Morphine Sulfate Extended-release Tablets

ARYMO™ ER
(AIR i mow)
(morphine sulfate) Extended-release Tablets

ARYMO ER is:

• A strong prescription pain medicine that contains an opioid (narcotic) that is used to manage pain severe enough to require daily around-the-clock, long-term treatment with an opioid, when other pain treatments such as non-opioid pain medicines or immediate-release opioid medicines do not treat your pain well enough or you cannot tolerate them.
• A long-acting (extended-release) opioid pain medicine that can put you at risk for overdose and death. Even if you take your dose correctly as prescribed you are at risk for opioid addiction, abuse, and misuse that can lead to death.
• Not for use to treat pain that is not around-the-clock.

Important information about ARYMO ER:

• Get emergency help right away if you take too much ARYMO ER (overdose). When you first start taking ARYMO ER, when your dose is changed, or if you take too much (overdose), serious or life-threatening breathing problems that can lead to death may occur.
• Taking ARYMO ER with other opioid medicines, benzodiazepines, alcohol, or other central nervous system depressants (including street drugs) can cause severe drowsiness, decreased awareness, breathing problems, coma, and death.
• Never give anyone else your ARYMO ER. They could die from taking it. Store ARYMO ER away from children and in a safe place to prevent stealing or abuse. Selling or giving away ARYMO ER is against the law.

Do not take ARYMO ER if you have:

• severe asthma, trouble breathing, or other lung problems.
• a bowel blockage or have narrowing of the stomach or intestines.

Before taking ARYMO ER, tell your healthcare provider if you have a history of:

• head injury, seizures
• problems urinating
• liver, kidney, thyroid problems
• pancreas or gallbladder problems
• abuse of street or prescription drugs, alcohol addiction, or mental health problems.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are:

• pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Prolonged use of ARYMO ER during pregnancy can cause withdrawal symptoms in your newborn baby that could be life-threatening if not recognized and treated.
• breastfeeding. Not recommended during treatment with ARYMO ER. It may harm your baby.
• taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, or herbal supplements. Taking ARYMO ER with certain other medicines can cause serious side effects and could lead to death.

When taking ARYMO ER:

• Do not change your dose. Take ARYMO ER exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. Use the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed.
• Take your prescribed dose every 8 to 12 hours, as directed by your healthcare provider. Do not take more than your prescribed dose. If you miss a dose, take your next dose at the usual time.
• Swallow ARYMO ER whole. Do not cut, break, chew, crush, dissolve, snort, or inject ARYMO ER because this may cause you to overdose and die.
• ARYMO ER should be taken one tablet at a time. Do not pre-soak, lick, or wet the tablet before placing in your mouth to avoid choking on the tablet.
• Call your healthcare provider if the dose you are taking does not control your pain.
• Do not stop taking ARYMO ER without talking to your healthcare provider.
• After you stop taking ARYMO ER, flush any unused tablets down the toilet.

While taking ARYMO ER DO NOT:

• Drive or operate heavy machinery, until you know how ARYMO ER affects you. ARYMO ER can make you sleepy, dizzy, or lightheaded.
• Drink alcohol or use prescription or over-the-counter medicines that contain alcohol. Using products containing alcohol during treatment with ARYMO ER may cause you to overdose and die.

The possible side effects of ARYMO ER are:

• constipation, nausea, sleepiness, vomiting, tiredness, headache, dizziness, abdominal pain. Call your healthcare provider if you have any of these symptoms and they are severe.

Get emergency medical help if you have:

• trouble breathing, shortness of breath, fast heartbeat, chest pain, swelling of your face, tongue, or throat, extreme drowsiness, lightheadedness when changing positions, feeling faint, agitation, high body temperature, trouble walking, stiff muscles, or mental changes such as confusion.

These are not all the possible side effects of ARYMO ER. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088. For more information go to dailymed.nlm.nih.gov

Healthcare professionals can telephone Egalet US Inc.'s Medical Information Department (1800-518-1084) for information on this product.

MORPHABOND (morphine sulfate) extended-release tablets are for oral use and contain morphine sulfate, an opioid agonist.

Each tablet contains the following inactive ingredients common to all strengths: hypromellose, xanthan gum, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium alginate, alginic acid, mannitol, colloidal silicon dioxide, magnesium stearate, ethyl acrylate and methyl methacrylate copolymer dispersion, lactose monohydrate, polysorbate 80, titanium dioxide, polyethylene glycol, shellac in ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, iron oxide black, n-butyl alcohol, propylene glycol, and ammonium hydroxide.

The tablet strengths describe the amount of morphine per tablet as the pentahydrated sulfate salt (morphine sulfate).

The 15 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Red No. 40 and FD&C Yellow No. 6

The 30 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Blue No. 2 and FD&C Red No. 40

The 60 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Yellow No. 6 and FD&C Red No. 40

The 100 mg tablets also contain: FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Yellow No. 6 and FD&C Red No. 40

Morphine sulfate is an odorless, white, crystalline powder with a bitter taste. It has a solubility of 1 in 21 parts of water and 1 in 1000 parts of alcohol, but is practically insoluble in chloroform or ether. The octanol: water partition coefficient of morphine is 1.42 at physiologic pH and the pKb is 7.9 for the tertiary nitrogen (mostly ionized at pH 7.4). Its structural formula is:

MORPHABOND is indicated for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

Limitations of Use

• Because of the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse with opioids, even at recommended doses, and because of the greater risks of overdose and death with extended-release opioid formulations, reserve MORPHABOND for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options (e.g., non-opioid analgesics or immediate-release opioids) are ineffective, not tolerated, or would be otherwise inadequate to provide sufficient management of pain.
• MORPHABOND is not indicated as an as-needed (prn) analgesic.

Clinical Presentation

Acute overdosage with MORPHABOND can be manifested by respiratory depression, somnolence progressing to stupor or coma, skeletal muscle flaccidity, cold and clammy skin, constricted pupils, and, in some cases, pulmonary edema, bradycardia, hypotension, and death. Marked mydriasis rather than miosis may be seen due to severe hypoxia in overdose situations see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY.

Treatment of Overdose

In case of overdose, priorities are the re-establishment of a patent and protected airway and institution of assisted or controlled ventilation if needed. Employ other supportive measures (including oxygen, vasopressors) in the management of circulatory shock and pulmonary edema as indicated. Cardiac arrest or arrhythmias will require advanced life support techniques.

The opioid antagonists, naloxone or nalmefene, are specific antidotes to respiratory depression resulting from opioid overdose. For clinically significant respiratory or circulatory depression secondary to morphine overdose, administer an opioid antagonist. Opioid antagonists should not be administered in the absence of clinically significant respiratory or circulatory depression secondary to morphine overdose. Because the duration of reversal would be expected to be less than the duration of action of morphine in MORPHABOND, carefully monitor the patient until spontaneous respiration is reliably re-established. MORPHABOND will continue to release morphine and add to the morphine load for 24 to 48 hours or longer following ingestion, necessitating prolonged monitoring. If the response to opioid antagonists is suboptimal or not sustained, additional antagonist should be administered as directed in the product's prescribing information.

In an individual physically dependent on opioids, administration of the usual dosage of the antagonist will precipitate an acute withdrawal syndrome. The severity of the withdrawal symptoms experienced will depend on the degree of physical dependence and the dose of the antagonist administered. If a decision is made to treat serious respiratory depression in the physically dependent patient, administration of the antagonist should be begun with care and by titration with smaller than usual doses of the antagonist.

Mechanism Of Action

Morphine sulfate, an opioid agonist, is relatively selective for the mu receptor, although it can interact with other opioid receptors at higher doses. In addition to analgesia, the widely diverse effects of morphine sulfate include analgesia, dysphoria, euphoria, somnolence, respiratory depression, diminished gastrointestinal motility, altered circulatory dynamics, histamine release, physical dependence, and alterations of the endocrine and autonomic nervous systems.

Morphine produces both its therapeutic and its adverse effects by interaction with one or more classes of specific opioid receptors located throughout the body. Morphine acts as a full agonist, binding with and activating opioid receptors at sites in the peri-aqueductal and peri-ventricular grey matter, the ventro-medial medulla and the spinal cord to produce analgesia.

Pharmacodynamics

While plasma morphine-efficacy relationships can be demonstrated in non-tolerant individuals, they are influenced by a wide variety of factors and are not generally useful as a guide to the clinical use of morphine. Dosages of morphine should be chosen and must be titrated on the basis of clinical evaluation of the patient and the balance between therapeutic and adverse effects.

Additive pharmacodynamic effects may be expected when MORPHABOND is used in conjunction with alcohol, other opioids, or illicit drugs that cause central nervous system depression.

The principal actions of therapeutic value of morphine are analgesia and sedation. Specific CNS opiate receptors for endogenous compounds with opioid-like activity have been identified throughout the brain and spinal cord and are likely to play a role in the expression of analgesic effects.

Morphine produces respiratory depression by direct action on brainstem respiratory centers. The mechanism of respiratory depression involves a reduction in the responsiveness of the brainstem respiratory centers to increases in carbon dioxide tension, and to electrical stimulation.

Morphine depresses the cough reflex by direct effect on the cough center in the medulla. Morphine causes miosis, even in total darkness. Pinpoint pupils are a sign of narcotic overdose but are not pathognomonic (e.g., pontine lesions of hemorrhagic or ischemic origins may produce similar findings). Marked mydriasis rather than miosis may be seen with worsening hypoxia.

Morphine causes a reduction in motility associated with an increase in smooth muscle tone in the antrum of the stomach and in the duodenum. Digestion of food is delayed in the small intestine and propulsive contractions are decreased. Propulsive peristaltic waves in the colon are decreased, while tone may be increased to the point of spasm. The end result is constipation.

Morphine can cause a marked reduction in gastric, biliary and pancreatic secretions, spasm of the sphincter of Oddi, and transient elevations in serum amylase.

Morphine produces peripheral vasodilation which may result in orthostatic hypotension or syncope. Manifestations of histamine release and/or peripheral vasodilation may include pruritus, flushing, red eyes and sweating and/or orthostatic hypotension.

Caution must be used in hypovolemic patients, such as those suffering acute myocardial infarction, because morphine may cause or further aggravate their hypotension. Caution must also be used in patients with cor pulmonale who have received therapeutic doses of opioids.

Opioids inhibit the secretion of ACTH, cortisol, testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) in humans. They also stimulate prolactin, growth hormone (GH) secretion, and pancreatic secretion of insulin and glucagon.

Opioids have been shown to have a variety of effects on components of the immune system in in vitro and animal models. The clinical significance of these findings is unknown. Overall, the effects of opioids appear to be modestly immunosuppressive.

Pharmacokinetics

MORPHABOND is an extended-release tablet containing morphine sulfate. Morphine is released from MORPHABOND somewhat more slowly than from immediate-release oral preparations. Following oral administration of a given dose of morphine, the amount ultimately absorbed is essentially the same whether the source is MORPHABOND or an immediate-release formulation. Because of pre-systemic elimination (i.e., metabolism in the gut wall and liver) only about 40% of the administered dose reaches the central compartment.

The oral bioavailability of morphine is approximately 20 to 40%. When MORPHABOND is given on a fixed dosing regimen, steady-state is achieved in about a day.

The effect of food upon the systemic bioavailability of MORPHABOND has not been systematically evaluated for all strengths. Administration of a single dose of MORPHABOND with a standardized high-fat meal resulted in a 33% increase in morphine peak plasma concentration and no change in AUC compared to fasted state.

Once absorbed, morphine is distributed to skeletal muscle, kidneys, liver, intestinal tract, lungs, spleen, and brain. Morphine also crosses placental membranes and has been found in breast milk. The volume of distribution (Vd) for morphine is approximately 3 to 4 liters per kilogram and morphine is 30 to 35% reversibly bound to plasma proteins.

The major pathways of morphine metabolism include glucuronidation to produce metabolites including morphine-3-glucuronide, M3G (about 50%) and morphine-6-glucuronide, M6G (about 5 to 15%) and sulfation in the liver to produce morphine-3-etheral sulfate. A small fraction (less than 5%) of morphine is demethylated. M6G has been shown to have analgesic activity but crosses the blood-brain barrier poorly, while M3G has no significant analgesic activity.

The elimination of morphine occurs primarily as renal excretion of M3G and its effective half-life after intravenous administration is normally 2 to 4 hours. Approximately 10% of the dose is excreted unchanged in urine. In some studies involving longer periods of plasma sampling, a longer terminal half-life of about 15 hours was reported. A small amount of the glucuronide conjugate is excreted in the bile, and there is some minor enterohepatic recycling.

Special Populations

The pharmacokinetics of MORPHABOND have not been studied in elderly patients.

The pharmacokinetics of MORPHABOND have not been studied in pediatric patients below the age of 18.

A gender analysis of pharmacokinetic data from healthy subjects taking morphine sulfate extended-release indicated that morphine concentrations were similar in males and females.

Chinese subjects given intravenous morphine had a higher clearance when compared to Caucasian subjects (1852 +/-116 ml/min compared to 1495 +/-80 ml/min).

Morphine pharmacokinetics are altered in individuals with cirrhosis. Clearance was found to decrease with a corresponding increase in half-life. The M3G and M6G to morphine plasma AUC ratios also decreased in these subjects, indicating diminished metabolic activity. Adequate studies of the pharmacokinetics of morphine in patients with severe hepatic impairment have not been conducted.

Morphine pharmacokinetics are altered in patients with renal failure. The AUC is increased and clearance is decreased and the metabolites, M3G and M6G, may accumulate to much higher plasma levels in patients with renal failure as compared to patients with normal renal function. Adequate studies of the pharmacokinetics of morphine in patients with severe renal impairment have not been conducted.

The following serious adverse reactions are described elsewhere in the labeling:

• Addiction, Abuse, and Misuse [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Interactions with Other CNS Depressants [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Severe Hypotension [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Seizures [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]
• Withdrawal [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

Clinical Trial Experience

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

MORPHABOND may increase the risk of serious adverse reactions such as those observed with other opioid analgesics, including respiratory depression, apnea, respiratory arrest, circulatory depression, hypotension, or shock [see OVERDOSAGE].

In clinical trials, the most common adverse reactions with morphine sulfate extended-release were constipation, dizziness, sedation, nausea, vomiting, sweating, dysphoria, and euphoric mood.

Some of these effects seem to be more prominent in ambulatory patients and in those not experiencing severe pain.

Cardiovascular disorders: tachycardia, bradycardia, palpitations

Eye disorders: visual impairment, vision blurred, diplopia, miosis

Gastrointestinal disorders: dry mouth, diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, dyspepsia

General disorders and administration site conditions: chills, feeling abnormal, edema, edema peripheral, weakness

Hepatobiliary disorders: biliary colic

Metabolism and nutrition disorders: anorexia

Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders: muscle rigidity, muscle twitching

Nervous system disorders: presyncope, syncope, headache, tremor, uncoordinated muscle movements, convulsion, intracranial pressure increased, taste alteration, paresthesia, nystagmus

Psychiatric disorders: agitation, mood altered, anxiety, depression, abnormal dreams, hallucination, disorientation, insomnia

Renal and urinary disorders: urinary retention, urinary hesitation, antidiuretic effect

Reproductive system and breast disorders: reduced libido and/or potency

Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders: laryngospasm

Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders: pruritus, urticaria, rash

Vascular disorders: flushing, hypotension, hypertension

Post-Marketing Experience

The following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of morphine sulfate extended-release: amenorrhea, asthenia, bronchospasm, confusional state, drug hypersensitivity, fatigue, hyperalgesia, hypertonia, ileus, increased hepatic enzymes, intestinal obstruction, lethargy, malaise, pulmonary edema, thinking disturbances, somnolence, and vertigo.

Anaphylaxis has been reported with ingredients contained in morphine sulfate extended-release. Advise patients how to recognize such a reaction and when to seek medical attention.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Morphabond (Morphine Sulfate Extended-release Tablets)