400 µmol/l or ≥ 4.5 mg/dl for patients with TIH and ≥ 265 µmol/l or ≥ 3.0 mg/dl for patients with cancer and bone metastases, respectively) at baseline and only limited pharmacokinetic data in patients with severe renal impairment at baseline (creatinine clearance < 30 ml/min), the use of Zoledronic Acid is not recommended in patients with severe renal impairment.

Hepatic insufficiency

As only limited clinical data are available in patients with severe hepatic insufficiency, no specific recommendations can be given for this patient population.

Osteonecrosis of the jaw

Osteonecrosis of the jaw (ONJ) has been reported with uncommonly in clinical trials Post-marketing experience and the literature suggest a greater frequency of reports of ONJ based on tumour type (advanced breast cancer, multiple myeloma). A study showed that ONJ was higher in myeloma patients when compared to other cancers (see section 5.1).

The start of the treatment or a new course of treatment should be delayed in patients with unhealed open soft tissues tissue lesionsin the mouth, except in medical emergency situations. A dental examination with appropriate preventive dentistry and an individual benefit-risk assessment is recommended prior to treatment with bisphosphonates in patients with concomitant risk factors.

The following risk factors should be considered when evaluating an individual's risk of developing ONJ:

• Potency of the bisphosphonate (higher risk for highly potent compounds), route of administration (higher risk for parenteral administration) and cumulative dose of bisphosphonate.

• Cancer, co-morbid conditions (e.g. anaemia, coagulopathies, infection), ssmoking

• Concomitant therapies: chemotherapy, angiogenesis inhibitors (see section 4.5), radiotherapy to neck and head, corticosteroids

• History of dental disease, poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, invasive dental procedures (e.g. tooth extractions) and poorly fitting dentures

All patients should be encouraged to maintain good oral hygiene, undergo routine dental check-ups and immediately report any oral symptoms, such as dental mobility, pain or swelling, or non-healing of sores or discharge during treatment with Zoledronic Acid. While on treatment, invasive dental procedures should be performed only after careful consideration and be avoided in close proximity to zoledronic acidadministration. For patients who develop osteonecrosis of the jaw while on bisphosphonate therapy, dental surgery may exacerbate the condition. For patients requiring dental procedures, there are no data available to suggest whether discontinuation of bisphosphonate treatment reduces the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw.

The management plan for patients who develop ONJ should be set up in close collaboration between the treating physician and a dentist or oral surgeon with expertisein ONJ.

Temporary interruption of of zoledronic acid treatment should be considered until the condition resolves and contributing risk factors are mitigated where possible.

Osteonecrosis of other anatomical sites

Osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal has been reported with bisphosphonates, mainly in association with long-term therapy. Possible risk factors for osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal include steroid use and chemotherapy; and/or local risk factors such as infection or trauma. The possibility of osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal should be considered in patients receiving bisphosphonates who present with ear symptoms including chronic ear infections.

Additionally, there have been sporadic reports of osteonecrosis of other sites, including the hip and femur, reported predominantly in adult cancer patients treated with Zoledronic Acid.

Musculoskeletal pain

In post-marketing experience, severe and occasionally incapacitating bone, joint, and/or muscle pain have been reported in patients taking zoledronic acid. However, such reports have been infrequent. The time to onset of symptoms varied from one day to several months after starting treatment. Most patients had relief of symptoms after stopping treatment. A subset had recurrence of symptoms when rechallenged with zoledronic acid or another bisphosphonate.

Atypical fractures of the femur

Atypical subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures have been reported with bisphosphonate therapy, primarily in patients receiving long-term treatment for osteoporosis. These transverse or short oblique fractures can occur anywhere along the femur from just below the lesser trochanter to just above the supracondylar flare. These fractures occur after minimal or no trauma and some patients experience thigh or groin pain, often associated with imaging features of stress fractures, weeks to months before presenting with a completed femoral fracture. Fractures are often bilateral; therefore the contralateral femur should be examined in bisphosphonate-treated patients who have sustained a femoral shaft fracture. Poor healing of these fractures has also been reported. Discontinuation of bisphosphonate therapy in patients suspected to have an atypical femur fracture should be considered pending evaluation of the patient, based on an individual benefit risk assessment.

During bisphosphonate treatment patients should be advised to report any thigh, hip or groin pain and any patient presenting with such symptoms should be evaluated for an incomplete femur fracture.

Hypocalcaemia

Hypocalcaemia has been reported in patients treated with zoledronic acid. Cardiac arrhythmias and neurologic adverse events (including convulsions, hypoaesthesia and tetany) have been reported secondary to cases of severe hypocalcaemia. Cases of severe hypocalcaemia requiring hospitalisation have been reported. In some instances, the hypocalcaemia may be life-threatening (see section 4.8). Caution is advised when administering Zoledronic Acid is administered with medicinal products known to cause hypocalcaemia, as they may have a synergistic effect resulting in severe hypocalcaemia (see section 4.5). Serum calcium should be measured and hypocalcaemia must be corrected before initiating Zoledronic Acid therapy. Patients should be adequately supplemented calcium and vitamin D.

Special information regarding excipients:

The medicinal product contains less than 1 mmol (23 mg) sodium per dose and is i.e. essentially “sodium free”.

4.5. Interaction with other medicinal products and other forms of interaction

In clinical studies, zoledronic acid has been administered concomitantly with commonly used anticancer agents, diuretics, antibiotics and analgesics without clinically apparent interactions occurring. Zoledronic acid shows no appreciable binding to plasma proteins and does not inhibit human P450 enzymes in vitro (see section 5.2), but no formal clinical interaction studies have been performed.

Caution is advised when bisphosphonates are administered with aminoglycosides, calcitonin or loop diuretics, since these agents may have an additive effect, resulting in a lower serum calcium level for longer periods than required (see section 4.4).

Caution is indicated when Zoledronic Acid is used with other potentially nephrotoxic medicinal products. Attention should also be paid to the possibility of hypomagnesaemia developing during treatment.

In multiple myeloma patients, the risk of renal dysfunction may be increased when Zoledronic Acid is used in combination with thalidomide.

Caution is advised when Zoledronic Acid is administered with anti-angiogenic medicinal products, as an increase in the incidence of ONJ has been observed in patients treated concomitantly with these medicinal products.

4.6. Fertility, pregnancy and lactation

Pregnancy

There are no adequate data on the use of zoledronic acid in pregnant women. Animal reproduction studies with zoledronic acid have shown reproductive toxicity (see section 5.3). The potential risk for humans is unknown. Zoledronic acid should not be used during pregnancy. Women of child bearing potential advised to avoid becoming pregnant.

Breastfeeding

It is not known whether zoledronic acid is excreted into human milk. Zoledronic acid is contraindicated in breast-feeding women (see section 4.3).

Fertility

Zoledronic acid was evaluated in rats for potential adverse effects on fertility of the parental and F1 generation. This resulted in exaggerated pharmacological effects considered to be related to the compound's inhibition of skeletal calcium metabolisation, resulting in periparturient hypocalcaemia, a bisphosphonate class effect, dystocia and early termination of the study. Thus these results precluded determining a definitive effect of zoledronic acid on fertility in humans.

4.7. Effects on ability to drive and use machines

Adverse reactions, such as dizziness and somnolence, may have influence on the ability to drive or use machines, therefore caution should be exercised with the use of Zoledronic acid along with driving and operating of machinery.

4.8. Undesirable effects

Summary of the safety profile

Within three days after zoledronic acid administration, an acute phase reaction has commonly been reported, with symptoms including bone pain, fever, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, rigors, chills and arthritis with subsequent joint swelling; these symptoms usually resolve within a few days (see description of selected adverse reactions).

The following are the important identified risks with zoledronic acid in the approved indications: Renal function impairment, osteonecrosis of the jaw, acute phase reaction, hypocalcaemia, atrial fibrillation, anaphylaxis, interstitial lung disease. The frequencies for each of these identified risks are shown in Table 1.

Tabulated list of adverse reactions

The following adverse reactions, listed in Table 1, have been accumulated from clinical studies and post-marketing reports following predominantly chronic treatment with 4 mg zoledronic acid:

Table 1

Adverse reactions are ranked under headings of frequency, the most frequent first, 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), not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).

Blood and lympathic system disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Rare:

Anaemia

Thrombocytopenia, leukopenia

Pancytopenia

Immune system disorders

Uncommon:

Rare:

Hypersensitivity reaction

Angioneurotic oedema

Psychiatric disorders

Uncommon:

Rare:

Anxiety, sleep disturbance

Confusion

Nervous system disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Very rare:

Headache

dizziness, paraesthesia, taste disturbance, hypoaesthesia, hyperaesthesia, tremor, somnolence.

Seizures, numbness and tetany (secondary to hypocalcaemia)

Eye disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Rare

Very rare:

Conjunctivitis

Blurred vision, scleritis and orbital inflammation

Uveitis,

Episcleritis

Cardiac disorders

Uncommon:

Rare:

Hypertension, hypotension, atrial fibrillation, hypotension leading yo syncope or circulatory collapse

Bradycardia, cardiac arrhythmia (secondary to hypocalcaemia)

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders

Uncommon:

Rare:

Dyspnoea, cough, bronchoconstriction

Interstitial lung disease

Gastrointestinal disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Nausea, vomiting, anorexia

Diarrhoea, constipation, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, stomatitis, dry mouth

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders

Uncommon:

Pruritus, rash (including erythematous and macular rash), increased sweating

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Very rare:

Bone pain, myalgia, arthralgia, generalised pain

Muscle cramps, osteonecrosis of the jaw

Osteonecrosis of the external auditory canal (bisphosphonate class adverse reaction) and other anatomical sites including femur and hip

Renal and urinary disorders

Common:

Uncommon:

Rare:

Not known

Renal impairment

Acute renal failure, haematuria, proteinuria

Acquired Fanconi syndrome

Tubulointerstitial nephritis

General disorders and administration site conditions

Common:

Uncommon:

Rare:

Fever, flu-like syndrome (including fatigue, rigors, malaise and flushing)

Asthenia, peripheral oedema, injection site reactions (including pain, irritation, swelling, induration), chest pain, weight increase, anaphylactic reaction/shock, urticaria

Arthritis and swelling of the joints as a symptom of acute phase reaction

Investigations

Very common:

Common:

Uncommon:

Rare:

Hypophosphataemia

Blood creatinine and blood urea increased, hypocalcaemia

Hypomagnaesemia, hypokalaemia

Hyperkalaemia, hypernatraemia

Description of selected adverse reactions

Renal function impairment

Zoledronic Acid has been associated with reports of renal dysfunction. In a pooled analysis of safety data from zoledronic acid registration trials for the prevention of skeletal related events in patients with advanced malignancies involving bone, the frequency of renal impairment adverse events suspected to be related to zoledronic acid (adverse reactions) was as follows: multiple myeloma (3.2%), prostate cancer (3.1%), breast cancer (4.3%), lung and other solid tumours (3.2%). Factors that may increase the potential for deterioration in renal function include dehydration, pre-existing renal impairment, multiple cycles of zoledronic acid or other bisphosphonates, as well as concomitant use of nephrotoxic medicinal products or using a shorter infusion time than currently recommended. Renal deterioration, progression to renal failure and dialysis have been reported in patients after the initial dose or a single dose of 4 mg zoledronic acid (see section 4.4).

Osteonecrosis of the jaw

Cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw have been reported, predominantly in cancer patients treated with medicinal products that inhibit bone resorption, such as Zoledronic Acid (see section 4.4). Many of these patients were also receiving chemotherapy and corticosteroids and had signs of local infection including osteomyelitis. The majority of the reports refer to cancer patients following tooth extractions or other dental surgeries.

Atrial fibrillation

In one 3-year, randomised, double-blind controlled trial that evaluated the efficacy and safety of zoledronic acid 5 mg once yearly vs. placebo in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO), the overall incidence of atrial fibrillation was 2.5% (96 out of 3,862) and 1.9% (75 out of 3,852) in patients receiving zoledronic acid 5 mg and placebo, respectively. The rate of atrial fibrillation serious adverse events was 1.3% (51 out of 3,862) and 0.6% (22 out of 3,852) in patients receiving zoledronic acid 5 mg and placebo, respectively. The imbalance observed in this trial has not been observed in other trials with zoledronic acid, including those with zoledronic acid 4 mg every 3-4 weeks in oncology patients. The mechanism behind the increased incidence of atrial fibrillation in this single clinical trial is unknown.

Acute phase reaction

This adverse drug reaction consists of a constellation of symptoms that includes fever, myalgia, headache, extremity pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea,arthralgia and arthritis with subsequent joint swelling. The onset time is ≤3 days post-zoledronic acid 4 mg infusion, and the reaction is also referred to using the terms “flu-like” or “post-dose” symptoms.

Atypical fractures of the femur

During post-marketing experience the following reactions have been reported (frequency rare): atypical subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures (bisphopsphonate class adverse reaction).

Hypocalcaemia-related ADRs

Hypocalcaemia is an important identified risk with Zoledronic Acid in the approved indications. Based on the review of both clinical trial and post-marketing cases, there is sufficient evidence to support an association between Zoledronic Acid therapy, the reported event of hypocalcaemia, and the secondary development of cardiac arrhythmia. Furthermore, there is evidence of an association between hypocalcaemia and secondary neurological events reported in these cases including; convulsions, hypoaesthesia and tetany (see section 4.4).

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 the Yellow Card Scheme at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard.

4.9. Overdose

Clinical experience with acute overdose of zoledronic acid is limited. The administration of doses up to 48 mg of zoledronic acid in error has been reported. Patients who have received doses higher than those recommended (see section 4.2) should be carefully monitored, since renal function impairment (including renal failure) and serum electrolyte (including calcium, phosphorus and magnesium) abnormalities have been observed. In the event of hypocalcaemia, calcium gluconate infusions should be administered as clinically indicated.