PROMETRIUM^® (progesterone, USP) Capsules are indicated for use in the prevention of endometrial hyperplasia in nonhysterectomized postmenopausal women who are receiving conjugated estrogens tablets. They are also indicated for use in secondary amenorrhea.

PROMETRIUM Capsules should be given as a single daily dose at bedtime, 200 mg orally for 12 days sequentially per 28-day cycle, to a postmenopausal woman with a uterus who is receiving daily conjugated estrogens tablets.

PROMETRIUM Capsules may be given as a single daily dose of 400 mg at bedtime for 10 days.

Some women may experience difficulty swallowing PROMETRIUM Capsules. For these women, PROMETRIUM Capsules should be taken with a glass of water while in the standing position.

PROMETRIUM is contraindicated in women with any of the following conditions:

1. 1. Hypersensitivity to its ingredients. PROMETRIUM Capsules contain peanut oil and is contraindicated in patients allergic to peanuts.
2. 2.Abnormal genital bleeding of unknown etiology.
3. 3.Known, suspected, or history of breast cancer.
4. 4.Active deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism or history of these conditions.
5. 5.Active arterial thromboembolic disease (for example, stroke and myocardial infarction), or a history of these conditions.
6. 6.Known liver dysfunction or disease.

PROMETRIUM is contraindicated in females with active DVT, PE, arterial thromboembolic disease (e.g., stroke, MI) disease, or a history of these conditions (See CONTRAINDICATIONS). Immediately discontinue PROMETRIUM if a PE, DVT, stroke, or MI occurs or is suspected.

If feasible, discontinue PROMETRIUM at least 4 to 6 weeks before surgery of the type associated with an increased risk of thromboembolism, or during periods of prolonged immobilization.

The safety and efficacy of estrogen plus progestogen for the prevention of cardiovascular disorders has not been established. (See CLINICAL STUDIES)

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen plus progestin trial reported increased risks of PE, DVT, stroke, and MI in postmenopausal women (50 to 79 years of age, average age 63.4 years) during 5.6 years of treatment with daily oral conjugated estrogens (CE) [0.625 mg] combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) [2.5 mg], relative to placebo. Analyses were also conducted in women aged 50-59 years, a group of women more likely to present with new onset of moderate to severe VMS compared to women in other age groups in the trial. (See CLINICAL STUDIES.)

Only daily oral 0.625 mg CE and 2.5 mg MPA were studied in the estrogen plus progestin trial of the WHI. Therefore, the relevance of the WHI findings regarding adverse cardiovascular events to lower CE plus other MPA doses, other routes of administration, or other estrogen plus progestogen products is not known. Without such data, it is not possible to definitively exclude these risks or determine the extent of these risks for other products.

In women aged 50 to 59 years, the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for PE of 2.05 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89, 4.71) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 6 per 10,000 women-years (WYs; 11 versus 5). The relative risk for DVT was 3.01 (95% CI, 1.36, 6.66) in those receiving CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 10 per 10,000 WYs (15 versus 5). (See CLINICAL STUDIES).

In the overall study population of women aged 50 to 79 years (average 63.4 years), the trial reported a relative risk for PE of 1.98 (95% CI, 1.36, 2.87) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 9 per 10,000 WYs (18 versus 9). The relative risk for DVT was 1.87 (95% CI, 1.37, 2.54) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 12 per 10,000 WYs (25 versus 14). (See CLINICAL STUDIES).

In women aged 50 to 59 years, the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for stroke of 1.51 (95% CI, 0.81, 2.82) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 5 per 10,000 WYs (15 versus 10). (See CLINICAL STUDIES ).

In the overall study population of women aged 50 to 79 years (average 63.4 years), the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported relative risk for stroke of 1.37 (95% CI, 1.07, 1.76) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 9 per 10,000 WYs (33 versus 24). (See CLINICAL STUDIES).

In women 50 to 59 years of age,the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) events (defined as nonfatal MI, silent MI, or CHD death) of 1.34 (95% CI, 0.82, 2.19) for CE/MPA compared placebo, with a risk difference of 5 per 10,000 WYs (23 versus 17).

In the overall study population of women aged 50 to 79 years (average 63.4 years), the trial reported a relative risk of CHD of 1.18 (95% CI, 0.95, 1.45) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 6 per 10,000 WYs (41 versus 35). (See CLINICAL STUDIES).

In the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) and open label extension (HERS II), postmenopausal women with documented heart disease (n = 2,763, average age 66.7 years) received daily CE (0.625 mg) plus MPA or placebo. In Year 1, there were more CHD events in the CE plus MPA-treated group than placebo; however, rates of CHD events were comparable among both groups for the remainder of the duration of the studies (average total follow-up of 6.8 years).

Prometrium is contraindicated in women with breast cancer, a history of breast cancer, or estrogen-dependent neoplasia. (See CONTRAINDICATIONS).

Discontinue Prometrium if a hormone-sensitive malignancy is diagnosed. The use of estrogen plus progestin therapy has been reported to result in an increase in abnormal mammograms requiring further evaluation.

Only daily oral CE 0.625 mg and MPA 2.5 mg were studied in the estrogen-alone trial of the WHI. Therefore, the relevance of the WHI findings regarding breast cancer to lower CE plus other MPA doses, other routes of administration, or other estrogen plus progestogen products is not known. Without such data, it is not possible to definitively exclude these risks or determine the extent of these risks for other products.

In women 50-59 years of age, the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for invasive breast cancer of 1.21 (95% CI, 0.81, 1.80) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 6 per 10,000 WYs (33 versus 27). In this age group, among those who reported no prior use of hormone therapy, the relative risk was 1.06 (95% CI, 0.67, 1.67) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 2 per 10,000 WYs (33 versus 31).

In the overall study population of women aged 50-79 years (average 63.4 years), the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for invasive breast cancer of 1.24 (95% CI, 1.01, 1.53) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 9 per 10,000 WYs (43 versus 35). In the overall study population, among women who reported prior use of hormone therapy, the relative risk of invasive breast cancer was 1.85, (95% CI 1.18, 2.90) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 21 per 10,000 WYs (46 versus 25). Among women who reported no prior use of hormone therapy, the relative risk of invasive breast cancer was 1.09, (95% CI 0.86, 1.39), with a risk difference of 4 per 10,000 WYs (40 versus 36). Invasive breast cancers were larger, were more likely to be node positive, and were diagnosed at a more advanced stage in the CE/MPA group compared with the placebo group. Metastatic disease was rare, with no apparent difference between the two groups. Other prognostic factors such as histologic subtype, grade and hormone receptor status did not differ between the groups. (See CLINICAL STUDIES .) Extension of the WHI trial also demonstrated increased breast cancer risk associated with estrogen plus progestin therapy.

Consistent with the WHI trial, observational studies have also reported an increased risk of breast cancer with estrogen plus progestin therapy. A large meta-analysis including 24 prospective studies of postmenopausal women comparing current use of estrogen plus progestin products with use duration of 5 to 14 years (average of 9 years) versus never use reported a relative risk for breast cancer of 2.08 (95% CI, 2.02 to 2.15). These studies have not generally found significant variation in the risk of breast cancer among different estrogen plus progestin combinations, doses, or routes of administration.

Regarding breast cancer mortality, the WHI estrogen plus progestin trial did not show a statistically significant difference between CE/MPA and placebo. The trial reported a relative risk of 1.35 (95% CI, 0.94 to 1.95) for CE/MPA compared to placebo, with a risk difference of 1 per 10,000 WYs (5 versus 4) after a median of 19 years of cumulative follow-up.

In the overall WHI study population of women aged 50 to 79 years (average 63.4 years), the estrogen plus progestin trial reported a relative risk for ovarian cancer of 1.41 (95% CI, 0.75 to 2.66) for CE/MPA versus placebo after an average follow-up of 5.6 years. The risk difference was 1 per 10,000 WYs (5 versus 4). Comparing CE/MPA to placebo, women 50 to 59 years of age had a relative risk for ovarian cancer of 0.30 (95% CI 0.06, 1.47) and the risk difference was -3 per 10,000 WYs (1 versus 4).

A large meta-analysis including 17 prospective studies of postmenopausal women compared current use of estrogen plus progestin products versus never use and reported a relative risk for ovarian cancer of 1.37 (95% CI, 1.26 to 1.48). The duration of hormone therapy use that was associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer is unknown.

Retinal vascular thrombosis has been reported in patients receiving estrogen. Discontinue estrogen plus progestin therapy pending examination if there is sudden partial or complete loss of vision, or if there is a sudden onset of proptosis, diplopia or migraine. If examination reveals papilledema or retinal vascular lesions, estrogen plus progestin therapy should be permanently discontinued.

Progesterone may cause some degree of fluid retention. Women with conditions that might be influenced by this factor, such as cardiac or renal dysfunction, warrant careful observation.

PROMETRIUM^® (progesterone, USP) Capsules may cause transient dizziness and drowsiness and should be used with caution when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery. PROMETRIUM Capsules should be taken as a single daily dose at bedtime.

General: This product contains peanut oil and should not be used if you are allergic to peanuts.

Physicians are advised to discuss the contents of the Patient Information leaflet with patients for whom they prescribe PROMETRIUM Capsules.

The following laboratory results may be altered by the use of estrogen plus progestin therapy:

• •Increased sulfobromophthalein retention and other hepatic function tests.
• •Coagulation tests: increase in prothrombin factors VII, VIII, IX and X.
• •Pregnanediol determination.
• •Thyroid function: increase in PBI, and butanol extractable protein bound iodine and decrease in T3 uptake values.

Progesterone has not been tested for carcinogenicity in animals by the oral route of administration. When implanted into female mice, progesterone produced mammary carcinomas, ovarian granulosa cell tumors and endometrial stromal sarcomas. In dogs, long-term intramuscular injections produced nodular hyperplasia and benign and malignant mammary tumors. Subcutaneous or intramuscular injections of progesterone decreased the latency period and increased the incidence of mammary tumors in rats previously treated with a chemical carcinogen.

Progesterone did not show evidence of genotoxicity in in vitro studies for point mutations or for chromosomal damage. In vivo studies for chromosome damage have yielded positive results in mice at oral doses of 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg. Exogenously administered progesterone has been shown to inhibit ovulation in a number of species and it is expected that high doses given for an extended duration would impair fertility until the cessation of treatment.

PROMETRIUM Capsules should not be used during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Category B: Reproductive studies have been performed in mice at doses up to 9 times the human oral dose, in rats at doses up to 44 times the human oral dose, in rabbits at a dose of 10 mcg/day delivered locally within the uterus by an implanted device, in guinea pigs at doses of approximately one-half the human oral dose and in rhesus monkeys at doses approximately the human dose, all based on body surface area, and have revealed little or no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to progesterone.

Detectable amounts of progestin have been identified in the milk of nursing women receiving progestins. Caution should be exercised when PROMETRIUM Capsules are administered to a nursing woman.

PROMETRIUM Capsules are not indicated in children. Clinical studies have not been conducted in the pediatric population.

There have not been sufficient numbers of geriatric women involved in clinical studies utilizing PROMETRIUM Capsules to determine whether those over 65 years of age differ from younger subjects in their response to PROMETRIUM Capsules.

The Women's Health Initiative Study

In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen plus progestin substudy (daily CE [0.625 mg] plus MPA [2.5 mg] versus placebo), there was a higher relative risk of nonfatal stroke and invasive breast cancer in women greater than 65 years of age. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Cardiovascular disorders and Malignant neoplasms .)

The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study

In the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) of postmenopausal women 65 to 79 years of age, there was an increased risk of developing probable dementia in the estrogen plus progestin ancillary study when compared to placebo. (See CLINICAL STUDIES .)

See WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS .

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 multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the effects of PROMETRIUM Capsules on the endometrium was studied in a total of 875 postmenopausal women. Table 7 lists adverse reactions greater than or equal to 2 percent of women who received cyclic PROMETRIUM Capsules 200 mg daily (12 days per calendar month cycle) with 0.625 mg conjugated estrogens or placebo.

In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, the effects of PROMETRIUM^® (progesterone, USP) Capsules on secondary amenorrhea was studied in 49 estrogen-primed postmenopausal women. Table 8 lists adverse reactions greater than or equal to 5 percent of women who received PROMETRIUM Capsules or placebo.

In a multicenter, parallel-group, open label postmarketing dosing study consisting of three consecutive 28-day treatment cycles, 220 premenopausal women with secondary amenorrhea were randomized to receive daily conjugated estrogens therapy (0.625 mg conjugated estrogens) and PROMETRIUM Capsules, 300 mg per day (n=113) or PROMETRIUM Capsules, 400 mg per /day (n=107) for 10 days of each treatment cycle. Overall, the most frequently reported treatment-emergent adverse reactions, reported in greater than or equal to 5 percent of subjects, were nausea, fatigue, vaginal mycosis, nasopharyngitis, upper respiratory tract infection, headache, dizziness, breast tenderness, abdominal distension, acne, dysmenorrhea, mood swing, and urinary tract infection.

The following additional adverse reactions have been reported with PROMETRIUM Capsules. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate the frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

Genitourinary System: endometrial carcinoma, hypospadia, intra-uterine death, menorrhagia, menstrual disorder, metrorrhagia, ovarian cyst, spontaneous abortion.

Cardiovascular: circulatory collapse, congenital heart disease (including ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus), hypertension, hypotension, tachycardia.

Gastrointestinal: acute pancreatitis, cholestasis, cholestatic hepatitis, dysphagia, hepatic failure, hepatic necrosis, hepatitis, increased liver function tests (including alanine aminotransferase increased, aspartate aminotransferase increased, gamma-glutamyl transferase increased), jaundice, swollen tongue.

Skin: alopecia, pruritus, urticaria.

Eyes: blurred vision, diplopia, visual disturbance.

Central Nervous System: aggression, convulsion, depersonalization, depressed consciousness, disorientation, dysarthria, loss of consciousness, paresthesia, sedation, stupor, syncope (with and without hypotension), transient ischemic attack, suicidal ideation.

During initial therapy, a few women have experienced a constellation of many or all of the following symptoms: extreme dizziness and/or drowsiness, blurred vision, slurred speech, difficulty walking, loss of consciousness, vertigo, confusion, disorientation, feeling drunk, and shortness of breath.

Miscellaneous: abnormal gait, anaphylactic reaction, arthralgia, blood glucose increased, choking, cleft lip, cleft palate, difficulty walking, dyspnea, face edema, feeling abnormal, feeling drunk, hypersensitivity, asthma, muscle cramp, throat tightness, tinnitus, vertigo, weight decreased, weight increased.

Progesterone may cause some degree of fluid retention. Women with conditions that might be influenced by this factor, such as cardiac or renal dysfunction, warrant careful observation.

PROMETRIUM^® (progesterone, USP) Capsules may cause transient dizziness and drowsiness and should be used with caution when driving a motor vehicle or operating machinery. PROMETRIUM Capsules should be taken as a single daily dose at bedtime.

General: This product contains peanut oil and should not be used if you are allergic to peanuts.

Physicians are advised to discuss the contents of the Patient Information leaflet with patients for whom they prescribe PROMETRIUM Capsules.

The following laboratory results may be altered by the use of estrogen plus progestin therapy:

• •Increased sulfobromophthalein retention and other hepatic function tests.
• •Coagulation tests: increase in prothrombin factors VII, VIII, IX and X.
• •Pregnanediol determination.
• •Thyroid function: increase in PBI, and butanol extractable protein bound iodine and decrease in T3 uptake values.

Progesterone has not been tested for carcinogenicity in animals by the oral route of administration. When implanted into female mice, progesterone produced mammary carcinomas, ovarian granulosa cell tumors and endometrial stromal sarcomas. In dogs, long-term intramuscular injections produced nodular hyperplasia and benign and malignant mammary tumors. Subcutaneous or intramuscular injections of progesterone decreased the latency period and increased the incidence of mammary tumors in rats previously treated with a chemical carcinogen.

Progesterone did not show evidence of genotoxicity in in vitro studies for point mutations or for chromosomal damage. In vivo studies for chromosome damage have yielded positive results in mice at oral doses of 1000 mg/kg and 2000 mg/kg. Exogenously administered progesterone has been shown to inhibit ovulation in a number of species and it is expected that high doses given for an extended duration would impair fertility until the cessation of treatment.

PROMETRIUM Capsules should not be used during pregnancy.

Pregnancy Category B: Reproductive studies have been performed in mice at doses up to 9 times the human oral dose, in rats at doses up to 44 times the human oral dose, in rabbits at a dose of 10 mcg/day delivered locally within the uterus by an implanted device, in guinea pigs at doses of approximately one-half the human oral dose and in rhesus monkeys at doses approximately the human dose, all based on body surface area, and have revealed little or no evidence of impaired fertility or harm to the fetus due to progesterone.

Detectable amounts of progestin have been identified in the milk of nursing women receiving progestins. Caution should be exercised when PROMETRIUM Capsules are administered to a nursing woman.

PROMETRIUM Capsules are not indicated in children. Clinical studies have not been conducted in the pediatric population.

There have not been sufficient numbers of geriatric women involved in clinical studies utilizing PROMETRIUM Capsules to determine whether those over 65 years of age differ from younger subjects in their response to PROMETRIUM Capsules.

The Women's Health Initiative Study

In the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) estrogen plus progestin substudy (daily CE [0.625 mg] plus MPA [2.5 mg] versus placebo), there was a higher relative risk of nonfatal stroke and invasive breast cancer in women greater than 65 years of age. (See CLINICAL STUDIES and WARNINGS, Cardiovascular disorders and Malignant neoplasms .)

The Women's Health Initiative Memory Study

In the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS) of postmenopausal women 65 to 79 years of age, there was an increased risk of developing probable dementia in the estrogen plus progestin ancillary study when compared to placebo. (See CLINICAL STUDIES .)