Infertility Treatments

In order to minimize the hazards associated with abnormal ovarian enlargement that may occur with MENOPUR therapy, treatment should be individualized and the lowest effective dose should be used

If the ovaries are abnormally enlarged on the last day of MENOPUR therapy, hCG should not be administered in order to reduce the chance of developing Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS)

OHSS is a medical event distinct from uncomplicated ovarian enlargement and may progress rapidly to become a serious medical event. OHSS is characterized by a dramatic increase in vascular permeability, which can result in a rapid accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity, thorax, and potentially, the pericardium. The early warning signs of development of OHSS are severe pelvic pain, nausea, vomiting, and weight gain. Abdominal pain, abdominal distension, gastrointestinal symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, severe ovarian enlargement, weight gain, dyspnea, and oliguria have been reported with OHSS. Clinical evaluation may reveal hypovolemia, hemoconcentration, electrolyte imbalances, ascites, hemoperitoneum, pleural effusion, hydrothorax, acute pulmonary distress, and thromboembolic reactions

OHSS occurs after gonadotropin treatment has been discontinued and it can develop rapidly, reaching its maximum about seven to ten days following treatment. Usually, OHSS resolves spontaneously with the onset of menses. If there is evidence that OHSS may be developing prior to hCG administration

Cases of OHSS are more common, more severe, and more protracted if pregnancy occurs; therefore, women should be assessed for the development of OHSS for at least two weeks after hCG administration.

If serious OHSS occurs, gonadotropins, including hCG, should be stopped and consideration should be given as to whether the woman needs to be hospitalized. Treatment is primarily symptomatic and overall should consist of bed rest, fluid and electrolyte management, and analgesics (if needed). Because the use of diuretics can accentuate the diminished intravascular volume, diuretics should be avoided except in the late phase of resolution as described below. The management of OHSS may be divided into three phases as follows:

Do not remove ascitic, pleural, and pericardial fluid unless there is the necessity to relieve symptoms such as pulmonary distress or cardiac tamponade.

OHSS increases the risk of injury to the ovary. Pelvic examination or intercourse may cause rupture of an ovarian cyst, which may result in hemoperitoneum, and should be avoided.

If bleeding occurs and requires surgical intervention, the clinical objective should be to control the bleeding and retain as much ovarian tissue as possible. A physician experienced in the management of this syndrome, or who is experienced in the management of fluid and electrolyte imbalances, should be consulted.

In the IVF clinical trial for MENOPUR, OHSS occurred in 7.2% of the 373 MENOPUR treated women.

Serious pulmonary conditions (e.g. atelectasis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and exacerbation of asthma) have been reported in women treated with gonadotropins. In addition, thromboembolic events both in association with, and separate from the Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome (OHSS) have been reported in women treated with gonadotropins. Intravascular thrombosis and embolism, which may originate in venous or arterial vessels, can result in reduced blood flow to critical organs or the extremities. Women with generally recognized risk factors for thrombosis, such as personal or family history, severe obesity, or thrombophilia, may have an increased risk of venous or arterial thromboembolic events during or following treatment with gonadotropins. Sequelae of such reactions have included venous thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction, cerebral vascular occlusion (stroke), and arterial occlusion resulting in loss of limb and rarely in myocardial infarctions. In rare cases, pulmonary complications and/or thromboembolic reactions have resulted in death. In women with recognized risk factors, the benefits of ovulation induction and assisted reproductive technology need to be weighed against the risks. Pregnancy also carries an increased risk of thrombosis.

Ovarian torsion has been reported after treatment with gonadotropins. This may be related to OHSS, pregnancy, previous abdominal surgery, past history of ovarian torsion, previous or current ovarian cyst, and polycystic ovaries. Damage to the ovary due to reduced blood supply can be limited by early diagnosis and immediate detorsion.

Multi-fetal gestation and births have been reported with all gonadotropin therapy including therapy with MENOPUR.

In the IVF clinical trial of MENOPUR, multiple pregnancy as diagnosed by ultrasound occurred in 35.3% (n=30) of 85 total pregnancies.

Before beginning treatment with MENOPUR, advise the woman and her partner of the potential risk of multi-fetal gestation and birth.

The incidence of congenital malformations after some ART [specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)] may be slightly higher than after spontaneous conception. This slightly higher incidence is thought to be related to differences in parental characteristics (e.g., maternal age, maternal and paternal genetic background, sperm characteristics) and to the higher incidence of multi-fetal gestations after IVF or ICSI. There are no indications that the use of gonadotropins during IVF or ICSI is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations.

Since infertile women undergoing ART often have tubal abnormalities, the incidence of ectopic pregnancy may be increased. Early confirmation of intrauterine pregnancy should be determined by β-hCG testing and transvaginal ultrasound.

The risk of spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) is increased with gonadotropin products. However, causality has not been established. The increased risk may be a factor of the underlying infertility

There have been infrequent reports of ovarian neoplasms, both benign and malignant, in women who have had multiple drug therapy for controlled ovarian stimulation; however, a causal relationship has not been established.

In most instances, treatment of women with MENOPUR will result only in follicular growth and maturation. In the absence of an endogenous LH surge, hCG is given when monitoring of the woman indicates that sufficient follicular development has occurred. This may be estimated by ultrasound alone or in combination with measurement of serum estradiol levels. The combination of both ultrasound and serum estradiol measurement are useful for monitoring follicular growth and maturation, timing of the ovulatory trigger, detecting ovarian enlargement and minimizing the risk of the OHSS and multiple gestation.

The clinical confirmation of ovulation is obtained by direct or indirect indices of progesterone production as well as sonographic evidence of ovulation.

Direct or indirect indices of progesterone production:

Sonographic evidence of ovulation:

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

In two single cycle, open label, multinational, multicenter, comparative trials, a total of 434 normal ovulatory infertile women were randomized and received subcutaneously administered MENOPUR as part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle (both trials) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycle (one of the two trials). All women received pituitary down-regulation with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist before stimulation. Adverse Reactions occurring at an incidence of ≥ 2% in women receiving MENOPUR are shown in Table 1.

In addition, thrombophlebitis was reported in less than 1% of subjects.

In an open label, US, multicenter, comparative IVF and ICSI trial, MENOPUR and BRAVELLE were administered in the same syringe to 60 normal ovulatory infertile women. OHSS, post retrieval cramping and nausea and spontaneous abortion were the most common adverse reactions occurring at an incidence of ≥ 5% in women receiving the combination of MENOPUR and BRAVELLE.

In another open label, US multicenter, comparative trial for ovulation induction in anovulatory or oligovulatory infertile women, 76 subjects received subcutaneous or intramuscular injections of MENOPUR. The most common adverse reactions occurring at an incidence of ≥ 5% in women receiving MENOPUR were: headache; OHSS; injection site reaction, abdominal cramps, fullness and pain; and nausea.

The following adverse reactions have been reported during postmarketing use of gonadotropins. Because these reactions were reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, the frequency or a causal relationship to MENOPUR cannot be reliably determined.

Instruct women on the correct usage and dosing of MENOPUR

Prior to beginning therapy with MENOPUR, inform women about the time commitment and monitoring procedures necessary for treatment

Inform the woman that if she misses or forgets to take a dose of MENOPUR, the next dose should not be doubled and she should call her healthcare provider for further dosing instructions.

Inform women regarding the risks of OHSS

Inform women regarding the risk of multi-fetal gestation and birth with the use of MENOPUR

Vials of sterile diluent of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP manufactured for Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.