Summary of the safety profile
The safety database includes a total of well as 193 patients enrolled in studies for AdvSM (all doses), of which 126 patients received avapritinib at a starting dose of 200 mg, see section 5.1.
The most common adverse reactions of any grade during treatment with avapritinib at a starting dose of 200 mg were periorbital oedema (38%), thrombocytopenia (37%), oedema peripheral (33%), and anaemia (22%).
Serious adverse reactions occurred in 12% of patients receiving avapritinib. The most common serious adverse reactions during treatment with avapritinib were subdural haematoma (2%), anaemia (2%), and haemorrhage (2%).
In AdvSM patients treated at 200 mg, 7.1% had adverse reactions leading to permanent treatment discontinuation. In two patients (1.6%), subdural haematoma occurred. Cognitive disorder, depressed mood, diarrhoea, disturbance in attention, haemoglobin decreased, hair colour changes, libido decreased, nausea, neutropenia, premature menopause and thrombocytopenia occurred in one patient (0.8% each). Adverse reactions leading to a dose reduction included thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, periorbital oedema, cognitive disorder, oedema peripheral, platelet count decreased, neutrophil count decreased, anaemia, asthenia, fatigue, arthralgia, blood alkaline phosphatase increased, blood bilirubin increased, and white blood cell count decreased.
Tabulated list of adverse reactions
For patients with AdvSM, adverse reactions that were reported in clinical studies in ≥3% of patients are listed below (Table 3) except for adverse reactions mentioned in the section 4.4 which are included regardless of frequency, according to the MedDRA System Organ Class and frequency.
Frequencies are defined using the following convention: very common (≥1/10); common (≥1/100 to <1/10), uncommon (≥1/1,000 to <1/100), rare (≥1/10,000 to <1/1,000), very rare (<1/10,000).
Within each frequency grouping, adverse reactions are presented in order of decreasing seriousness.
Table 3. Adverse reactions reported in clinical studies in patients with advanced systemic mastocytosis treated with avapritinib starting at 200 mg
| System Organ Class / frequency category | Adverse reactions | All grades % | Grades ≥3 % |
| Blood and lymphatic system disorders |
| Very common | Thrombocytopenia* | 46.8 | 23.0 |
| Anaemia* | 23.0 | 11.9 |
| Neutropenia* | 21.4 | 19.0 |
| Common | Leukopenia* | 8.7 | 2.4 |
| Nervous system disorders |
| Very common | Cognitive effects1 | 18.3 | 1.6 |
| Taste effect* | 15.9 | 0.8 |
| Common | Headache | 7.9 | - |
| Dizziness | 5.6 | - |
| Neuropathy peripheral2 | 4.8 | - |
| Intracranial haemorrhage3 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| Eye disorders |
| Common | Lacrimation increased | 6.3 | - |
| Cardiac disorders |
| Uncommon | Pericardial effusion | 0.8 | - |
| Respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders |
| Common | Epistaxis | 5.6 | - |
| Pleural effusion | 2.4 | - |
| Gastrointestinal disorders |
| Very common | Diarrhoea | 14.3 | 1.6 |
| Nausea | 12.7 | - |
| Common | Vomiting* | 8.7 | 0.8 |
| Gastroesophageal reflux disease* | 4.8 | - |
| Ascites* | 4.0 | 0.8 |
| Dryness* | 4.0 | - |
| Constipation | 3.2 | - |
| Abdominal pain* | 3.2 | - |
| Gastrointestinal haemorrhage4 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Hepatobiliary disorders |
| Common | Hyperbilirubinaemia* | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders |
| Very common | Hair colour changes | 15.1 | - |
| Common | Rash* | 7.9 | 0.8 |
| Alopecia | 7.1 | - |
| Uncommon | Photosensitivity reaction | 0.8 | - |
| Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders |
| Common | Arthralgia | 4.8 | 0.8 |
| General disorders and administration site conditions |
| Very common | Oedema5 | 69.8 | 4.8 |
| Fatigue* | 18.3 | 2.4 |
| Common | Pain | 3.2 | - |
| Investigations |
| Common | Weight increased | 6.3 | - |
| Blood alkaline phosphatase increased | 4.8 | 1.6 |
| Transaminases increased* | 4.8 | - |
| Electrocardiogram QT prolonged | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| Injury, poisoning and procedural complications |
| Common | Contusion | 3.2 | - |
1Cognitive effects (including cognitive disorder, memory impairment and confusional state)
2Neuropathy peripheral (including Paraesthesia, Neuropathy peripheral, Hypoaesthesia)
3Intracranial haemorrhage (including Haemorrhage intracranial, Subdural haematoma)
4Gastrointestinal haemorrhage (including Gastric haemorrhage, Gastrointestinal haemorrhage, Melaena)
5Oedema (including Periorbital oedema, Oedema peripheral, Face oedema, Eyelid oedema, Fluid retention, Generalised oedema, Oedema, Peripheral swelling, Swelling face, Eye swelling, Conjunctival oedema, Laryngeal oedema, Localised oedema)
*Comprises pooled terms representing similar medical concepts.
-: no adverse reactions reported
Description of selected adverse reactions
Intracranial haemorrhage
Fatal events of intracranial haemorrhage have occurred in less than 1% of patients with AdvSM (all doses).
Intracranial haemorrhage occurred in a total (regardless of causality) of 4 (3.2%) of the 126 patients with AdvSM who received avapritinib at a starting dose of 200 mg once daily regardless of platelet count prior to initiation of therapy. In 3 of these 4 patients, the event was assessed as related to avapritinib (2.4%). The risk of intracranial haemorrhagic events is higher in patients with platelet counts <50 x 109/L. Intracranial haemorrhage occurred in 2.5% of the 121 patients with AdvSM with platelet counts of ≥50 x 109/L prior to initiation of therapy who received avapritinib at the recommended starting dose of 200 mg.
Events of intracranial haemorrhage (all grades) occurred in a range from 12.0 weeks to 15.0 weeks after initiating avapritinib, with a median time to onset of 12.1 weeks.
In clinical studies with avapritinib, the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage was higher in patients who received a starting dose of ≥300 mg once daily, as compared to patients who received the recommended starting dose of 200 mg once daily. The maximum dose for patients with AdvSM must not exceed 200 mg once daily.
Cognitive effects
A broad spectrum of cognitive effects that are generally reversible (with intervention) can occur in patients receiving avapritinib. Cognitive effects were managed with dose interruption and/or reduction, and 2.7% led to permanent discontinuation of avapritinib treatment in patients with GIST and AdvSM.
Cognitive effects occurred in 51 (26%) of the 193 patients with AdvSM (all doses) and in 23 (18%) of the 126 patients with AdvSM who received avapritinib at a starting dose of 200 mg (see section 4.4). In the patients with AdvSM treated at a starting dose of 200 mg who had an event (any grade), the median time to onset was 12 weeks (range: 0.1 weeks to 108.1 weeks).
Most cognitive effects were Grade 1, with Grade ≥2 occurring in 7% of 126 patients treated at a starting dose of 200 mg. Among patients who experienced a cognitive effect of Grade ≥2 (impacting activities of daily living) the median time to improvement was 6 weeks.
For patients with AdvSM treated at a starting dose of 200 mg cognitive disorder occurred in 12% of patients; 1.6% of these events were Grade 3. Memory impairment occurred in 6% of patients; none of these events were Grade 3. Confusional state occurred in 2% of patients; none of these events were Grade 3. No Grade 4 and no fatal events were reported.
Of the 126 AdvSM patients treated at a starting dose of 200 mg one patient (<1%) required permanent discontinuation of avapritinib for a cognitive adverse reaction, 7% required a dose interruption, and 6% required dose reduction.
Cognitive effects occurred in 20% of the patients aged ≥65 years receiving a starting dose of 200 mg once daily.
Elderly
Of the 126 patients with AdvSM who received avapritinib at a starting dose of 200 mg once daily in EXPLORER and in PATHFINDER, 63% were 65 years or older and 21% were 75 years of age or older. Compared with younger patients (<65), more patients ≥65 years old reported adverse reactions that led to dose reductions (62% versus 73%). A similar fraction of patients reported adverse reactions that led to dose discontinuation (9% versus 6%). The types of adverse reactions reported were similar regardless of age. Older patients reported more Grade 3 or higher adverse reactions (63.3%) compared to younger patients (53.2%).
Reporting of suspected adverse reactions
Reporting suspected adverse reactions after authorisation of the medicinal product is important. It allows continued monitoring of the benefit/risk balance of the medicinal product. Healthcare professionals are asked to report any suspected adverse reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme at https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/ or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store.