Stavudine

Stavudine

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Questions & Answers

Side Effects & Adverse Reactions

1.Lactic Acidosis / Severe Hepatomegaly with Steatosis:

Lactic acidosis and severe hepatomegaly with steatosis, including fatal cases, have been reported with the use of nucleoside analogues alone or in combination, including stavudine and other antiretrovirals. Although relative rates of lactic acidosis have not been assessed in prospective well-controlled trials, longitudinal cohort and retrospective studies suggest that this infrequent event may be more often associated with antiretroviral combinations containing stavudine. Female gender, obesity, and prolonged nucleoside exposure may be risk factors. Fatal lactic acidosis has been reported in pregnant women who received the combination of stavudine and didanosine with other antiretroviral agents. The combination of stavudine and didanosine should be used with caution during pregnancy and is recommended only if the potential benefit clearly outweighs the potential risk (see PRECAUTIONS: Pregnancy ).

Particular caution should be exercised when administering stavudine to any patient with known risk factors for liver disease; however, cases of lactic acidosis have also been reported in patients with no known risk factors. Generalized fatigue, digestive symptoms (nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and unexplained weight loss); respiratory symptoms (tachypnea and dyspnea); or neurologic symptoms (including motor weakness, see 3. Neurologic Symptoms) might be indicative of the development of symptomatic hyperlactatemia or lactic acidosis syndrome.

Treatment with stavudine should be suspended in any patient who develops clinical or laboratory findings suggestive of symptomatic hyperlactatemia, lactic acidosis, or pronounced hepatotoxicity (which may include hepatomegaly and steatosis even in the absence of marked transaminase elevations).

2.Hepatic Impairment and Toxicity:

The safety and efficacy of stavudine have not been established in HIV-infected patients with significant underlying liver disease. During combination antiretroviral therapy, patients with preexisting liver dysfunction, including chronic active hepatitis, have an increased frequency of liver function abnormalities, including severe and potentially fatal hepatic adverse events, and should be monitored according to standard practice. If there is evidence of worsening liver disease in such patients, interruption or discontinuation of treatment must be considered.

An increased risk of hepatotoxicity may occur in patients treated with stavudine in combination with didanosine and hydroxyurea compared to when stavudine is used alone. Deaths attributed to hepatotoxicity have occurred in patients receiving this combination. This combination should be avoided.

Use with Interferon and Ribavirin-Based Regimens

In vitro studies have shown ribavirin can reduce the phosphorylation of pyrimidine nucleoside analogues such as stavudine. Although no evidence of a pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic (eg, loss of HIV/HCV virologic suppression) interaction was seen when ribavirin was coadministered with stavudine in HIV/HCV co-infected patients (see CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY: Drug Interactions), hepatic decompensation (some fatal) has occurred in HIV/HCV co-infected patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy for HIV and interferon and ribavirin. Patients receiving interferon with or without ribavirin and stavudine should be closely monitored for treatment-associated toxicities, especially hepatic decompensation. Discontinuation of stavudine should be considered as medically appropriate. Dose reduction or discontinuation of interferon, ribavirin, or both should also be considered if worsening clinical toxicities are observed, including hepatic decompensation (eg, Child-Pugh >6) (see the complete prescribing information for interferon and ribavirin).

3. Neurologic Symptoms:

Motor weakness has been reported rarely in patients receiving combination antiretroviral therapy including stavudine. Most of these cases occurred in the setting of lactic acidosis. The evolution of motor weakness may mimic the clinical presentation of Guillain-Barré syndrome (including respiratory failure). Symptoms may continue or worsen following discontinuation of therapy.

Peripheral neuropathy, manifested by numbness, tingling, or pain in the hands or feet, has been reported in patients receiving stavudine therapy. Peripheral neuropathy has occurred more frequently in patients with advanced HIV disease, with a history of neuropathy, or in patients receiving other drugs that have been associated with neuropathy, including didanosine (see ADVERSE REACTIONS).

4. Pancreatitis

Fatal and nonfatal pancreatitis have occurred during therapy when stavudine was part of a combination regimen that included didanosine, in both treatment-naive and treatment-experienced patients, regardless of degree of immunosuppression. The combination of stavudine and didanosine and any other agents that are toxic to the pancreas should be suspended in patients with suspected pancreatitis. Reinstitution of stavudine after a confirmed diagnosis of pancreatitis should be undertaken with particular caution and close patient monitoring. The new regimen should not contain didanosine .

Legal Issues

There is currently no legal information available for this drug.

FDA Safety Alerts

There are currently no FDA safety alerts available for this drug.

Manufacturer Warnings

There is currently no manufacturer warning information available for this drug.

FDA Labeling Changes

There are currently no FDA labeling changes available for this drug.

Uses

Stavudine capsules , in combination with other antiretroviral agents, is indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection (see Clinical Studies).

History

There is currently no drug history available for this drug.

Other Information

Stavudine (d4T), a synthetic thymidine nucleoside analogue, active against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Stavudine Capsules are supplied for oral administration in strengths of 15, 20, 30, and 40 mg of stavudine. Each capsule also contains inactive ingredients microcrystalline cellulose, sodium starch glycolate, lactose anhydrous, and magnesium stearate. The hard gelatin shell consists of gelatin, sodium lauryl sulfate, titanium dioxide, and iron oxides.The capsules are printed with Black ink containing black iron oxide E172 dye.

The chemical name for stavudine is 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine. Stavudine has the following structural formula:

Structural Image

Stavudine is a white to off-white crystalline solid with the molecular formula C10 H12 N2 O4 and a molecular weight of 224.2. The solubility of stavudine at 23° C is approximately 83 mg/mL in water and 30 mg/mL in propylene glycol. The n-octanol/water partition coefficient of stavudine at 23° C is 0.144.

Stavudine Manufacturers


  • Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
    Stavudine Capsule [Kaiser Foundation Hospitals]
  • State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy
    Stavudine Capsule [State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy]
  • State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy
    Stavudine Capsule [State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy]
  • Remedyrepack Inc.
    Stavudine (Stavudine) Capsule [Remedyrepack Inc. ]
  • Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.
    Stavudine Capsule [Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc.]
  • Edenbridge Pharmaceuticals, Llc
    Stavudine Powder, For Solution [Edenbridge Pharmaceuticals, Llc]
  • Aurobindo Pharma Limited
    Stavudine Capsule [Aurobindo Pharma Limited]
  • State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy
    Stavudine Capsule [State Of Florida Doh Central Pharmacy]
  • Aurobindo Pharma Limited
    Stavudine Powder, For Solution [Aurobindo Pharma Limited]

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