Limited clinical data during lactation preclude a clear determination of the risk of sildenafil to an infant during lactation. The safety and effectiveness of sildenafil have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 1 year of age.
In the U.S. general population, the estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage in clinically recognized pregnancies is 2 to 4% and 15 to 20%, respectively.Clinical ConsiderationsDisease-Associated Maternal and/or Embryo/Fetal RiskPregnant women with untreated pulmonary arterial hypertension are at risk for heart failure, stroke, preterm delivery, and maternal and fetal death.DataAnimal DataNo evidence of teratogenicity, embryotoxicity, or fetotoxicity was observed in pregnant rats or rabbits dosed with sildenafil 200 mg/kg/day during organogenesis, a level that is, on a mg/m2 basis, 32- and 65-times, respectively, the recommended human dose (RHD) of 20 mg three times a day. In a rat pre- and postnatal development study, the no-observed-adverse-effect dose was 30 mg/kg/day (equivalent to 5-times the RHD on a mg/m2 basis).8.2 LactationRisk SummaryLimited published data from a case report describe the presence of sildenafil and its active metabolite in human milk. There is insufficient information about the effects of sildenafil on the breastfed infant and no information on the effects of sildenafil on milk production. Limited clinical data during lactation preclude a clear determination of the risk of sildenafil to an infant during lactation.8.4 Pediatric UseThe safety and effectiveness of sildenafil have not been established in pediatric patients younger than 1 year of age.Pediatric use information is approved for Viatris Specialty LLC's, REVATIO (sildenafil). Clinical studies of sildenafil did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients.
However, due to Viatris Specialty LLC's marketing exclusivity rights, this drug product is not labeled with that information.8.5 Geriatric UseClinical studies of sildenafil did not include sufficient numbers of patients aged 65 and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger patients. Other reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between the elderly and younger patients. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].8.6 Patients with Hepatic ImpairmentNo dose adjustment for mild to moderate impairment is required. Severe impairment has not been studied [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].8.7 Patients with Renal ImpairmentNo dose adjustment is required (including severe impairment CLcr <30 mL/min) [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. Limited published data from a case report describe the presence of sildenafil and its active metabolite in human milk. In general, dose selection for an elderly patient should be cautious, reflecting the greater frequency of decreased hepatic, renal, or cardiac function, and of concomitant disease or other drug therapy [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. No dose adjustment for mild to moderate impairment is required. Severe impairment has not been studied [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. No dose adjustment is required (including severe impairment CLcr <30 mL/min) [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)]. 10 OVERDOSAGE In studies with healthy volunteers of single doses up to 800 mg, adverse events were similar to those seen at lower doses but rates and severities were increased.In cases of overdose, standard supportive measures should be adopted as required. Renal dialysis is not expected to accelerate clearance as sildenafil is highly bound to plasma proteins and it is not eliminated in the urine. In studies with healthy volunteers of single doses up to 800 mg, adverse events were similar to those seen at lower doses but rates and severities were increased.
In postmarketing experience with sildenafil at doses indicated for erectile dysfunction, serious cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and vascular events, including myocardial infarction, sudden cardiac death, ventricular arrhythmia, cerebrovascular hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, hypertension, pulmonary hemorrhage, and subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhages have been reported in temporal association with the use of the drug. It is not possible to determine whether these events are related directly to sildenafil, to sexual activity, to the patient’s underlying cardiovascular disease, or to a combination of these or other factors. NAION [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4), Patient Counseling Information (17)]. 7 DRUG INTERACTIONS NitratesConcomitant use of sildenafil with nitrates in any form is contraindicated [see Contraindications (4)].Strong CYP3A InhibitorsConcomitant use of sildenafil with strong CYP3A inhibitors is not recommended [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3)].Moderate-to-Strong CYP3A InducersConcomitant use of sildenafil with moderate-to-strong CYP3A inducers (such as bosentan) decreases the sildenafil exposure. Dose up-titration of sildenafil may be needed when initiating treatment with moderate-to-strong CYP3A inducers. Sildenafil is also marketed as VIAGRA® for erectile dysfunction.Sildenafil citrate is designated chemically as 1-[[3-(6,7-dihydro-1-methyl-7-oxo-3-propyl-1H-pyrazolo [4,3-d] pyrimidin-5-yl)-4-ethoxyphenyl] sulfonyl]-4-methylpiperazine citrate and has the following structural formula:Sildenafil citrate USP is a white or almost white slightly hygroscopic crystalline powder with a solubility of 3.5 mg/mL in water and a molecular weight of 666.7.Sildenafil injection is supplied as a clear, colorless, sterile, ready to use solution in a single-dose vial containing 10 mg/12.5 mL of sildenafil. Each mL of solution contains 1.124 mg sildenafil citrate USP equivalent to 0.8 mg sildenafil, 50.5 mg dextrose and water for injection.
It is not possible to determine whether these events are related directly to sildenafil, to sexual activity, to the patient’s underlying cardiovascular disease, or to a combination of these or other factors.Nervous SystemSeizure, seizure recurrenceOphthalmologicNAION [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4), Patient Counseling Information (17)]. The following serious adverse events are discussed elsewhere in the labeling: Hypotension [see Warnings and Precautions (5.1)] Vision Loss [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)] Hearing Loss [see Warnings and Precautions (5.5)] Priapism [see Warnings and Precautions (5.7)] Vaso-occlusive Crisis in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to Sickle Cell Disease [see Warnings and Precautions (5.8)] 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. In a placebo-controlled fixed dose titration study (PACES-1) of sildenafil (starting with recommended dose of 20 mg and increased to 40 mg and then 80 mg all three times a day) as an adjunct to intravenous epoprostenol in patients with PAH, no new safety issues were identified except for edema, which occurred in 25% of subjects in the combined sildenafil + epoprostenol group compared with 13% of subjects in the epoprostenol group [see Clinical Studies (14)]. The following adverse reactions have been identified during post approval use of sildenafil (marketed for both PAH and erectile dysfunction). 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. Sildenafil is also marketed as VIAGRA® for erectile dysfunction. Sildenafil, therefore, increases cGMP within pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cells resulting in relaxation. In patients with PAH, this can lead to vasodilation of the pulmonary vascular bed and, to a lesser degree, vasodilatation in the systemic circulation.Studies in vitro have shown that sildenafil is selective for PDE5. Its effect is more potent on PDE5 than on other known phosphodiesterases (10-fold for PDE6, greater than 80-fold for PDE1, greater than 700-fold for PDE2, PDE3, PDE4, PDE7, PDE8, PDE9, PDE10, and PDE11). The approximately 4,000-fold selectivity for PDE-5 versus PDE3 is important because PDE3 is involved in control of cardiac contractility.
Reduce the dose of sildenafil to 20 mg three times a day when discontinuing treatment with moderate-to-strong CYP3A inducers [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.3) and Clinical Studies (14)]. 8 USE IN SPECIFIC POPULATIONS 8.1 PregnancyRisk SummaryLimited published data from randomized controlled trials, case-controlled trials, and case series do not report a clear association with sildenafil and major birth defects, miscarriage, or adverse maternal or fetal outcomes when sildenafil is used during pregnancy. There are risks to the mother and fetus from untreated pulmonary arterial hypertension (see Clinical Considerations). Animal reproduction studies conducted with sildenafil showed no evidence of embryo-fetal toxicity or teratogenicity at doses up to 32- and 65-times the recommended human dose (RHD) of 20 mg three times a day in rats and rabbits, respectively (see Data).The estimated background risk of major birth defects and miscarriage for the indicated population is unknown. All pregnancies have a background risk of birth defect, loss, or other adverse outcomes. Sildenafil is only about 10 times as potent for PDE5 compared to PDE6, an enzyme found in the retina and involved in the phototransduction pathway of the retina. This lower selectivity is thought to be the basis for abnormalities related to color vision observed with higher doses or plasma levels [see Clinical Pharmacology (12.2)].In addition to pulmonary vascular smooth muscle and the corpus cavernosum, PDE5 is also found in other tissues including vascular and visceral smooth muscle and in platelets.