Injection site reactions

Injection site reactions were observed more frequently in BYDUREON-treated patients versus comparator treated patients (16 % versus range of 2-7 %) during the 6 month controlled phase of studies. These injection site reactions were generally mild and usually did not lead to withdrawal from studies. Patients may be treated to relieve symptoms, while continuing treatment. Subsequent injections should use a different site of injection each week.

Small subcutaneous injection site nodules were observed very frequently in clinical trials, consistent with the known properties of poly (D,L-lactide co-glycolide) polymer microsphere formulations. Most individual nodules were asymptomatic, did not interfere with study participation and resolved over 4 to 8 weeks.

Immunogenicity

Consistent with the potentially immunogenic properties of protein and peptide pharmaceuticals, patients may develop antibodies to exenatide following treatment with BYDUREON. In most patients who develop antibodies, antibody titres diminish over time.

The presence of antibodies (high or low titres) is not predictive of glycaemic control for an individual patient.

In clinical studies of BYDUREON, approximately 45 % of patients had low titre antibodies to exenatide at study endpoint. Overall the percentage of antibody positive patients was consistent across clinical trials. Overall, the level of glycaemic control (HbA1c) was comparable to that observed in those without antibody titres. On average in the phase 3 studies, 12 % of the patients had higher titre antibodies. In a proportion of these the glycaemic response to BYDUREON was absent at the end of the controlled period of studies; 2.6 % of patients showed no glucose improvement with higher titre antibodies while 1.6 % showed no improvement while antibody negative.

Patients who developed antibodies to exenatide tend to have more injection site reactions (for example: redness of skin and itching), but otherwise similar rates and types of adverse events as those with no antibodies to exenatide.

For BYDUREON-treated patients, the incidence of potentially immunogenic injection site reactions (most commonly pruritus with or without erythema) during the 30-week and the two 26-week studies, was 9 %. These reactions were less commonly observed in antibody-negative patients (4 %) compared with antibody-positive patients (13 %), with a greater incidence in those with higher titre antibodies.

Examination of antibody-positive specimens revealed no significant cross-reactivity with similar endogenous peptides (glucagon or GLP-1).

Rapid weight loss

In a 30-week study, approximately 3 % (n=4/148) of BYDUREON-treated patients experienced at least one time period of rapid weight loss (recorded body weight loss between two consecutive study visits of greater than 1.5 kg/week).

4.9 Overdose

 Effects of overdoses with exenatide (based on exenatide twice daily clinical studies) included severe nausea, severe vomiting and rapidly declining blood glucose concentrations. In the event of overdose, appropriate supportive treatment should be initiated according to the patient's clinical signs and symptoms.

5. PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

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