1    INDICATIONS AND USAGE

YERVOY (ipilimumab) is indicated for the treatment of unresectable or metastatic melanoma.

2    DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

2.1   Recommended Dosing

The recommended dose of YERVOY is 3 mg/kg administered intravenously over 90 minutes every 3 weeks for a total of four doses.

2.2   Recommended Dose Modifications

• Withhold scheduled dose of YERVOY for any moderate immune-mediated adverse reactions or for symptomatic endocrinopathy. For patients with complete or partial resolution of adverse reactions (Grade 0–1), and who are receiving less than 7.5 mg prednisone or equivalent per day, resume YERVOY at a dose of 3 mg/kg every 3 weeks until administration of all 4 planned doses or 16 weeks from first dose, whichever occurs earlier.
• Permanently discontinue YERVOY for any of the following:
  • Persistent moderate adverse reactions or inability to reduce corticosteroid dose to 7.5 mg prednisone or equivalent per day.
  • Failure to complete full treatment course within 16 weeks from administration of first dose.
  • Severe or life-threatening adverse reactions, including any of the following:
    • Colitis with abdominal pain, fever, ileus, or peritoneal signs; increase in stool frequency (7 or more over baseline), stool incontinence, need for intravenous hydration for more than 24 hours, gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and gastrointestinal perforation
    • Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) >5 times the upper limit of normal or total bilirubin >3 times the upper limit of normal
    • Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or rash complicated by full thickness dermal ulceration, or necrotic, bullous, or hemorrhagic manifestations
    • Severe motor or sensory neuropathy, Guillain-Barré syndrome, or myasthenia gravis
    • Severe immune-mediated reactions involving any organ system (eg, nephritis, pneumonitis, pancreatitis, non-infectious myocarditis)
    • Immune-mediated ocular disease that is unresponsive to topical immunosuppressive therapy

2.3   Preparation and Administration

• Do not shake product.
• Inspect parenteral drug products visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration. Discard vial if solution is cloudy, there is pronounced discoloration (solution may have pale yellow color), or there is foreign particulate matter other than translucent-to-white, amorphous particles.

Preparation of Solution

• Allow the vials to stand at room temperature for approximately 5 minutes prior to preparation of infusion.
• Withdraw the required volume of YERVOY and transfer into an intravenous bag.
• Dilute with 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP or 5% Dextrose Injection, USP to prepare a diluted solution with a final concentration ranging from 1 mg/mL to 2 mg/mL. Mix diluted solution by gentle inversion.
• Store the diluted solution for no more than 24 hours under refrigeration (2°C to 8°C, 36°F to 46°F) or at room temperature (20°C to 25°C, 68°F to 77°F).
• Discard partially used vials or empty vials of YERVOY.

Administration Instructions

• Do not mix YERVOY with, or administer as an infusion with, other medicinal products.
• Flush the intravenous line with 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP or 5% Dextrose Injection, USP after each dose.
• Administer diluted solution over 90 minutes through an intravenous line containing a sterile, non-pyrogenic, low-protein-binding in-line filter.

3    DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

50 mg/10 mL (5 mg/mL).

200 mg/40 mL (5 mg/mL).

4    CONTRAINDICATIONS

None.

5    WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

YERVOY can result in severe and fatal immune-mediated reactions due to T-cell activation and proliferation. [See Boxed Warning]

5.1   Immune-mediated Enterocolitis

In Study 1, severe, life-threatening, or fatal (diarrhea of 7 or more stools above baseline, fever, ileus, peritoneal signs; Grade 3–5) immune-mediated enterocolitis occurred in 34 (7%) YERVOY-treated patients, and moderate (diarrhea with up to 6 stools above baseline, abdominal pain, mucus or blood in stool; Grade 2) enterocolitis occurred in 28 (5%) YERVOY-treated patients. Across all YERVOY-treated patients (n=511), 5 (1%) patients developed intestinal perforation, 4 (0.8%) patients died as a result of complications, and 26 (5%) patients were hospitalized for severe enterocolitis.

The median time to onset was 7.4 weeks (range 1.6–13.4) and 6.3 weeks (range 0.3–18.9) after the initiation of YERVOY for patients with Grade 3–5 enterocolitis and with Grade 2 enterocolitis, respectively.

Twenty-nine patients (85%) with Grade 3–5 enterocolitis were treated with high-dose (≥40 mg prednisone equivalent per day) corticosteroids, with a median dose of 80 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent; the median duration of treatment was 2.3 weeks (ranging up to 13.9 weeks) followed by corticosteroid taper. Of the 28 patients with moderate enterocolitis, 46% were not treated with systemic corticosteroids, 29% were treated with <40 mg prednisone or equivalent per day for a median duration of 5.1 weeks, and 25% were treated with high-dose corticosteroids for a median duration of 10 days prior to corticosteroid taper. Infliximab was administered to 5 of the 62 patients (8%) with moderate, severe, or life-threatening immune-mediated enterocolitis following inadequate response to corticosteroids.

Of the 34 patients with Grade 3–5 enterocolitis, 74% experienced complete resolution, 3% experienced improvement to Grade 2 severity, and 24% did not improve. Among the 28 patients with Grade 2 enterocolitis, 79% experienced complete resolution, 11% improved, and 11% did not improve.

Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of enterocolitis (such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, mucus or blood in stool, with or without fever) and of bowel perforation (such as peritoneal signs and ileus). In symptomatic patients, rule out infectious etiologies and consider endoscopic eva luation for persistent or severe symptoms.

Permanently discontinue YERVOY in patients with severe enterocolitis and initiate systemic corticosteroids at a dose of 1 to 2 mg/kg/day of prednisone or equivalent. Upon improvement to Grade 1 or less, initiate corticosteroid taper and continue to taper over at least one month. In clinical trials, rapid corticosteroid tapering resulted in recurrence or worsening symptoms of enterocolitis in some patients.

Withhold YERVOY dosing for moderate enterocolitis; administer