1 ML darbepoetin alfa 0.025 MG/ML Injection [Aranesp]

INDICATIONS AND USAGE Aranesp is an erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) indicated for the treatment of anemia due to: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis ( 1.1 ). The effects of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and upon initiation, there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy ( 1.2 ). Limitations of Use Aranesp has not been shown to improve quality of life, fatigue, or patient well-being ( 1.3 ). Aranesp is not indicated for use: In patients with cancer receiving hormonal agents, biologic products, or radiotherapy, unless also receiving concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy ( 1.3 ). In patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy when the anticipated outcome is cure ( 1.3 ). In patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy in whom the anemia can be managed by transfusion ( 1.3 ). As a substitute for RBC transfusions in patients who require immediate correction of anemia ( 1.3 ). 1.1 Anemia Due to Chronic Kidney Disease Aranesp is indicated for the treatment of anemia due to chronic kidney disease (CKD), including patients on dialysis and patients not on dialysis. 1.2 Anemia Due to Chemotherapy in Patients with Cancer Aranesp is indicated for the treatment of anemia in patients with non-myeloid malignancies where anemia is due to the effect of concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy, and upon initiation, there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy. 1.3 Limitations of Use Aranesp has not been shown to improve quality of life, fatigue, or patient well-being. Aranesp is not indicated for use: • In patients with cancer receiving hormonal agents, biologic products, or radiotherapy, unless also receiving concomitant myelosuppressive chemotherapy. • In patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy when the anticipated outcome is cure. • In patients with cancer receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy in whom the anemia can be managed by transfusion. • As a substitute for RBC transfusions in patients who require immediate correction of anemia.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Recommended starting dose for patients with CKD on dialysis ( 2.2 ): - 0.45 mcg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously weekly, or - 0.75 mcg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously every 2 weeks - Intravenous route is recommended for patients on hemodialysis Recommended starting dose for patients with CKD not on dialysis ( 2.2 ): - 0.45 mcg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously at 4 week intervals Recommended starting dose for pediatric patients with CKD: - 0.45 mcg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously weekly - patients with CKD not on dialysis may also be initiated at 0.75 mcg/kg every 2 weeks Recommended starting dose for patients with cancer on chemotherapy ( 2.3 ): - 2.25 mcg/kg subcutaneously weekly, or - 500 mcg subcutaneously every 3 weeks 2.1 Important Dosing Information Evaluation of Iron Stores and Nutritional Factors Evaluate the iron status in all patients before and during treatment. Administer supplemental iron therapy when serum ferritin is less than 100 mcg/L or when serum transferrin saturation is less than 20%. The majority of patients with CKD will require supplemental iron during the course of ESA therapy. Monitoring of Response to Therapy Correct or exclude other causes of anemia (e.g., vitamin deficiency, metabolic or chronic inflammatory conditions, bleeding, etc.) before initiating Aranesp. Following initiation of therapy and after each dose adjustment, monitor hemoglobin weekly until the hemoglobin level is stable and sufficient to minimize the need for RBC transfusion. 2.2 Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease In controlled trials, patients experienced greater risks for death, serious adverse cardiovascular reactions, and stroke when administered erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) to target a hemoglobin level of greater than 11 g/dL. No trial has identified a hemoglobin target level, Aranesp dose, or dosing strategy that does not increase these risks. Individualize dosing and use the lowest dose of Aranesp sufficient to reduce the need for RBC transfusions [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 )] . Physicians and patients should weigh the possible benefits of decreasing transfusions against the increased risks of death and other serious cardiovascular adverse events [see Boxed Warning and Clinical Studies ( 14 ) ] . For all patients with CKD When initiating or adjusting therapy, monitor hemoglobin levels at least weekly until stable, then monitor at least monthly. When adjusting therapy consider hemoglobin rate of rise, rate of decline, ESA responsiveness and hemoglobin variability. A single hemoglobin excursion may not require a dosing change. Do not increase the dose more frequently than once every 4 weeks. Decreases in dose can occur more frequently. Avoid frequent dose adjustments. If the hemoglobin rises rapidly (e.g., more than 1 g/dL in any 2-week period), reduce the dose of Aranesp by 25% or more as needed to reduce rapid responses. For patients who do not respond adequately, if the hemoglobin has not increased by more than 1 g/dL after 4 weeks of therapy, increase the dose by 25%. For patients who do not respond adequately over a 12-week escalation period, increasing the Aranesp dose further is unlikely to improve response and may increase risks. Use the lowest dose that will maintain a hemoglobin level sufficient to reduce the need for RBC transfusions. Evaluate other causes of anemia. Discontinue Aranesp if responsiveness does not improve. For adult patients with CKD on dialysis : Initiate Aranesp treatment when the hemoglobin level is less than 10 g/dL. If the hemoglobin level approaches or exceeds 11 g/dL, reduce or interrupt the dose of Aranesp. The recommended starting dose is 0.45 mcg/kg intravenously or subcutaneously as a weekly injection or 0.75 mcg/kg once every 2 weeks as appropriate. The intravenous route is recommended for patients on hemodialysis. For adult patients with CKD not on dialysis : Consider initiating Aranesp treatment only when the hemoglobin level is less than 10 g/dL and the following considerations apply: ° The rate of hemoglobin decline indicates the likelihood of requiring a RBC transfusion and , ° Reducing the risk of alloimmunization and/or other RBC transfusion-related risks is a goal. If the hemoglobin level exceeds 10 g/dL, reduce or interrupt the dose of Aranesp, and use the lowest dose of Aranesp sufficient to reduce the need for RBC transfusions. The recommended starting dose is 0.45 mcg/kg body weight intravenously or subcutaneously given once at four week intervals as appropriate. For pediatric patients with CKD : Initiate Aranesp treatment when the hemoglobin level is less than 10 g/dL. If the hemoglobin level approaches or exceeds 12 g/dL, reduce or interrupt the dose of Aranesp. The recommended starting dose for pediatric patients (less than 18 years) is 0.45 mcg/kg body weight administered as a single subcutaneous or intravenous injection once weekly; patients not receiving dialysis may be initiated at a dose of 0.75 mcg/kg once every 2 weeks. When treating patients who have chronic kidney disease and cancer, physicians should refer to Warnings and Precautions ( 5.1 and 5.2 ) . Conversion from Epoetin alfa to Aranesp in patients with CKD on dialysis Aranesp is administered less frequently than epoetin alfa. Administer Aranesp once weekly in patients who were receiving epoetin alfa 2 to 3 times weekly. Administer Aranesp once every 2 weeks in patients who were receiving epoetin alfa once weekly. Estimate the starting weekly dose of Aranesp for adults and pediatric patients on the basis of the weekly epoetin alfa dose at the time of substitution (see Table 1). Maintain the route of administration (intravenous or subcutaneous injection). Table 1. Estimated Aranesp Starting Doses (mcg/week) for Patients with CKD on Dialysis Based on Previous Epoetin alfa Dose (Units/week) Previous Weekly Epoetin alfa Dose (Units/week) Aranesp Dose (mcg /week ) Adult Pediatric < 1,500 6.25 * 1,500 to 2,499 6.25 6.25 2,500 to 4,999 12.5 10 5,000 to 10,999 25 20 11,000 to 17,999 40 40 18,000 to 33,999 60 60 34,000 to 89,999 100 100 ≥ 90,000 200 200 *For pediatric patients receiving a weekly epoetin alfa dose of < 1,500 Units/week, the available data are insufficient to determine an Aranesp conversion dose. Conversion from Epoetin alfa to Aranesp in patients with CKD not on dialysis Refer to Table 1. The dose conversion depicted in Table 1 does not accurately estimate the once monthly dose of Aranesp. 2.3 Patients on Cancer Chemotherapy Initiate Aranesp in patients on cancer chemotherapy only if the hemoglobin is less than 10 g/dL, and if there is a minimum of two additional months of planned chemotherapy. Use the lowest dose of Aranesp necessary to avoid RBC transfusions. Recommended Starting Dose The recommended starting dose and schedules are: 2.25 mcg/kg every week subcutaneously until completion of a chemotherapy course. 500 mcg every 3 weeks subcutaneously until completion of a chemotherapy course. Table 2. Dose Adjustment Dose Adjustment Weekly Schedule Every 3 Week Schedule If hemoglobin increases greater than 1 g/dL in any 2-week period or If hemoglobin reaches a level needed to avoid RBC transfusion Reduce dose by 40% Reduce dose by 40% If hemoglobin exceeds a level needed to avoid RBC transfusion Withhold dose until hemoglobin approaches a level where RBC transfusions may be required Reinitiate at a dose 40% below the previous dose Withhold dose until hemoglobin approaches a level where RBC transfusions may be required Reinitiate at a dose 40% below the previous dose If hemoglobin increases by less than 1 g/dL and remains below 10 g/dL after 6 weeks of therapy Increase dose to 4.5 mcg/kg/week No dose adjustment If there is no response as measured by hemoglobin levels or if RBC transfusions are still required after 8 weeks of therapy Following completion of a chemotherapy course Discontinue Aranesp Discontinue Aranesp 2.4 Preparation and Administration The needle cover

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS Increased Mortality, Myocardial Infarction, Stroke, and Thromboembolism: Using Aranesp to target a hemoglobin level of greater than 11 g/dL increases the risk of serious adverse cardiovascular reactions and has not been shown to provide additional benefit ( 5.1 and 14.1 ). Use caution in patients with coexistent cardiovascular disease and stroke ( 5.1 ). Increased Mortality and/or Increased Risk of Tumor Progression or Recurrence in Patients with Cancer ( 5.2 ). Hypertension: Control hypertension prior to initiating and during treatment with Aranesp ( 5.3 ). Seizures: Aranesp increases the risk for seizures in patients with CKD ( 5.4 ). Increase monitoring of these patients for changes in seizure frequency or premonitory symptoms ( 5.4 ). PRCA: If severe anemia and low reticulocyte count develop during Aranesp treatment, withhold Aranesp and evaluate for PRCA ( 5.6 ). Serious Allergic Reactions: Discontinue Aranesp and manage reactions ( 5.7 ). Severe Cutaneous Reactions: Discontinue Aranesp ( 5.8 ). 5.1 Increased Mortality, Myocardial Infarction, Stroke, and Thromboembolism In controlled clinical trials of patients with CKD comparing higher hemoglobin targets (13 - 14 g/dL) to lower targets (9 - 11.3 g/dL), Aranesp and other ESAs increased the risk of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, congestive heart failure, thrombosis of hemodialysis vascular access, and other thromboembolic events in the higher target groups. Using Aranesp to target a hemoglobin level of greater than 11 g/dL increases the risk of serious adverse cardiovascular reactions and has not been shown to provide additional benefit [see Clinical Studies ( 14.1 )] . Use caution in patients with coexistent cardiovascular disease and stroke [see Dosage and Administration ( 2.2 )] . Patients with CKD and an insufficient hemoglobin response to ESA therapy may be at even greater risk for cardiovascular reactions and mortality than other patients. A rate of hemoglobin rise of greater than 1 g/dL over 2 weeks may contribute to these risks. In controlled clinical trials of patients with cancer, Aranesp and other ESAs increased the risks for death and serious adverse cardiovascular reactions. These adverse reactions included myocardial infarction and stroke. In controlled clinical trials, ESAs increased the risk of death in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) and the risk of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures. The design and overall results of the 3 large trials comparing higher and lower hemoglobin targets are shown in Table 3. Table 3. Randomized Controlled Trials Showing Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients with CKD Normal Hematocrit Study (NHS) (N = 12 65 ) CHOIR (N = 1432) TREAT (N = 4038) Time Period of Trial 1993 to 1996 2003 to 2006 2004 to 2009 Population Adult patients with CKD on hemodialysis with coexisting CHF or CAD, hematocrit 30 ± 3% on epoetin alfa Adult patients with CKD not on dialysis with hemoglobin < 11 g/dL not previously administered epoetin alfa Adult patients with CKD not on dialysis with type II diabetes, hemoglobin ≤ 11 g/dL Hemoglobin Target; Higher vs. Lower (g/dL) 14.0 vs. 10.0 13.5 vs. 11.3 13.0 vs. ≥ 9.0 Median (Q1, Q3) Achieved Hemoglobin level (g/dL) 12.6 (11.6, 13.3) vs. 10.3 (10.0, 10.7) 13.0 (12.2, 13.4) vs. 11.4 (11.1, 11.6) 12.5 (12.0, 12.8) vs. 10.6 (9.9, 11.3) Primary Endpoint All-cause mortality or non-fatal MI All-cause mortality, MI, hospitalization for CHF, or stroke All-cause mortality, MI, myocardial ischemia, heart failure, and stroke Hazard Ratio or Relative Risk (95% CI) 1.28 (1.06 - 1.56) 1.34 (1.03 - 1.74) 1.05 (0.94 - 1.17) Adverse Outcome for Higher Target Group All-cause mortality All-cause mortality Stroke Hazard Ratio or Relative Risk (95% CI) 1.27 (1.04 - 1.54) 1.48 (0.97 - 2.27) 1.92 (1.38 - 2.68) Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Normal Hematocrit Study (NHS): A prospective, randomized, open-label study of 1265 patients with chronic kidney disease on dialysis with documented evidence of congestive heart failure or ischemic heart disease was designed to test the hypothesis that a higher target hematocrit (Hct) would result in improved outcomes compared with a lower target Hct. In this study, patients were randomized to epoetin alfa treatment targeted to a maintenance hemoglobin of either 14 ± 1 g/dL or 10 ± 1 g/dL. The trial was terminated early with adverse safety findings of higher mortality in the high hematocrit target group. Higher mortality (35% vs. 29%) was observed for the patients randomized to a target hemoglobin of 14 g/dL than for the patients randomized to a target hemoglobin of 10 g/dL. For all-cause mortality, the HR = 1.27; 95% CI (1.04, 1.54); p = 0.018. The incidence of nonfatal myocardial infarction, vascular access thrombosis, and other thrombotic events was also higher in the group randomized to a target hemoglobin of 14 g/dL. CHOIR: A randomized, prospective trial, 1432 patients with anemia due to CKD who were not undergoing dialysis and who had not previously received epoetin alfa therapy were randomized to epoetin alfa treatment targeting a maintenance hemoglobin concentration of either 13.5 g/dL or 11.3 g/dL. The trial was terminated early with adverse safety findings. A major cardiovascular event (death, myocardial infarction, stroke, or hospitalization for congestive heart failure) occurred in 125 of the 715 patients (18%) in the higher hemoglobin group compared to 97 of the 717 patients (14%) in the lower hemoglobin group [hazard ratio (HR) 1.34, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.74; p = 0.03]. TREAT: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial of 4038 patients with CKD not on dialysis (eGFR of 20 – 60 mL/min), anemia (hemoglobin levels ≤ 11 g/dL), and type 2 diabetes mellitus, patients were randomized to receive either Aranesp treatment or a matching placebo. Placebo group patients also received Aranesp when their hemoglobin levels were below 9 g/dL. The trial objectives were to demonstrate the benefit of Aranesp treatment of the anemia to a target hemoglobin level of 13 g/dL, when compared to a "placebo" group, by reducing the occurrence of either of two primary endpoints: (1) a composite cardiovascular endpoint of all-cause mortality or a specified cardiovascular event (myocardial ischemia, CHF, MI, and CVA) or (2) a composite renal endpoint of all-cause mortality or progression to end stage renal disease. The overall risks for each of the two primary endpoints (the cardiovascular composite and the renal composite) were not reduced with Aranesp treatment (see Table 3), but the risk of stroke was increased nearly two-fold in the Aranesp-treated group versus the placebo group: annualized stroke rate 2.1% vs. 1.1%, respectively, HR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.38, 2.68; p < 0.001. The relative risk of stroke was particularly high in patients with a prior stroke: annualized stroke rate 5.2% in the Aranesp treated group and 1.9% in the placebo group, HR 3.07; 95% CI: 1.44, 6.54. Also, among Aranesp-treated subjects with a past history of cancer, there were more deaths due to all causes and more deaths adjudicated as due to cancer, in comparison with the control group. Patients with Cancer An increased incidence of thromboembolic reactions, some serious and life-threatening, occurred in patients with cancer treated with ESAs. In a randomized, placebo-controlled study (Study 2 in Table 4 [ see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.2 ) ] ) of 939 women with metastatic breast cancer receiving chemotherapy, patients received either weekly epoetin alfa or placebo for up to a year. This study was designed to show that survival was superior when epoetin alfa was administered to prevent anemia (maintain hemoglobin levels between 12 and 14 g/dL or hematocrit between 36% and 42%). This study was terminated prematurely when interim results demonstrated a higher mortality at 4 months (8.7% vs. 3.4%) and a higher rate of fatal thrombotic r

CONTRAINDICATIONS Aranesp is contraindicated in patients with: Uncontrolled hypertension [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.3 )] . Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) that begins after treatment with Aranesp or other erythropoietin protein drugs [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.6 )] . Serious allergic reactions to Aranesp [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.7 )] . Uncontrolled hypertension ( 4 ) Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) that begins after treatment with Aranesp or other erythropoietin protein drugs ( 4 ) Serious allergic reactions to Aranesp ( 4 )

Mechanism of Action Aranesp stimulates erythropoiesis by the same mechanism as endogenous erythropoietin.