Orencia

• Generic Name: abatacept
• Brand Name: Orencia
• Drug Class: DMARDs, Immunomodulators

Orencia (Abatacept) side effects drug center

• Related Drugs
  Abrilada Amjevita Ansaid Celebrex Clanza CR Cortaren Cytoxan Depo Medrol Dynacin Enbrel Eticovo Hadlima Hexadrol Hulio Humira Hyrimoz Kevzara Lodine Meloxicam Neoral Otrexup Rinvoq Xeljanz Yutiq
• Health Resources
  Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
• Related Supplements
  Borage Bovine Cartilage Cat's Claw Fish Oil Gamma Linolenic Acid Superoxide Dismutase Thunder God Vine Vitamin D Vitamin E
• Drug Comparison
  Orencia vs. Hadlima Orencia vs. Xeljanz Rituxan vs. Orencia
• Orencia User Reviews

 

PROFESSIONAL

CONSUMER

SIDE EFFECTS

• Overview
• Consumer Information
• Professional Information

 

Orencia Side Effects Center

What Is Orencia?

Orencia (abatacept) is a recombinant DNA generated fusion protein used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and to prevent joint damage caused by these conditions. Orencia is also used to treat arthritis in children who are at least 6 years old. Orencia is not a cure for any autoimmune disorder and only treats symptoms.

What Are Side Effects of Orencia?

Common side effects of Orencia include:

• headache,
• nausea,
• diarrhea,
• stomach pain,
• indigestion,
• dizziness,
• flushing,
• back pain, or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy head/nose, sneezing, sore throat, or cough.

Serious side effects of Orencia include:

• fever,
• chills,
• night sweats,
• flu symptoms,
• weight loss,
• feeling very tired,
• fatal infections,
• shortness of breath,
• changes in the amount of urine,
• pain when urinating, and
• severe abdominal pain.

Dosage for Orencia

Orencia is supplied in single use vials at a strength of 250mg per vial. Orencia is administered intravenously (IV) as a 30-minute infusion. Dosing is based on the patient's weight. Following the initial intravenous administration, an IV infusion is given at 2 and 4 weeks after the first infusion and every 4 weeks thereafter.

What Drugs, Substances, or Supplements Interact with Orencia?

There may be other drugs that can interact with Orencia. The prescribing doctor needs to know all medications (including herbals) that the person is taking.

Orencia During Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

During pregnancy, Orencia should be used only when prescribed. It is unknown if Orencia passes into breast milk or if it would harm a nursing baby. Breastfeeding is not recommended while using this drug.

Additional Information

Children under age 6 have not been evaluated for safety or efficacy of Orencia.

Our Orencia (abatacept) Side Effects Drug Center provides a comprehensive view of available drug information on the potential side effects when taking this medication.

 

Orencia Consumer Information

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

Some side effects may occur during the injection. Tell your caregiver right away if you feel dizzy, light-headed, itchy, or have a severe headache or trouble breathing within 1 hour after receiving the injection.

You may get infections more easily, even serious or fatal infections. Call your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as:

• fever, chills, night sweats, flu symptoms, weight loss;
• feeling very tired;
• dry cough, sore throat; or
• warmth, pain, or redness of your skin.

Call your doctor at once if you have any of these other serious side effects:

• trouble breathing;
• stabbing chest pain, wheezing, cough with yellow or green mucus;
• pain or burning when you urinate; or
• signs of skin infection such as itching, swelling, warmth, redness, or oozing.

Common side effects may include:

• fever;
• nausea, diarrhea, stomach pain;
• headache; or
• cold symptoms such as stuffy nose, sneezing, sore throat, cough.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Read the entire detailed patient monograph for Orencia (Abatacept)

 

Orencia Professional Information

SIDE EFFECTS

Because clinical trials are conducted under widely varying and controlled conditions, adverse reaction rates observed in clinical trials of a drug cannot be directly compared to rates in the clinical trials of another drug and may not predict the rates observed in a broader patient population in clinical practice.

Clinical Trials Experience In Adult Patients With RA And PsA

Adverse Reactions In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

The data from placebo-controlled studies described herein reflect exposure to ORENCIA administered intravenously in patients with active RA (1955 patients with ORENCIA, 989 with placebo) (Studies I through VI) [see Clinical Studies]. The studies had either a doubleblind, placebo-controlled period of 6 months (258 patients with ORENCIA, 133 with placebo) or 1 year (1697 patients with ORENCIA, 856 with placebo). A subset of these patients received concomitant biologic DMARD therapy, such as a TNF antagonist (204 patients with ORENCIA, 134 with placebo). The concomitant use of ORENCIA with a TNF antagonist is not recommended [see INDICATIONS]. The majority of patients in RA clinical studies received one or more of the following concomitant medications with ORENCIA: methotrexate, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, TNF antagonist, azathioprine, chloroquine, gold, hydroxychloroquine, leflunomide, sulfasalazine, and anakinra.

The most serious adverse reactions were serious infections and malignancies. The most commonly reported adverse events (occurring in ≥10% of patients treated with ORENCIA) were headache, upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and nausea.

The adverse reactions most frequently resulting in clinical intervention (interruption or discontinuation of ORENCIA) were due to infection. The most frequently reported infections resulting in dose interruption were upper respiratory tract infection (1%), bronchitis (0.7%), and herpes zoster (0.7%). The most frequent infections resulting in discontinuation were pneumonia (0.2%), localized infection (0.2%), and bronchitis (0.1%).

Most Common Adverse Reactions In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

Adverse reactions occurring in 3% or more of patients and at least 1% more frequently in ORENCIA-treated patients (intravenous) during placebo-controlled RA studies are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3: Most Common Adverse Reactions* During Placebo-Controlled RA Studies of Intravenous ORENCIA

	Intravenous ORENCIA (n=1955)a	Placebo (n=989)b
Headache	18%	13%
Nasopharyngitis	12%	9%
Dizziness	9%	7%
Cough	8 %	7%
Back pain	7%	6%
Hypertension	7%	4%
Dyspepsia	6%	4%
Urinary tract infection	6%	5%
Rash	4%	3%
Pain in extremity	3%	2%
* Occurred in ≥3% patients and >1% more frequently in ORENCIA-treated patients. a Includes 204 patients on concomitant biologic DMARDs (adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept, or infliximab). b Includes 134 patients on concomitant biologic DMARDs (adalimumab, anakinra, etanercept, or infliximab).

Infections In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

In the placebo-controlled trials in patients with RA, infections were reported in 54% of intravenous ORENCIA-treated patients and 48% of placebo-treated patients. The most commonly reported infections (reported in 5%-13% of patients) were upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infection, influenza, and bronchitis. Other infections reported in fewer than 5% of patients at a higher frequency (>0.5%) with ORENCIA compared to placebo, were rhinitis, herpes simplex, and pneumonia [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Serious infections were reported in 3% of patients treated with ORENCIA and 1.9% of patients treated with placebo. The most common (0.2%-0.5%) serious infections reported with ORENCIA were pneumonia, cellulitis, urinary tract infection, bronchitis, diverticulitis, and acute pyelonephritis [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Malignancies In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

In the placebo-controlled portions of the clinical trials (1955 patients treated for RA with ORENCIA for a median of 12 months), the overall frequencies of malignancies were similar in the ORENCIA- and placebo-treated patients (1.3% and 1.1%, respectively). However, more cases of lung cancer were observed in ORENCIA-treated patients (4 cases, 0.2%) than placebotreated patients (0 cases, 0%). In the cumulative intravenous ORENCIA clinical trials in patients with RA (placebo-controlled and uncontrolled, open-label) a total of 8 cases of lung cancer (0.21 cases per 100 patient-years) and 4 lymphomas (0.10 cases per 100 patient-years) were observed in 2688 patients (3827 patient-years). The rate observed for lymphoma is approximately 3.5-fold higher than expected in an age- and gender-matched general population based on the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database. Patients with RA, particularly those with highly active disease, are at a higher risk for the development of lymphoma. Other malignancies included skin, breast, bile duct, bladder, cervical, endometrial, lymphoma, melanoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, ovarian, prostate, renal, thyroid, and uterine cancers [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. The potential role of ORENCIA in the development of malignancies in humans is unknown.

Infusion-Related Reactions And Hypersensitivity Reactions In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

Acute infusion-related events (adverse reactions occurring within 1 hour of the start of the infusion) in Studies III, IV, and V [see Clinical Studies] were more common in the ORENCIA-treated patients than the placebo patients (9% for ORENCIA, 6% for placebo). The most frequently reported events (1%-2%) were dizziness, headache, and hypertension.

Acute infusion-related events that were reported in >0.1% and ≤1% of patients treated with ORENCIA included cardiopulmonary symptoms, such as hypotension, increased blood pressure, and dyspnea; other symptoms included nausea, flushing, urticaria, cough, hypersensitivity, pruritus, rash, and wheezing. Most of these reactions were mild (68%) to moderate (28%). Fewer than 1% of ORENCIA-treated patients discontinued due to an acute infusion-related event. In controlled trials, 6 ORENCIA-treated patients compared to 2 placebo-treated patients discontinued study treatment due to acute infusion-related events.

In clinical trials of 2688 adult RA patients treated with intravenous ORENCIA, there were two cases (<0.1%) of anaphylaxis. Other reactions potentially associated with drug hypersensitivity, such as hypotension, urticaria, and dyspnea, each occurred in less than 0.9% of ORENCIAtreated patients and generally occurred within 24 hours of ORENCIA infusion. Appropriate medical support measures for the treatment of hypersensitivity reactions should be available for immediate use in the event of a reaction [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Adverse Reactions In Patients With COPD Treated For RA With Intravenous ORENCIA

In Study V [see Clinical Studies], there were 37 and 17 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were treated for RA with ORENCIA and placebo, respectively. The COPD patients treated with ORENCIA for RA developed adverse events more frequently than those treated with placebo (97% vs 88%, respectively). Respiratory disorders occurred more frequently in ORENCIA-treated patients compared to placebo-treated patients (43% vs 24%, respectively) including COPD exacerbation, cough, rhonchi, and dyspnea. A greater percentage of ORENCIA-treated patients developed a serious adverse event compared to placebo-treated patients (27% vs 6%), including COPD exacerbation [3 of 37 patients (8%)] and pneumonia [1 of 37 patients (3%)] [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Adverse Reactions In Methotrexate-Naive Patients With Ra Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

Study VI was an active-controlled clinical trial in methotrexate-naive patients [see Clinical Studies]. The safety experience in these patients was consistent with the patients in Studies I-V.

Adverse Reactions In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Subcutaneous Or Intravenous ORENCIA

The data described below are derived from Study SC-1. Study SC-1 was a randomized, doubleblind, double-dummy, non-inferiority study that compared the safety of ORENCIA administered subcutaneously or intravenously in 1457 patients with RA, who received background methotrexate, and experienced an inadequate response to methotrexate (MTX-IR) [see Clinical Studies]. The adverse reaction profile in patients treated with subcutaneous ORENCIA was similar to the adverse reaction profile in patients treated with intravenous ORENCIA and consistent with intravenous ORENCIA administered in Studies I-VI.

Injection Site Reactions In Adult RA Patients Treated With Subcutaneous ORENCIA

The overall frequency of injection site reactions in Study SC-1 was 2.6% (19/736) and 2.5% (18/721) for the subcutaneous ORENCIA group and the subcutaneous placebo group (given intravenous ORENCIA), respectively [see Clinical Studies]. All these injection site reactions (including hematoma, pruritus, and erythema) were mild (83%) to moderate (17%) in severity, and none necessitated drug discontinuation.

Adverse Reactions In Adult Patients With PsA Treated With Intravenous Or Subcutaneous ORENCIA

The safety of ORENCIA was evaluated in 594 patients with PsA (341 patients on ORENCIA and 253 patients on placebo), in two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials [see Clinical Studies]. Of the 341 patients who received ORENCIA, 128 patients received intravenous ORENCIA (PsA-I) and 213 patients received subcutaneous ORENCIA (PsA-II). The safety profile was comparable between ORENCIA given intravenously in Study PsA-I and ORENCIA given subcutaneously in Study PsA-II and also consistent with the safety profile of ORENCIA in patients with RA [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS, Clinical Trials Experience In Adult Patients With RA And PsA, Clinical Trials Experience In Patients With Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis].

Clinical Trials Experience In Patients With Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

Adverse Reactions In Patients With pJIA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

In general, the adverse events in pediatric patients with polyarticular JIA (pJIA) treated with intravenous ORENCIA were similar in frequency and type to those seen in adult patients with RA treated with intravenous ORENCIA [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS and ADVERSE REACTIONS].

Study JIA-1 was a three-part study including an open-label extension that assessed the safety of intravenous ORENCIA in 190 pediatric patients, 6 to 17 years of age, with pJIA. Overall frequency of adverse events in the 4-month, lead-in, open-label period of the study was 70%; infections occurred at a frequency of 36% [see Clinical Studies]. The most common infections were upper respiratory tract infection and nasopharyngitis. The infections resolved without sequelae, and the types of infections were consistent with those commonly seen in outpatient pediatric populations. Other events that occurred at a prevalence of at least 5% were headache, nausea, diarrhea, cough, pyrexia, and abdominal pain.

A total of 6 serious adverse events [acute lymphocytic leukemia, ovarian cyst, varicella infection, disease flare (2), and joint wear] were reported during the initial 4 months of treatment with intravenous ORENCIA.

Of the 190 pediatric patients with pJIA treated with intravenous ORENCIA in clinical trials, there was one case of a hypersensitivity reaction (0.5%). During Periods A, B, and C, acute infusion-related reactions occurred at a frequency of 4%, 2%, and 3%, respectively, and were consistent with the types of events reported in adults.

Upon continued treatment in the open-label extension period, the types of adverse events were similar in frequency and type to those seen in adult patients, except for a single patient diagnosed with multiple sclerosis while on open-label treatment.

Adverse Reactions In Patients With pJIA Treated With Subcutaneous ORENCIA

Study JIA-2 was an open-label study with a 4-month short-term period and a long-term extension period that assessed the safety of subcutaneous ORENCIA in 205 pediatric patients, 2 to 17 years of age with pJIA. The adverse reaction profile in patients with pJIA treated with ORENCIA administered subcutaneously in Study JIA-2 were consistent with the adverse reaction profile in patients with pJIA treated with intravenous Study JIA-1.

There were no reported cases of hypersensitivity reactions. Local injection-site reactions occurred at a frequency of 4.4%.

Immunogenicity

As with all therapeutic proteins, there is potential for immunogenicity. The detection of antibody formation is highly dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the assay. Additionally, the observed incidence of antibody (including neutralizing antibody) positivity in an assay may be influenced by several factors, including assay methodology, sample handling, timing of sample collection, concomitant medications, and underlying disease. For these reasons, comparison of the incidence of antibodies in the studies described below with the incidence of antibodies in other studies or to other abatacept products may be misleading.

Immunogenicity In Adult Patients With RA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

Antibodies directed against the entire abatacept molecule or to the CTLA-4 portion of abatacept were assessed by ELISA assays in RA patients for up to 2 years following repeated treatment with intravenous ORENCIA. Thirty-four of 1993 (2%) patients developed binding antibodies to the entire abatacept molecule or to the CTLA-4 portion of abatacept. Because trough levels of abatacept can interfere with assay results, a subset analysis was performed. In the subset analysis, 9 of 154 (6%) patients that had discontinued intravenous ORENCIA treatment for over 56 days developed antibodies. Samples with confirmed binding activity to CTLA-4 were assessed for the presence of neutralizing antibodies in a cell-based luciferase reporter assay. Six of 9 (67%) evaluable patients were shown to possess neutralizing antibodies. However, the development of neutralizing antibodies may be underreported due to lack of assay sensitivity.

No correlation of anti-abatacept antibody development to clinical response or adverse events was observed.

Immunogenicity In Adult RA Patients Treated With Subcutaneous Or Intravenous ORENCIA

Study SC-1 compared the immunogenicity to abatacept following subcutaneous or intravenous ORENCIA administration. The overall immunogenicity frequency to abatacept was 1% (8/725) and 2% (16/710) for the subcutaneous and intravenous groups, respectively. The rate is consistent with previous experience, and there was no correlation of immunogenicity with effects on pharmacokinetics, safety, or efficacy.

Immunogenicity In Adult RA Patients Treated With Subcutaneous ORENCIA Monotherapy

Study SC-2 was conducted to determine the effect of subcutaneous monotherapy use of ORENCIA on immunogenicity (without an intravenous loading dose) in 100 RA patients, who had not previously received ORENCIA or other CTLA4Ig. Patients in this study received either subcutaneous ORENCIA plus methotrexate (n=51) or subcutaneous ORENCIA monotherapy (n=49). No patients in either group developed anti-abatacept antibodies after 4 months of treatment. The safety observed in this study was consistent with that observed in the other subcutaneous studies.

Immunogenicity In Adult RA Patients After Treatment, Withdrawal, And Then Restart Of Subcutaneous ORENCIA

Study SC-3 was conducted to investigate the immunogenicity in adult RA patients after treatment, withdrawal (three months), and restart of ORENCIA subcutaneous treatment (patients were treated concomitantly with methotrexate). One hundred sixty-seven patients were enrolled in the first 3-month treatment period and responders (n=120) were randomized to either subcutaneous ORENCIA or placebo for the second 3-month period (withdrawal period). Patients from this period then received open-label ORENCIA treatment in the final 3-month period of the study (period 3). At the end of the withdrawal period, 0/38 (0%) patients who continued to receive subcutaneous ORENCIA developed anti-abatacept antibodies compared to 7/73 (10%) of patients who had subcutaneous ORENCIA withdrawn during this period. Half of the patients who received subcutaneous placebo during the withdrawal period received a single intravenous infusion of ORENCIA at the start of period 3 and half received intravenous placebo. At the end of period 3, when all patients again received subcutaneous ORENCIA, the immunogenicity rates were 1/38 (3%) in the group who received subcutaneous ORENCIA throughout, and 2/73 (3%) in the group that had received placebo during the withdrawal period. Upon reinitiating therapy, there were no injection reactions and no differences in response to therapy in patients who were withdrawn from subcutaneous therapy for up to 3 months compared to those who remained on subcutaneous therapy (these results occurred in those who received or did not receive an intravenous loading dose). The safety observed in this study was consistent with that observed in the other studies.

Immunogenicity In Patients With pJIA Treated With Intravenous ORENCIA

Antibodies directed against the entire abatacept molecule or to the CTLA-4 portion of abatacept were assessed by ELISA assays in patients with pJIA following repeated treatment with intravenous ORENCIA throughout the open-label period. For patients who were withdrawn from therapy for up to 6 months during the double-blind period, the rate of antibody formation to the CTLA-4 portion of the molecule was 41% (22/54), while for those who remained on therapy the rate was 13% (7/54). Twenty of these patients had samples that could be tested for antibodies with neutralizing activity; of these, 8 (40%) patients were shown to possess neutralizing antibodies.

The presence of antibodies was generally transient, and titers were low. The presence of antibodies was not associated with adverse events, changes in efficacy, or an effect on serum concentrations of abatacept. For patients who were withdrawn from ORENCIA during the double-blind period for up to 6 months, no serious acute infusion-related events were observed upon re-initiation of ORENCIA therapy.

Postmarketing Experience

Adverse reactions have been reported during the postapproval use of ORENCIA. Because these 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 ORENCIA. Based on the postmarketing experience with ORENCIA, the following adverse reactions have been identified:

• Vasculitis (including cutaneous vasculitis and leukocytoclastic vasculitis)
• New or worsening psoriasis
• Non-melanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma)
• Angioedema reactions [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]

During postmarketing experience with intravenous ORENCIA, systemic infusion reactions were similar to that seen in the clinical trial experience with intravenous ORENCIA with the exception of one case of fatal anaphylaxis [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS]. Postmarketing reports of systemic injection reactions (e.g., pruritus, throat tightness, dyspnea) have occurred following the use of subcutaneous ORENCIA.

DRUG INTERACTIONS

Immunosuppressants

Concomitant administration of a TNF antagonist with ORENCIA has been associated with an increased risk of serious infections and no significant additional efficacy over use of the TNF antagonists alone. Concurrent therapy with ORENCIA and TNF antagonists is not recommended [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

There is insufficient experience to assess the safety and efficacy of ORENCIA administered concurrently with other biologic RA therapy, such as anakinra, or other biologic PsA therapy, and JAK inhibitors and therefore such use is not recommended. [see WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS].

Blood Glucose Testing

Parenteral drug products containing maltose can interfere with the readings of blood glucose monitors that use test strips with glucose dehydrogenase pyrroloquinoline quinone (GDH-PQQ). The GDH-PQQ based glucose monitoring systems may react with the maltose present in ORENCIA for intravenous administration, resulting in falsely elevated blood glucose readings on the day of infusion. When receiving intravenous ORENCIA, patients that require blood glucose monitoring should be advised to consider methods that do not react with maltose, such as those based on glucose dehydrogenase nicotine adenine dinucleotide (GDH-NAD), glucose oxidase, or glucose hexokinase test methods.

ORENCIA for subcutaneous administration does not contain maltose; therefore, patients do not need to alter their glucose monitoring.

Read the entire FDA prescribing information for Orencia (Abatacept)

&Copy; Orencia Patient Information is supplied by Cerner Multum, Inc. and Orencia Consumer information is supplied by First Databank, Inc., used under license and subject to their respective copyrights.