Ablavar

In the U.S.

• Ablavar

Available Dosage Forms:

• Solution

Therapeutic Class: Diagnostic Agent, Radiological Contrast Media

A doctor or other trained health professional will give you this medicine. This medicine is given through a needle placed in one of your veins just before you have an MRA scan.

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor or nurse immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Cough
• difficulty with swallowing
• dizziness
• fast heartbeat
• hives
• itching
• puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
• shortness of breath
• skin rash
• tightness in the chest
• unusual tiredness or weakness
• wheezing

• Blurred vision
• burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• feeling faint, dizzy, or lightheaded
• feeling of warmth or heat
• flushing or redness of the skin, especially on the face and neck
• headache
• nervousness
• pounding in the ears
• slow or fast heartbeat
• sweating

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
• change in taste
• feeling cold
• loss of taste
• nausea

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

• Tell all of your health care providers that you take Ablavar. This includes your doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and dentists.
• Very bad and sometimes deadly allergic reactions have rarely happened. Talk with your doctor.
• Kidney failure has happened with this medicine in people who already had kidney problems. Talk with the doctor.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan on getting pregnant. You will need to talk about the benefits and risks of using Ablavar while you are pregnant.
• Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You will need to talk about any risks to your baby.

WARNING/CAUTION: Even though it may be rare, some people may have very bad and sometimes deadly side effects when taking a drug. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of the following signs or symptoms that may be related to a very bad side effect:

• Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
• Signs of kidney problems like unable to pass urine, change in how much urine is passed, blood in the urine, or a big weight gain.
• Very bad dizziness or passing out.
• A heartbeat that does not feel normal.
• A fast heartbeat.

Gadofosveset is a contrast agent. It is used in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to help create a clear picture of the blood vessels (arteries). The MRA scan is a special kind of diagnostic procedure. It uses magnets and computers to create images or “pictures” of the blood vessels in certain areas of the body. Gadofosveset is a gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA).

Gadofosveset is given by injection before MRA to help diagnose problems in the blood vessels (e.g., blockage of the arteries).

This medicine is to be used only by or under the direct supervision of a doctor.

This product is available in the following dosage forms:

• Solution

The following adverse reactions are discussed in greater detail in other sections of the label:

• Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Hypersensitivity reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

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

Clinical Studies Experience

Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reactions were the most common serious reactions observed following ABLAVAR injection administration [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

In all clinical trials evaluating ABLAVAR with MRA, a total of 1,676 (1379 patients and 297 healthy subjects) were exposed to various doses ABLAVAR. The mean age of the 1379 patients who received ABLAVAR was 63 years (range 18 to 91 years); 66% (903) were men and 34% (476) were women. In this population, there were 80% (1100) Caucasian, 8% (107) Black, 12% (159) Hispanic, 1% (7) Asian, and < 1% (6) patients of other racial or ethnic groups. Table 2 shows the most common adverse reactions ( ≥ 1%) experienced by subjects receiving ABLAVAR at a dose of 0.03 mmol/kg.

Table 2 : Common Adverse Reactions in 802 Subjects Receiving Ablavar at 0.03 mmol/kg

Post-marketing Experience

Because post-marketing reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. The profile of adverse reactions identified during the post-marketing experience outside the United States was similar to that observed during the clinical studies experience.

ABLAVAR Injection has been administered to humans up to a dose of 0.15 mmol/kg (5 times the clinical dose). No ABLAVAR overdoses were reported in clinical trials. In the event of an overdose, direct treatment toward the support of all vital functions and prompt institution of symptomatic therapy. Gadofosveset has been shown to be removed by hemodialysis using a high flux dialysis procedure [see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY].

Gadofosveset trisodium has been assigned to pregnancy category C by the FDA. Animal studies have revealed evidence of teratogenicity. There are no controlled data in human pregnancy. Gadofosveset trisodium is only recommended for use during pregnancy when there are no alternatives and benefit outweighs risk.

There are no data on the excretion of gadofosveset trisodium into human milk. The effects in the nursing infant are unknown. The manufacturer recommends that caution be used when administering gadofosveset trisodium to nursing women.