STELARA 45 mg solution for injection

Each vial contains 45 mg ustekinumab in 0.5 ml.

Ustekinumab is a fully human IgG1κ monoclonal antibody to interleukin (IL)-12/23 produced in a murine myeloma cell line using recombinant DNA technology.

For the full list of excipients, see section 6.1.

Solution for injection.

The solution is clear to slightly opalescent, colourless to light yellow.

Plaque psoriasis

STELARA is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults who failed to respond to, or who have a contraindication to, or are intolerant to other systemic therapies including ciclosporin, methotrexate (MTX) or PUVA (psoralen and ultraviolet A) (see section 5.1).

Paediatric plaque psoriasis

STELARA is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adolescent patients from the age of 12 years and older, who are inadequately controlled by, or are intolerant to, other systemic therapies or phototherapies (see section 5.1).

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)

STELARA, alone or in combination with MTX, is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients when the response to previous non-biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy has been inadequate (see section 5.1).

STELARA is intended for use under the guidance and supervision of a physician experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

Posology

Plaque psoriasis

The recommended posology of STELARA is an initial dose of 45 mg administered subcutaneously, followed by a 45 mg dose 4 weeks later, and then every 12 weeks thereafter.

Consideration should be given to discontinuing treatment in patients who have shown no response up to 28 weeks of treatment.

Patients with body weight > 100 kg

For patients with a body weight > 100 kg the initial dose is 90 mg administered subcutaneously, followed by a 90 mg dose 4 weeks later, and then every 12 weeks thereafter. In these patients, 45 mg was also shown to be efficacious. However, 90 mg resulted in greater efficacy. (see section 5.1, Table 4)

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA)

The recommended posology of STELARA is an initial dose of 45 mg administered subcutaneously, followed by a 45 mg dose 4 weeks later, and then every 12 weeks thereafter. Alternatively, 90 mg may be used in patients with a body weight > 100 kg.

Consideration should be given to discontinuing treatment in patients who have shown no response up to 28 weeks of treatment.

Elderly patients (≥ 65 years)

No dose adjustment is needed for elderly patients (see section 4.4).

Renal and hepatic impairment

STELARA has not been studied in these patient populations. No dose recommendations can be made.

Paediatric population

The safety and efficacy of STELARA in children less than 12 years have not yet been established.

Paediatric plaque psoriasis (12 years and older)

The recommended dose of STELARA based on body weight is shown below (Tables 1 and 2). STELARA should be administered at Weeks 0 and 4, then every 12 weeks thereafter.

Table 1 Recommended dose of STELARA for paediatric psoriasis

Table 2 Injection volumes of STELARA for paediatric psoriasis patients < 60 kg

Consideration should be given to discontinuing treatment in patients who have shown no response up to 28 weeks of treatment.

Method of administration

STELARA is for subcutaneous injection. If possible, areas of the skin that show psoriasis should be avoided as injection sites.

After proper training in subcutaneous injection technique, patients or their caregivers may inject STELARA if a physician determines that it is appropriate. However, the physician should ensure appropriate follow-up of patients. Patients or their caregivers should be instructed to inject the prescribed amount of STELARA according to the directions provided in the package leaflet. Comprehensive instructions for administration are given in the package leaflet.

For further instructions on preparation and special precautions for handling, see section 6.6.

Hypersensitivity to the active substance or to any of the excipients listed in section 6.1.

Clinically important, active infection (e.g. active tuberculosis; see section 4.4).

Infections

Ustekinumab may have the potential to increase the risk of infections and reactivate latent infections. In clinical studies, serious bacterial, fungal, and viral infections have been observed in patients receiving STELARA (see section 4.8).

Caution should be exercised when considering the use of STELARA in patients with a chronic infection or a history of recurrent infection (see section 4.3).

Prior to initiating treatment with STELARA, patients should be eva luated for tuberculosis infection. STELARA must not be given to patients with active tuberculosis (see section 4.3). Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection should be initiated prior to administering STELARA. Anti-tuberculosis therapy should also be considered prior to initiation of STELARA in patients with a history of latent or active tuberculosis in whom an adequate course of treatment cannot be confirmed. Patients receiving STELARA should be monitored closely for signs and symptoms of active tuberculosis during and after treatment.

Patients should be instructed to seek medical advice if signs or symptoms suggestive of an infection occur. If a patient develops a serious infection, the patient should be closely monitored and STELARA should not be administered until the infection resolves.

Malignancies

Immunosuppressants like ustekinumab have the potential to increase the risk of malignancy. Some patients who received STELARA in clinical studies developed cutaneous and non-cutaneous malignancies (see section 4.8).

No studies have been conducted that include patients with a history of malignancy or that continue treatment in patients who develop malignancy while receiving STELARA. Thus, caution should be exercised when considering the use of STELARA in these patients.

All patients, in particular those greater than 60 years of age, patients with a medical history of prolonged immunosuppressant therapy or those with a history of PUVA treatment, should be monitored for the appearance of non-melanoma skin cancer (see section 4.8).

Hypersensitivity reactions

Serious hypersensitivity reactions have been reported in the postmarketing setting, in some cases several days after treatment. Anaphylaxis and angioedema have occurred. If an anaphylactic or other serious hypersensitivity reaction occurs, appropriate therapy should be instituted and administration of STELARA should be discontinued (see section 4.8).

Vaccinations

It is recommended that live viral or live bacterial vaccines (such as Bacillus of Calmette and Guérin (BCG)) should not be given concurrently with STELARA. Specific studies have not been conducted in patients who had recently received live viral or live bacterial vaccines. No data are available on the secondary transmission of infection by live vaccines in patients receiving STELARA. Before live viral or live bacterial vaccination, treatment with STELARA should be withheld for at least 15 weeks after the last dose and can be resumed at least 2 weeks after vaccination. Prescribers should consult the Summary of Product Characteristics for the specific vaccine for additional information and guidance on concomitant use of immunosuppressive agents post-vaccination.

Patients receiving STELARA may receive concurrent inactivated or non-live vaccinations.

Long term treatment with STELARA does not suppress the humoral immune response to pneumococcal polysaccharide or tetanus vaccines (see section 5.1).

Concomitant immunosuppressive therapy

In psoriasis studies, the safety and efficacy of STELARA in combination with immunosuppressants, including biologics, or phototherapy have not been eva luated. In psoriatic arthritis studies, concomitant MTX use did not appear to influence the safety or efficacy of STELARA. Caution should be exercised when considering concomitant use of other immunosuppressants and STELARA or when transitioning from other immunosuppressive biologics (see section 4.5).

Immunotherapy

STELARA has not been eva luated in patients who have undergone allergy immunotherapy. It is not known whether STELARA may affect allergy immunotherapy.

Serious skin conditions

In patients with psoriasis, exfoliative dermatitis has been reported following ustekinumab treatment (see section 4.8). Patients with plaque psoriasis may develop erythrodermic psoriasis, with symptoms that may be clinically indistinguishable from exfoliative dermatitis, as part of the natural course of their disease. As part of the monitoring of the patient's psoriasis, physicians should be alert for symptoms of erythrodermic psoriasis or exfoliative dermatitis. If these symptoms occur, appropriate therapy should be instituted. STELARA should be discontinued if a drug reaction is suspected.

Special populations

Elderly patients (≥ 65 years)

No overall differences in efficacy or safety in patients age 65 and older who received STELARA were observed compared to younger patients, however the number of patients aged 65 and older is not sufficient to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients. Because there is a higher incidence of infections in the elderly population in general, caution should be used in treating the elderly.

Live vaccines should not be given concurrently with STELARA (see section 4.4).

No interaction studies have been performed in humans. In the population pharmacokinetic analyses of the phase III studies, the effect of the most frequently used concomitant medicinal products in patients with psoriasis (including paracetamol, ibuprofen, acetylsalicylic acid, metformin, atorvastatin, levothyroxine) on pharmacokinetics of ustekinumab was explored. There were no indications of an interaction with these concomitantly administered medicinal products. The basis for this analysis was that at least 100 patients (> 5% of the studied population) were treated concomitantly with these medicinal products for at least 90% of the study period. The pharmacokinetics of ustekinumab was not impacted by concomitant use of MTX, NSAIDs and oral corticosteroids, or prior exposure to anti-TNFα agents, in patients with psoriatic arthritis.

The results of an in vitro study do not suggest the need for dose adjustments in patients who are receiving concomitant CYP450 substrates (see section 5.2).

In psoriasis studies, the safety and efficacy of STELARA in combination with immunosuppressants, including biologics, or phototherapy have not been eva luated. In psoriatic arthritis studies, concomitant MTX use did not appear to influence the safety or efficacy of STELARA (see section 4.4).