Bionpharma Inc.

Dosage should be individualized for maximum beneficial effect. While the usual daily dosages given below will meet the needs of most patients, there will be some who require doses greater than 4 mg/day. In such cases, dosage should be increased cautiously to avoid adverse effects.Anxiety Disorders and Transient Symptoms of Anxiety Treatment for patients with anxiety should be initiated with a dose of 0.25 to 0.5 mg given three times daily. The dose may be increased to achieve a maximum therapeutic effect, at intervals of 3 to 4 days, to a maximum daily dose of 4 mg, given in divided doses. The lowest possible effective dose should be employed and the need for continued treatment reassessed frequently. The risk of dependence may increase with dose and duration of treatment.In all patients, dosage should be reduced gradually when discontinuing therapy or when decreasing the daily dosage. Although there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation schedule, it is suggested that the daily dosage be decreased by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days. Some patients may require an even slower dosage reduction.Panic Disorder The successful treatment of many panic disorder patients has required the use of alprazolam at doses greater than 4 mg daily. In controlled trials conducted to establish the efficacy of alprazolam in panic disorder, doses in the range of 1 to 10 mg daily were used. The mean dosage employed was approximately 5 to 6 mg daily. Among the approximately 1700 patients participating in the panic disorder development program, about 300 received alprazolam in dosages of greater than 7 mg/day, including approximately 100 patients who received maximum dosages of greater than 9 mg/day. Occasional patients required as much as 10 mg a day to achieve a successful response.Dose TitrationTreatment may be initiated with a dose of 0.5 mg three times daily. Depending on the response, the dose may be increased at intervals of 3 to 4 days in increments of no more than 1 mg per day. Slower titration to the dose levels greater than 4 mg/day may be advisable to allow full expression of the pharmacodynamic effect of alprazolam. To lessen the possibility of interdose symptoms, the times of administration should be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the waking hours, that is, on a three or four times per day schedule.Generally, therapy should be initiated at a low dose to minimize the risk of adverse responses in patients especially sensitive to the drug. Dose should be advanced until an acceptable therapeutic response (ie, a substantial reduction in or total elimination of panic attacks) is achieved, intolerance occurs, or the maximum recommended dose is attained.Dose MaintenanceFor patients receiving doses greater than 4 mg/day, periodic reassessment and consideration of dosage reduction is advised. In a controlled postmarketing dose-response study, patients treated with doses of alprazolam greater than 4 mg/day for 3 months were able to taper to 50% of their total maintenance dose without apparent loss of clinical benefit. Because of the danger of withdrawal, abrupt discontinuation of treatment should be avoided. (See WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE.)The necessary duration of treatment for panic disorder patients responding to alprazolam is unknown. After a period of extended freedom from attacks, a carefully supervised tapered discontinuation may be attempted, but there is evidence that this may often be difficult to accomplish without recurrence of symptoms and/or the manifestation of withdrawal phenomena.Dose ReductionBecause of the danger of withdrawal, abrupt discontinuation of treatment should be avoided (see WARNINGS, PRECAUTIONS, DRUG ABUSE AND DEPENDENCE).

In all patients, dosage should be reduced gradually when discontinuing therapy or when decreasing the daily dosage. Although there are no systematically collected data to support a specific discontinuation schedule, it is suggested that the daily dosage be decreased by no more than 0.5 mg every three days. Some patients may require an even slower dosage reduction.

In any case, reduction of dose must be undertaken under close supervision and must be gradual. If significant withdrawal symptoms develop, the previous dosing schedule should be reinstituted and, only after stabilization, should a less rapid schedule of discontinuation be attempted. In a controlled postmarketing discontinuation study of panic disorder patients which compared this recommended taper schedule with a slower taper schedule, no difference was observed between the groups in the proportion of patients who tapered to zero dose; however, the slower schedule was associated with a reduction in symptoms associated with a withdrawal syndrome. It is suggested that the dose be reduced by no more than 0.5 mg every 3 days, with the understanding that some patients may benefit from an even more gradual discontinuation. Some patients may prove resistant to all discontinuation regimens.Dosing in Special Populations In elderly patients, in patients with advanced liver disease or in patients with debilitating disease, the usual starting dose is 0.25 mg, given two or three times daily. This may be gradually increased if needed and tolerated. The elderly may be especially sensitive to the effects of benzodiazepines. If side effects occur at the recommended starting dose, the dose may be lowered.

2.1 Recommended Dosing

Glimepiride Tablets should be administered with breakfast or the first main meal of the day.

The recommended starting dose of glimepiride tablets is 1 mg or 2 mg once daily. Patients at increased risk for hypoglycemia (e.g., the elderly or patients with renal impairment) should be started on 1 mg once daily [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.5, 8.6)].

After reaching a daily dose of 2 mg, further dose increases can be made in increments of 1 mg or 2 mg based upon the patient’s glycemic response. Uptitration should not occur more frequently than every 1 to 2 weeks. A conservative titration scheme is recommended for patients at increased risk for hypoglycemia [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1) and Use in Specific Populations (8.5, 8.6)].

The maximum recommended dose is 8 mg once daily.

Patients being transferred to glimepiride from longer half-life sulfonylureas (e.g., chlorpropamide) may have overlapping drug effect for 1 to 2 weeks and should be appropriately monitored for hypoglycemia.

When colesevelam is coadministered with glimepiride, maximum plasma concentration and total exposure to glimepiride is reduced. Therefore, glimepiride should be administered at least 4 hours prior to colesevelam.

Donepezil hydrochloride tablets USP should be taken in the evening, just prior to retiring.Donepezil hydrochloride tablets USP can be taken with or without food.

2.1 Mild to Moderate Alzheimer’s Disease

The dosages of donepezil hydrochloride shown to be effective in controlled clinical trials are 5 mg and 10 mg administered once per day.

The higher dose of 10 mg did not provide a statistically significantly greater clinical benefit than 5 mg. There is a suggestion, however, based upon order of group mean scores and dose trend analyses of data from these clinical trials, that a daily dose of 10 mg of donepezil hydrochloride might provide additional benefit for some patients. Accordingly, whether or not to employ a dose of 10 mg is a matter of prescriber and patient preference.

2.2 Moderate to Severe Alzheimer’s Disease

Donepezil hydrochloride has been shown to be effective in controlled clinical trials at doses of 10 mg administered once daily.

2.3 Titration

The recommended starting dose of donepezil hydrochloride is 5 mg once daily. Evidence from the controlled trials in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease indicates that the 10 mg dose, with a one week titration, is likely to be associated with a higher incidence of cholinergic adverse events compared to the 5 mg dose. In open-label trials using a 6 week titration, the type and frequency of these same adverse events were similar between the 5 mg and 10 mg dose groups. Therefore, because donepezil hydrochloride steady state is achieved about 15 days after it is started and because the incidence of untoward effects may be influenced by the rate of dose escalation, a dose of 10 mg should not be administered until patients have been on a daily dose of 5 mg for 4 to 6 weeks.

2.1 Asthma

Montelukast sodium should be taken once daily in the evening. The following doses are recommended:

For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older: one 10-mg tablet.

For pediatric patients 6 to 14 years of age: one 5-mg chewable tablet.

For pediatric patients 2 to 5 years of age: one 4-mg chewable tablet.

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients less than 12 months of age with asthma have not been established.

There have been no clinical trials in patients with asthma to evaluate the relative efficacy of morning versus evening dosing. The pharmacokinetics of montelukast are similar whether dosed in the morning or evening. Efficacy has been demonstrated for asthma when montelukast was administered in the evening without regard to time of food ingestion.

2.2 Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB)

For prevention of EIB, a single dose of montelukast sodium should be taken at least 2 hours before exercise.

The following doses are recommended:

For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older: one 10-mg tablet.

For pediatric patients 6 to 14 years of age: one 5-mg chewable tablet.

An additional dose of montelukast sodium should not be taken within 24 hours of a previous dose. Patients already taking montelukast sodium daily for another indication (including chronic asthma) should not take an additional dose to prevent EIB. All patients should have available for rescue a short-acting β-agonist. Safety and efficacy in patients younger than 6 years of age have not been established. Daily administration of montelukast sodium for the chronic treatment of asthma has not been established to prevent acute episodes of EIB.

2.3 Allergic Rhinitis

For allergic rhinitis, montelukast sodium should be taken once daily. Efficacy was demonstrated for seasonal allergic rhinitis when montelukast was administered in the morning or the evening without regard to time of food ingestion. The time of administration may be individualized to suit patient needs.

The following doses for the treatment of symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis are recommended:

For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older: one 10-mg tablet.

For pediatric patients 6 to 14 years of age: one 5-mg chewable tablet.

For pediatric patients 2 to 5 years of age: one 4-mg chewable tablet.

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients younger than 2 years of age with seasonal allergic rhinitis have not been established.

The following doses for the treatment of symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis are recommended:

For adults and adolescents 15 years of age and older: one 10-mg tablet.

For pediatric patients 6 to 14 years of age: one 5-mg chewable tablet.

For pediatric patients 2 to 5 years of age: one 4-mg chewable tablet.

Safety and effectiveness in pediatric patients younger than 6 months of age with perennial allergic rhinitis have not been established.

2.4 Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis

Patients with both asthma and allergic rhinitis should take only one montelukast sodium dose daily in the evening.

The recommended dose of carisoprodol tablets is 250 mg to 350 mg three times a day and at bedtime. The recommended maximum duration of carisoprodol tablets use is up to two or three weeks.