Amlodipine Besylate and Benazepril Hydrochloride

1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsule, is a combination capsule of amlodipine, a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (DHP CCB) and benazepril, an angiotensin converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsule, is indicated for the treatment of hypertension in patients not adequately controlled on monotherapy with either agent ( 1 ). 1.1 Hypertension Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules, are indicated for the treatment of hypertension in patients not adequately controlled on monotherapy with either agent.

2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Usual starting dose is 2.5/10 mg. ( 2.1 ) May be used as add-on therapy for patients not adequately controlled with either a dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker or an ACE inhibitor. ( 2.2 ) Patients who experience edema with amlodipine may be switched to amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules, containing a lower dose of amlodipine. ( 2.1 ) 2.1 General Considerations The recommended initial dose of amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsule, is 1 capsule of amlodipine 2.5 mg/benazepril 10 mg orally once-daily. Begin therapy with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules, only after a patient has either (a) failed to achieve the desired antihypertensive effect with amlodipine or benazepril monotherapy, or (b) demonstrated inability to achieve adequate antihypertensive effect with amlodipine therapy without developing edema. The antihypertensive effect of amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsule, is largely attained within 2 weeks. If blood pressure remains uncontrolled, the dose may be titrated up to amlodipine 10 mg/benazepril 40 mg once-daily. The dosing should be individualized and adjusted according to the patient's clinical response. In clinical trials of amlodipine/benazepril combination therapy using amlodipine doses of 2.5 to 10 mg and benazepril doses of 10 to 40 mg, the antihypertensive effects increased with increasing dose of amlodipine in all patient groups, and the effects increased with increasing dose of benazepril in nonblack groups. 2.2 Replacement Therapy Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules, may be substituted for the titrated components.

4 CONTRAINDICATIONS Do not co-administer aliskiren with ACE inhibitors, including amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride in patients with diabetes. ( 4 ) Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride is contraindicated in patients with a history of angioedema, or patients who are hypersensitive to benazepril or to amlodipine. ( 4 ) Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride is contraindicated in combination with a neprilysin inhibitor (e.g., sacubitril). Do not administer amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules within 36 hours of switching to or from a neprilysin inhibitor, e.g., sacubitril/valsartan (see Warnings and Precautions 5.1). Do not co-administer aliskiren with angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), ACE inhibitors, including amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride in patients with diabetes. Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride is contraindicated in patients with a history of angioedema, with or without previous ACE inhibitor treatment, or patients who are hypersensitive to benazepril, to any other ACE inhibitor, to amlodipine, or to any of the excipients of amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules. Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride is contraindicated in combination with a neprilysin inhibitor (e.g., sacubitril). Do not administer amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules within 36 hours of switching to or from a neprilysin inhibitor, e.g., sacubitril/valsartan (see Warnings and Precautions 5.1).

Not available.

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS Discontinuation because of adverse reactions occurred in 4% of amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride-treated patients and 3% of placebo-treated patients. The most common reasons for discontinuation of therapy with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride were cough and edema. ( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. at 1-800-399-2561 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/ medwatch. 6.1 Clinical Trials Experience 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 trials of another drug and may not reflect the rates observed in practice. The adverse reaction information from clinical trials does, however, provide a basis for identifying the adverse events that appear to be related to drug use and for approximating rates. Amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride has been evaluated for safety in over 2,991 patients with hypertension; over 500 of these patients were treated for at least 6 months, and over 400 were treated for more than 1 year. In a pooled analysis of 5 placebo-controlled trials involving amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules doses up to 5 mg/20 mg, the reported side effects were generally mild and transient, and there was no relationship between side effects and age, sex, race, or duration of therapy. Discontinuation of therapy due to side effects was required in approximately 4% of patients treated with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules and in 3% of patients treated with placebo. The most common reasons for discontinuation of therapy with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules in these studies were cough and edema (including angioedema). The peripheral edema associated with amlodipine use is dose-dependent. When benazepril is added to a regimen of amlodipine, the incidence of edema is substantially reduced. The addition of benazepril to a regimen of amlodipine should not be expected to provide additional antihypertensive effect in African-Americans. However, all patient groups benefit from the reduction in amlodipine-induced edema. The side effects considered possibly or probably related to study drug that occurred in these trials in more than 1% of patients treated with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride are shown in the table below. Cough was the only adverse event with at least possible relationship to treatment that was more common on amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules (3.3%) than on placebo (0.2%). Percent Incidence in U. S. Placebo-controlled Trials Benazepril/Amlodipine N=760 Benazepril N=554 Amlodipine N=475 Placebo N=408 Cough 3.3 1.8 0.4 0.2 Headache 2.2 3.8 2.9 5.6 Dizziness 1.3 1.6 2.3 1.5 Edema 2.1 0.9 5.1 2.2 The incidence of edema was greater in patients treated with amlodipine monotherapy (5.1%) than in patients treated with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules (2.1%) or placebo (2.2%). Other side effects considered possibly or probably related to study drug that occurred in U.S. placebo-controlled trials of patients treated with amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride capsules or in postmarketing experience were the following: Body as a Whole Asthenia and fatigue. CNS Insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, tremor, and decreased libido. Dermatologic Flushing, hot flashes, rash, skin nodule, and dermatitis. Digestive Dry mouth, nausea, abdominal pain, dyspepsia, and esophagitis. Hematologic Neutropenia Metabolic and Nutritional Hypokalemia. Musculoskeletal Cramps, and muscle cramps. Urogenital Sexual problems such as impotence, and polyuria. Monotherapies of benazepril and amlodipine have been evaluated for safety in clinical trials in over 6,000 and 11,000 patients, respectively. The observed adverse reactions to the monotherapies in these trials were similar to those seen in trials of amlodipine and benazepril hydrochloride. 6.2 Post-marketing Experience Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure. In postmarketing experience with benazepril, there have been rare reports of Stevens-Johnson syndrome, pancreatitis, hemolytic anemia, pemphigus, thrombocytopenia, paresthesia, dysgeusia, orthostatic symptoms and hypotension, angina pectoris and arrhythmia, pruritus, photosensitivity reaction, arthralgia, arthritis, myalgia, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) increase, serum creatinine increase, renal impairment, vision impairment, agranulocytosis, neutropenia. Rare reports in association with use of amlodipine: gingival hyperplasia, tachycardia, jaundice, and hepatic enzyme elevations (mostly consistent with cholestasis severe enough to require hospitalization) , leukocytopenia, allergic reaction, hyperglycemia, dysgeusia, hypoesthesia, paresthesia, syncope, peripheral neuropathy, hypertonia, visual impairment, diplopia, hypotension, vasculitis, rhinitis, gastritis, hyperhidrosis, pruritus, skin discoloration, urticaria, erythema multiform, muscle spasms, arthralgia, micturition disorder, nocturia, erectile dysfunction, malaise, weight decrease or gain. Other potentially important adverse experiences attributed to other ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers include: eosinophilic pneumonitis (ACE inhibitors) and gynecomastia (CCBs).