Reclast Dosage

2.1 Important Administration Instructions

Reclast injection must be administered as an intravenous infusion over no less than 15 minutes.

• Patients must be appropriately hydrated prior to administration of Reclast [see Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].
• Parenteral drug products should be inspected visually for particulate matter and discoloration prior to administration, whenever solution and container permit.
• Intravenous infusion should be followed by a 10 mL normal saline flush of the intravenous line.
• Administration of acetaminophen following Reclast administration may reduce the incidence of acute-phase reaction symptoms.

2.2 Treatment of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

The recommended regimen is a 5 mg infusion once a year given intravenously over no less than 15 minutes.

2.3 Prevention of Osteoporosis in Postmenopausal Women

The recommended regimen is a 5 mg infusion given once every 2 years intravenously over no less than 15 minutes.

2.4 Osteoporosis in Men

The recommended regimen is a 5 mg infusion once a year given intravenously over no less than 15 minutes.

2.5 Treatment and Prevention of Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis

The recommended regimen is a 5 mg infusion once a year given intravenously over no less than 15 minutes.

2.6 Treatment of Paget’s Disease of Bone

The recommended dose is a 5 mg infusion. The infusion time must not be less than 15 minutes given over a constant infusion rate.

Re-treatment of Paget’s Disease

After a single treatment with Reclast in Paget’s disease an extended remission period is observed. Specific re-treatment data are not available. However, re-treatment with Reclast may be considered in patients who have relapsed, based on increases in serum alkaline phosphatase, or in those patients who failed to achieve normalization of their serum alkaline phosphatase, or in those patients with symptoms, as dictated by medical practice.

2.7 Laboratory Testing and Oral Examination Prior to Administration

• Prior to administration of each dose of Reclast, obtain a serum creatinine and creatinine clearance should be calculated based on actual body weight using Cockcroft-Gault formula before each Reclast dose. Reclast is contraindicated in patients with creatinine clearance less than 35 mL/min and in those with evidence of acute renal impairment. A 5 mg dose of Reclast administered intravenously is recommended for patients with creatinine clearance greater than or equal to 35 mL/min. There are no safety or efficacy data to support the adjustment of the Reclast dose based on baseline renal function. Therefore, no dose adjustment is required in patients with creatinine clearance greater than or equal to 35 mL/min [see Contraindications (4), Warnings and Precautions (5.3)].
• A routine oral examination should be performed by the prescriber prior to initiation of Reclast treatment [see Warnings and Precautions (5.4)].

2.8 Calcium and Vitamin D Supplementation

• Instruct patients being treated for Paget’s disease of bone on the importance of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in maintaining serum calcium levels, and on the symptoms of hypocalcemia. All patients should take 1500 mg elemental calcium daily in divided doses (750 mg two times a day, or 500 mg three times a day) and 800 international units vitamin D daily, particularly in the 2 weeks following Reclast administration [see Warnings and Precautions (5.2)].
• Instruct patients being treated for osteoporosis to take supplemental calcium and vitamin D if their dietary intake is inadequate. An average of at least 1200 mg calcium and 800-1000 international units vitamin D daily is recommended.

2.9 Method of Administration

The Reclast infusion time must not be less than 15 minutes given over a constant infusion rate.

The intravenous infusion should be followed by a 10 mL normal saline flush of the intravenous line.

Reclast solution for infusion must not be allowed to come in contact with any calcium or other divalent cation-containing solutions, and should be administered as a single intravenous solution through a separate vented infusion line.

If refrigerated, allow the refrigerated solution to reach room temperature before administration. After opening, the solution is stable for 24 hours at 2°C to 8°C (36°F to 46°F) [see How Supplied/Storage and Handling (16)].