amicar (Aminocaproic Acidtablet 
amicar (Aminocaproic Acidsyrup 
amicar (Aminocaproic Acidinjection, solution 
[XANODYNE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.]

Rx only

DESCRIPTION

AMICAR (aminocaproic acid) is 6-aminohexanoic acid, which acts as an inhibitor of fibrinolysis.

Its chemical structure is:

Image from Drug Label Content

AMICAR is soluble in water, acid, and alkaline solutions; it is sparingly soluble in methanol and practically insoluble in chloroform.

AMICAR (aminocaproic acid) Injection, for intravenous administration, is a sterile pyrogen-free solution containing 250 mg/mL of aminocaproic acid with benzyl alcohol 0.9% as preservative and Water for Injection. Hydrochloric acid may be added to adjust pH to approximately 6.8 during manufacture.

AMICAR (aminocaproic acid) Oral Solution, 25%, for oral administration, contains 250 mg/mL of aminocaproic acid with methylparaben 0.20%, propylparaben 0.05%, edetate disodium 0.30% as preservatives and the following inactive ingredients: sodium saccharin, sorbitol solution, citric acid anhydrous, natural and artificial raspberry flavor and an artificial bitterness modifier.

Each AMICAR (aminocaproic acid) Tablet, for oral administration contains 500 mg or 1000 mg of aminocaproic acid and the following inactive ingredients: povidone, crospovidone, stearic acid, and magnesium stearate.

CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY

The fibrinolysis-inhibitory effects of AMICAR appear to be exerted principally via inhibition of plasminogen activators and to a lesser degree through antiplasmin activity.

In adults, oral absorption appears to be a zero-order process with an absorption rate of 5.2 g/hr. The mean lag time in absorption is 10 minutes. After a single oral dose of 5 g, absorption was complete (F=1). Mean ± SD peak plasma concentrations (164 ± 28 mcg/mL) were reached within 1.2 ± 0.45 hours.

After oral administration, the apparent volume of distribution was estimated to be 23.1 ± 6.6 L (mean ± SD). Correspondingly, the volume of distribution after intravenous administration has been reported to be 30.0 ± 8.2 L. After prolonged administration, AMICAR has been found to distribute throughout extravascular and intravascular compartments of the body, penetrating human red blood cells as well as other tissue cells.

Renal excretion is the primary route of elimination, whether AMICAR is administered orally or intravenously. Sixty-five percent of the dose is recovered in the urine as unchanged drug and 11% of the dose appears as the metabolite adipic acid. Renal clearance (116 mL/min) approximates endogenous creatinine clearance. The total body clearance is 169 mL/min. The terminal elimination half-life for AMICAR is approximately 2 hours.

INDICATIONS AND USAGE

AMICAR is useful in enhancing hemostasis when fibrinolysis contributes to bleeding. In life-threatening situations, transfusion of appropriate blood products and other emergency measures may be required.

Fibrinolytic bleeding may frequently be associated with surgical complications following heart surgery (with or without cardiac bypass procedures) and portacaval shunt; hematological disorders such as amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (accompanying aplastic anemia); acute and life-threatening; abruptio placentae; hepatic cirrhosis; and neoplastic disease such as carcinoma of the prostate, lung, stomach, and cervix.

Urinary fibrinolysis, usualIy a normal physiological phenomenon, may contribute to excessive urinary tract fibrinolytic bleeding associated with surgical hematuria (following prostatectomy and nephrectomy) or nonsurgical hematuria (accompanying polycystic or neoplastic diseases of the genitourinary system). (See WARNINGS.)

CONTRAINDICATIONS

AMICAR should not be used when there is evidence of an active intravascular clotting process.

When there is uncertainty as to whether the cause of bleeding is primary fibrinolysis or disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), this distinction must be made before administering AMICAR.

The following tests can be applied to differentiate the two conditions:

AMICAR must not be used in the presence of DIC without concomitant heparin.

WARNINGS

AMICAR Injection contains benzyl alcohol as a preservative. The administration of medications containing benzyl alcohol as a preservative to premature neonates has been associated with a fatal “gasping syndrome.” (See PRECAUTIONS, Pediatric Use).

In patients with upper urinary tract bleeding, AMICAR administration has been known to cause intrarenal obstruction in the form of glomerular capillary thrombosis or clots in the renal pelvis and ureters. For this reason, AMICAR should not be used in hematuria of upper urinary tract origin, unless the possible benefits outweigh the risk.

Subendocardial hemorrhages have been observed in dogs given intravenous infusions of 0.2 times the maximum human therapeutic dose of AMICAR and in monkeys given 8 times the maximum human therapeutic dose of AMICAR.

Fatty degeneration of the myocardium has been reported in dogs given intravenous doses of AMICAR at 0.8 to 3.3 times the maximum human therapeutic dose and in monkeys given intravenous doses of AMICAR at 6 times the maximum human therapeutic dose.

Rarely, skeletal muscle weakness with necrosis of muscle fibers has been reported following prolonged administration. Clinical presentation may range from mild myalgias with weakness and fatigue to a severe proximal myopathy with rhabdomyolysis, myoglobinuria, and acute renal failure. Muscle enzymes, especially creatine phosphokinase (CPK) are elevated. CPK levels should be monitored in patients on long-term therapy. AMICAR administration should be stopped if a rise in CPK is noted. Resolution follows discontinuation of AMICAR; however, the syndrome may recur if AMICAR is restarted.

The possibility of cardiac muscle damage should also be considered when skeletal myopathy occurs. One case of cardiac and hepatic lesions observed in man has been reported. The patient received 2 g of aminocaproic acid every 6 hours for a total dose of 26 g. Death was due to continued cerebrovascular hemorrhage. Necrotic changes in the heart and liver were noted at autopsy.

PRECAUTIONS

General

AMICAR inhibits both the action of plasminogen activators and to a lesser degree, plasmin activity. The drug should NOT be administered without a definite diagnosis and/or laboratory finding indicative of hyperfibrinolysis (hyperplasminemia).1

Rapid intravenous administration of the drug should be avoided since this may induce hypotension, bradycardia, and/or arrhythmia.

Inhibition of fibrinolysis by aminocaproic acid may theoretically result in clotting or thrombosis. However, there is no definite evidence that administration of aminocaproic acid has been responsible for the few reported cases of intravascular clotting which followed this treatment. Rather, it appears that such intravascular clotting was most likely due to the patient's preexisting clinical condition, e.g., the presence of DIC. It has been postulated that extravascular clots formed in vivo may not undergo spontaneous Iysis as do normal clots.

Reports have appeared in the literature of an increased incidence of certain neurological deficits such as hydrocephalus, cerebral ischemia, or cerebral vasospasm associated with the use of antifibrinolytic agents in the treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). All of these events have also been described as part of the natural course of SAH, or as a consequence of diagnostic procedures such as angiography. Drug relatedness remains unclear.

Thrombophlebitis, a possibility with all intravenous therapy, should be guarded against by strict attention to the proper insertion of the needle and the fixing of its position.

Epsilon-aminocaproic acid should not be administered with Factor IX Complex concentrates or Anti-Inhibitor Coagulant concentrates, as the risk of thrombosis may be increased.

Laboratory Tests

The use of AMICAR should be accompanied by tests designed to determine the amount of fibrinolysis present. There are presently available: (a) general tests such as those for the determination of the Iysis of a clot of blood or plasma; and (b) more specific tests for the study of various phases of the fibrinolytic mechanisms. These latter tests include both semiquantitative and quantitative techniques for the determination of profibrinolysin, fibrinolysin, and antifibrinolysin.

Drug Laboratory Test Interactions

Prolongation of the template bleeding time has been reported during continuous intravenous infusion of AMICAR at dosages exceeding 24 g/day. Platelet function studies in these patients have not demonstrated any significant platelet dysfunction. However, in vitro studies have shown that at high concentrations (7.4 mMol/L or 0.97 mg/mL and greater) aminocaproic acid inhibits ADP and collagen-induced platelet aggregation, the release of ATP and serotonin, and the binding of fibrinogen to the platelets in a concentration-response manner. Following a 10 g bolus of AMICAR, transient peak plasma concentrations of 4.6 mMol/L or 0.60 mg/mL have been obtained. The concentration of AMICAR necessary to maintain inhibition of fibrinolysis is 0.99 mMol/L or 0.13 mg/mL. Administration of a 5 g bolus followed by 1 to 1.25 g/hr should achieve and sustain plasma levels of 0.13 mg/mL. Thus, concentrations which have been obtained in vivo clinically in patients with normal renal function are considerably lower than the in vitro concentrations found to induce abnormalities in platelet function tests. However, higher plasma concentrations of AMICAR may occur in patients with severe renal failure.

Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Long-term studies in animals to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of AMICAR and studies to evaluate its mutagenic potential have not been conducted. Dietary administration of an equivalent of the maximum human therapeutic dose of AMICAR to rats of both sexes impaired fertility as evidenced by decreased implantations, litter sizes and number of pups born.

Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category C. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with AMICAR. It is also not known whether AMICAR can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. AMICAR should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed.

Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when AMICAR is administered to a nursing woman.

Pediatric Use

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients have not been established.

AMICAR Injection contains benzyl alcohol as a preservative. Benzyl alcohol has been associated with a fatal “gasping syndrome” in neonates. The “gasping syndrome,” characterized by central nervous system depression, metabolic acidosis, gasping respirations, and high levels of benzyl alcohol and its metabolites found in the blood and urine, has been associated with exposure to benzyl alcohol in neonates and low-birth weight neonates. Additional symptoms may include gradual neurological deterioration, seizures, intracranial hemorrhage, hematologic abnormalities, skin breakdown, hepatic and renal failure, hypotension, bradycardia, and cardiovascular collapse. (See WARNINGS.)

ADVERSE REACTIONS

AMICAR is generally well tolerated. The following adverse experiences have been reported:

General: Edema, headache, malaise.

Hypersensitivity Reactions: Allergic and anaphylactoid reactions, anaphylaxis.

Local Reactions: Injection site reactions, pain and necrosis.

Cardiovascular: Bradycardia, hypotension, peripheral ischemia, thrombosis.

Gastrointestinal: Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

Hematologic: Agranulocytosis, coagulation disorder, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia.

Musculoskeletal: CPK increased, muscle weakness, myalgia, myopathy (see WARNINGS), myositis, rhabdomyolysis.

Neurologic: Confusion, convulsions, delirium, dizziness, hallucinations, intracranial hypertension, stroke, syncope.

Respiratory: Dyspnea, nasal congestion, pulmonary embolism.

Skin: Pruritis, rash.

Special Senses: Tinnitus, vision decreased, watery eyes.

Urogenital: BUN increased, renal failure. There have been some reports of dry ejaculation during the period of AMICAR treatment. These have been reported to date only in hemophilia patients who received the drug after undergoing dental surgical procedures. However, this symptom resolved in all patients within 24 to 48 hours of completion of therapy.

OVERDOSAGE

A few cases of acute overdosage with AMICAR administered intravenously have been reported. The effects have ranged from no reaction to transient hypotension to severe acute renal failure leading to death. One patient with a history of brain tumor and seizures experienced seizures after receiving an 8 gram bolus injection of AMICAR. The single dose of AMICAR causing symptoms of overdosage or considered to be life-threatening is unknown. Patients have tolerated doses as high as 100 grams while acute renal failure has been reported following a dose of 12 grams.

The intravenous and oral LD50 of AMICAR were 3.0 and 12.0 g/kg, respectively, in the mouse and 3.2 and 16.4 g/kg, respectively, in the rat. An intravenous infusion dose of 2.3 g/kg was lethal in the dog. On intravenous administration, tonic-clonic convulsions were observed in dogs and mice.

No treatment for overdosage is known, although evidence exists that AMICAR is removed by hemodialysis and may be removed by peritoneal dialysis. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that total body clearance of AMICAR is markedly decreased in patients with severe renal failure.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

Intravenous

AMICAR (aminocaproic acid) Injection is administered by infusion, utilizing the usual compatible intravenous vehicles (e.g., Sterile Water for Injection, Sodium Chloride for Injection, 5% Dextrose or Ringer's Injection). Although Sterile Water for Injection is compatible for intravenous injection the resultant solution is hypo-osmolar. RAPID INJECTION OF AMICAR INJECTION UNDILUTED INTO A VEIN IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

For the treatment of acute bleeding syndromes due to elevated fibrinolytic activity, it is suggested that 16 to 20 mL (4 to 5 g) of AMICAR Injection in 250 mL of diluent be administered by infusion during the first hour of treatment, followed by a continuing infusion at the rate of 4 mL (1 g) per hour in 50 mL of diluent. This method of treatment would ordinarily be continued for about 8 hours or until the bleeding situation has been controlled.

Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.

Oral Therapy

If the patient is able to take medication by mouth, an identical dosage regimen may be followed by administering AMICAR Tablets or AMICAR Oral Solution, 25% as follows:

For the treatment of acute bleeding syndromes due to elevated fibrinolytic activity, it is suggested that 5 AMICAR 1000 mg Tablets or 10 AMICAR 500 mg Tablets (5 g) or 4 teaspoonfuls of AMICAR Oral Solution (5 g) be administered during the first hour of treatment, followed by a continuing rate of 1 AMICAR 1000 mg Tablet or 2 AMICAR 500 mg Tablets (1 g) or 1 teaspoonful of AMICAR Oral Solution (1.25 g) per hour. This method of treatment would ordinarily be continued for about 8 hours or until the bleeding situation has been controlled.

HOW SUPPLIED:

AMICAR®

(aminocaproic acid)

AMICAR Injection

Each 20 mL vial contains 5 g of aminocaproic acid (250 mg/mL) as an aqueous solution with benzyl alcohol 0.9% as preservative.

20 mL vial – NDC 66479-025-39

Store Between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F); Do Not Freeze.

AMICAR Oral Solution, 25%

Each mL of raspberry-flavored syrup contains 250 mg of aminocaproic acid.

16 Fl. Oz. (473 mL) Bottle – NDC 66479-023-56

Store Between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F); Dispense in Tight Containers; Do Not Freeze.

AMICAR 500 mg Tablets

Each round, white tablet, engraved with XP on one side and scored on the other with A to the left of the score and 10 on the right, contains 500 mg of aminocaproic acid.

Bottle of 100 – NDC 66479-021-82

Store Between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F); Dispense in Tight Containers.

AMICAR 1000 mg Tablets

Each oblong, white tablet, engraved with XP on one side and scored on the other with A to the left of the score and 20 on the right, contains 1000 mg of aminocaproic acid.

Bottle of 100 – NDC 66479-022-82

Store Between 15°-30°C (59°-86°F); Dispense in Tight Containers.

REFERENCE

1 Stefanini M, Dameshek W: The Hemorrhagic Disorders, Ed. 2, New York, Grune and Stratton; 1962:510-514.

Marketed by
XANODYNE® PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.
Newport, KY 41071

Rev. 04/05
Code 909A00
AMPP0405-1782


AMICAR (Aminocaproic Acid)
PRODUCT INFO
Product Code66479-021Dosage FormTABLET
Route Of AdministrationORALDEA Schedule
INGREDIENTS
Name (Active Moiety)TypeStrength
Aminocaproic Acid (Aminocaproic Acid) Active500 MILLIGRAM  In 1 TABLET
povidoneInactive 
crospovidoneInactive 
stearic acidInactive 
magnesium stearateInactive 
IMPRINT INFORMATION
CharacteristicAppearanceCharacteristicAppearance
ColorWHITE (White) Score2
ShapeROUND (ROUND) Symbolfalse
Imprint Code XP;A;10 Coatingfalse
Size13mm
PACKAGING
#NDCPackage DescriptionMultilevel Packaging
166479-021-82100 TABLET In 1 BOTTLENone

AMICAR (Aminocaproic Acid)
PRODUCT INFO
Product Code66479-022Dosage FormTABLET
Route Of AdministrationORALDEA Schedule
INGREDIENTS
Name (Active Moiety)TypeStrength
Aminocaproic Acid (Aminocaproic Acid) Active1000 MILLIGRAM  In 1 TABLET
povidoneInactive 
crospovidoneInactive 
stearic acidInactive 
magnesium stearateInactive 
IMPRINT INFORMATION
CharacteristicAppearanceCharacteristicAppearance
ColorWHITE (White) Score2
ShapeOVAL (OVAL) Symbolfalse
Imprint Code XP;A;20 Coatingfalse
Size22mm
PACKAGING
#NDCPackage DescriptionMultilevel Packaging
166479-022-82100 TABLET In 1 BOTTLENone

AMICAR (Aminocaproic Acid)
PRODUCT INFO
Product Code66479-023Dosage FormSYRUP
Route Of AdministrationORALDEA Schedule
INGREDIENTS
Name (Active Moiety)TypeStrength
Aminocaproic Acid (Aminocaproic Acid) Active250 MILLIGRAM  In 1 MILLILITER
sodium saccharinInactive 
sorbitol solutionInactive 
citric acid anhydrousInactive 
natural raspberry flavorInactive 
artificial raspberry flavorInactive 
artificial bitterness modifierInactive 
methylparabenInactive 
propylparabenInactive 
edetate disodiumInactive 
IMPRINT INFORMATION
CharacteristicAppearanceCharacteristicAppearance
ColorScore
ShapeSymbol
Imprint CodeCoating
Size
PACKAGING
#NDCPackage DescriptionMultilevel Packaging
166479-023-56473 MILLILITER In 1 BOTTLENone

AMICAR (Aminocaproic Acid)
PRODUCT INFO
Product Code66479-025Dosage FormINJECTION, SOLUTION
Route Of AdministrationINTRAVENOUSDEA Schedule
INGREDIENTS
Name (Active Moiety)TypeStrength
Aminocaproic acid (Aminocaproic Acid) Active250 MILLIGRAM  In 1 MILLILITER
benzyl alcoholInactive 
IMPRINT INFORMATION
CharacteristicAppearanceCharacteristicAppearance
ColorScore
ShapeSymbol
Imprint CodeCoating
Size
PACKAGING
#NDCPackage DescriptionMultilevel Packaging
166479-025-3920 MILLILITER In 1 VIALNone

Revised: 08/2007XANODYNE PHARMACEUTICALS, INC.