Cabotegravir and rilpivirine
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Dosing in kidney impairment
Renal Impairment Based on studies with oral cabotegravir and population pharmacokinetic analyses of oral rilpivirine, no dosage adjustment of CABENUVA is necessary for patients with mild (creatinine clearance ≥60 to <90 mL/min) or moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance ≥30 to <60 mL/min). In patients with severe renal impairment (creatinine clearance 15 to <30 mL/min) or end-stage renal disease (creatinine clearance <15 mL/min), increased monitoring for adverse effects is recommended [see Clinical Pharmacology] .
In patients with end-stage renal disease not on dialysis, effects on the pharmacokinetics of cabotegravir or rilpivirine are unknown. As cabotegravir and rilpivirine are >99% protein bound, dialysis is not expected to alter exposures of cabotegravir or rilpivirine.
Dosing in liver impairment
Hepatic Impairment Based on separate studies with oral cabotegravir and oral rilpivirine, no dosage adjustment of CABENUVA is necessary for patients with mild or moderate hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh A or B). The effect of severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh C) on the pharmacokinetics of cabotegravir or rilpivirine is unknown [see Clinical Pharmacology] .
Preparation and administration
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Dosage and Administration Overview
CABENUVA contains cabotegravir extended-release injectable suspension in a single-dose vial and rilpivirine extended-release injectable suspension in a single-dose vial [see Dosage Forms and Strengths] .
CABENUVA must be administered by a healthcare provider by gluteal intramuscular injection [see Dosage and Administration] .
CABENUVA may be initiated with oral cabotegravir and oral rilpivirine prior to the intramuscular injections or the patient may proceed directly to injection of CABENUVA without an oral lead-in [see Dosage and Administration] .
CABENUVA can be injected monthly or every 2 months [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 , 2.5 )] . Healthcare providers should discuss these 2 dosing options with the patient prior to starting CABENUVA and decide which injection dosing frequency would be the most appropriate option for the patient [see Adverse Reactions, Microbiology, Clinical Studies] .
Administration Instructions for Injections Refer to the Instructions for Use for complete administration instructions with illustrations. Carefully follow these instructions and ensure that the vial adaptor is used correctly when preparing the suspension for injection to avoid leakage. A complete dose requires 2 injections: 1 injection of cabotegravir and 1 injection of rilpivirine [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.4 , 2.5 )] .
Cabotegravir and rilpivirine are suspensions for gluteal intramuscular injection that do not need further dilution or reconstitution. Administer each injection at separate gluteal injection sites (on opposite sides or at least 2 cm apart) during the same visit. The ventrogluteal site is recommended. A dorsogluteal approach (upper outer quadrant) is acceptable, if preferred by the healthcare professional.
Do not administer by any other route or anatomical site. Consider the body mass index (BMI) of the patient to ensure that the needle length is sufficient to reach the gluteus muscle. Longer needle lengths (not included in the dosing kit) may be required for patients with higher BMI (example: >30 kg/m 2 ) to ensure that injections are administered intramuscularly as opposed to subcutaneously.
The administration order of cabotegravir and rilpivirine injections is not important. Before preparing the injections, remove CABENUVA from the refrigerator and wait at least 15 minutes to allow the medicines to come to room temperature. The vials may remain in the carton at room temperature for up to 6 hours; do not put back into the refrigerator.
If not used within 6 hours, the medication must be discarded. Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit. The cabotegravir vial has a brown tint to the glass that may limit visual inspection. Discard CABENUVA if either medicine exhibits particulate matter or discoloration.
Shake each vial of CABENUVA vigorously so that the suspensions look uniform before injecting. Small air bubbles are expected and acceptable. Once the suspensions have been drawn into the respective syringes, the injections should be administered as soon as possible, but may remain in the syringes for up to 2 hours. The filled syringes should not be placed in the refrigerator.
If the medicine remains in the syringes for more than 2 hours, the filled syringes and needles must be discarded [see How Supplied/Storage and Handling] .
Drug interactions
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- Cabotegravir and rilpivirine
Label text (13 paragraphs)
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS • Refer to the full prescribing information for important drug interactions with CABENUVA. ( 4 , 5.5 , 7 ) • Because CABENUVA is a complete regimen, coadministration with other antiretroviral medications for the treatment of HIV-1 infection is not recommended. ( 7.1 ) • Drugs that induce uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)1A1 or cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A4 may decrease the plasma concentrations of the components of CABENUVA. ( 4 , 7.3 , 7.4 ) • CABENUVA should be used with caution in combination with drugs with a known risk of Torsade de Pointes. ( 7.3 , 7.4 )
7.1 Concomitant Use with Other Antiretroviral Medicines Because CABENUVA is a complete regimen, coadministration with other antiretroviral medications for the treatment of HIV-1 infection is not recommended [see Indications and Usage ( 1 )] .
7.2 Use of Other Antiretroviral Drugs after Discontinuation of CABENUVA Residual concentrations of cabotegravir and rilpivirine may remain in the systemic circulation of patients for prolonged periods (up to 12 months or longer). These residual concentrations are not expected to affect the exposures of antiretroviral drugs that are initiated after discontinuation of CABENUVA [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 ), Drug Interactions ( 7.4 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
7.3 Potential for Other Drugs to Affect CABENUVA Refer to the prescribing information for VOCABRIA (cabotegravir) and EDURANT (rilpivirine) for additional drug interaction information related to oral cabotegravir and oral rilpivirine, respectively. Cabotegravir Cabotegravir is primarily metabolized by UGT1A1 with some contribution from UGT1A9. Drugs that are strong inducers of UGT1A1 or UGT1A9 are expected to decrease cabotegravir plasma concentrations and may result in loss of virologic response; therefore, coadministration of CABENUVA with these drugs is contraindicated [see Contraindications ( 4 )] . Rilpivirine Rilpivirine is primarily metabolized by CYP3A.
Coadministration of CABENUVA and drugs that induce CYP3A may result in decreased plasma concentrations of rilpivirine and loss of virologic response and possible resistance to rilpivirine or to the class of NNRTIs [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Drug Interactions ( 7.4 )]. Coadministration of CABENUVA and drugs that inhibit CYP3A may result in increased plasma concentrations of rilpivirine [see Drug Interactions ( 7.4 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
QT-Prolonging Drugs: At mean steady-state C max values 4.4- and 11.6-fold higher than those with the recommended 600‑mg dose of rilpivirine extended-release injectable suspension, rilpivirine may prolong the QTc interval [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.2 )] . CABENUVA should be used with caution in combination with drugs with a known risk of Torsade de Pointes [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 ), Drug Interactions ( 7.4 )] .
7.4 Established and Other Potentially Significant Drug Interactions Refer to the prescribing information for VOCABRIA (cabotegravir) and EDURANT (rilpivirine) for additional drug interaction information related to oral cabotegravir and oral rilpivirine, respectively. Information regarding potential drug interactions with cabotegravir and rilpivirine is provided in Table 8 .
These recommendations are based on either drug interaction trials following oral administration of cabotegravir or rilpivirine or predicted interactions due to the expected magnitude of the interaction and potential for loss of virologic response [see Contraindications ( 4 ), Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Table 8 includes potentially significant interactions but is not all inclusive. Table 8. Drug Interactions with CABENUVA ↑ = Increase, ↓ = Decrease, ↔ = No change. a See Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 ) for magnitude of interaction.
Concomitant Drug Class: Drug Name Effect on Concentration Clinical Comment Anticonvulsants: Carbamazepine Oxcarbazepine Phenobarbital Phenytoin ↓Cabotegravir ↓Rilpivirine Coadministration is contraindicated with CABENUVA due to potential for loss of virologic response and development of resistance [see Contraindications ( 4 )] .
Antimycobacterials: Rifampin a Rifapentine ↓Cabotegravir ↓Rilpivirine Antimycobacterial: Rifabutin a ↓Cabotegravir ↔Rifabutin ↓Rilpivirine Glucocorticoid (systemic): Dexamethasone (more than a single-dose treatment) ↓Rilpivirine Herbal product: St John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) ↓Rilpivirine Macrolide or ketolide antibiotics: Azithromycin Clarithromycin Erythromycin ↔Cabotegravir ↑Rilpivirine Macrolides are expected to increase concentrations of rilpivirine and are associated with a risk of Torsade de Pointes [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.5 )] . Where possible, consider alternatives, such as azithromycin, which increases rilpivirine concentrations less than other macrolides.
Narcotic analgesic: Methadone a ↔Cabotegravir ↓Methadone ↔Rilpivirine No dose adjustment of methadone is required when starting coadministration of methadone with CABENUVA. However, clinical monitoring is recommended as methadone maintenance therapy may need to be adjusted in some patients.
7.5 Drugs without Clinically Significant Interactions Cabotegravir Based on drug interaction study results, the following drugs can be coadministered with cabotegravir (non-antiretrovirals and rilpivirine) or given after discontinuation of cabotegravir (antiretrovirals and non-antiretrovirals) without a dose adjustment: etravirine, midazolam, oral contraceptives containing levonorgestrel and ethinyl estradiol, and rilpivirine [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] .
Rilpivirine Based on drug interaction study results, the following drugs can be coadministered with rilpivirine (non-antiretrovirals and cabotegravir) or given after discontinuation of rilpivirine (antiretrovirals and non-antiretrovirals): acetaminophen, atorvastatin, cabotegravir, chlorzoxazone, dolutegravir, ethinyl estradiol, norethindrone, raltegravir, ritonavir-boosted atazanavir, ritonavir-boosted darunavir, sildenafil, tenofovir alafenamide, and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate [see Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] . Rilpivirine did not have a clinically significant effect on the pharmacokinetics of digoxin or metformin.
Contraindications
4 CONTRAINDICATIONS CABENUVA is contraindicated in patients: • with previous hypersensitivity reaction to cabotegravir or rilpivirine [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . • receiving the following coadministered drugs for which significant decreases in cabotegravir and/or rilpivirine plasma concentrations may occur due to uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT)1A1 and/or cytochrome P450 (CYP)3A enzyme induction, which may result in loss of virologic response [see Drug Interactions ( 7 ), Clinical Pharmacology ( 12.3 )] : o Anticonvulsants: Carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenobarbital, phenytoin o Antimycobacterials: Rifabutin, rifampin, rifapentine o Glucocorticoid (systemic): Dexamethasone (more than a single-dose treatment) o Herbal product: St John’s wort ( Hypericum perforatum ) • Previous hypersensitivity reaction to cabotegravir or rilpivirine. ( 4 ) • Coadministration with drugs where significant decreases in cabotegravir and/or rilpivirine plasma concentrations may occur, which may result in loss of virologic response. ( 4 )
Safety data
Reported adverse events (FAERS)
Liver injury (LiverTox)
LiverTox has no chapter for cabotegravir and rilpivirine. Check the label's hepatic warnings.
Pregnancy and lactation
Pregnancy
8.1 Pregnancy Pregnancy Exposure Registry There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in individuals exposed to CABENUVA during pregnancy. Healthcare providers are encouraged to register patients by calling the Antiretroviral Pregnancy Registry (APR) at 1-800-258-4263. Risk Summary There are insufficient human data on the use of CABENUVA during pregnancy to adequately assess a drug-associated risk of birth defects and miscarriage. Discuss the benefit-risk of using CABENUVA with individuals of childbearing potential or during pregnancy.
Cabotegravir and rilpivirine are detected in systemic circulation for up to 12 months or longer after discontinuing injections of CABENUVA; therefore, consideration should be given to the potential for fetal exposure during pregnancy [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 ), Drug Interactions ( 7.2 )] . Cabotegravir use in pregnant individuals has not been evaluated. Available data from the APR show no difference in the overall risk of birth defects for rilpivirine compared with the background rate for major birth defects of 2.7% in a United States (U.S.) reference population of the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program (MACDP) (see Data ).
The rate of miscarriage is not reported in the APR. The background risk for major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. The background rate for major birth defects in a U.S. reference population of the MACDP is 2.7%. The estimated background rate of miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies in the U.S. general population is 15% to 20%. The APR uses the MACDP as the U.S. reference population for birth defects in the general population. The MACDP evaluates mothers and infants from a limited geographic area and does not include outcomes for births that occurred at <20 weeks’ gestation.
In animal reproduction studies with oral cabotegravir, a delay in the onset of parturition and increased stillbirths and neonatal deaths were observed in a rat pre- and postnatal development study at >28 times the exposure at the recommended human dose (RHD). No evidence of adverse developmental outcomes was observed with oral cabotegravir in rats or rabbits (>28 times or similar to the exposure at the RHD, respectively) given during organogenesis (see Data ). No adverse developmental outcomes were observed when rilpivirine was administered orally at exposures 15 (rats) and 70 (rabbits) times the exposure in humans at the RHD (see Data ).
Clinical Considerations Lower exposures with oral rilpivirine were observed during pregnancy.…
For breastfeeding, also see LactMed (National Library of Medicine), which summarizes milk levels and infant effects.
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