1 INDICATIONS AND USAGE Piperacillin and tazobactam for injection is a combination product consisting of a penicillin-class antibacterial, piperacillin, and a β-lactamase inhibitor, tazobactam, indicated for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe infections caused by susceptible isolates of the designated bacteria in the conditions listed below.

Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection is a combination penicillin-class antibacterial and β-lactamase inhibitor indicated for treatment of: Intra-abdominal infections ( 1.1 ) Skin and skin structure infections ( 1.2 ) Female pelvic infections ( 1.3 ) Community-acquired pneumonia ( 1.4 ) Nosocomial pneumonia ( 1.5 ) 1.1 Intra-abdominal Infections Appendicitis (complicated by rupture or abscess) and peritonitis caused by β-lactamase producing isolates of Escherichia coli or the following members of the Bacteroides fragilis group: B.

fragilis , B.

ovatus , B.

thetaiotaomicron , or B.

vulgatus .

The individual members of this group were studied in fewer than 10 cases.

1.2 Skin and Skin Structure Infections Uncomplicated and complicated skin and skin structure infections, including cellulitis, cutaneous abscesses and ischemic/diabetic foot infections caused by β-lactamase producing isolates of Staphylococcus aureus .

1.3 Female Pelvic Infections Postpartum endometritis or pelvic inflammatory disease caused by β-lactamase producing isolates of Escherichia coli .

1.4 Community-acquired Pneumonia Community-acquired pneumonia (moderate severity only) caused by β-lactamase producing isolates of Haemophilus influenzae .

1.5 Nosocomial Pneumonia Nosocomial pneumonia (moderate to severe) caused by β-lactamase producing isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and by piperacillin/tazobactam-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii , Haemophilus influenzae , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Nosocomial pneumonia caused by P.

aeruginosa should be treated in combination with an aminoglycoside) [ see Dosage and Administration ( 2 ) ].

To reduce the development of drug-resistant bacteria and maintain the effectiveness of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection and other antibacterial drugs, piperacillin and tazobactam for injection should be used only to treat infections that are proven or strongly suspected to be caused by bacteria.

When culture and susceptibility information are available, they should be considered in selecting or modifying antibacterial therapy.

In the absence of such data, local epidemiology and susceptibility patterns may contribute to the empiric selection of therapy.

6 ADVERSE REACTIONS The most common adverse reactions (incidence >5%) are diarrhea, constipation, nausea, headache and insomnia.

( 6.1 ) To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Fresenius Kabi USA, LLC Vigilance and Medical Affairs at 1-800-551-7176 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.

During the initial clinical investigations, 2621 patients worldwide were treated with piperacillin and tazobactam for injection in phase 3 trials.

In the key North American monotherapy clinical trials (n=830 patients), 90% of the adverse events reported were mild to moderate in severity and transient in nature.

However, in 3.2% of the patients treated worldwide, piperacillin and tazobactam for injection was discontinued because of adverse events primarily involving the skin (1.3%), including rash and pruritus; the gastrointestinal system (0.9%), including diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting; and allergic reactions (0.5%).

Table 3: Adverse Reactions from Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection Monotherapy Clinical Trials System Organ Class Adverse Reaction Gastrointestinal disorders Diarrhea (11.3%) Constipation (7.7%) Nausea (6.9%) Vomiting (3.3%) Dyspepsia (3.3%) Abdominal pain (1.3%) Pseudomembranous colitis (≤1%) General disorders and administration site conditions Fever (2.4%) Injection site reaction (≤1%) Rigors (≤1%) Immune system disorders Anaphylaxis (≤1%) Infections and infestations Candidiasis (1.6%) Metabolism and nutrition disorders Hypoglycemia (≤1%) Musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders Myalgia(≤1%) Arthralgia (≤1%) Nervous system disorders Headache (7.7%) Insomnia (6.6%) Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders Rash (4.2%, including maculopapular, bullous, and urticarial) Pruritus (3.1%) Vascular disorders Phlebitis (1.3%) Thrombophlebitis (≤1%) Hypotension (≤1%) Purpura (≤1%) Epistaxis (≤1%) Flushing (≤1%) Nosocomial Pneumonia Trials Two trials of nosocomial lower respiratory tract infections were conducted.

In one study, 222 patients were treated with piperacillin and tazobactam for injection in a dosing regimen of 4.5 g every 6 hours in combination with an aminoglycoside and 215 patients were treated with imipenem/cilastatin (500 mg/500 mg q6h) in combination with an aminoglycoside.

In this trial, treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 402 patients, 204 (91.9%) in the piperacillin/tazobactam group and 198 (92.1%) in the imipenem/cilastatin group.

Twenty-five (11.0%) patients in the piperacillin/tazobactam group and 14 (6.5%) in the imipenem/cilastatin group (p > 0.05) discontinued treatment due to an adverse event.

The second trial used a dosing regimen of 3.375 g given every 4 hours with an aminoglycoside.

Table 4: Adverse Reactions from Piperacillin and Tazobactam for Injection Plus Aminoglycoside Clinical Trials a System Organ Class Adverse Reaction Blood and lymphatic system disorders Thrombocythemia (1.4%) Anemia (≤1%) Thrombocytopenia (≤1%) Eosinophilia (≤1%) Gastrointestinal disorders Diarrhea (20%) Constipation (8.4%) Nausea (5.8%) Vomiting (2.7%) Dyspepsia (1.9%) Abdominal pain (1.8%) Stomatitis (≤1%) General disorders and administration site conditions Fever (3.2%) Injection site reaction (≤1%) Infections and infestations Oral candidiasis (3.9%) Candidiasis (1.8%) Investigations BUN increased (1.8%) Blood creatinine increased (1.8%) Liver function test abnormal (1.4%) Alkaline phosphatase increased (≤1%) Aspartate aminotransferase increased (≤1%) Alanine aminotransferase increased (≤1%) Metabolism and nutrition disorders Hypoglycemia (≤1%) Hypokalemia (≤1%) Nervous system disorders Headache (4.5%) Insomnia (4.5%) Renal and urinary disorders Renal failure (≤1%) Skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders Rash (3.9%) Pruritus (3.2%) Vascular disorders Thrombophlebitis (1.3%) Hypotension (1.3%) a For adverse drug reactions that appeared in both studies the higher frequency is presented.

Pediatrics Studies of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection in pediatric patients suggest a similar safety profile to that seen in adults.

In a prospective, randomized, comparative, open-label clinical trial of pediatric patients with severe intra-abdominal infections (including appendicitis and/or peritonitis), 273 patients were treated with piperacillin and tazobactam for injection (112.5 mg/kg every 8 hours) and 269 patients were treated with cefotaxime (50 mg/kg) plus metronidazole (7.5 mg/kg) every 8 hours.

In this trial, treatment-emergent adverse events were reported by 146 patients, 73 (26.7%) in the piperacillin and tazobactam for injection group and 73 (27.1%) in the cefotaxime/metronidazole group.

Six patients (2.2%) in the piperacillin and tazobactam for injection group and 5 patients (1.9%) in the cefotaxime/metronidazole group discontinued due to an adverse event.

Adverse Laboratory Events (Seen During Clinical Trials) Of the trials reported, including that of nosocomial lower respiratory tract infections in which a higher dose of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection was used in combination with an aminoglycoside, changes in laboratory parameters include: Hematologic —decreases in hemoglobin and hematocrit, thrombocytopenia, increases in platelet count, eosinophilia, leukopenia, neutropenia.

These patients were withdrawn from therapy; some had accompanying systemic symptoms (e.g., fever, rigors, chills).

Coagulation —positive direct Coombs' test, prolonged prothrombin time, prolonged partial thromboplastin time Hepatic —transient elevations of AST (SGOT), ALT (SGPT), alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin Renal —increases in serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen Additional laboratory events include abnormalities in electrolytes (i.e., increases and decreases in sodium, potassium, and calcium), hyperglycemia, decreases in total protein or albumin, blood glucose decreased, gamma-glutamyltransferase increased, hypokalemia, and bleeding time prolonged.

6.2 Post-Marketing Experience In addition to the adverse drug reactions identified in clinical trials in Table 3 and Table 4, the following adverse reactions have been identified during postapproval use of piperacillin and tazobactam for injection.

Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish causal relationship to drug exposure.

Gastrointestinal —hepatitis, jaundice Hematologic —hemolytic anemia, agranulocytosis, pancytopenia Immune —hypersensitivity reactions, anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions (including shock) Renal —interstitial nephritis Skin and Appendages —erythema multiforme, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis 6.3 Additional Experience with piperacillin The following adverse reaction has also been reported for piperacillin for injection: Skeletal —prolonged muscle relaxation [ see Drug Interactions ( 7.4 )].

Post-marketing experience with piperacillin and tazobactam for injection in pediatric patients suggests a similar safety profile to that seen in adults.