Fenofibric Acid Capsules

Dosage Forms And Strengths

• 45 mg capsules with a reddish-brown cap imprinted in white ink the “a” logo and a yellow body imprinted in black ink the number “45”.
• 135 mg capsules with a blue cap imprinted in white ink the “a” logo and a yellow body imprinted in black ink the number “135”.

Storage And Handling

Trilipix (fenofibric acid) delayed release capsules 45 mg have a reddish-brown cap imprinted in white ink the “a” logo and a yellow body imprinted in black ink the number “45”.

Bottles of 90 (NDC 0074-9642-90).

Trilipix (fenofibric acid) delayed release capsules 135 mg have a blue cap imprinted in white ink the “a” logo and a yellow body imprinted in black ink the number “135”.

Bottles of 90 (NDC 0074-9189-90).

Store at 25°C (77°F); excursions permitted to 15°-30°C (59° to 86°F) [See USP controlled room temperature]. Keep out of the reach of children. Protect from moisture.

Manufactured for AbbVie Inc., North Chicago, IL 60064, U.S.A. by Fournier Laboratories Ireland Limited, Anngrove, Carrigtwohill Co. Cork, Ireland, or AbbVie LTD, Barceloneta, PR 00617. Revised: April 2015

Clinical Trials Experience

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.

Fenofibric acid is the active metabolite of fenofibrate. Adverse events reported by 2% or more of patients treated with fenofibrate and greater than placebo during double-blind, placebocontrolled trials are listed in Table 1. Adverse events led to discontinuation of treatment in 5.0% of patients treated with fenofibrate and in 3.0% treated with placebo. Increases in liver tests were the most frequent events, causing discontinuation of fenofibrate treatment in 1.6% of patients in double-blind trials.

Table 1: Adverse Events Reported by 2% or More of Patients Treated with Fenofibrate and Greater than Placebo During the Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trials

Clinical trials with Trilipix did not include a placebo-control arm. However, the adverse event profile of Trilipix was generally consistent with that of fenofibrate. The following adverse events not listed above were reported in ≥ 3% of patients taking Trilipix alone:

Gastrointestinal Disorders: Diarrhea, dyspepsia

General Disorders and Administration Site Conditions: Pain

Infections and Infestations: Nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, upper respiratory tract infection

Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: Arthralgia, myalgia, pain in extremity

Nervous System Disorders: Dizzinesss

Postmarketing Experience

The following adverse events have been identified during postapproval use of fenofibrate: rhabdomyolysis, pancreatitis, renal failure, muscle spasms, acute renal failure, hepatitis, cirrhosis, anemia, asthenia, and severely depressed HDL-cholesterol levels.

Because these events 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.

Mechanism Of Action

The active moiety of Trilipix is fenofibric acid. The pharmacological effects of fenofibric acid in both animals and humans have been extensively studied through oral administration of fenofibrate.

The lipid-modifying effects of fenofibric acid seen in clinical practice have been explained in vivo in transgenic mice and in vitro in human hepatocyte cultures by the activation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPARα). Through this mechanism, fenofibric acid increases lipolysis and elimination of triglyceride-rich particles from plasma by activating lipoprotein lipase and reducing production of Apo CIII (an inhibitor of lipoprotein lipase activity). Activation of PPARα also induces an increase in the synthesis of HDL-C and Apo AI and AII.

Pharmacokinetics

Trilipix contains fenofibric acid, which is the only circulating pharmacologically active moiety in plasma after oral administration of Trilipix. Fenofibric acid is also the circulating pharmacologically active moiety in plasma after oral administration of fenofibrate, the ester of fenofibric acid.

Plasma concentrations of fenofibric acid after administration of one 135 mg Trilipix delayed release capsule are equivalent to those after one 200 mg capsule of micronized fenofibrate administered under fed conditions.

Fenofibric acid is well absorbed throughout the gastrointestinal tract. The absolute bioavailability of fenofibric acid is approximately 81%.

Peak plasma levels of fenofibric acid occur within 4 to 5 hours after a single dose administration of Trilipix capsule under fasting conditions.

Fenofibric acid exposure in plasma, as measured by Cmax and AUC, is not significantly different when a single 135 mg dose of Trilipix is administered under fasting or nonfasting conditions.

Upon multiple dosing of Trilipix, fenofibric acid levels reach steady state within 8 days. Plasma concentrations of fenofibric acid at steady state are approximately slightly more than double those following a single dose. Serum protein binding is approximately 99% in normal and dyslipidemic subjects.

Fenofibric acid is primarily conjugated with glucuronic acid and then excreted in urine. A small amount of fenofibric acid is reduced at the carbonyl moiety to a benzhydrol metabolite which is, in turn, conjugated with glucuronic acid and excreted in urine.

In vivo metabolism data after fenofibrate administration indicate that fenofibric acid does not undergo oxidative metabolism (e.g., cytochrome P450) to a significant extent.

After absorption, Trilipix is primarily excreted in the urine in the form of fenofibric acid and fenofibric acid glucuronide.

Fenofibric acid is eliminated with a half-life of approximately 20 hours, allowing once daily administration of Trilipix.

Specific Populations

In five elderly volunteers 77 to 87 years of age, the oral clearance of fenofibric acid following a single oral dose of fenofibrate was 1.2 L/h, which compares to 1.1 L/h in young adults. This indicates that an equivalent dose of Trilipix can be used in elderly subjects with normal renal function, without increasing accumulation of the drug or metabolites [see Use in Specific Populations].

The pharmacokinetics of Trilipix has not been studied in pediatric populations.

No pharmacokinetic difference between males and females has been observed for Trilipix.

The influence of race on the pharmacokinetics of Trilipix has not been studied; however, fenofibric acid is not metabolized by enzymes known for exhibiting inter-ethnic variability.

The pharmacokinetics of fenofibric acid was examined in patients with mild, moderate, and severe renal impairment. Patients with severe renal impairment (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] < 30 mL/min/1.73m²) showed a 2.7-fold increase in exposure for fenofibric acid and increased accumulation of fenofibric acid during chronic dosing compared to that of healthy subjects. Patients with mild to moderate renal impairment (eGFR 30-59 mL/min/1.73m²) had similar exposure but an increase in the half-life for fenofibric acid compared to that of healthy subjects. Based on these findings, the use of Trilipix should be avoided in patients who have severe renal impairment and dose reduction is required in patients having mild to moderate renal impairment [see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION].

No pharmacokinetic studies have been conducted in patients with hepatic impairment.

Drug-drug Interactions

In vitro studies using human liver microsomes indicate that fenofibric acid is not an inhibitor of cytochrome (CYP) P450 isoforms CYP3A4, CYP2D6, CYP2E1, or CYP1A2. It is a weak inhibitor of CYP2C8, CYP2C19, and CYP2A6, and mild-to-moderate inhibitor of CYP2C9 at therapeutic concentrations.

Comparison of atorvastatin exposures when atorvastatin (80 mg once daily for 10 days) is given in combination with fenofibric acid (Trilipix 135 mg once daily for 10 days) and ezetimibe (10 mg once daily for 10 days) versus when atorvastatin is given in combination with ezetimibe only (ezetimibe 10 mg once daily and atorvastatin, 80 mg once daily for 10 days): The Cmax decreased by 1% for atorvastatin and ortho-hydroxy-atorvastatin and increased by 2% for parahydroxyatorvastatin. The AUC decreased 6% and 9% for atorvastatin and orthohydroxy-atorvastatin, respectively, and did not change for para-hydroxy-atorvastatin.

Comparison of ezetimibe exposures when ezetimibe (10 mg once daily for 10 days) is given in combination with fenofibric acid (Trilipix 135 mg once daily for 10 days) and atorvastatin (80 mg once daily for 10 days) versus when ezetimibe is given in combination with atorvastatin only (ezetimibe 10 mg once daily and atorvastatin, 80 mg once daily for 10 days): The Cmax increased by 26% and 7% for total and free ezetimibe, respectively. The AUC increased by 27% and 12% for total and free ezetimibe, respectively.

Table 2 describes the effects of co-administered drugs on fenofibric acid systemic exposure.

Table 3 describes the effects of co-administered fenofibric acid on other drugs.

Table 2: Effects of Co-Administered Drugs on Fenofibric Acid Systemic Exposure from Trilipix or Fenofibrate Administration

Table 3: Effects of Trilipix or Fenofibrate Co-Administration on Systemic Exposure of Other Drugs

Clinical Studies

The effects of fenofibrate on serum triglycerides were studied in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials of 147 hypertriglyceridemic patients. Patients were treated for eight weeks under protocols that differed only in that one entered patients with baseline TG levels of 500 to 1500 mg/dL, and the other TG levels of 350 to 500 mg/dL. In patients with hypertriglyceridemia and normal cholesterolemia with or without hyperchylomicronemia, treatment with fenofibrate at dosages equivalent to 135 mg once daily of Trilipix decreased primarily VLDL-TG and VLDL-C. Treatment of patients with elevated TG often results in an increase of LDL-C (Table 4).

Table 4: Effects of Fenofibrate in Patients With Severe Hypertriglyceridemia

The effects of fenofibrate at a dose equivalent to Trilipix 135 mg once daily were assessed from four randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel-group studies including patients with the following mean baseline lipid values: Total-C 306.9 mg/dL; LDL-C 213.8 mg/dL; HDL-C 52.3 mg/dL; and triglycerides 191.0 mg/dL. Fenofibrate therapy lowered LDL-C, Total-C, and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratio. Fenofibrate therapy also lowered triglycerides and raised HDL-C (Table 5).

Table 5: Mean Percent Change in Lipid Parameters at End of Treatment†

In a subset of the subjects, measurements of Apo B were conducted. Fenofibrate treatment significantly reduced Apo B from baseline to endpoint as compared with placebo (-25.1% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.0001, n = 213 and 143, respectively).

Fenofibric acid helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides (fatty acids) in the blood. High levels of these types of fat in the blood are associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis (clogged arteries).

Fenofibric acid is used to treat high cholesterol and high triglyceride levels. It is sometimes given together with other cholesterol-lowering medications.

Fenofibric acid may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.

You should not take fenofibric acid if you are allergic to it, or if you have:

• severe kidney disease (or if you are on dialysis);
• liver disease;
• gallbladder disease; or
• if you are breast-feeding a baby.

To make sure you can safely take fenofibric acid, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:

• kidney disease;
• diabetes; or
• underactive thyroid.

FDA pregnancy category C. It is not known whether fenofibric acid will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medication.

Do not breast-feed while you are taking fenofibric acid.

• Cholesterol