Brexanolone IV submission is the Company’s first New Drug Application
CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I April 23, 2018 I Sage Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SAGE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines to treat life-altering central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the Company has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product candidate, an intravenous formulation of brexanolone (SAGE-547), for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD).
Brexanolone IV received Breakthrough Therapy Designation in September 2016, underscoring the significant unmet need in women with PPD. Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to offer a potentially expedited development path and review for promising drug candidates intended to treat serious conditions, including increased interaction and guidance from the FDA.
The NDA submission is supported by data from the Hummingbird Program. This clinical program included three multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trials (Study 202A, Study 202B and Study 202C), each designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of brexanolone in women with moderate or severe PPD, aged between 18 and 45 years who were ≤6 months postpartum at screening in the United States.
About FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation
The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite the development and review of a drug candidate that is planned for use, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints. The benefits of Breakthrough Therapy Designation include the same benefits as Fast Track Designation, plus an organizational commitment involving the FDA’s senior managers with more intensive guidance from the FDA. Breakthrough Therapy Designation does not change the standards for approval.
About Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a distinct and readily identified major depressive disorder that is the most common medical complication of childbirth, affecting a subset of women typically commencing in the third trimester of pregnancy or within four weeks after giving birth. PPD may have devastating consequences for a woman and for her family, which may include significant functional impairment, depressed mood and/or loss of interest in her newborn, and associated symptoms of depression such as loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, motor challenges, lack of concentration, loss of energy and poor self-esteem. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death following childbirth. In the U.S., estimates of new mothers identified with PPD each year vary by state from 8 to 20 percent, with an overall average of 11.5 percent. More than half of these cases may go undiagnosed without proper screening. There are no FDA approved therapies for PPD and there is a high unmet medical need for improved pharmacological therapy in PPD.
About Brexanolone (SAGE-547)
Brexanolone (SAGE-547) is an allosteric modulator of both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Allosteric modulation of neurotransmitter receptor activity results in varying degrees of desired activity rather than complete activation or inhibition of the receptor. Sage’s proprietary intravenous (IV) formulation of brexanolone is being developed for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) and has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA and PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in PPD.
About Sage Therapeutics
Sage Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel medicines to transform the lives of patients with life-altering central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Sage has a portfolio of novel product candidates targeting critical CNS receptor systems, GABA and NMDA. Sage’s lead program, a proprietary IV formulation of brexanolone (SAGE-547), has completed Phase 3 clinical development for postpartum depression. Sage is developing its next generation modulators, including SAGE-217 and SAGE-718, in various CNS disorders. For more information, please visit www.sagerx.com.
SOURCE: Sage Therapeutics
Post Views: 95
Brexanolone IV submission is the Company’s first New Drug Application
CAMBRIDGE, MA, USA I April 23, 2018 I Sage Therapeutics (NASDAQ: SAGE), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines to treat life-altering central nervous system (CNS) disorders, today announced the Company has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lead product candidate, an intravenous formulation of brexanolone (SAGE-547), for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD).
Brexanolone IV received Breakthrough Therapy Designation in September 2016, underscoring the significant unmet need in women with PPD. Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to offer a potentially expedited development path and review for promising drug candidates intended to treat serious conditions, including increased interaction and guidance from the FDA.
The NDA submission is supported by data from the Hummingbird Program. This clinical program included three multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trials (Study 202A, Study 202B and Study 202C), each designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of brexanolone in women with moderate or severe PPD, aged between 18 and 45 years who were ≤6 months postpartum at screening in the United States.
About FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation
The FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite the development and review of a drug candidate that is planned for use, alone or in combination with one or more other drugs, to treat a serious or life-threatening disease or condition when preliminary clinical evidence indicates that the drug may demonstrate substantial improvement over existing therapies on one or more clinically significant endpoints. The benefits of Breakthrough Therapy Designation include the same benefits as Fast Track Designation, plus an organizational commitment involving the FDA’s senior managers with more intensive guidance from the FDA. Breakthrough Therapy Designation does not change the standards for approval.
About Postpartum Depression
Postpartum depression (PPD) is a distinct and readily identified major depressive disorder that is the most common medical complication of childbirth, affecting a subset of women typically commencing in the third trimester of pregnancy or within four weeks after giving birth. PPD may have devastating consequences for a woman and for her family, which may include significant functional impairment, depressed mood and/or loss of interest in her newborn, and associated symptoms of depression such as loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, motor challenges, lack of concentration, loss of energy and poor self-esteem. Suicide is the leading cause of maternal death following childbirth. In the U.S., estimates of new mothers identified with PPD each year vary by state from 8 to 20 percent, with an overall average of 11.5 percent. More than half of these cases may go undiagnosed without proper screening. There are no FDA approved therapies for PPD and there is a high unmet medical need for improved pharmacological therapy in PPD.
About Brexanolone (SAGE-547)
Brexanolone (SAGE-547) is an allosteric modulator of both synaptic and extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Allosteric modulation of neurotransmitter receptor activity results in varying degrees of desired activity rather than complete activation or inhibition of the receptor. Sage’s proprietary intravenous (IV) formulation of brexanolone is being developed for the treatment of postpartum depression (PPD) and has been granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation by the FDA and PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in PPD.
About Sage Therapeutics
Sage Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing novel medicines to transform the lives of patients with life-altering central nervous system (CNS) disorders. Sage has a portfolio of novel product candidates targeting critical CNS receptor systems, GABA and NMDA. Sage’s lead program, a proprietary IV formulation of brexanolone (SAGE-547), has completed Phase 3 clinical development for postpartum depression. Sage is developing its next generation modulators, including SAGE-217 and SAGE-718, in various CNS disorders. For more information, please visit www.sagerx.com.
SOURCE: Sage Therapeutics
Post Views: 95
