Ciclesonide Nasal Spray

Ciclesonide may cause side effects. Tell your doctor if any of these symptoms are severe or do not go away: Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of these symptoms call your doctor immediately:

• headache
• nosebleed
• burning or irritation in the nose
• earache

• painful white patches in nose or throat
• flu-like symptoms
• vision problems
• injury to nose
• new or increased acne (pimples)
• easy bruising
• enlarged face and neck
• extreme tiredness
• muscle weakness
• irregular menstruation (periods)
• hives
• rash
• itching
• swelling of the face, throat, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles or lower legs
• hoarseness
• difficulty breathing or swallowing
• wheezing

Ciclesonide may cause children to grow more slowly. It is not known whether using ciclesonide decreases the final adult height that children will reach. Talk to your doctor about the risks of giving this medication to your child.

Ciclesonide may cause other side effects. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication.

Dosage Forms And Strengths

OMNARIS Nasal Spray is a metered-dose, manual-pump spray formulation containing a hypotonic aqueous suspension of ciclesonide. Once primed, each actuation of the pump delivers 50 mcg ciclesonide in a volume of 70 microliters from the nasal actuator.

Storage And Handling

OMNARIS is supplied in an amber glass bottle and provides for nasal delivery with a manual metered pump. OMNARIS Nasal Spray is supplied with an oxygen absorber sachet and enclosed in a foil pouch. The contents of one 12.5 gram bottle provide 120 actuations, after initial priming. Each spray delivers 50 mcg of ciclesonide from the nasal actuator. Prior to initial use, OMNARIS Nasal Spray must be gently shaken and then the pump must be primed by actuating eight times. The OMNARIS Nasal Spray bottle has been filled with an excess to accommodate the priming activity. The bottle should be discarded after removal from the foil pouch either after 120 sprays following initial priming (since the amount of ciclesonide delivered per spray thereafter may be substantially less than the labeled dose) or after 4 months. Patient instructions are also provided.

Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15-30°C (59-86°F) [See USP Controlled Room Temperature]. Do not freeze. Shake gently before use. Keep out of reach of children.

Omnaris Nasal Spray 50 mcg, 120 metered sprays; net fill weight 12.5 g.

NDC 63402-701-01

Manufactured for Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough MA 01752 USA. Made in Germany. Revised: March 2013

Mechanism of Action

Ciclesonide is a pro-drug that is enzymatically hydrolyzed to a pharmacologically active metabolite, C21-desisobutyryl-ciclesonide (des-ciclesonide or RM1) following intranasal application. Des-ciclesonide has anti-inflammatory activity with affinity for the glucocorticoid receptor that is 120 times higher than the parent compound. The precise mechanism through which ciclesonide affects allergic rhinitis symptoms is not known. Corticosteroids have been shown to have a wide range of effects on multiple cell types (e.g., mast cells, eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, and lymphocytes) and mediators (e.g., histamine, eicosanoids, leukotrienes, and cytokines) involved in allergic inflammation.

Pharmacodynamics

In a 6-week trial in adolescents and adults 12-73 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis, a daily dose of 200 mcg of OMNARIS Nasal Spray was compared to placebo nasal spray. Dexamethasone 6 mg was used as an active control during the last 4 days of the treatment period. Adrenal function was assessed by measurement of 24 hour serum cortisol levels before and after 6 consecutive weeks of treatment. The difference from placebo for the change from baseline in serum cortisol AUC(0-24) was 10.4 mcg•hour/dL (95% CI: -4.7, 25.5) for 200 mcg of OMNARIS Nasal Spray. The effects observed with the active control (dexamethasone, n=18) validate the sensitivity of the study to assess the effect of ciclesonide on the HPA axis.

In a 12-week study in children 6 to 11 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis, daily doses of 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg of OMNARIS Nasal Spray were compared to placebo nasal spray. Adrenal function was assessed by measurement of 24-hour urinary-free cortisol (in 32 to 44 patients per group) and morning plasma cortisol levels (in 45 to 61 patients per group) before and after 12 consecutive weeks of treatment. The ciclesonidetreated groups had a numerically greater decline in 24-hour urinary-free cortisol compared to the placebo-treated group. The differences (and 95% confidence intervals) from placebo in the mean change from baseline to 12 weeks were -0.81 (-4.0, 2.4), -0.08 (-3.1, 2.9), and -2.11 (-5.3, 1.1) mcg/day for 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg dose groups, respectively. The mean AM plasma cortisol value did not show any consistent treatment effect with differences (and 95% confidence intervals) from placebo in the mean change from baseline to 12 weeks of 0.35 (-1.4, 2.1), 0.12 (-1.5, 1.7), and -0.38 (-2.1, 1.3) mcg/dL for 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg dose groups, respectively. In this study, serum was assayed for ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide [see Pharmacokinetics].

In a 6-week study in children 2 to 5 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis, daily doses of 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg of OMNARIS Nasal Spray were compared to placebo nasal spray. Adrenal function was assessed by measurement of 24-hour urinary-free cortisol (in 15 to 22 patients per group) and morning plasma cortisol levels (in 28 to 30 patients per group) before and after 6 consecutive weeks of treatment. The ciclesonidetreated groups had a numerically greater decline in 24-hour urinary-free cortisol compared to the placebo-treated group. The differences (and 95% confidence intervals) from placebo in the mean change from baseline to 6 weeks were -2.04 (-4.4, 0.3), -1.96 (-4.5, 0.6), and -1.76 (-4.3, 0.8) mcg/day for the 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg dose groups, respectively.

The plasma cortisol also decreased numerically after treatment with ciclesonide. The differences (and 95% confidence intervals) from placebo in the mean change in plasma cortisol from baseline to 6 weeks were -1.04 (-2.7, 0.7), -0.36 (-2.1, 1.4), and -0.12 (-1.8, 1.6) mcg/dL for the 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg dose groups, respectively. In this study, serum was assayed for ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide [see Pharmacokinetics].

Pharmacokinetics

Ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide have negligible oral bioavailability (both less than 1%) due to low gastrointestinal absorption and high first-pass metabolism. The intranasal administration of ciclesonide at recommended doses results in negligible serum concentrations of ciclesonide. However, the known active metabolite (desciclesonide) is detected in the serum of some patients after nasal inhalation of ciclesonide. The bioanalytical assay used has a lower limit of quantification of 25 pg/mL and 10 pg/mL, for ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide, respectively.

In healthy adults treated for two weeks with 50 to 800 mcg of ciclesonide nasal spray daily (n=6 in each treatment group), the peak serum concentrations of des-ciclesonide in all subjects were found to be below 30 pg/mL. Of those treated with 800 mcg and 400 mcg daily, 100% and 67% had detectable levels of des-ciclesonide, respectively. With daily doses of 200 mcg or less, detectable serum levels of des-ciclesonide were not observed. The low systemic exposure following ciclesonide nasal spray administration was confirmed in a crossover study in twenty-nine healthy adults. The median Cmax was less than 10 pg/mL and 602 pg/mL following a single dose of ciclesonide nasal spray (300 mcg) and orally inhaled ciclesonide (320 mcg), respectively.

Following intravenous administration of 800 mcg of ciclesonide, the volumes of distribution of ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide were approximately 2.9 L/kg and 12.1 L/kg, respectively. The percentage of ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide bound to human plasma proteins averaged ≥ 99% each, with ≤ 1% of unbound drug detected in the systemic circulation. Des-ciclesonide is not significantly bound to human transcortin.

Ciclesonide is hydrolyzed to a biologically active metabolite, desciclesonide, by esterases. Des-ciclesonide undergoes further metabolism in the liver to additional metabolites mainly by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A4 isozyme and to a lesser extent by CYP 2D6. The full range of potentially active metabolites of ciclesonide has not been characterized. After intravenous administration of 14C-ciclesonide, 19.3% of the resulting radioactivity in the plasma is accounted for by ciclesonide or des-ciclesonide; the remainder may be a result of other, as yet, unidentified multiple metabolites.

Following intravenous administration of 800 mcg of ciclesonide, the clearance values of ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide were high (approximately 152 L/h and 228 L/h, respectively). 14C-labeled ciclesonide was predominantly excreted via the feces after intravenous administration (66%) indicating that excretion through bile is the major route of elimination. Approximately 20% or less of drug-related radioactivity was excreted in the urine.

Special Populations

The pharmacokinetics of intranasally administered ciclesonide have not been assessed in patient subpopulations because the resulting blood levels of ciclesonide and des-ciclesonide are insufficient for pharmacokinetic calculations. However, population pharmacokinetic analysis showed that characteristics of des-ciclesonide after oral inhalation of ciclesonide were not appreciably influenced by a variety of subject characteristics such as body weight, age, race, and gender.

Compared to healthy subjects, the systemic exposure (Cmax and AUC) in patients with liver impairment increased in the range of 1.4 to 2.7-fold after exactuator administration of 1280 mcg ciclesonide via oral inhalation. Dose adjustment in liver impairment is not necessary. Renal Impairment: Studies in renally-impaired patients were not conducted since renal excretion of des-ciclesonide is a minor route of elimination ( ≤ 20%).

In pediatric subjects treated with 25 to 200 mcg of ciclesonide nasal spray daily, serum concentrations of des-ciclesonide were below 45 pg/mL, with the exception of one value of 64.5 pg/mL. In a 12-week study in children 6 to 11 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis, des-ciclesonide was detected in 50% of the subjects treated with 200 mcg and in 5% of those treated with 100 mcg ciclesonide nasal spray daily. In a 6-week study in children 2 to 5 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis, des-ciclesonide was detected in 41%, 22%, and 13% of the subjects treated with 200 mcg, 100 mcg, and 25 mcg ciclesonide nasal spray daily, respectively.

Drug-Drug Interactions

Based on in vitro studies in human liver microsomes, desciclesonide appears to have no inhibitory or induction potential on the metabolism of other drugs metabolized by cytochrome P450 enzymes. The inhibitory potential of ciclesonide on cytochrome P450 isoenzymes has not been studied. In vitro studies demonstrated that the plasma protein binding of des-ciclesonide was not affected by warfarin or salicylic acid, indicating no potential for protein binding-based drug interactions.

In a drug interaction study, co-administration of orally inhaled ciclesonide and oral ketoconazole, a strong inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A4, increased the exposure (AUC) of the active metabolite of ciclesonide, des-ciclesonide, by approximately 3.6-fold at steady state, while levels of ciclesonide remained unchanged.

In another drug interaction study, co-administration of orally inhaled ciclesonide and oral erythromycin, a moderate inhibitor of cytochrome P450 3A4, had no effect on the pharmacokinetics of either des-ciclesonide or erythromycin.

Animal Toxicology and Pharmacology

Reproductive Toxicology Studies: Oral administration of ciclesonide in rats up to 900 mcg/kg (approximately 35 times the maximum human daily dose in adults based on mcg/m²) produced no teratogenicity or other fetal effects. However, subcutaneous administration of ciclesonide in rabbits at 5 mcg/kg (less than the maximum daily intranasal dose in adults based on mcg/m²) or greater produced fetal toxicity. This included fetal loss, reduced fetal weight, cleft palate, skeletal abnormalities including incomplete ossifications, and skin effects. No toxicity was observed at 1 mcg/kg (less than the maximum human daily intranasal dose in adults based on mcg/m²).

Clinical Studies

Seasonal and Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

The efficacy of OMNARIS Nasal Spray was evaluated in 3 randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, multicenter, placebo-controlled clinical trials of 2 to 6 weeks duration conducted in the United States and Canada in adolescents and adults with allergic rhinitis. The three trials included a total of 1524 patients (495 males and 1029 females) of whom 79 were adolescents, ages 12 to 17 years. The racial distribution in these three trials included 1374 Caucasians, 69 Blacks, 31 Asians, and 50 patients classified as Other. Of the 1524 patients, 546 patients received OMNARIS Nasal Spray 200 mcg once daily administered as 2 sprays in each nostril. Patients enrolled in the studies were 12 to 86 years of age with a history of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis, a positive skin test to at least one relevant allergen, and active symptoms of allergic rhinitis at study entry. Assessment of efficacy in these trials was based on patient recording of four nasal symptoms (runny nose, nasal itching, sneezing, and nasal congestion) on a 0-3 categorical severity scale (0=absent, 1=mild, 2=moderate, and 3=severe) as reflective or instantaneous scores. Reflective scoring required the patients to record symptom severity over the previous 12 hours; the instantaneous scoring required patients to record symptom severity at the time of recording. The results of these trials showed that patients treated with OMNARIS Nasal Spray 200 mcg once daily exhibited statistically significantly greater decreases in total nasal symptom scores than placebo-treated patients. Secondary measures of efficacy were also generally supportive.

One of the three trials was a 2-week dose-ranging trial that evaluated efficacy of four doses of OMNARIS Nasal Spray in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. The primary efficacy endpoint was the difference from placebo in the change from baseline of the sum of morning and evening reflective total nasal symptom score averaged over the 2-week treatment period. Results of the primary efficacy endpoint are shown in Table 3. In this trial OMNARIS Nasal Spray 200 mcg once daily was statistically significantly different from placebo, but the lower doses were not statistically significantly different from placebo.

Table 3 : Mean change in reflective total nasal symptom score over 2 weeks in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis

The second trial was a 4-week single dose level trial conducted in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. The primary efficacy endpoint in the seasonal allergic rhinitis trial was the difference from placebo in the change from baseline of the average of morning and evening reflective total nasal symptom score averaged over the first 2 weeks of treatment. In this trial, OMNARIS Nasal Spray 200 mcg once daily was statistically significantly different from placebo (Table 4). Statistically significant differences in the morning pre-dose instantaneous total nasal symptom score indicate that the effect was maintained over the full 24-hour dosing interval.

The third trial was a 6-week single dose level trial conducted in patients with perennial allergic rhinitis. The primary efficacy endpoint in the perennial allergic rhinitis trial was the difference from placebo in the change from baseline of the average of morning and evening reflective total nasal symptom score averaged over the 6 weeks of treatment. In this trial, OMNARIS Nasal Spray 200 mcg once daily was statistically significantly different from placebo (Table 4). Statistically significant differences in the morning pre-dose instantaneous total nasal symptom score indicate that the effect was maintained over the full 24-hour dosing interval.

Table 4 : Mean changes in reflective total nasal symptom score and instantaneous total nasal symptom score in allergic rhinitis trials