arcinoma, and severe allergic reactions including anaphylaxis, asthma, hives, and pruritus. The most commonly reported adverse events were gastrointestinal disorders, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence, constipation and nausea, and skin disorders including pruritus, urticaria and rash.
7 DRUG INTERACTIONSNo drug interactions have been identified. No formal interaction studies have been conducted.
8 USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS8.1 PregnancyTeratogenic effects
Pregnancy Category C. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with pancrelipase. It is also not known whether pancrelipase can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproduction capacity. ULTRESA should be given to a pregnant woman only if clearly needed. The risk and benefit of pancrelipase should be considered in the context of the need to provide adequate nutritional support to a pregnant woman with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. Adequate caloric intake during pregnancy is important for normal maternal weight gain and fetal growth. Reduced maternal weight gain and malnutrition can be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes.
8.3 Nursing MothersIt is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk, caution should be exercised when ULTRESA is administered to a nursing woman. The risk and benefit of pancrelipase should be considered in the context of the need to provide adequate nutritional support to a nursing mother with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.
8.4 Pediatric UseThe short-term safety and efficacy of ULTRESA were assessed in two clinical studies in pediatric patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis; one study included patients aged 8 years to 17 years, and the other included patients aged 7 years to 11 years.
Study 1 was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study of 31 patients with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis including 2 children aged 8 to 11 years, and 12 adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. The safety and efficacy in pediatric patients in this study were similar to that in adult patients [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) and Clinical Studies (14)].
Study 2 was an open-label study of 9 pediatric patients, ages 7 years to 11 years, with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis. Patients showed similar control of fat malabsorption as in the treatment arm of Study 1 [see Adverse Reactions (6.1) and Clinical Studies (14)].
The safety and efficacy of pancreatic enzyme products with different formulations of pancrelipase consisting of the same active ingredient (lipases, proteases, and amylases) for treatment of children with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency due to cystic fibrosis have been described in the medical literature and through clinical experience.
Dosing of pediatric patients should be in accordance with recommended guidance from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Consensus Conferences. However, use of ULTRESA in children is limited by the available capsule dosage strengths and their ability to provide the recommended dose based on age and weight. Attempting to divide the capsule contents in small fractions to deliver small doses of lipase is not recommended [see Dosage and Administration (2) ]. Doses of other pancreatic enzyme products exceeding 6,000 lipase units/kg of body weight per meal have been associated with fibrosing colonopathy an
