Athena Bioscience, LLC, a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Qdolo? (tramadol hydrochloride) Oral Solution 5mg/1mL C-IV, an opioid agonist indicated in adults for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 50 million adults in the United States have chronic daily pain, with 19.6 million adults experiencing high-impact chronic pain that interferes with daily life or work activities. A May, 2019 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report on pain management best practices emphasized the need for an "individualized, patient-centered" approach for the treatment of pain.1

"As an oral liquid, Qdolo gives physicians flexibility to titrate dosing precisely according to individual patients' needs," said Jeff Bryant, President and CEO of Athena Bioscience. "In addition, for patients with swallowing disfunction (dysphagia) or who simply have trouble swallowing pills, Qdolo provides an essential alternative to other forms of tramadol." Qdolo has a patent pending.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

QDOLO IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (ISI)

WARNING: RISK OF MEDICATION ERRORS; ADDICTION, ABUSE, and MISUSE; RISK EVALUATION and MITIGATION STRATEGY (REMS); LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION; ACCIDENTAL INGESTION; ULTRA-RAPID METABOLISM OF TRAMADOL and OTHER RISK FACTORS FOR LIFE-THREATENING RESPIRATORY DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN; NEONATAL OPIOID WITHDRAWAL SYNDROME; INTERACTIONS WITH DRUGS AFFECTING CYTOCHROME P450 ISOENZYMES; and RISKS FROM CONCOMITANT USE WITH BENZODIAZEPINES OR OTHER CNS DEPRESSANTS

Ensure accuracy when prescribing, dispensing, and administering QDOLO. Dosing errors due to confusion between mg and mL can result in accidental overdose and death.

Qdolo exposes users to the risks of addiction, abuse and misuse, which can lead to overdose and death.

The FDA has required a REMS for all opioid analgesics.

Serious, life-threatening, or fatal respiratory depression may occur. Monitor closely, especially during initiation or following a dose increase.

Accidental ingestion of Qdolo, especially by children, can result in a fatal overdose of tramadol.

Life-threatening respiratory depression and death have occurred in children who received tramadol. Some of the reported cases followed tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy; in at least one case, the child had evidence of being an ultra-rapid metabolizer of tramadol due to a CYP2D6 polymorphism.

Qdolo is contraindicated in children younger than 12 years of age and in children younger than 18 years of age following tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy. Avoid the use of Qdolo in adolescents 12 to 18 years of age who have other risk factors that may increase their sensitivity to the respiratory depressant effects of tramadol.

Prolonged use of Qdolo, during pregnancy can result in neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome, which may be life threatening if not recognized and treated. If prolonged opioid use is required in a pregnant woman, advise the patient of the risk of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and ensure that appropriate treatment will be available.

The effects of concomitant use or discontinuation of cytochrome P450 3A4 inducers, 3A4 inhibitors, or 2D6 inhibitors with tramadol are complex. Use of cytochrome P450 3A4 inducers, 3A4 inhibitors, or 2D6 inhibitors with Qdolo requires careful consideration of the effects on the parent drug, tramadol, and the active metabolite, M1.

Concomitant use of opioids with benzodiazepines or other central nervous system depressants, including alcohol, may result in profound sedation, respiratory depression, coma, and death. Reserve concomitant prescribing for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options are inadequate; limit dosages and durations to the minimum required; and follow patients for signs and symptoms of respiratory depression and sedation.

INDICATION

Qdolo is indicated in adults for the management of pain severe enough to require an opioid analgesic and for which alternative treatments are inadequate.

Limitations of Use: Because of the risks of addiction, abuse, and misuse with opioids, even at recommended doses, reserve QDOLO for use in patients for whom alternative treatment options (e.g., non-opioid analgesics):

Have not been tolerated or are not expected to be tolerated.

Have not provided adequate analgesia or are not expected to provide adequate analgesia.

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

Ensure accuracy when prescribing, dispensing, and administering Qdolo to avoid dosing errors due to confusion between mg and mL which could result in accidental overdose and death. Ensure the proper dose is communicated and dispensed.

When writing prescriptions, include both the total dose in mg and the total dose in volume.

Instruct patients on how to measure and take the correct dose of Qdolo and to use extreme caution when measuring the dose.

Strongly advise patients to always use a calibrated oral syringe or other oral dosing device, with metric units of measurements (i.e., mL), to correctly measure the prescribed amount of medication.

Inform patients that oral dosing devices may be obtained from their pharmacy and to never use household teaspoons or tablespoons to measure Qdolo.

Do not use Qdolo concomitantly with other tramadol-containing products.

Do not administer Qdolo at a dose exceeding 400 mg (80 mL) per day.

Use the lowest effective dosage for the shortest duration consistent with individual patient treatment goals.

Initiate the dosing regimen for each patient individually, taking into account the patient's severity of pain, patient response, prior analgesic treatment experience, and risk factors for addiction, abuse, and misuse.

Monitor patients closely for respiratory depression, especially within the first 24–72 hours of initiating therapy and following dosage increases with Qdolo and adjust the dosage accordingly.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Acute or severe bronchial asthma in an unmonitored setting or in the absence of resuscitative equipment

Known or suspected gastrointestinal obstruction, including paralytic ileus

Hypersensitivity to tramadol, any other component of this product or opioids

Concurrent use of monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) or use of MAOIs within the last 14 days

WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

Serotonin Syndrome: May be life-threatening. Can occur with use of tramadol alone, with concomitant use of serotonergic drugs, with drugs that impair metabolism of serotonin or tramadol.

Risk of Seizure: Can occur at the recommended dose of tramadol. Concomitant use with other drugs may increase seizure risk. Risk may increase in patients with epilepsy, a history of seizures, and in patients with a recognized risk for seizures.

Risk of Suicide: Do not prescribe for suicidal or addiction-prone patients.

Adrenal Insufficiency: If diagnosed, treat with physiologic replacement of corticosteroids, and wean patient off the opioid.

Life-Threatening Respiratory Depression in Patients with Chronic Pulmonary Disease or in Elderly, Cachectic, or Debilitated Patients: Monitor closely, particularly during initiation and titration.

Severe Hypotension: Monitor during dosage initiation and titration. Avoid use of QDOLO in patients with circulatory shock.

Risks of Use in Patients with Increased Intracranial Pressure, Brain Tumors, Head Injury, or Impaired Consciousness: Monitor for sedation and respiratory depression. Avoid use of Qdolo in patients with impaired consciousness or coma.

ADVERSE REACTIONS
The most common adverse events (≥15.0%) in patients were dizziness/vertigo, nausea, constipation, headache, somnolence, vomiting and pruritus.

To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch or Athena Bioscience, LLC at 1-833-874-2664.

See Full Prescribing Information for all adverse reactions associated with Qdolo.

DRUG INTERACTIONS
Qdolo use with Agonist/Antagonist and Partial Agonist Opioid Analgesics should be avoided as it may reduce analgesic effect of Qdolo or precipitate withdrawal symptoms.

See Full Prescribing Information for all drug interactions associated with Qdolo.

SPECIAL POPULATIONS
Pregnancy and Lactation: May cause fetal harm; breastfeeding is not recommended.

See Full Prescribing Information for use in specific populations associated with Qdolo.

Please see full Prescribing Information for QDOLO https://athenabioscience.com/qdolo-prescribing-infomation/

ABOUT ATHENA BIOSCIENCE

Athena Bioscience, LLC is a specialty pharmaceutical company that seeks to enhance medical options for both healthcare professionals and patients through innovative solutions to unmet challenges. The company endeavors to address unmet needs by optimizing the usefulness of proven pharmaceutical therapies and delivering quality of life improvement to patients. For additional information about Athena Bioscience, LLC, please contact the company at 833-284-3622, or visit athenabioscience.com.

References:
1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2019, May). Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations. Retrieved from U. S. Department of Health and Human Services website: https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/reports/index.html

SOURCE Athena Bioscience, LLC