COPENHAGEN, Denmark I September 08, 2020 I Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND), a biopharmaceutical company that uses its novel TransCon technologies to address unmet medical needs, announced today the submission of a MAA to the EMA seeking approval for TransCon hGH (lonapegsomatropin), an investigational long-acting once-weekly prodrug of somatropin (human growth hormone or hGH), for the treatment of pediatric patients who are diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
“This MAA submission, which follows the approval of our Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) from EMA, is an important next step for extending the global reach of TransCon hGH,” said Dana Pizzuti, M.D., Ascendis Pharma’s Senior Vice President of Development Operations. “If approved, TransCon hGH could provide clinicians and patients with a once-weekly treatment option.”
TransCon hGH is designed to release somatropin with the same mode of action and distribution as once-daily somatropin products, but with a once-weekly injection.1 The MAA submission includes data from the clinical development program for TransCon hGH that included eight clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy in more than 400 subjects with GHD.
A Biologics License Application seeking approval for TransCon hGH for the treatment for pediatric GHD is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a PDUFA date is set for June 25, 2021.
TransCon hGH is an investigational therapy that is not approved for use in any country. There is no long-acting growth hormone treatment currently approved by the EMA for the treatment of pediatric GHD. TransCon hGH has received orphan designation in both the U.S. and Europe as a treatment for GHD.
About Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)2
Pediatric GHD is a serious orphan disease caused when the pituitary gland does not produce enough growth hormone. Children with GHD are not only characterized by short stature, but they also may experience metabolic abnormalities, psychosocial challenges and poor quality of life. For decades, the standard of care for GHD has been a daily subcutaneous injection of hGH, which improves growth and overall endocrine health.
About TransCon™ Technology
TransCon refers to “transient conjugation.” The proprietary TransCon platform is an innovative technology designed to create new therapies that optimize therapeutic effect, including efficacy, safety and dosing frequency. TransCon molecules have three components: an unmodified parent drug, an inert carrier that protects it, and a linker that temporarily binds the two. When bound, the carrier inactivates and shields the parent drug from clearance. When injected into the body, physiologic conditions (e.g., pH and temperature) initiate the release of the active, unmodified parent drug in a predictable manner. Because the parent drug is unmodified, its original mode of action may be maintained. TransCon technology is designed to be applied broadly to a protein, peptide or small molecule in multiple therapeutic areas, and to be used systemically or locally.
About Ascendis Pharma A/S
Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative platform technology to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by its core values of patients, science and passion, the company utilizes its TransCon™ technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies.
Ascendis Pharma currently has a pipeline of three independent endocrinology rare disease product candidates in clinical development and is advancing oncology as its second therapeutic area of focus. The company continues to expand into additional therapeutic areas to address unmet patient needs.
Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with additional offices in Heidelberg and Berlin, Germany, and in Palo Alto and Redwood City, California.
SOURCE: Ascendis Pharma
Post Views: 120
COPENHAGEN, Denmark I September 08, 2020 I Ascendis Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ASND), a biopharmaceutical company that uses its novel TransCon technologies to address unmet medical needs, announced today the submission of a MAA to the EMA seeking approval for TransCon hGH (lonapegsomatropin), an investigational long-acting once-weekly prodrug of somatropin (human growth hormone or hGH), for the treatment of pediatric patients who are diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
“This MAA submission, which follows the approval of our Paediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) from EMA, is an important next step for extending the global reach of TransCon hGH,” said Dana Pizzuti, M.D., Ascendis Pharma’s Senior Vice President of Development Operations. “If approved, TransCon hGH could provide clinicians and patients with a once-weekly treatment option.”
TransCon hGH is designed to release somatropin with the same mode of action and distribution as once-daily somatropin products, but with a once-weekly injection.1 The MAA submission includes data from the clinical development program for TransCon hGH that included eight clinical trials evaluating safety and efficacy in more than 400 subjects with GHD.
A Biologics License Application seeking approval for TransCon hGH for the treatment for pediatric GHD is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and a PDUFA date is set for June 25, 2021.
TransCon hGH is an investigational therapy that is not approved for use in any country. There is no long-acting growth hormone treatment currently approved by the EMA for the treatment of pediatric GHD. TransCon hGH has received orphan designation in both the U.S. and Europe as a treatment for GHD.
About Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD)2
Pediatric GHD is a serious orphan disease caused when the pituitary gland does not produce enough growth hormone. Children with GHD are not only characterized by short stature, but they also may experience metabolic abnormalities, psychosocial challenges and poor quality of life. For decades, the standard of care for GHD has been a daily subcutaneous injection of hGH, which improves growth and overall endocrine health.
About TransCon™ Technology
TransCon refers to “transient conjugation.” The proprietary TransCon platform is an innovative technology designed to create new therapies that optimize therapeutic effect, including efficacy, safety and dosing frequency. TransCon molecules have three components: an unmodified parent drug, an inert carrier that protects it, and a linker that temporarily binds the two. When bound, the carrier inactivates and shields the parent drug from clearance. When injected into the body, physiologic conditions (e.g., pH and temperature) initiate the release of the active, unmodified parent drug in a predictable manner. Because the parent drug is unmodified, its original mode of action may be maintained. TransCon technology is designed to be applied broadly to a protein, peptide or small molecule in multiple therapeutic areas, and to be used systemically or locally.
About Ascendis Pharma A/S
Ascendis Pharma is applying its innovative platform technology to build a leading, fully integrated biopharma company focused on making a meaningful difference in patients’ lives. Guided by its core values of patients, science and passion, the company utilizes its TransCon™ technologies to create new and potentially best-in-class therapies.
Ascendis Pharma currently has a pipeline of three independent endocrinology rare disease product candidates in clinical development and is advancing oncology as its second therapeutic area of focus. The company continues to expand into additional therapeutic areas to address unmet patient needs.
Ascendis is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with additional offices in Heidelberg and Berlin, Germany, and in Palo Alto and Redwood City, California.
SOURCE: Ascendis Pharma
Post Views: 120
