2.1 Dosage

The recommended dose and regimen of KRYSTEXXA for adult patients is 8 mg (uricase protein) given as an intravenous infusion every two weeks.

The optimal treatment duration with KRYSTEXXA has not been established. 

2.2 Preparation

Visually inspect KRYSTEXXA for particulate matter and discoloration before administration, whenever solution and container permit. Do not use vials if either is present. [see Dosage Forms and Strengths (3)]

Use appropriate aseptic technique. Withdraw 1 mL of KRYSTEXXA from the vial into a sterile syringe. Discard any unused portion of product remaining in the 2 mL vial. Inject into a single 250 mL bag of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP or 0.45% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP for intravenous infusion. Do not mix or dilute with other drugs.

Invert the infusion bag containing the dilute KRYSTEXXA solution a number of times to ensure thorough mixing. Do not shake. 

KRYSTEXXA diluted in infusion bags is stable for 4 hours at 2º to 8ºC (36º to 46ºF) and at room temperature (20º to 25ºC, 68º to 77ºF). However it is recommended that diluted solutions be stored under refrigeration, not frozen, protected from light, and used within 4 hours of dilution. [see How Supplied/Storage and Handling (16)]

Before administration, allow the diluted solution of KRYSTEXXA to reach room temperature. KRYSTEXXA in a vial or in an intravenous infusion fluid should never be subjected to artificial heating (e.g., hot water, microwave).

2.3 Administration

Do not administer as an intravenous push or bolus.

It is recommended that before starting KRYSTEXXA patients discontinue oral urate-lowering medications and not institute therapy with oral urate-lowering agents while patients are on KRYSTEXXA therapy.

Monitoring Therapy: The risk of anaphylaxis and infusion reactions is higher in patients who have lost therapeutic response. Monitor serum uric acid levels prior to infusions and consider discontinuing treatment if levels increase to above 6 mg/dL, particularly when 2 consecutive levels above 6 mg/dL are observed. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.2)]

The KRYSTEXXA admixture should only be administered by intravenous infusion over no less than 120 minutes via gravity feed, syringe-type pump, or infusion pump. 

Patients should receive pre-infusion medications (e.g. antihistamines, corticosteroids), to minimize the risk of anaphylaxis and infusion reactions. Administer KRYSTEXXA in a healthcare setting and by healthcare providers prepared to manage anaphylaxis and infusion reactions, and observe patients for an appropriate period of time after administration. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.2)]

If an infusion reaction occurs during the administration of KRYSTEXXA, the infusion may be slowed, or stopped and restarted at a slower rate, at the discretion of the physician.  Since infusion reactions can occur after completion of infusion, observation of patients for approximately an hour post-infusion should be considered. [see Warnings and Precautions  (5.2), Adverse Reactions (6.1)]

5.1 Anaphylaxis

During pre-marketing controlled clinical trials, anaphylaxis was reported with a frequency of 6.5% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA every 2 weeks, compared to none with placebo. Manifestations included wheezing, peri-oral or lingual edema, or hemodynamic instability, with or without rash or urticaria. Cases occurred in patients being pre-treated with one or more doses of an oral antihistamine, an intravenous corticosteroid and/or acetaminophen. This pre-treatment may have blunted or obscured symptoms or signs of anaphylaxis and therefore the reported frequency may be an underestimate. [See Adverse Reactions (6)]

KRYSTEXXA should be administered in a healthcare setting by healthcare providers prepared to manage anaphylaxis. Patients should be pre-treated with antihistamines and corticosteroids. Anaphylaxis may occur with any infusion, including a first infusion, and generally manifests within 2 hours of the infusion. However, delayed type hypersensitivity reactions have also been reported. Patients should be closely monitored for an appropriate period of time for anaphylaxis after administration of KRYSTEXXA. Patients should be informed of the symptoms and signs of anaphylaxis and instructed to seek immediate medical care should anaphylaxis occur after discharge from the healthcare setting.

The risk of anaphylaxis is higher in patients whose uric acid level increases to above 6 mg/dL, particularly when 2 consecutive levels above 6 mg/dL are observed. Monitor serum uric acid levels prior to infusions and consider discontinuing treatment if levels increase to above 6 mg/dL. Because of the possibility that concomitant use of oral urate-lowering therapy and KRYSTEXXA may potentially blunt the rise of serum uric acid levels, it is recommended that before starting KRYSTEXXA patients discontinue oral urate-lowering medications and not institute therapy with oral urate-lowering agents while taking KRYSTEXXA.

5.2 Infusion Reactions

During pre-marketing controlled clinical trials, infusion reactions were reported in 26% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks, and 41% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 4 weeks, compared to 5% of patients treated with placebo. These infusion reactions occurred in patients being pre-treated with an oral antihistamine, intravenous corticosteroid and/or acetaminophen. This pre-treatment may have blunted or obscured symptoms or signs of infusion reactions and therefore the reported frequency may be an underestimate. [See Adverse Reactions (6)]

KRYSTEXXA should be administered in a healthcare setting by healthcare providers prepared to manage infusion reactions. Patients should be pre-treated with antihistamines and corticosteroids. KRYSTEXXA should be infused slowly over no less than 120 minutes. In the event of an infusion reaction, the infusion should be slowed, or stopped and restarted at a slower rate.

The risk of infusion reaction is higher in patients whose uric acid level increases to above 6 mg/dL, particularly when 2 consecutive levels above 6 mg/dL are observed. Monitor serum uric acid levels prior to infusions and consider discontinuing treatment if levels increase to above 6 mg/dL. Because of the possibility that concomitant use of oral urate-lowering therapy and KRYSTEXXA may potentially blunt the rise of serum uric acid levels, it is recommended that before starting KRYSTEXXA patients discontinue oral urate-lowering medications and not institute therapy with oral urate-lowering agents while taking KRYSTEXXA.

5.3 G6PD Deficiency Associated Hemolysis and Methemoglobinemia

Life threatening hemolytic reactions and methemoglobinemia have been reported with KRYSTEXXA in patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Because of the risk of hemolysis and methemoglobinemia, do not administer KRYSTEXXA to patients with G6PD deficiency. [see Contraindications (4)] Screen patients at risk for G6PD deficiency prior to starting KRYSTEXXA. For example, patients of African, Mediterranean (including Southern European and Middle Eastern), and Southern Asian ancestry are at increased risk for G6PD deficiency.

5.4 Gout Flares

Gout flares may occur after initiation of KRYSTEXXA. [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)]  An increase in gout flares is frequently observed upon initiation of anti-hyperuricemic therapy, due to changing serum uric acid levels resulting in mobilization of urate from tissue deposits. Gout flare prophylaxis with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or colchicine is recommended starting at least 1 week before initiation of KRYSTEXXA therapy and lasting at least 6 months, unless medically contraindicated or not tolerated.  KRYSTEXXA does not need to be discontinued because of a gout flare. The gout flare should be managed concurrently as appropriate for the individual patient. [see Dosage and Administration (2)] 

5.5 Congestive Heart Failure

KRYSTEXXA has not been formally studied in patients with congestive heart failure, but some patients in the clinical trials experienced exacerbation. [see Adverse Reactions (6.1)] Exercise caution when using KRYSTEXXA in patients who have congestive heart failure and monitor patients closely following infusion.

5.6 Re-treatment with KRYSTEXXA

No controlled trial data are available on the safety and efficacy of re-treatment with KRYSTEXXA after stopping treatment for longer than 4 weeks.   Due to the immunogenicity of KRYSTEXXA, patients receiving re-treatment may be at increased risk of anaphylaxis and infusion reactions. Therefore, patients receiving re-treatment after a drug-free interval should be monitored carefully. [see Adverse Reactions (6.2)]

6.1 Clinical Trials Experience

The data described below reflect exposure to KRYSTEXXA in patients with chronic gout refractory to conventional therapy in two replicate randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind 6-month clinical trials: 85 patients were treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks; 84 patients were treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 4 weeks; and 43 patients were treated with placebo. These patients were between the ages of 23 and 89 years (average 55 years); 173 patients were male and 39 were female; and 143 patients were White/Caucasian, 27 were Black/African American, 24 were Hispanic/Latino and 18 were all other ethnicities. Common co-morbid conditions among the enrolled patients included hypertension (72%), dyslipidemia (49%), chronic kidney disease (28%), diabetes (24%), coronary artery disease (18%), arrhythmia (16%), and cardiac failure/left ventricular dysfunction (12%).

Because clinical studies are conducted under widely varying and controlled conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical studies of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical studies of another drug, and may not predict the rates observed in a broader patient population in clinical practice.

Anaphylaxis:
Diagnostic criteria of anaphylaxis were skin or mucosal tissue involvement, and, either airway compromise, and/or reduced blood pressure with or without associated symptoms, and a temporal relationship to KRYSTEXXA or placebo injection with no other identifiable cause. Using these clinical criteria, anaphylaxis was identified in 14 (5.1%) of 273 total patients studied in the clinical program of IV KRYSTEXXA. The frequency was 6.5% for the every 2-week dosing regimen (8 of 123 patients), and 4.8% for the 4-week dosing frequency (6 of 126) of KRYSTEXXA. There were no cases of anaphylaxis in patients receiving placebo. Anaphylaxis generally occurred within 2 hours after treatment. This occurred with patients being pre-treated with an oral antihistamine, intravenous corticosteroid, and acetaminophen. [see Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.2)]

Infusion Reactions:
Infusion reactions occurred in 26% of patients in the 2 week dosing regimen group and 41% of patients in the 4 week dosing regimen group, compared to 5% of placebo-treated patients. Manifestations of these reactions included urticaria (frequency of 10.6%), dyspnea (frequency of 7.1%), chest discomfort (frequency of 9.5%), chest pain (frequency of 9.5%), erythema (frequency of 9.5%), and pruritus (frequency of 9.5%). These manifestations overlap with the symptoms of anaphylaxis, but in a given patient did not occur together to satisfy the clinical criteria for diagnosing anaphylaxis. Infusion reactions are thought to result from release of various mediators, such as cytokines. Infusion reactions occurred at any time during a course of treatment with approximately 3% occurring with the first infusion, and approximately 91% occurred during the time of infusion. Some infusion reaction manifestations were reduced with slowing the rate of infusion, or stopping the infusion and restarting the infusion at a slower rate. These infusion reactions occurred with all patients being pre-treated with an oral antihistamine, intravenous corticosteroid and acetaminophen. [see Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions (5.1, 5.2)]

Gout Flares:
Gout flares were common in the study patients before randomization to treatment, with patients experiencing an average of 10 flares in the preceding 18 months prior to study entry. During the controlled treatment period with KRYSTEXXA or placebo, the frequencies of gout flares were high in all treatment groups, but more so with KRYSTEXXA treatment during the first 3 months of treatment, which seemed to decrease in the subsequent 3 months of treatment. The percentages of patients with any flare for the first 3 months were 74%, 81%, and 51%, for KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks, KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 4 weeks, and placebo, respectively. The percentages of patients with any flare for the subsequent 3 months were 41%, 57%, and 67%, for KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks, KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 4 weeks, and placebo, respectively. Patients received gout flare prophylaxis with colchicine and/or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) starting at least one week before receiving KRYSTEXXA. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)]

Congestive Heart Failure:
Two cases of congestive heart failure exacerbation occurred during the trials in patients receiving treatment with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks. No cases were reported in placebo-treated patients. Four subjects had exacerbations of pre-existing congestive heart failure while receiving KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks during the open-label extension study. [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].

Other Adverse Reactions:
The most commonly reported adverse reactions that occurred in greater than or equal to 5% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA 8mg every 2 weeks are provided in Table 1.

a If the same subject in a given group had more than one occurrence in the same preferred term event category, the subject was counted only once.

b Most did not occur on the day of infusion and could be related to other factors (e.g. concomitant medications relevant to contusion or ecchymosis, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus).

6.2 Immunogenicity

Anti-pegloticase antibodies developed in 92% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA every 2 weeks, and 28% for placebo. Anti-PEG antibodies were also detected in 42% of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA. High anti-pegloticase antibody titer was associated with a failure to maintain pegloticase-induced normalization of uric acid. The impact of anti-PEG antibodies on patients' responses to other PEG-containing therapeutics is unknown.

There was a higher incidence of infusion reactions in patients with high anti-pegloticase antibody titer: 53% (16 of 30) in the KRYSTEXXA every 2 weeks group compared to 6% in patients who had undetectable or low antibody titers.  

As with all therapeutic proteins, there is a potential for immunogenicity. The observed incidence of antibody positivity in an assay is highly dependent on several factors including assay sensitivity and specificity and assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, the comparison of the incidence of antibodies to pegloticase with the incidence of antibodies to other products may be misleading.

8.1 Pregnancy

Pregnancy Category C

There are no adequate and well-controlled studies of KRYSTEXXA in pregnant women. KRYSTEXXA should be used during pregnancy only if the potential benefit justifies the potential risk to the fetus.

Pegloticase was not teratogenic in rats and rabbits at approximately 50 and 75 times the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD), respectively (on a mg/m2 basis at maternal doses up to 40 and 30 mg/kg twice weekly, in rats and rabbits, respectively). Statistically significant decreases in mean fetal and pup body weights were observed at approximately 50 and 75 times the MRHD respectively (on a mg/m2 basis at maternal doses up to 40 and 30 mg/kg every other day, in rats and rabbits, respectively). No effects on mean fetal body weights were observed at approximately 10 and 25 times the MRHD in rats and rabbits, respectively (on a mg/m2 basis at maternal doses up to 10 mg/kg twice weekly in both species).

8.3 Nursing Mothers

It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk.  Therefore KRYSTEXXA should not be used when breastfeeding unless the clear benefit to the mother can overcome the unknown risk to the newborn/infant. 

8.4 Pediatric Use

The safety and effectiveness of KRYSTEXXA in pediatric patients less than 18 years of age have not been established. 

8.5 Geriatric Use

Of the total number of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks in the controlled studies, 34% (29 of 85) were 65 years of age and older and 12% (10 of 85) were 75 years of age and older.  No overall differences in safety or effectiveness were observed between older and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals cannot be ruled out. No dose adjustment is needed for patients 65 years of age and older. 

8.6 Renal Impairment

No dose adjustment is required for patients with renal impairment. A total of 32% (27 of 85) of patients treated with KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks had a creatinine clearance of ≤62.5 mL/min. No overall differences in efficacy were observed. 

12.1 Mechanism of Action

KRYSTEXXA is a uric acid specific enzyme which is a recombinant uricase and achieves its therapeutic effect by catalyzing the oxidation of uric acid to allantoin, thereby lowering serum uric acid.  Allantoin is an inert and water soluble purine metabolite. It is readily eliminated, primarily by renal excretion. 

12.2 Pharmacodynamics

Approximately 24 hours following the first dose of KRYSTEXXA, mean plasma uric acid levels for subjects in the KRYSTEXXA groups were 0.7 mg/dL for the KRYSTEXXA 8 mg every 2 weeks group. In comparison, the mean plasma uric acid level for the placebo group was 8.2 mg/dL.

In a single-dose, dose-ranging trial, following 1-hour intravenous infusions of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8 or 12 mg of pegloticase in 24 patients with symptomatic gout (n=4 subjects/dose group), plasma uric acid decreased with increasing pegloticase dose or concentrations. The duration of suppression of plasma uric acid appeared to be positively associated with pegloticase dose. Sustained decrease in plasma uric acid below the solubility concentration of 6 mg/dL for more than 300 hours was observed with doses of 8 mg and 12 mg.  

12.3 Pharmacokinetics

Pegloticase levels were determined in serum based on measurements of uricase enzyme activity.

Following single intravenous infusions of 0.5 mg to 12 mg pegloticase in 23 patients with symptomatic gout, maximum serum concentrations of pegloticase increased in proportion to the dose administered.

The population pharmacokinetic analysis showed that age, sex, weight, and creatinine clearance did not influence the pharmacokinetics of pegloticase. Significant covariates included in the model for determining clearance and volume of distribution were found to be body surface area and anti-pegloticase antibodies.

The pharmacokinetics of pegloticase has not been studied in children and adolescents.

No formal studies were conducted to examine the effects of either renal or hepatic impairment on pegloticase pharmacokinetics.

13.1 Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility

Long-term animal studies have not been performed to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of pegloticase.

The genotoxic potential of pegloticase has not been evaluated.

There was no evidence of impairment on fertility at pegloticase doses up to 40 mg/kg (approximately 50 times the MRHD on mg/m2 basis) every other day in rats.

13.2 Animal Toxicology and/or Pharmacology

Pegloticase at similar to and higher than the maximum recommended human dose (MRHD) on a plasma AUC basis [at intravenous (IV) doses of ≥ 0.4 mg/kg in dogs] caused cytoplasmic vacuoles in multiple organs, and edema and histiocyte infiltration in the aortic outflow tract in dogs. Organs with cytoplasmic vacuoles included the spleen, adrenal gland, liver, heart, duodenum, and jejunum. Vacuoles in the spleen, adrenal glands, and heart persisted after a 1-year recovery period at pegloticase doses (≥ 1.5 mg/kg in dogs) approximately 5 times the MRHD, but were absent at a dose similar to the MRHD. Vacuoles in the liver, duodenum, and jejunum persisted after a 3-month recovery period at a pegloticase dose (10 mg/kg in dogs) approximately 30 times the MRHD, but were absent at doses (≤ 1.5 mg/kg) approximately 5 times and similar to the MRHD. The edema and histiocyte infiltration in the aortic outflow tract was absent after recovery periods of 6 and 12 months, respectively.

Vacuoles in the spleen, liver, duodenum, and jejunum were within macrophages and most likely represented phagocytic removal of pegloticase from the circulation. However, the vacuolated cells in the heart and adrenal gland did not stain as macrophages. In the aortic outflow tract of the heart, vacuoles were in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells in the intimal lining of the aorta. In the adrenal gland, vacuoles were located within cortical cells in the zona reticularis and zona fasciculata. The clinical significance of these findings and the functional consequences are unknown.