DailyMed Label: TICE BCG

DailyMed Label: TICE BCG

2023

DailyMed Prescription

TICE BCG

BACILLUS CALMETTE-GUERIN

Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC

NDC: 0052-0602

NDC: 0052-0602

TICE ® BCG for intravesical use, is an attenuated, live culture preparation of the Bacillus of Calmette and Guerin (BCG) strain of Mycobacterium bovis. 1 The TICE strain was developed at the University of Illinois from a strain originated at the Pasteur Institute. The medium in which the BCG organism is grown for preparation of the freeze-dried cake is composed of the following ingredients: glycerin, asparagine, citric acid, potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, and iron ammonium citrate. The final preparation prior to freeze drying also contains lactose. The freeze-dried BCG preparation is delivered in glass vials, each containing 1 to 8 × 10 8 colony forming units (CFU) of TICE BCG which is equivalent to approximately 50 mg wet weight. Determination of in vitro potency is achieved through colony counts derived from a serial dilution assay. A single dose consists of 1 reconstituted vial (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). For intravesical use the entire vial is reconstituted with sterile saline. TICE BCG is viable upon reconstitution. No preservatives have been added.

TICE ® BCG is indicated for: the treatment and prophylaxis of carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the urinary bladder the prophylaxis of primary or recurrent stage Ta and/or T1 papillary tumors following transurethral resection (TUR) Limitations of Use: TICE BCG is not recommended for stage TaG1 papillary tumors, unless they are judged to be at high risk of tumor recurrence. TICE BCG is not indicated for papillary tumors of stages higher than T1.

The dose for the intravesical treatment of carcinoma in situ and for the prophylaxis of recurrent papillary tumors consists of 1 vial of TICE ® BCG suspended in 50 mL preservative-free saline. Do not inject subcutaneously or intravenously. The preparation of the TICE BCG suspension should be done using aseptic technique. To avoid cross-contamination, parenteral drugs should not be prepared in areas where BCG has been prepared. A separate area for the preparation of the TICE BCG suspension is recommended. All equipment, supplies, and receptacles in contact with TICE BCG should be handled and disposed of as biohazardous. The pharmacist or individual responsible for mixing the agent should wear gloves and take precautions to avoid contact of BCG with broken skin. If preparation cannot be performed in a biocontainment hood, then a mask and gown should be worn to avoid inhalation of BCG organisms and inadvertent exposure to broken skin. Draw 1 mL of sterile, preservative-free saline (0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP) at 4–25°C into a small syringe (e.g., 3 mL) and add to 1 vial of TICE BCG to resuspend. Ensure that the needle is inserted through the center of the rubber stopper of the vial. Gently swirl the vial until a homogenous suspension is obtained. Avoid forceful agitation which may cause clumping of the mycobacteria. Dilute the cloudy TICE BCG suspension in sterile, preservative-free saline to a final volume of 50 mL. Mix the suspension gently prior to intravesical instillation. The reconstituted TICE BCG should be kept refrigerated (2–8°C), protected from exposure to direct sunlight, and used within 2 hours. Discard unused portion. Note: DO NOT filter the contents of the TICE BCG vial. Precautions should be taken to avoid exposing the TICE BCG to direct sunlight. Bacteriostatic solutions must be avoided. In addition, use only sterile, preservative-free saline, 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection USP as diluent. Allow 7 to 14 days to elapse after bladder biopsy before TICE BCG is administered. Patients should not drink fluids for 4 hours before treatment and should empty their bladder prior to TICE BCG administration. The reconstituted TICE BCG is instilled into the bladder by gravity flow via the catheter. After instillation of the TICE BCG suspension is complete, remove the catheter. The TICE BCG is retained in the bladder for 2 hours and then voided. Patients unable to retain the suspension for 2 hours should be allowed to void sooner, if necessary. While the BCG is retained in the bladder, the patient ideally should be repositioned from left side to right side and also should lie upon the back and the abdomen, changing these positions every 15 minutes to maximize bladder surface exposure to the agent. A standard treatment schedule consists of 1 intravesical instillation per week for 6 weeks. This schedule may be repeated once if tumor remission has not been achieved and if the clinical circumstances warrant. Thereafter, intravesical TICE BCG administration should continue at approximately monthly intervals for at least 6 to 12 months. There are no data to support the interchangeability of BCG LIVE products.

TICE ® BCG should not be used in immunosuppressed patients with congenital or acquired immune deficiencies, whether due to concurrent disease (e.g., AIDS, leukemia, lymphoma) cancer therapy (e.g., cytotoxic drugs, radiation), or immunosuppressive therapy (e.g., corticosteroids). Treatment should be postponed until resolution of a concurrent febrile illness, urinary tract infection, or gross hematuria. Seven to 14 days should elapse before BCG is administered following biopsy, TUR, or traumatic catheterization. TICE BCG should not be administered to persons with active tuberculosis. Active tuberculosis should be ruled out in individuals who are PPD positive before starting treatment with TICE BCG.

TICE ® BCG contains live mycobacteria and should be prepared and handled using aseptic technique (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, Preparation of Agent section). BCG infections have been reported in health care workers preparing BCG for administration. Needle stick injuries should be avoided during the handling and mixing of TICE BCG. Nosocomial infections have been reported in patients receiving parenteral drugs which were prepared in areas in which BCG was prepared. 4 BCG is capable of dissemination when administered by intravesical route, and serious reactions, including fatal infections, have been reported in patients receiving intravesical BCG. 3 Care should be taken not to traumatize the urinary tract or to introduce contaminants into the urinary system. Seven to 14 days should elapse before TICE BCG is administered following TUR, biopsy, or traumatic catheterization. TICE BCG should be administered with caution to persons in groups at high risk for HIV infection. The use of TICE BCG may cause tuberculin sensitivity. It is advisable to determine the tuberculin reactivity of patients receiving TICE BCG by PPD skin testing before treatment is initiated. TICE BCG is retained in the bladder for 2 hours and then voided. Patients should void while seated in order to avoid splashing of urine. For the 6 hours after treatment, urine voided should be disinfected for 15 minutes with an equal volume of household bleach before flushing. Patients should be instructed to increase fluid intake in order to "flush" the bladder in the hours following BCG treatment. Patients may experience burning with the first void after treatment. Patients should be attentive to side effects, such as fever, chills, malaise, flu-like symptoms, or increased fatigue. If the patient experiences severe urinary side effects, such as burning or pain on urination, urgency, frequency of urination, blood in urine, or other symptoms such as joint pain, cough, or skin rash, the physician should be notified. Drug combinations containing immunosuppressants and/or bone marrow depressants and/or radiation interfere with the development of the immune response and should not be used in combination with TICE BCG. Antimicrobial therapy for other infections may interfere with the effectiveness of TICE BCG. There are no data to suggest that the acute, local urinary tract toxicity common with BCG is due to mycobacterial infection, and antituberculosis drugs (e.g., isoniazid) should not be used to prevent or treat the local, irritative toxicities of TICE BCG. TICE BCG has not been evaluated for its carcinogenic, mutagenic potentials, or impairment of fertility. Animal reproduction studies have not been conducted with TICE BCG. It is also not known whether TICE BCG can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman or can affect reproductive capacity. TICE BCG should not be given to a pregnant woman except when clearly needed. Women should be advised not to become pregnant while on therapy. It is not known whether TICE BCG is excreted in human milk. Because many drugs are excreted in human milk and because of the potential for serious adverse reactions from TICE BCG in nursing infants, it is advisable to discontinue nursing or to discontinue the drug, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother. Safety and effectiveness of TICE BCG for the treatment of superficial bladder cancer in pediatric patients have not been established. Of the total number of subjects in clinical studies of TICE BCG, the average age was 66 years old. No overall difference in safety or effectiveness was observed between older and younger subjects. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in response between elderly and younger patients, but greater sensitivity of some older individuals to BCG cannot be ruled out.

Symptoms of bladder irritability, related to the inflammatory response induced, are reported in approximately 60% of patients receiving TICE

Drug combinations containing immunosuppressants and/or bone marrow depressants and/or radiation interfere with the development of the immune response and should not be used in combination with TICE BCG. Antimicrobial therapy for other infections may interfere with the effectiveness of TICE BCG. There are no data to suggest that the acute, local urinary tract toxicity common with BCG is due to mycobacterial infection, and antituberculosis drugs (e.g., isoniazid) should not be used to prevent or treat the local, irritative toxicities of TICE BCG.

TICE ® BCG is supplied in a box of 1 single-dose vial of TICE BCG. Each vial contains 1 to 8 × 10 8 CFU, which is equivalent to approximately 50 mg (wet weight), as lyophilized (freeze-dried) powder, NDC 0052-0602-02. The intact vials of TICE ® BCG should be stored refrigerated, at 2–8°C (36–46°F). This agent contains live bacteria and should be protected from direct sunlight. The product should not be used after the expiration date printed on the label.

TICE ® BCG induces a granulomatous reaction at the local site of administration. Intravesical TICE BCG has been used as a therapy for, and prophylaxis against, recurrent tumors in patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the urinary bladder, and to prevent recurrence of Stage TaT1 papillary tumors of the bladder at high risk of recurrence. The precise mechanism of action is unknown.

To evaluate the efficacy of intravesical administration of TICE ® BCG in the treatment of carcinoma in situ , patients were identified who had been treated with TICE BCG under 6 different Investigational New Drug (IND) applications in which the most important shared aspect was the use of an induction plus maintenance schedule. Patients received TICE BCG (50 mg; 1 to 8 x 10 8 CFU) intravesically, once weekly for at least 6 weeks and once monthly thereafter for up to 12 months. A longer maintenance was given in some cases. The study population consisted of 153 patients, 132 males, 19 females, and 2 unidentified as to gender. Thirty patients lacking baseline documentation of CIS and 4 patients lost to follow-up were not evaluable for treatment response. Therefore, 119 patients were available for efficacy evaluation. The mean age was 69 years (range: 38–97 years). There were 2 categories of clinical response: (1) Complete Histological Response (CR), defined as complete resolution of carcinoma in situ documented by cystoscopy and cytology, with or without biopsy; and (2) Complete Clinical Response Without Cytology (CRNC), defined as an apparent complete disappearance of tumor upon cystoscopy. The results of a 1987 analysis of the evaluable patients are shown in Table 1 . Table 1: The Response of Patients With CIS Bladder Cancer in 6 IND Studies Entered Evaluable CR CRNC Overall response No. (%) of patients 153 119 (78%) 54 (46%) 36 (30%) 90 (76%) A 1989 update of these data is presented in Table 2 . The median duration of follow-up was 47 months. Table 2: Follow-up Response of Patients With CIS Bladder Cancer in 6 IND Studies 1989 Status of 90 Responders (CR or CRNC) Response 1987/CR n=54 1987/CRNC n=36 1987 Response n=90 Percent CR 30 15 45 50 CRNC   0   0   0   0 Unrelated deaths   6   6 12 13 Failure 18 15 33 37 There was no significant difference in response rates between patients with or without prior intravesical chemotherapy. The median duration of response, calculated from the Kaplan-Meier curve as median time to recurrence, is estimated at 4 years or greater. The incidence of cystectomy for 90 patients who achieved a complete response (CR or CRNC) was 11%. The median time to cystectomy in patients who achieved a complete response (CR or CRNC) exceeded 74 months. The efficacy of intravesical TICE BCG in preventing the recurrence of a TaT1 bladder cancer after complete transurethral resection of all papillary tumors was evaluated in 2 open-label, randomized phase III clinical trials. Initial diagnosis of patients included in the studies was determined by cystoscopic biopsies. One was conducted by the Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG) in patients at high risk of recurrence. High risk was defined as 2 occurrences of tumor within 56 weeks, any stage T1 tumor, or 3 or more tumors presenting simultaneously. The second study was conducted at the Nijmegen University Hospital; Nijmegen, The Netherlands. In this study patients were not selected for high risk of recurrence. In both studies treatment was initiated between 1 and 2 weeks after transurethral resection (TUR). In the SWOG trial (study 8795) patients were randomized to TICE BCG or mitomycin C (MMC). Both drugs were given intravesically weekly for 6 weeks, at 8 and 12 weeks, and then monthly for a total treatment duration of 1 year. Cystoscopy and urinary cytology were performed every 3 months for 2 years. Patients with progressive disease or residual or recurrent disease at or after the 6 month follow-up were removed from the study and were classified as treatment failures. A total of 469 patients was entered into the study: 237 to the TICE BCG arm and 232 to the MMC arm. Twenty-two patients were subsequently found to be ineligible, and 66 patients had concurrent CIS, and were analyzed separately. Four patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 191 evaluable patients in the TICE BCG arm and 186 in the MMC arm. Of the patients, 84% were male and 16% were female. The average age of these patients was 65 years old. The Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year disease-free survival are shown in Table 3 . The difference in disease-free survival time between the 2 groups was statistically significant by the log rank test ( P =0.03). The 95% confidence interval of the difference in 2-year disease-free survival was 12% ± 10%. No statistically significant differences between the groups were noted in time to tumor progression, tumor invasion, or overall survival. Table 3: Results of SWOG Study 8795 TICE BCG Arm N=191 MMC Arm N=186 Estimated disease-free survival at 2 years 57% 45% 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (50%, 65%) (38%, 53%) In the Nijmegen study, the efficacy of 3 treatments was compared: TICE substrain BCG, Rijksinstituut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieuhygiene substrain BCG (BCG-RIVM), and MMC. TICE BCG and BCG-RIVM were given intravesically weekly for 6 weeks. In contrast to the SWOG study, maintenance BCG was not given. Mitomycin C was given intravesically weekly for 4 weeks and then monthly for a total duration of treatment of 6 months. Cystoscopy and urinary cytology were performed every 3 months until recurrence. A total of 469 patients was enrolled and randomized. Thirty-two patients were not evaluable, 17 were ineligible, 15 were withdrawn before treatment, and 50 had concurrent CIS and were analyzed separately, leaving 387 evaluable patients: 117 in the TICE BCG arm, 134 in the BCG-RIVM arm, and 136 in the MMC arm. Twenty-eight patients (24%) in the TICE BCG arm, 32 patients (24%) in the BCG-RIVM arm, and 24 patients (18%) in the MMC arm had TaG1 tumors. The median duration of follow-up was 22 months (range: 3–54 months). The Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year disease-free survival are shown in Table 4 . The differences in disease-free survival among the 3 arms were not statistically significant by the log-rank test ( P =0.08). Table 4: Results of Nijmegen Study TICE BCG Arm N=117 BCG-RIVM Arm N=134 MMC Arm N=136 Estimated disease-free survival at 2 years 53% 62% 64% 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (44%, 64%) (53%, 72%) (55%, 74%) In both the SWOG 8795 study and the Nijmegen study, acute toxicity was more common, and usually more severe, with TICE BCG than with MMC (see ADVERSE REACTIONS ).

NDC 0052-0602-02 BCG LIVE (for Intravesical Use) TICE ® BCG Rx only Single-Dose Vial Principal Display Panel - 50 mL Vial Carton