On March 21, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved safety labeling changes for fluorouracil injection products. This effort was a collaboration between the FDA’s Office of Generic Drugs and the Oncology Center of Excellence.
Fluorouracil injection was initially approved in 1962. The FDA became aware of additional safety information regarding the risk of serious adverse reactions related to the use of fluorouracil in patients with dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) deficiency. Revisions have been made to the Highlights of Prescribing Information and sections 5 (Warnings and Precautions) and 17 (Patient Counseling Information) of the full prescribing information to provide information about these risks. In addition, a new subsection 12.5 (Pharmacogenomics) has been added to section 12 (Clinical Pharmacology). The labeling changes align with those approved for another fluoropyrimidine drug, capecitabine (Xeloda) tablets, on December 14, 2022.
