Prescription Drug Information: Medroxyprogesterone Acetate

MEDROXYPROGESTERONE ACETATE- medroxyprogesterone acetate injection, suspension
Prasco Laboratories

WARNING: LOSS OF BONE MINERAL DENSITY

  • Women who use Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) Injectable Suspension, USP may lose significant bone mineral density. Bone loss is greater with increasing duration of use and may not be completely reversible [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
  • It is unknown if use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP during adolescence or early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion, will reduce peak bone mass and increase the risk for osteoporotic fracture in later life [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].
  • MPA Injectable Suspension, USP is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate [see Indications and Usage (1) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE

Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (MPA) Injectable Suspension, USP is indicated for use by females of reproductive potential to prevent pregnancy.

Limitations of Use:

The use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate [see Dosage and Administration (2.1) and Warnings and Precautions (5.1)].

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION

2.1 Prevention of Pregnancy

Both the 1 mL vial and the 1 mL prefilled syringe of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP should be vigorously shaken just before use to ensure that the dose being administered represents a uniform suspension.

The recommended dose is 150 mg of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP every 3 months (13 weeks) administered by deep intramuscular (IM) injection using strict aseptic technique in the gluteal or deltoid muscle, rotating the sites with every injection. As with any IM injection, to avoid an inadvertent subcutaneous injection, body habitus should be assessed prior to each injection to determine if a longer needle is necessary particularly for gluteal IM injection.

Use for longer than 2 years is not recommended (unless other birth control methods are considered inadequate) due to the impact of long-term MPA Injectable Suspension, USP treatment on bone mineral density (BMD) [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)]. Dosage does not need to be adjusted for body weight [see Clinical Studies (14.1)].

To ensure the patient is not pregnant at the time of the first injection, the first injection should be given ONLY during the first 5 days of a normal menstrual period; ONLY within the first 5-days postpartum if not breast-feeding; and if exclusively breast-feeding, ONLY at the sixth postpartum week. If the time interval between injections is greater than 13 weeks, the physician should determine that the patient is not pregnant before administering the drug. The efficacy of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP depends on adherence to the dosage schedule of administration.

2.2 Switching From Other Methods of Contraception

When switching from other contraceptive methods, MPA Injectable Suspension, USP should be given in a manner that ensures continuous contraceptive coverage based upon the mechanism of action of both methods, (e.g., patients switching from oral contraceptives should have their first injection of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP on the day after the last active tablet or at the latest, on the day following the final inactive tablet).

3 DOSAGE FORMS AND STRENGTHS

Sterile Aqueous suspension: 150mg/ml

Prefilled syringes are available packaged with 22-gauge × 1 1/2 inch Terumo® SurGuard™ Needles.

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS

The use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP is contraindicated in the following conditions:

5 WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS

5.1 Loss of Bone Mineral Density

Use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP reduces serum estrogen levels and is associated with significant loss of bone mineral density (BMD). This loss of BMD is of particular concern during adolescence and early adulthood, a critical period of bone accretion. It is unknown if use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP by younger women will reduce peak bone mass and increase the risk for osteoporotic fracture in later life.

A study to assess the reversibility of loss of BMD in adolescents was conducted with MPA Injectable Suspension, USP. After discontinuing MPA Injectable Suspension, USP in these adolescents, mean BMD loss at the total hip and femoral neck did not fully recover by 5 years (60 months) post-treatment in the sub-group of adolescents who were treated for more than 2 years [see Clinical Studies (14.3)]. Similarly, in adults, there was only partial recovery of mean BMD at the total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine towards baseline by 2 years post-treatment. [see Clinical Studies (14.2)].

The use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP is not recommended as a long-term (i.e., longer than 2 years) birth control method unless other options are considered inadequate. BMD should be evaluated when a woman needs to continue to use MPA Injectable Suspension, USP long-term. In adolescents, interpretation of BMD results should take into account patient age and skeletal maturity.

Other birth control methods should be considered in the risk/benefit analysis for the use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP in women with osteoporosis risk factors. MPA Injectable Suspension, USP can pose an additional risk in patients with risk factors for osteoporosis (e.g., metabolic bone disease, chronic alcohol and/or tobacco use, anorexia nervosa, strong family history of osteoporosis or chronic use of drugs that can reduce bone mass such as anticonvulsants or corticosteroids).

5.2 Thromboembolic Disorders

There have been reports of serious thrombotic events in women using MPA Injectable Suspension, USP (150 mg). However, MPA Injectable Suspension, USP has not been causally associated with the induction of thrombotic or thromboembolic disorders. Any patient who develops thrombosis while undergoing therapy with MPA Injectable Suspension, USP should discontinue treatment unless she has no other acceptable options for birth control.

Do not re-administer MPA Injectable Suspension, USP pending examination if there is a sudden partial or complete loss of vision or if there is a sudden onset of proptosis, diplopia, or migraine. Do not re-administer if examination reveals papilledema or retinal vascular lesions.

5.3 Cancer Risks

Breast Cancer

Women who have or have had a history of breast cancer should not use hormonal contraceptives, including MPA Injectable Suspension, USP, because breast cancer may be hormonally sensitive [see Contraindications (4)]. Women with a strong family history of breast cancer should be monitored with particular care.

The results of five large case-control studies assessing the association between depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) use and the risk of breast cancer are summarized in Figure 1. Three of the studies suggest a slightly increased risk of breast cancer in the overall population of users; these increased risks were statistically significant in one study. One recent US study1 evaluated the recency and duration of use and found a statistically significantly increased risk of breast cancer in recent users (defined as last use within the past five years) who used DMPA for 12 months or longer; this is consistent with results of a previous study2.

Figure 1 Risk estimates for breast cancer in DMPA users

Odds ratio estimates were adjusted for the following covariates:Lee et al. (1987): age, parity, and socioeconomic status.Paul et al. (1989): age, parity, ethnic group, and year of interview.WHO (1991): age, center, and age at first live birth.Shapiro et al. (2000): age, ethnic group, socioeconomic status, and any combined estrogen/progestogen oral contraceptive use.Li et al. (2012): age, year, BMI, duration of OC use, number of full-term pregnancies, family history of breast cancer, and history of screening mammography.

Figure 1
(click image for full-size original)

Based on the published SEER-18 2011 incidence rate (age-adjusted to the 2000 US Standard Population) of breast cancer for US women, all races, age 20 to 49 years, a doubling of risk would increase the incidence of breast cancer in women who use MPA Injectable Suspension, USP from about 72 to about 144 cases per 100,000 women.

Cervical Cancer

A statistically nonsignificant increase in RR estimates of invasive squamous-cell cervical cancer has been associated with the use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP in women who were first exposed before the age of 35 years (RR 1.22 to 1.28 and 95% CI 0.93 to 1.70). The overall, nonsignificant relative rate of invasive squamous-cell cervical cancer in women who ever used MPA Injectable Suspension, USP was estimated to be 1.11 (95% CI 0.96 to 1.29). No trends in risk with duration of use or times since initial or most recent exposure were observed.

Other Cancers

Long-term case-controlled surveillance of users of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP found no overall increased risk of ovarian or liver cancer.

5.4 Ectopic Pregnancy

Be alert to the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy among women using MPA Injectable Suspension, USP who become pregnant or complain of severe abdominal pain.

5.5 Anaphylaxis and Anaphylactoid Reaction

Anaphylaxis and anaphylactoid reaction have been reported with the use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP. Institute emergency medical treatment if an anaphylactic reaction occurs.

5.6 Injection Site Reactions

Injection site reactions have been reported with use of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP [see Adverse Reactions (6.2)]. Persistent injection site reactions may occur after administration of MPA Injectable Suspension, USP due to inadvertent subcutaneous administration or release of the drug into the subcutaneous space while removing the needle [see Dosage and Administration (2.1)].

5.7 Liver Function

Discontinue MPA Injectable Suspension, USP use if jaundice or acute or chronic disturbances of liver function develop. Do not resume use until markers of liver function return to normal and MPA Injectable Suspension, USP causation has been excluded.

RxDrugLabels.com provides trustworthy package insert and label information about marketed prescription drugs as submitted by manufacturers to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Package information is not reviewed or updated separately by RxDrugLabels.com. Every individual prescription drug label and package insert entry contains a unique identifier which can be used to secure further details directly from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and/or the FDA.

As a leading independent provider of trustworthy medication information, we source our database directly from the FDA's central repository of drug labels and package inserts under the Structured Product Labeling standard. RxDrugLabels.com provides the full prescription-only subset of the FDA's repository. Medication information provided here is not intended as a substitute for direct consultation with a qualified health professional.

Terms of Use | Copyright © 2024. All Rights Reserved.