Safety
LINC 3 study safety profile demonstrated through 48 weeks3
Adverse reactions among 137 patients with Cushing's disease who received at least one dose of ISTURISA in the study3
| Adverse reaction | (Frequency > 10%) |
|---|---|
| Adrenal insufficiencya | 43.1 |
| Fatigueb | 38.7 |
| Nausea | 37.2 |
| Headachec | 30.7 |
| Edemad | 21.2 |
| Nasopharyngitis | 19.7 |
| Vomiting | 19.0 |
| Arthralgia | 17.5 |
| Back pain | 15.3 |
| Rashe | 15.3 |
Adrenal insufficiency includes glucocorticoid deficiency, adrenocortical insufficiency acute, steroid withdrawal syndrome, cortisol free urine decreased, cortisol decreased. One-third of the subjects with this event had low cortisol levels indicative of adrenal insufficiency. The majority of subjects had normal cortisol levels suggesting a cortisol withdrawal syndrome.
Fatigue includes lethargy, asthenia.
Headache includes head discomfort.
Edema includes edema peripheral, generalized edema, localized edema.
Rash includes rash erythematous, rash generalized, rash maculopapular, rash papular.
- Among the 43% of patients who were deemed to have experienced adrenal insufficiency, 1/3 had low cortisol levels indicative of adrenal insufficiency3,a
- Hypocortisolism was reported at a rate of 31% during weeks 1 to 12 and
18% during weeks 12 to 263
- Majority of cases were manageable by reducing the dose of ISTURISA and/or adding low-dose, short-term glucocorticoid therapy3
- 25 of 70 (36%) patients with one or more hypocortisolism-related event received glucocorticoid supplementation during the duration of the study1
Hirsutism was observed in 12% (13/106) of female patients.1,3 This adverse event was considered mild to moderate,f and no patient discontinued as a result.1
Mild to moderate = severity rated by investigator as 1 or 2 in the LINC 3 clinical trial.4
References: 1. Pivonello R, Fleseriu M, Newell-Price J, et al; LINC 3 investigators. Efficacy and safety of osilodrostat in patients with Cushing’s disease (LINC 3): a multicentre phase III study with a double-blind, randomised withdrawal phase. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020;8(9):748-761. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30240-0 2. Gadelha M, Bex M, Feelders RA, et al. Randomized trial of osilodrostat for the treatment of Cushing disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(7):e2882-e2895. 3. Isturisa. Package insert. Recordati Rare Diseases Inc; 2025. 4. Pivonello R, Fleseriu M, Newell-Price J, et al. Efficacy and safety of osilodrostat in patients with Cushing’s disease (LINC 3): a multicentre phase III study with a double-blind, randomised withdrawal phase. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020;8(9)(suppl). doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30240-0
The most common adverse reactions observed during the 12-week placebo controlled period study while on ISTURISA2
| Adverse reaction |
ISTURISA (Frequency ≥ 10%)(N=48) |
Placebo (N=25) |
|---|---|---|
| Decreased appetite | 38 | 16 |
| Arthralgia | 35 | 12 |
| Nausea | 31 | 12 |
| Fatiguea | 29 | 16 |
| Myalgiab | 23 | 4 |
| Diarrhea | 21 | 0 |
| Dizziness | 19 | 16 |
| Adrenal insufficiency | 15 | 0 |
| Tachycardiac | 15 | 0 |
| Nasopharyngitisd | 15 | 4 |
| Hypotensione | 15 | 0 |
| Pruritus | 13 | 0 |
| Abdominal painf | 13 | 4 |
| Renal and urinary tract infectiong | 13 | 0 |
| Peripheral edemah | 10 | 4 |
| Viral infectioni | 10 | 0 |
| Vomiting | 10 | 0 |
| Blood testosterone increased | 10 | 0 |
Some patients may experience adrenal insufficiency with ISTURISA3,a
- Adverse reactions potentially related to hypocortisolism were observed at a rate of 15% (7/48) up to week 12 in the LINC 4 study2
Fatigue includes asthenia, fatigue, and malaise
Myalgia includes myalgia and fibromyalgia
Tachycardia includes tachycardia and sinus tachycardia
Nasopharyngitis includes upper respiratory tract infection, nasopharyngitis, and pharyngitis
Hypotension includes hypotension and orthostatic hypotension
Abdominal pain includes abdominal pain, abdominal pain upper, and gastrointestinal pain
Renal and urinary tract infection includes urinary tract infection and cystitis
Peripheral edema includes edema peripheral and peripheral swelling
Viral infection includes Influenza, conjunctivitis viral, Dengue fever, and oral herpes
Some patients may experience signs of adrenal insufficiency,a which can be managed with patient-specific titration or temporary discontinuation3
Percentage of hypocortisolism-related events in each study
LINC 33
43%
of patients in the LINC 3 study3
Patients in LINC 3 received dose increases every 2 weeks.1
LINC 42
27%
of patients in the LINC 4 study2
Patients in LINC 4 received dose increases approximately every 3 weeks.2
Among the 43% of patients who were deemed to have experienced adrenal insufficiency, 1/3 had low cortisol levels indicative of adrenal insufficiency.3,a
ISTURISA titration was slower in LINC 4 and did not compromise its ability to normalize cortisol in patients with CD. In LINC 4, decisions to increase dose took into consideration all data for each patient, including mUFC level, rate of decrease of mUFC, and tolerability of ISTURISA.2,5
Patients should be monitored regularly and educated on the symptoms of adrenal insufficiency, such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, and dizziness, to allow prompt management. Adrenal insufficiency can be managed through dosage reduction or interruption.3
Adrenal insufficiency includes glucocorticoid deficiency, adrenocortical insufficiency acute, steroid withdrawal syndrome, cortisol free urine decreased, and cortisol decreased.3
CD, Cushing’s disease; mUFC, mean urinary free cortisol.
“Cushing’s patients should initiate osilodrostat at a low dose (2 mg twice daily), with incremental dose increases based on disease severity and individual response/tolerability aimed at normalizing cortisol levels.”4
Fleseriu et al, Endocrine Practice
Counsel patients to recognize and report the symptoms suggestive of hypocortisolism3
References: 1. Pivonello R, Fleseriu M, Newell-Price J, et al; LINC 3 investigators. Efficacy and safety of osilodrostat in patients with Cushing’s disease (LINC 3): a multicentre phase III study with a double-blind, randomised withdrawal phase. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020;8(9):748-761. doi:10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30240-0 2. Gadelha M, Bex M, Feelders RA, et al. Randomized trial of osilodrostat for the treatment of Cushing disease. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2022;107(7):e2882-e2895. 3. Isturisa. Package insert. Recordati Rare Diseases Inc; 2025. 4. Fleseriu M, Auchus R, Bancos I, et al. Consensus on diagnosis and management of Cushing's disease: a guideline update. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2021 Dec;9(12):847-875. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(21)00235-7 5. Fleseriu M, Auchus RJ, Snyder PJ, et al. Effect of dosing and titration of osilodrostat on efficacy and safety in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD): results from two phase III trials (LINC3 and LINC4). Endocr Pract. 2021;27(suppl 6):S112. Abstract #999926. doi:10.1016/j.eprac.2021.04.707
