Genentech today announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
BASEL SWITZERLAND | December 22, 2009 | Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
The sBLA is based on positive results from two Phase III clinical trials, known as BRAVO and CRUISE. Both trials showed, on average, study patients given either of two tested doses of Lucentis had a clinically and statistically significant improvement in vision as measured by the primary endpoint of mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at six months compared to patients receiving sham injections. The safety profile was consistent with previous Lucentis trials and no new or unexpected safety signals were seen.
"We look forward to working with the FDA to potentially provide more treatment options for patients with this devastating disease" said Hal Barron, M.D., executive vice president, Global Development and chief medical officer, Genentech.
Results from both trials were presented at the 2009 Retina Congress in New York and at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco.
About RVO
RVO occurs when blood flow through a retinal vein becomes blocked, causing swelling (macular edema) and hemorrhages in the retina, which may result in vision loss. Sudden blurring or vision loss in all or part of one eye is common with RVO. RVO can affect people across a wide range of ages, from young, working-aged adults to the elderly.
There are two main types of RVO: branch-RVO, which affects an estimated 868,000 people, and central-RVO, which affects an estimated 259,000 people in the United States1. Branch-RVO occurs when one of the branches of the main vein of the eye becomes blocked. Central-RVO occurs when the main vein of the eye, located at the optic nerve, becomes blocked.
About Lucentis
Lucentis is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor approved by the FDA for the treatment of neovascular (wet) AMD at a dose of 0.5 mg monthly by intravitreal injection. Lucentis is the only FDA-approved treatment for wet AMD proven to improve or maintain vision. In wet AMD clinical trials, Lucentis administered monthly demonstrated an improvement in vision of three lines or more on the study eye chart in up to 41 percent of patients at two years. Nearly all patients (90 percent) in those trials treated monthly with Lucentis maintained vision.
Lucentis is designed to bind to and inhibit VEGF-A, a protein that is believed to play a critical role in the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and the hyperpermeability (leakiness) of the vessels. In RVO, angiogenesis and hyperpermeability can lead to macular edema, the swelling and thickening of the macula, which is the portion of the eye responsible for fine, detailed central vision.
Lucentis is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye. Lucentis has been associated with detached retina and serious eye infection and should not be used in patients who have an infection in or around the eye. Increases in eye pressure have been seen within one hour of an injection. Although uncommon, conditions associated with eye- and non-eye-related blood clots (arterial thromboembolic events) may occur. Serious side effects included inflammation inside the eye and, rarely, effects related to the injection procedure such as cataract. The most common non-eye-related side effects were nose and throat infection, headache, and respiratory and urinary tract infections. The most common eye-related side effects were the feeling that something is in a patient’s eye, and increased tears. If a patient’s eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or has a change in vision, they should seek immediate care from their eye doctor. Please see the Lucentis Full Prescribing Information on http://www.lucentis.com.
Lucentis was designed by Genentech and is being developed by Genentech and Novartis for diseases or disorders of the eye. Genentech retains commercial rights in the United States and Novartis has exclusive commercial rights for the rest of the world.
About Genentech
Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients.
In 2008, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested almost 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 45.6 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information: www.roche.com.
References
1) Klein R., et al. The epidemiology of retinal vein occlusion: The Beaver Dam Eye Study. And Genentech data on file.
SOURCE: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Post Views: 38
Genentech today announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO)
BASEL SWITZERLAND | December 22, 2009 | Genentech, Inc., a wholly owned member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced that the company submitted a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for patients with macular edema following retinal vein occlusion (RVO).
The sBLA is based on positive results from two Phase III clinical trials, known as BRAVO and CRUISE. Both trials showed, on average, study patients given either of two tested doses of Lucentis had a clinically and statistically significant improvement in vision as measured by the primary endpoint of mean change from baseline in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at six months compared to patients receiving sham injections. The safety profile was consistent with previous Lucentis trials and no new or unexpected safety signals were seen.
"We look forward to working with the FDA to potentially provide more treatment options for patients with this devastating disease" said Hal Barron, M.D., executive vice president, Global Development and chief medical officer, Genentech.
Results from both trials were presented at the 2009 Retina Congress in New York and at the 2009 American Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in San Francisco.
About RVO
RVO occurs when blood flow through a retinal vein becomes blocked, causing swelling (macular edema) and hemorrhages in the retina, which may result in vision loss. Sudden blurring or vision loss in all or part of one eye is common with RVO. RVO can affect people across a wide range of ages, from young, working-aged adults to the elderly.
There are two main types of RVO: branch-RVO, which affects an estimated 868,000 people, and central-RVO, which affects an estimated 259,000 people in the United States1. Branch-RVO occurs when one of the branches of the main vein of the eye becomes blocked. Central-RVO occurs when the main vein of the eye, located at the optic nerve, becomes blocked.
About Lucentis
Lucentis is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor approved by the FDA for the treatment of neovascular (wet) AMD at a dose of 0.5 mg monthly by intravitreal injection. Lucentis is the only FDA-approved treatment for wet AMD proven to improve or maintain vision. In wet AMD clinical trials, Lucentis administered monthly demonstrated an improvement in vision of three lines or more on the study eye chart in up to 41 percent of patients at two years. Nearly all patients (90 percent) in those trials treated monthly with Lucentis maintained vision.
Lucentis is designed to bind to and inhibit VEGF-A, a protein that is believed to play a critical role in the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and the hyperpermeability (leakiness) of the vessels. In RVO, angiogenesis and hyperpermeability can lead to macular edema, the swelling and thickening of the macula, which is the portion of the eye responsible for fine, detailed central vision.
Lucentis is a prescription medication given by injection into the eye. Lucentis has been associated with detached retina and serious eye infection and should not be used in patients who have an infection in or around the eye. Increases in eye pressure have been seen within one hour of an injection. Although uncommon, conditions associated with eye- and non-eye-related blood clots (arterial thromboembolic events) may occur. Serious side effects included inflammation inside the eye and, rarely, effects related to the injection procedure such as cataract. The most common non-eye-related side effects were nose and throat infection, headache, and respiratory and urinary tract infections. The most common eye-related side effects were the feeling that something is in a patient’s eye, and increased tears. If a patient’s eye becomes red, sensitive to light, painful, or has a change in vision, they should seek immediate care from their eye doctor. Please see the Lucentis Full Prescribing Information on http://www.lucentis.com.
Lucentis was designed by Genentech and is being developed by Genentech and Novartis for diseases or disorders of the eye. Genentech retains commercial rights in the United States and Novartis has exclusive commercial rights for the rest of the world.
About Genentech
Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a wholly owned member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world’s largest biotech company with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, virology, inflammation, metabolism and CNS. Roche is also the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics, tissue-based cancer diagnostics and a pioneer in diabetes management. Roche’s personalised healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients.
In 2008, Roche had over 80,000 employees worldwide and invested almost 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 45.6 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche has a majority stake in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information: www.roche.com.
References
1) Klein R., et al. The epidemiology of retinal vein occlusion: The Beaver Dam Eye Study. And Genentech data on file.
SOURCE: F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd
Post Views: 38
