Omnaris

Treatment of Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis

OMNARIS Nasal Spray is indicated for the treatment of nasal symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and children 6 years of age and older.

Treatment of Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

OMNARIS Nasal Spray is indicated for the treatment of nasal symptoms associated with perennial allergic rhinitis in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older.

Some serious side effects have occurred with Omnaris nasal spray include:

• Nasal fungal infection.
• Slow healing of wounds. Do not use Omnaris nasal spray until your nose has healed, if you have a sore in your nose, you have had surgery on your nose, or your nose has been injured.
• Eye problems, including glaucoma and cataracts. You should have regular eye exams. Tell your doctor if you notice a change in vision while using Omnaris nasal spray.
• Immune system effects may increase your risk of infection. You should avoid being around people with Chicken Pox or Measles.
• Slow growth in children. A child using Omnaris should have his/her growth checked regularly.

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category C.  No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Omnaris nasal spray:

• Keep clean and dry at all times.
• Store between 59° F and 86° F.
• Do not freeze.
• Keep this medication and all medicines out of the reach of children.

Other drugs may interact with ciclesonide nasal, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Tell each of your health care providers about all medicines you use now and any medicine you start or stop using.

Ciclesonide nasal spray is used to treat an itchy or runny nose, sneezing, or other symptoms caused by perennial (year-round) or seasonal hay fever (allergic rhinitis). It is a steroid (cortisone-like medicine) that works by preventing the inflammation that occurs with allergic reactions.

This medicine is available only with your doctor's prescription.

In deciding to use a medicine, the risks of taking the medicine must be weighed against the good it will do. This is a decision you and your doctor will make. For this medicine, the following should be considered:

Allergies

Tell your doctor if you have ever had any unusual or allergic reaction to this medicine or any other medicines. Also tell your health care professional if you have any other types of allergies, such as to foods, dyes, preservatives, or animals. For non-prescription products, read the label or package ingredients carefully.

Pediatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated pediatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of Zetonna™ in children 12 years of age and older with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis. However, safety and efficacy have not been established in children younger than 12 years of age.

Appropriate studies have not been performed on the relationship of age to the effects of Omnaris™ in children younger than 6 years of age with seasonal allergic rhinitis, and in children younger than 12 years of age with perennial allergic rhinitis. Safety and efficacy have not been established in these age groups.

Geriatric

Appropriate studies performed to date have not demonstrated geriatric-specific problems that would limit the usefulness of ciclesonide nasal spray in the elderly. However, elderly patients are more likely to have age-related liver, kidney, or heart problems, which may require caution in patients receiving ciclesonide nasal spray.

Pregnancy

Breast Feeding

There are no adequate studies in women for determining infant risk when using this medication during breastfeeding. Weigh the potential benefits against the potential risks before taking this medication while breastfeeding.

Interactions with Medicines

Although certain medicines should not be used together at all, in other cases two different medicines may be used together even if an interaction might occur. In these cases, your doctor may want to change the dose, or other precautions may be necessary. When you are taking this medicine, it is especially important that your healthcare professional know if you are taking any of the medicines listed below. The following interactions have been selected on the basis of their potential significance and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is not recommended. Your doctor may decide not to treat you with this medication or change some of the other medicines you take.

• Desmopressin

Using this medicine with any of the following medicines is usually not recommended, but may be required in some cases. If both medicines are prescribed together, your doctor may change the dose or how often you use one or both of the medicines.

• Bemiparin
• Nadroparin
• Pixantrone

Interactions with Food/Tobacco/Alcohol

Certain medicines should not be used at or around the time of eating food or eating certain types of food since interactions may occur. Using alcohol or tobacco with certain medicines may also cause interactions to occur. Discuss with your healthcare professional the use of your medicine with food, alcohol, or tobacco.

Other Medical Problems

The presence of other medical problems may affect the use of this medicine. Make sure you tell your doctor if you have any other medical problems, especially:

• Cataracts, history of or
• Glaucoma, history of—Use with caution. May make these conditions worse.

• Chicken pox (includes recent exposure) or
• Herpes simplex infection of the eye or
• Infections (bacteria, fungus, virus, or parasite), active or untreated or
• Measles (includes recent exposure) or
• Tuberculosis, active or history of—Can reduce the body's ability to fight infections.

• Injury to the nose or
• Nose surgery, recent or
• Sores or ulcers in the nose, recent—May prevent proper healing of these conditions.

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 immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Bloody nose
• fever
• headache
• muscle aches
• nasal discomfort
• sore throat
• stuffy or runny nose
• unusual tiredness or weakness

• Acne or pimples
• blindness
• blistering, burning, crusting, dryness, or flaking of the skin
• bloody mucus or unexplained nosebleeds
• blurred vision
• change in vision
• darkening of the skin
• decreased vision
• diarrhea
• difficulty with breathing or troubled breathing
• difficulty with swallowing
• dizziness
• eye pain
• fainting
• hives
• itching, scaling, severe redness, soreness, or swelling of the skin
• loss of appetite
• loss of consciousness
• loss of vision
• menstrual changes
• mental depression
• nausea
• reddening of the skin, especially around the ears
• skin rash
• swelling of the eyes, eyelids, face, or inside of the nose
• tearing
• tightness in the chest
• vomiting
• weight gain around the face, neck, and trunk
• wheezing
• white patches inside the nose or throat

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:

• Ear pain

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.

• If you have an allergy to ciclesonide or any other part of this medicine (Omnaris).
• If you are allergic to any drugs like this one, any other drugs, foods, or other substances. Tell your doctor about the allergy and what signs you had, like rash; hives; itching; shortness of breath; wheezing; cough; swelling of face, lips, tongue, or throat; or any other signs.

This medicine may interact with other drugs or health problems.

Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all of your drugs (prescription or OTC, natural products, vitamins) and health problems. You must check to make sure that it is safe for you to take this medicine with all of your drugs and health problems. Do not start, stop, or change the dose of any drug without checking with your doctor.

Omnaris Nasal Spray is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to ciclesonide or any of the ingredients of Omnaris Nasal Spray [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].

The active component of Omnaris Nasal Spray is ciclesonide, a non-halogenated glucocorticoid having the chemical name pregna -1,4-diene-3,20-dione, 16,17-[[R-cyclohexylmethylene]bis(oxy)]-11-hydroxy-21-(2-methyl-1-oxopropoxy)-,(11β,16α)-. Ciclesonide is delivered as the R-epimer. The empirical formula is C32H44O7 and its molecular weight is 540.7. Its structural formula is as follows:

Ciclesonide is a white to yellow-white powder, practically insoluble in water and freely soluble in ethanol and acetone. Omnaris Nasal Spray is a metered-dose, manual-pump spray formulation containing a hypotonic aqueous suspension of ciclesonide. Omnaris Nasal Spray also contains microcrystalline cellulose, carboxymethylcellulose sodium, hypromellose, potassium sorbate and edetate sodium; and hydrochloric acid to adjust the pH to 4.5.

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

Adrenal Function: 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 ciclesonide-treated 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 Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

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 ciclesonide-treated 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 Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Pharmacokinetics

Absorption: 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 (des-ciclesonide) 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.

Distribution: 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.

Metabolism: Ciclesonide is hydrolyzed to a biologically active metabolite, des-ciclesonide, 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.

Elimination: 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.

Hepatic Impairment: 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 ex-actuator 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%).

Pediatric: 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, des-ciclesonide 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.