– With this approval approximately 1,500 children with one minimal function mutation and one F508del mutation have a medicine to treat the underlying cause of their disease for the first time –
BOSTON, MA, USA I June 9, 2021 IVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved expanded use of TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) to include children with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 through 11 years who have at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or a mutation in the CFTR gene that is responsive to TRIKAFTA based on in vitro data. TRIKAFTA was previously approved by the FDA for use in people with cystic fibrosis 12 years and older with at least one copy of the F508del mutation or one copy of a mutation that is responsive in vitro. An additional dosage strength of TRIKAFTA tablets is now available (elexacaftor 50 mg/tezacaftor 25 mg/ivacaftor 75 mg and ivacaftor 75 mg) in connection with this approval.
“Today’s approval is a critical milestone in our efforts to deliver medicines that help treat the underlying cause of this devastating disease as early in life as possible,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President, Vertex. “We can now reach approximately 1,500 newly eligible children in the U.S., and we continue to pursue approval for this expanded indication in other countries.”
Vertex completed a 24-week Phase 3 open-label, multicenter study which enrolled 66 children ages 6 through 11 years old with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have either two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of TRIKAFTA. The regimen was generally well tolerated, and safety data were similar with those observed in previous studies of patients ages 12 years and older. The full data from this study were recently published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
“Clinical experience with TRIKAFTA in patients 12 and older over the past 20 months has demonstrated this medicine has a meaningful and unprecedented clinical benefit for patients. I look forward to now being able to treat younger patients with this breakthrough medicine, including those who have not presented major signals of disease progression,” said Terri Laguna M.D., M.S.C.S., Associate Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center and Division Head, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “In addition to bringing TRIKAFTA to a younger patient population, patients not previously eligible for any CFTR modulator will now be able to access a treatment that targets the underlying cause of their disease.”
TRIKAFTA® is already approved for the treatment of patients with CF ages 12 years and older with certain mutations in the U.S. Switzerland, Australia and Israel, as well as in the EU and the U.K. as KAFTRIO® (ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor) in a combination regimen with KALYDECO® (ivacaftor). Vertex has submitted applications for use of TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO in children ages 6 through 11 years to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and plans to file for this expanded use in Switzerland, Australia and Israel this year.
For more information on TRIKAFTA, patient assistance programs or to find additional eligibility details, visit TRIKAFTA.com, VertexGPS.com or vertextreatments.com.
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting more than 80,000 people globally. CF is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, GI tract, sinuses, sweat glands, pancreas and reproductive tract. CF is caused by a defective and/or missing CFTR protein resulting from certain mutations in the CFTR gene. Children must inherit two defective CFTR genes — one from each parent — to have CF. While there are many different types of CFTR mutations that can cause the disease, the vast majority of all people with CF have at least one F508del mutation. These mutations, which can be determined by a genetic test, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working and/or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The defective function and/or absence of CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cells in a number of organs. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage in many patients that eventually leads to death. The median age of death is in the early 30s.
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) TABLETS
What is TRIKAFTA?
TRIKAFTA is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients aged 6 years and older who have at least one copy of the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or another mutation that is responsive to treatment with TRIKAFTA. Patients should talk to their doctor to learn if they have an indicated CF gene mutation. It is not known if TRIKAFTA is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of cell and genetic therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex’s global headquarters is now located in Boston’s Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry’s top places to work, including 11 consecutive years on Science magazine’s Top Employers list and a best place to work for LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex’s history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
SOURCE: Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 59
– With this approval approximately 1,500 children with one minimal function mutation and one F508del mutation have a medicine to treat the underlying cause of their disease for the first time –
BOSTON, MA, USA I June 9, 2021 IVertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved expanded use of TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) to include children with cystic fibrosis (CF) ages 6 through 11 years who have at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or a mutation in the CFTR gene that is responsive to TRIKAFTA based on in vitro data. TRIKAFTA was previously approved by the FDA for use in people with cystic fibrosis 12 years and older with at least one copy of the F508del mutation or one copy of a mutation that is responsive in vitro. An additional dosage strength of TRIKAFTA tablets is now available (elexacaftor 50 mg/tezacaftor 25 mg/ivacaftor 75 mg and ivacaftor 75 mg) in connection with this approval.
“Today’s approval is a critical milestone in our efforts to deliver medicines that help treat the underlying cause of this devastating disease as early in life as possible,” said Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and President, Vertex. “We can now reach approximately 1,500 newly eligible children in the U.S., and we continue to pursue approval for this expanded indication in other countries.”
Vertex completed a 24-week Phase 3 open-label, multicenter study which enrolled 66 children ages 6 through 11 years old with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have either two copies of the F508del mutation or one copy of the F508del mutation and one minimal function mutation to evaluate the safety, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of TRIKAFTA. The regimen was generally well tolerated, and safety data were similar with those observed in previous studies of patients ages 12 years and older. The full data from this study were recently published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
“Clinical experience with TRIKAFTA in patients 12 and older over the past 20 months has demonstrated this medicine has a meaningful and unprecedented clinical benefit for patients. I look forward to now being able to treat younger patients with this breakthrough medicine, including those who have not presented major signals of disease progression,” said Terri Laguna M.D., M.S.C.S., Associate Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Center and Division Head, Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. “In addition to bringing TRIKAFTA to a younger patient population, patients not previously eligible for any CFTR modulator will now be able to access a treatment that targets the underlying cause of their disease.”
TRIKAFTA® is already approved for the treatment of patients with CF ages 12 years and older with certain mutations in the U.S. Switzerland, Australia and Israel, as well as in the EU and the U.K. as KAFTRIO® (ivacaftor/tezacaftor/elexacaftor) in a combination regimen with KALYDECO® (ivacaftor). Vertex has submitted applications for use of TRIKAFTA/KAFTRIO in children ages 6 through 11 years to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and plans to file for this expanded use in Switzerland, Australia and Israel this year.
For more information on TRIKAFTA, patient assistance programs or to find additional eligibility details, visit TRIKAFTA.com, VertexGPS.com or vertextreatments.com.
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a rare, life-shortening genetic disease affecting more than 80,000 people globally. CF is a progressive, multi-system disease that affects the lungs, liver, GI tract, sinuses, sweat glands, pancreas and reproductive tract. CF is caused by a defective and/or missing CFTR protein resulting from certain mutations in the CFTR gene. Children must inherit two defective CFTR genes — one from each parent — to have CF. While there are many different types of CFTR mutations that can cause the disease, the vast majority of all people with CF have at least one F508del mutation. These mutations, which can be determined by a genetic test, or genotyping test, lead to CF by creating non-working and/or too few CFTR proteins at the cell surface. The defective function and/or absence of CFTR protein results in poor flow of salt and water into and out of the cells in a number of organs. In the lungs, this leads to the buildup of abnormally thick, sticky mucus that can cause chronic lung infections and progressive lung damage in many patients that eventually leads to death. The median age of death is in the early 30s.
INDICATION AND IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR TRIKAFTA® (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor and ivacaftor) TABLETS
What is TRIKAFTA?
TRIKAFTA is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF) in patients aged 6 years and older who have at least one copy of the F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or another mutation that is responsive to treatment with TRIKAFTA. Patients should talk to their doctor to learn if they have an indicated CF gene mutation. It is not known if TRIKAFTA is safe and effective in children under 6 years of age.
About Vertex
Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule medicines in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including pain, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and APOL1-mediated kidney diseases. In addition, Vertex has a rapidly expanding pipeline of cell and genetic therapies for diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex’s global headquarters is now located in Boston’s Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry’s top places to work, including 11 consecutive years on Science magazine’s Top Employers list and a best place to work for LGBTQ equality by the Human Rights Campaign. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex’s history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram.
SOURCE: Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Post Views: 59
