WARNINGS: MYLOTARG should be administered under the supervision of physicians experienced in the treatment of acute leukemia and in facilities equipped to monitor and treat leukemia patients. There are no controlled trials demonstrating efficacy and safety using MYLOTARG in combination with other chemotherapeutic agents. Therefore, MYLOTARG should only be used as single agent chemotherapy and not in combination chemotherapy regimens outside clinical trials. Severe myelosuppression occurs when MYLOTARG is used at recommended doses.
HYPERSENSITIVITY REACTIONS INCLUDING ANAPHYLAXIS, INFUSION REACTIONS, PULMONARY EVENTS: MYLOTARG administration can result in severe hypersensitivity reactions (including anaphylaxis), and other infusion-related reactions which may include severe pulmonary events. Infrequently, hypersensitivity reactions and pulmonary events have been fatal. In most cases, infusion-related symptoms occurred during the infusion or within 24 hours of administration of MYLOTARG and resolved. MYLOTARG infusion should be interrupted for patients experiencing dyspnea or clinically significant hypotension. Patients should be monitored until signs and symptoms completely resolve. Discontinuation of MYLOTARG(R) (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) treatment should be strongly considered for patients who develop anaphylaxis, pulmonary edema, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Since patients with high peripheral blast counts may be at greater risk for pulmonary events and tumor lysis syndrome, physicians should consider leukoreduction with hydroxyurea or leukapheresis to reduce the peripheral white count to below 30,000/microL prior to administration of MYLOTARG. (See WARNINGS.)
HEPATOTOXICITY: Hepatotoxicity, including severe hepatic veno-occlusive disease (VOD), has been reported in association with the use of MYLOTARG as a single agent, as part of a combination chemotherapy regimen, and in patients without a history of liver disease or hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT). Patients who receive MYLOTARG either before or after HSCT, patients with underlying hepatic disease or abnormal liver function, and patients receiving MYLOTARG in combinations with other chemotherapy are at increased risk for developing VOD, including severe VOD. Death from liver failure and from VOD has been reported in patients who received MYLOTARG. Physicians should monitor their patients carefully for symptoms of hepatotoxicity, particularly VOD. These symptoms can include: rapid weight gain, right upper quadrant pain, hepatomegaly, ascites, elevations in bilirubin and/or liver enzymes. However, careful monitoring may not identify all patients at risk or prevent the complications of hepatotoxicity. (See WARNINGS and ADVERSE REACTIONS sections.)
MYLOTARG(R) (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to gemtuzumab ozogamicin or any of its components and in lactating mothers. MYLOTARG may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. The reported rate of Grade 3 or 4 thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, anemia, and bleeding were 99%, 98%, 52%, and 13%, respectively. Thirty percent of patients experienced severe infections, including sepsis (17%) and pneumonia (8%).
The most common adverse events (greater than or equal to 20%) were fever (82%), nausea (68%), chills (66%), vomiting (58%), thrombocytopenia (50%), leukopenia (47%), headache (37%), asthenia (36%), abdominal pain (32%), diarrhea (32%), epistaxis (28%), dyspnea (26%), hypokalemia (26%), sepsis (26%), anorexia (25%), stomatitis (25%), liver function tests abnormal (24%), constipation (23%), anemia (22%), local reaction (22%), herpes simplex (21%), and hypotension (20%).
MYLOTARG can produce a postinfusion symptom complex of fever and chills, and less commonly hypotension and dyspnea during the first 24 hours after administration. Patients should receive diphenhydramine 50 mg po and acetaminophen 650-1000 mg po 1 hour before MYLOTARG administration. Two additional doses of acetaminophen 650-1000 mg po every 4 hours may be given. Fever and chills were commonly reported despite premedication with diphenhydramine and acetaminophen. Vital signs should be monitored during infusion and for 4 hours following infusion. Methylprednisolone given prior to MYLOTARG(R) (gemtuzumab ozogamicin) infusion may ameliorate infusion-related symptoms.
Severe myelosuppression will occur in all patients given the recommended dose of this agent. Careful hematologic monitoring is required. Systemic infections should be treated.
Please see MYLOTARG full U.S. prescribing information at http://www.Wyeth.com.
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a division of Wyeth, has leading products in the areas of women's health care, infectious disease, gastrointestinal health, central nervous system, inflammation, transplantation, hemophilia, oncology, vaccines and nutritional products.
Wyeth is one of the world's largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceutical, vaccines, biotechnology products and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The Company's major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare and Fort Dodge Animal Health.
The statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements based on current expectations of future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include the inherent uncertainty of the timing and success of, and expense associated with, research, development, regulatory approval and commercialization of our products, including with respect to our pipeline products; government cost-containment initiatives; restrictions on third-party payments for our products; substantial competition in our industry, including from branded and generic products; data generated on our products; the importance of strong performance from our principal products and our anticipated new product introductions; the highly regulated nature of our business; product liability, intellectual property and other litigation risks and environmental liabilities; uncertainty regarding our intellectual property rights and those of others; difficulties associated with, and regulatory compliance with respect to, manufacturing of our products; risks associated with our strategic relationships; economic conditions including interest and currency exchange rate fluctuations; changes in generally accepted accounting principles; trade buying patterns; the impact of legislation and regulatory compliance; risks and uncertainties associated with global operations and sales; and other risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our current reports on Form 8-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and annual report on Form 10-K, particularly the discussion under the caption "Item 1A, Risk Factors." The forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified by these risk factors. We assume no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
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Media, Natalie de Vane of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, +1-484-865-5139, or Douglas Petkus of Wyeth, +1-973-660-5218; Investors, Justin Victoria of Wyeth, +1-973-660-5340
