(Información remitida por la empresa firmante)
STOCKHOLM, Sept. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — BioArctic AB’s (publ) (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) partner Eisai announced today that “LEQEMBI® Intravenous Infusion” (200 mg, 500mg, lecanemab) has been approved in Japan as a treatment for slowing progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The regulatory approval in Japan announced today, entitles BioArctic to a milestone of EUR 17 M.
LEQEMBI is a humanized immunoglobulin gamma 1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody directed against aggregated soluble (protofibril[1]) and insoluble forms of Aß. LEQEMBI is the first and only approved treatment shown to reduce the rate of disease progression and to slow cognitive and functional decline by selectively binding to and eliminating the most toxic Aß aggregates (protofibrils) that contribute to neurotoxicity in AD. In Japan, an application for marketing approval was filed and was designated for priority review in January 2023. Japan is the second country to grant approval, following the traditional approval in the U.S. in July 2023.
“The approval of LEQEMBI in Japan is another important step in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease,” said Gunilla Osswald, CEO of BioArctic. “I am impressed by the diligent efforts of our partner Eisai to ensure that this important innovation can reach patients around the globe, and I am looking forward to more approvals in the year to come to give patients and doctors worldwide the opportunity of this new treatment.”
LEQEMBI’s approval is based on Phase 3 data from Eisai’s large, global Clarity AD clinical trial, in which LEQEMBI met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant results and confirmed the clinical benefit of LEQEMBI. The primary endpoint was the global cognitive and functional scale, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB). In the Clarity AD clinical trial, treatment with LEQEMBI reduced clinical decline on CDR-SB by 27% at 18 months compared to placebo. In addition, the secondary endpoint from the AD Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale for Mild Cognitive Impairment (ADCS MCI-ADL), which measures information provided by people caring for patients with AD, noted a statistically significant benefit of 37%. The ADCS-MCI-ADL assesses the ability of patients to function independently, including being able to dress, feed themselves and participate in community activities. The most common adverse events (>10%) in the LEQEMBI group were infusion reactions, ARIA-H (combined cerebral microhemorrhages, cerebral macrohemorrhages, and superficial siderosis), ARIA-E (edema/effusion), headache, and fall. Full results of the Clarity AD study were presented at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) 2022 conference and simultaneously published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The New England Journal of Medicine on November 29, 2022.
Eisai will conduct a post-marketing special use results survey (all-case surveillance) in all patients who are administered LEQEMBI until data from a certain number of patients are accumulated after market launch, in accordance with an approval condition imposed by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In addition, the appropriate use of LEQEMBI will be promoted in accordance with the package insert and training materials will be developed for healthcare professionals to assist the management and monitoring of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA).
Eisai serves as the lead of LEQEMBI development and regulatory submissions globally with both Eisai and Biogen co-commercializing and co-promoting the product and Eisai having final decision-making authority. In Japan, Eisai and Biogen Japan will co-promote LEQEMBI, with Eisai distributing the product as the Marketing Authorization Holder. BioArctic has the right to commercialize lecanemab in the Nordic region and currently Eisai and BioArctic are preparing for a joint commercialization in the region.
This information is information that BioArctic AB (publ) is obliged to disclose pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was released for public disclosure, through the agency of the contact persons below, on September 25, 2023, at 07.00 a.m. CET.
For further information, please contact:
Oskar Bosson, VP Communications and IR
-E-mail: oskar.bosson@bioarctic.se
Phone: +46 70 410 71 80
Jiang Millington, Director Corporate Communication and Social Media
-E-mail: jiang.millington@bioarctic.se
Phone: +46 79 33 99 166
INDICATION, DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION, AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION IN THE U.S.
LEQEMBI is indicated for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment with LEQEMBI should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
WARNING: AMYLOID RELATED IMAGING ABNORMALITIES (ARIA)
Monoclonal antibodies directed against aggregated forms of amyloid beta, including LEQEMBI, can cause amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA), characterized as ARIA with edema (ARIA-E) and ARIA with hemosiderin deposition (ARIA-H). Incidence and timing of ARIA vary among treatments. ARIA usually occurs early in treatment and is usually asymptomatic, although serious and life-threatening events rarely can occur. Serious intracerebral hemorrhages >1 cm, some of which have been fatal, have been observed in patients treated with this class of medications.
Apolipoprotein E e4 (ApoE e4) Homozygotes: Patients who are ApoE e4 homozygotes (approximately 15% of Alzheimer’s disease patients) treated with this class of medications, including LEQEMBI, have a higher incidence of ARIA, including symptomatic, serious, and severe radiographic ARIA, compared to heterozygotes and noncarriers. Testing for ApoE e4 status should be performed prior to initiation of treatment to inform the risk of developing ARIA. Prior to testing, prescribers should discuss with patients the risk of ARIA across genotypes and the implications of genetic testing results. Prescribers should inform patients that if genotype testing is not performed, they can still be treated with LEQEMBI; however, it cannot be determined if they are ApoE e4 homozygotes and at higher risk for ARIA.
Consider the benefit of LEQEMBI for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and potential risk of serious adverse events associated with ARIA when deciding to initiate treatment with LEQEMBI
CONTRAINDICATION
LEQEMBI is contraindicated in patients with serious hypersensitivity to lecanemab-irmb or to any of the excipients of LEQEMBI. Reactions have included angioedema and anaphylaxis.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONSAmyloid Related Imaging Abnormalities
LEQEMBI can cause ARIA-E and ARIA-H. ARIA-E can be observed on MRI as brain edema or sulcal effusions, and ARIA-H as microhemorrhage and superficial siderosis. ARIA can occur spontaneously in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. ARIA-H associated with monoclonal antibodies directed against aggregated forms of beta amyloid generally occurs in association with an occurrence of ARIA-E. ARIA-H and ARIA-E can occur together. ARIA usually occurs early in treatment and is usually asymptomatic, although serious and life-threatening events, including seizure and status epilepticus, rarely can occur. Reported symptoms associated with ARIA may include headache, confusion, visual changes, dizziness, nausea, and gait difficulty. Focal neurologic deficits may also occur. Symptoms associated with ARIA usually resolve over time.
ARIA Monitoring and Dose Management Guidelines
(CONTINUA)