TARRYTOWN, NY, USA I June 11, 2014 I Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Bayer HealthCare today announced that Bayer HealthCare has submitted an application to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) seeking marketing authorization in the European Union (EU) for EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection for the treatment of macular edema following branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).
The EMA submission is based on the positive Phase 3 VIBRANT trial, a double-masked, randomized, active-controlled study of patients with macular edema following BRVO. In the VIBRANT study, 53 percent of patients who received EYLEA 2 milligram (mg) monthly gained at least 15 letters (equivalent to three lines) in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) from baseline at week 24, the primary endpoint of the study, compared to 27 percent of patients who received laser, a standard of care (p < 0.001) treatment. In addition, EYLEA met a key secondary endpoint, achieving a 17.0 letter mean improvement over baseline in BCVA compared to a 6.9 letter mean improvement in patients who received laser (p < 0.0001).
EYLEA was generally well tolerated in this trial. Through week 24, the most common ocular adverse events in patients treated with EYLEA were conjunctival hemorrhage and eye pain. The incidence of serious adverse events (SAE) was 9.9 percent in the EYLEA group and 9.8 percent in the laser group. Up to week 24, one death and one Anti-Platelet Trialists’ Collaboration (APTC) defined event (non-fatal stroke) occurred during the trial, both events occurred in patients in the laser group. There were no cases of intraocular inflammation. There was one ocular SAE in a patient in the EYLEA group, which was a traumatic cataract.
EYLEA was approved in the United States for the treatment of neovascular (wet) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) in November 2011 and for Macular Edema following Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO) in September 2012. EYLEA has also been approved in the EU and other countries for use in wet AMD and Macular Edema following CRVO.
Regulatory submissions have also been made in the U.S. for EYLEA for the treatment of macula edema following BRVO, and in the U.S and EU for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).
Bayer HealthCare and Regeneron are collaborating on the global development of EYLEA. Regeneron maintains exclusive rights to EYLEA in the United States. Bayer HealthCare licensed the exclusive marketing rights outside the United States, where the companies share equally the profits from sales of EYLEA, except for Japan where Regeneron receives a percentage of net sales.
About Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retinal Vein Occlusion is the second most common retinal vascular disorder and is a significant cause of visual impairment. Of the two main types of retinal vein occlusion – CRVO and BRVO – the latter is more common. In BRVO, a blockage occurs in the blood vessels branching from the main vein draining the retina, resulting in the release of vascular endothelial growth factor and consequent retinal edema.
About EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection for Intravitreal Injection
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is a naturally occurring protein in the body. Its normal role in a healthy organism is to trigger formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) supporting the growth of the body’s tissues and organs. However, in certain diseases, such as wet age-related macular degeneration, it is also associated with the growth of abnormal new blood vessels in the eye, which exhibit abnormal increased permeability that leads to edema. Scarring and loss of fine-resolution central vision often results.
EYLEA, known in the scientific literature as VEGF Trap-Eye, is a recombinant fusion protein, consisting of portions of human VEGF receptors 1 and 2 extracellular domains fused to the Fc portion of human IgG1 and formulated as an iso-osmotic solution for intravitreal administration. EYLEA acts as a soluble decoy receptor that binds VEGF-A and placental growth factor (PlGF) and thereby can inhibit the binding and activation of their cognate VEGF receptors.
IMPORTANT PRESCRIBING INFORMATION FOR EYLEA® (aflibercept) INJECTION IN THE UNITED STATES
EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection is indicated for the treatment of patients with neovascular (Wet) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). The recommended dose for EYLEA is 2 mg administered by intravitreal injection every 4 weeks (monthly) for the first 12 weeks (3 months), followed by 2 mg once every 8 weeks (2 months). Although EYLEA may be dosed as frequently as 2 mg every 4 weeks (monthly), additional efficacy was not demonstrated when EYLEA was dosed every 4 weeks compared to every 8 weeks.
EYLEA is indicated for the treatment of patients with Macular Edema following Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). The recommended dose for EYLEA is 2 mg administered by intravitreal injection every 4 weeks (monthly).
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR EYLEA® (aflibercept) INJECTION
EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection is contraindicated in patients with ocular or periocular infections, active intraocular inflammation, or known hypersensitivity to aflibercept or to any of the excipients in EYLEA. Intravitreal injections, including those with EYLEA, have been associated with endophthalmitis and retinal detachments. Proper aseptic injection technique must always be used when administering EYLEA. Patients should be instructed to report any symptoms suggestive of endophthalmitis or retinal detachment without delay and should be managed appropriately. Intraocular inflammation has been reported with the use of EYLEA. Acute increases in intraocular pressure have been seen within 60 minutes of intravitreal injection, including with EYLEA.
Sustained increases in intraocular pressure have also been reported after repeated intravitreal dosing with VEGF inhibitors. Intraocular pressure and the perfusion of the optic nerve head should be monitored and managed appropriately. There is a potential risk of arterial thromboembolic events (ATEs) following use of intravitreal VEGF inhibitors, including EYLEA, defined as nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or vascular death (including deaths of unknown cause). The incidence of ATEs in the VIEW 1 and VIEW 2 wet AMD studies in patients treated with EYLEA was 1.8% during the first year. The incidence of ATEs in the COPERNICUS and GALILEO CRVO studies was 0% in patients treated with EYLEA compared with 1.4% in patients receiving sham control during the first six months. The most common adverse reactions (5% or more) noted in the U.S. prescribing information for the approved indications of EYLEA were conjunctival hemorrhage, eye pain, cataract, vitreous detachment, vitreous floaters, and increased intraocular pressure. Serious adverse reactions related to the injection procedure have occurred in < 0.1% of intravitreal injections with EYLEA including endophthalmitis, traumatic cataract, increased intraocular pressure, and vitreous detachment. Please see the full U.S. Prescribing Information for EYLEA at www.EYLEA.com
About the EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection Global Collaboration
Regeneron is collaborating with Bayer HealthCare on the global development of EYLEA. EYLEA is currently approved for the treatment of wet AMD in approximately 50 countries outside the U.S., including Japan and Australia and countries in the EU. EYLEA has also been approved by the European Commission and in Japan for the treatment of visual impairment due to Macular Edema secondary to CRVO. Regeneron maintains exclusive rights to EYLEA in the United States.
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron markets medicines for eye diseases, colorectal cancer, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including hypercholesterolemia, oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com.
About Bayer HealthCare
The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, agriculture and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subgroup of Bayer AG with annual sales of EUR 18.9 billion (2013), is one of the world’s leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. Bayer HealthCare’s aim is to discover, develop, manufacture and market products that will improve human and animal health worldwide. Bayer HealthCare has a global workforce of 56,000 employees (Dec 31, 2013) and is represented in more than 100 countries. More information is available at www.healthcare.bayer.com.
SOURCE: Bayer HealthCare
