Risk Summary

Available data from published observational studies did not demonstrate an association of major malformations or other adverse pregnancy outcomes with pantoprazole.

In animal reproduction studies, no evidence of adverse development outcomes was observed with pantoprazole. Reproduction studies have been performed in rats at oral doses up to 450 mg/kg/day (about 88 times the recommended human dose) and rabbits at oral doses up to 40 mg/kg/day (about 16 times the recommended human dose) with administration of pantoprazole during organogenesis in pregnant animals and have revealed no evidence of harm to the fetus due to pantoprazole in this study (see Data).

A pre-and postnatal development toxicity study in rats with additional endpoints to evaluate the effect on bone development was performed with pantoprazole sodium. Oral pantoprazole doses of 5, 15, and 30 mg/kg/day (approximately 1, 3, and 6 times the human dose of 40 mg/day) were administered to pregnant females from gestation day (GD) 6 through lactation day (LD) 21. Changes in bone morphology were observed in pups exposed to pantoprazole in utero and through milk during the period of lactation as well as by oral dosing from postnatal day (PND) 4 through PND 21 [see Use in Specific Populations (8.4)]. There were no drug-related findings in maternal animals. Advise pregnant women of the potential risk of fetal harm.

The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss or other adverse outcomes. In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in the clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.

Data

Risk Summary

Pantoprazole has been detected in breast milk of a nursing mother after a single 40 mg oral dose of pantoprazole. There were no effects on the breastfed infant (see Data). There are no data on pantoprazole effects on milk production.

The developmental and health benefits of breastfeeding should be considered along with the mother's clinical need for PROTONIX and any potential adverse effects on the breastfed child from pantoprazole or from the underlying maternal condition.

Data

The breast milk of a 42-year-old woman receiving 40 mg of oral pantoprazole, at 10 months postpartum, was studied for 24 hours, to demonstrate low levels of pantoprazole present in the breast milk. Pantoprazole was detectable in milk only 2 and 4 hours after the dose with milk levels of approximately 36 mcg/L and 24 mcg/L, respectively. A milk-to-plasma ratio of 0.022 was observed at 2 hours after drug administration. Pantoprazole was not detectable (<10 mcg/L) in milk at 6, 8 and 24 hours after the dose. The relative dose to the infant was estimated to be 7.3 mcg of pantoprazole, which is equivalent to 0.14% of the weight-adjusted maternal dose. No adverse events in the infant were reported by the mother.

1 year through 16 years of age

Use of PROTONIX in pediatric patients 1 year through 16 years of age for short-term treatment (up to eight weeks) of EE associated with GERD is supported by: a) extrapolation of results from adequate and well-controlled studies that supported the approval of PROTONIX for treatment of EE associated with GERD in adults, and b) safety, effectiveness, and pharmacokinetic studies performed in pediatric patients [see Clinical Studies (14.1), Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].

Safety of PROTONIX in the treatment of EE associated with GERD in pediatric patients 1 through 16 years of age was evaluated in three multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-treatment studies, involving 249 pediatric patients, including 8 with EE (4 patients ages 1 year to 5 years and 4 patients 5 years to 11 years). The children ages 1 year to 5 years with endoscopically diagnosed EE (defined as an endoscopic Hetzel-Dent score ≥2) were treated once daily for 8 weeks with one of two dose levels of PROTONIX (approximating 0.6 mg/kg or 1.2 mg/kg). All 4 of these patients with EE were healed (Hetzel-Dent score of 0 or 1) at 8 weeks. Because EE is uncommon in the pediatric population, predominantly pediatric patients with endoscopically-proven or symptomatic GERD were also included in these studies. Patients were treated with a range of doses of PROTONIX once daily for 8 weeks. For safety findings see Adverse Reactions (6.1). Because these pediatric trials had no placebo, active comparator, or evidence of a dose response, the trials were inconclusive regarding the clinical benefit of PROTONIX for symptomatic GERD in the pediatric population. The effectiveness of PROTONIX for treating symptomatic GERD in pediatric patients has not been established.

Although the data from the clinical trials support use of PROTONIX for the short-term treatment of EE associated with GERD in pediatric patients 1 year through 5 years, there is no commercially available dosage formulation appropriate for patients less than 5 years of age [see Dosage and Administration (2)].

In a population pharmacokinetic analysis, clearance values in the children 1 to 5 years old with endoscopically proven GERD had a median value of 2.4 L/h. Following a 1.2 mg/kg equivalent dose (15 mg for ≤12.5 kg and 20 mg for >12.5 to <25 kg), the plasma concentrations of pantoprazole were highly variable and the median time to peak plasma concentration was 3 to 6 hours. The estimated AUC for patients 1 to 5 years old was 37% higher than for adults receiving a single 40 mg tablet, with a geometric mean AUC value of 6.8 µg∙hr/mL.

Neonates to less than one year of age

PROTONIX was not found to be effective in a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, treatment-withdrawal study of 129 pediatric patients 1 through 11 months of age. Patients were enrolled if they had symptomatic GERD based on medical history and had not responded to non-pharmacologic interventions for GERD for two weeks. Patients received PROTONIX daily for four weeks in an open-label phase, then patients were randomized in equal proportion to receive PROTONIX treatment or placebo for the subsequent four weeks in a double-blind manner. Efficacy was assessed by observing the time from randomization to study discontinuation due to symptom worsening during the four-week treatment-withdrawal phase. There was no statistically significant difference between PROTONIX and placebo in the rate of discontinuation.

In this trial, the adverse reactions that were reported more commonly (difference of ≥4%) in the treated population compared to the placebo population were elevated CK, otitis media, rhinitis, and laryngitis.

In a population pharmacokinetic analysis, the systemic exposure was higher in patients less than 1 year of age with GERD compared to adults who received a single 40 mg dose (geometric mean AUC was 103% higher in preterm infants and neonates receiving single dose of 2.5 mg of PROTONIX, and 23% higher in infants 1 through 11 months of age receiving a single dose of approximately 1.2 mg/kg). In these patients, the apparent clearance (CL/F) increased with age (median clearance: 0.6 L/hr, range: 0.03 to 3.2 L/hr).

These doses resulted in pharmacodynamic effects on gastric but not esophageal pH. Following once daily dosing of 2.5 mg of PROTONIX in preterm infants and neonates, there was an increase in the mean gastric pH (from 4.3 at baseline to 5.2 at steady-state) and in the mean % time that gastric pH was > 4 (from 60% at baseline to 80% at steady-state). Following once daily dosing of approximately 1.2 mg/kg of PROTONIX in infants 1 through 11 months of age, there was an increase in the mean gastric pH (from 3.1 at baseline to 4.2 at steady-state) and in the mean % time that gastric pH was > 4 (from 32% at baseline to 60% at steady-state). However, no significant changes were observed in mean intraesophageal pH or % time that esophageal pH was <4 in either age group.

Because PROTONIX was not shown to be effective in the randomized, placebo-controlled study in this age group, the use of PROTONIX for treatment of symptomatic GERD in infants less than 1 year of age is not indicated.

Animal Toxicity Data

In a pre- and post-natal development study in rats, the pups were administered oral doses of pantoprazole at 5, 15, and 30 mg/kg/day (approximately 1, 2.3, and 3.2 times the exposure (AUC) in children aged 6 to 11 years at a dose of 40 mg) on postnatal day (PND 4) through PND 21, in addition to lactational exposure through milk. On PND 21, decreased mean femur length and weight and changes in femur bone mass and geometry were observed in the offspring at 5 mg/kg/day (approximately equal exposures (AUC) in children aged 6 to 11 years at the 40 mg dose) and higher doses. Changes in bone parameters were partially reversible following a recovery period.

In neonatal/juvenile animals (rats and dogs) toxicities were similar to those observed in adult animals, including gastric alterations, decreases in red cell mass, increases in lipids, enzyme induction and hepatocellular hypertrophy. An increased incidence of eosinophilic chief cells in adult and neonatal/juvenile rats, and atrophy of chief cells in adult rats and in neonatal/juvenile dogs, was observed in the fundic mucosa of stomachs in repeated-dose studies. Full to partial recovery of these effects were noted in animals of both age groups following a recovery period.