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FDA Safety Notice/amiodarone+Harvoni or Sovaldi in combination with another direct acting antiviral.....Gilead Issued Doctor Letter....re: symptomatic bradycardia ....It was in the Label
 
 
  Download the PDF here
 
This was in FDA label issued in October 2014
 
Its in the FDA label....
 
Harvoni FDA Product Info/Label, Patient Info - (10/11/14)
 
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS----------------------
 
Bradycardia with amiodarone coadministration: Serious symptomatic bradycardia may occur in patients taking amiodarone, particularly in patients also receiving beta blockers, or those with underlying cardiac comorbidities and/or advanced liver disease. Coadministration of amiodarone with HARVONI is not recommended. In patients without alternative, viable treatment options, cardiac monitoring is recommended. (5.1, 6.2, 7.2)
 
Use with other drugs containing sofosbuvir, including SOVALDI, is not recommended (5.3)
 
Letter attached
Please see Gilead Sciences has issued a Dear Healthcare Provider letter:
 
· SVD HVN - DHCP Letter 20March15 - FINAL.DOCX
 
FDA Hepatitis Update - Important safety information: Harvoni , and Sovaldi.....Coadministration of amiodarone with either Harvoni or Sovaldi in combination with another direct acting antiviral.
 
Serious and Life-Threatening Cases of Symptomatic Bradycardia as well as One Case of Fatal Cardiac Arrest Reported with Coadministration of amiodarone with either Harvoni® (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir fixed-dose combination) or with Sovaldi® (sofosbuvir) in combination with another direct acting antiviral.
 
On March 20, 2015, FDA approved changes to the Harvoni (ledipasvir/sofosbuvir fixed dose combination) and Sovaldi (sofosbuvir) labels to update the WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, and DRUG INTERATIONS sections of the labeling and the patient package insert with information on post-marketing cases of symptomatic bradycardia when co-administered with amiodarone. Additionally, Gilead Sciences has issued a Dear Healthcare Provider letter (see attachment).
 
The specific changes to the each label are summarized below.
 
Harvoni label changes:
 
5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
 
5.1 Serious Symptomatic Bradycardia When Coadministered with Amiodarone Postmarketing cases of symptomatic bradycardia, including fatal cardiac arrest and cases requiring pacemaker intervention, have been reported when amiodarone is coadministered with HARVONI. Bradycardia has generally occurred within hours to days, but cases have been observed up to 2 weeks after initiating HCV treatment. Patients also taking beta blockers, or those with underlying cardiac comorbidities and/or advanced liver disease may be at increased risk for symptomatic bradycardia with coadministration of amiodarone. Bradycardia generally resolved after discontinuation of HCV treatment. The mechanism for this effect is unknown.
 
Coadministration of amiodarone with HARVONI is not recommended. For patients taking amiodarone who have no other alternative, viable treatment options and who will be coadministered HARVONI:
 
· Counsel patients about the risk of serious symptomatic bradycardia
 
· Cardiac monitoring in an in-patient setting for the first 48 hours of coadministration is recommended, after which outpatient or self-monitoring of the heart rate should occur on a daily basis through at least the first 2 weeks of treatment.
 
Patients who are taking HARVONI who need to start amiodarone therapy due to no other alternative, viable treatment options should undergo similar cardiac monitoring as outlined above.
 
Due to amiodarone's long half-life, patients discontinuing amiodarone just prior to starting HARVONI should also undergo similar cardiac monitoring as outlined above.
 
Patients who develop signs or symptoms of bradycardia should seek medical evaluation immediately.
 
6 ADVERSE REACTIONS
 
6.2 Postmarketing Experience
 
Because postmarketing reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of HARVONI.
 
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS
 
Added amiodarone information to Table 3, Potentially Significant Drug Interactions: Alterations in Dose or Regimen May Be Recommended Based on Drug Interaction Studies or Predicted Interaction.
 

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Concomitant Drug Class: Drug Name Effect on Concentration Clinical Comment Antiarrhythmics:
 
amiodarone Effect on amiodarone, ledipasvir, and sofosbuvir concentrations unknown Coadministration of HARVONI with amiodarone may result in serious symptomatic bradycardia. The mechanism of this effect is unknown.
 
Coadministration of amiodarone with HARVONI is not recommended; if coadministration is required, cardiac monitoring is recommended [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]
 
Updated labeling will be posted soon at DailyMed
 
Harvoni and Sovaldi are products of Gilead Sciences.
Richard Klein
Office of Special Health Issues
Food and Drug Administration
Kimberly Struble
Division of Antiviral Drug Products
Food and Drug Administration
Steve Morin
Office of Special Health Issues
Food and Drug Administration
 
Its in the FDA label....
 
Harvoni FDA Product Info/Label, Patient Info - (10/11/14)
 
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS----------------------
 
Bradycardia with amiodarone coadministration: Serious symptomatic bradycardia may occur in patients taking amiodarone, particularly in patients also receiving beta blockers, or those with underlying cardiac comorbidities and/or advanced liver disease. Coadministration of amiodarone with HARVONI is not recommended. In patients without alternative, viable treatment options, cardiac monitoring is recommended. (5.1, 6.2, 7.2)
 
Use with other drugs containing sofosbuvir, including SOVALDI, is not recommended (5.3)
 
What is amiodarone?
http://www.drugs.com/amiodarone.html
 
 
 
 
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