Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd announced that the EMA Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has issued a positive opinion recommending marketing authorization for CINQAERO® (reslizumab), a humanized interleukin 5 antagonist monoclonal antibody for add-on therapy in adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma inadequately controlled despite high-dose inhaled corticosteroids plus another medicinal product for maintenance treatment.
“As a company committed to providing medicines and solutions for people around the world living with respiratory disease, Teva is very pleased to report a positive opinion by CHMP for the first intravenous anti-IL-5 biologic therapy for severe eosinophilic asthma,” said Rob Koremans, MD, President and CEO of Teva Global Specialty Medicines. “In clinical trials, reslizumab was effective in reducing asthma exacerbations, improving lung function and improving asthma-related quality of life measures. It is our hope that we can expand the availability of reslizumab globally and soon bring this important treatment option to a specific group of severe eosinophilic asthma patients in Europe who struggle to control their symptoms despite today’s standard of care.”
The CHMP opinion is based on review of a Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) containing efficacy and safety data from Teva’s global development program in asthma. The clinical trial program consisted of five placebo-controlled studies which demonstrated the efficacy and/or safety profile in a population of 1,028 adult and adolescent asthma patients treated with reslizumab 3 mg/kg that were inadequately controlled with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-based therapies. Three of these studies constituted the Phase III program in patients with asthma and elevated blood eosinophils greater than 400 cells/mcL, where reslizumab was administered for up to 52 weeks.
They demonstrated that treatment with reslizumab reduced the annual rate of asthma exacerbations in the two 52-week trials by 50 and 59 percent, respectively. In addition, reslizumab was associated with significant improvement in lung function, patient-reported asthma control and asthma-related quality of life measures. The most commonly reported adverse reaction during treatment was increased blood creatinine phosphokinase, which occurred in approximately two percent of patients. These were mostly mild, transient, asymptomatic and did not lead to treatment discontinuation. Adverse reactions of myalgia and anaphylactic reaction were uncommon and occurred in less than one percent of patients.
The CHMP positive opinion is a formal recommendation to grant marketing authorization for reslizumab. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has authority to approve medicines for use in the 28 countries of the European Union along with Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland. The final decision by the European Commission is expected in the second half of 2016.
About Teva Respiratory
Teva Respiratory develops and delivers high-quality treatment options for respiratory conditions, including asthma, COPD and allergic rhinitis. The Teva Respiratory portfolio is centered on optimizing respiratory treatment for patients and healthcare providers through the development of novel delivery systems and therapies that help address unmet needs. The company’s respiratory pipeline and clinical trial program are based on drug molecules delivered in proprietary dry powder formulations and breath-actuated device technologies, as well as a targeted biologic treatment for severe asthma. Through research and clinical development, Teva Respiratory continually works to expand, strengthen and build upon its treatment portfolio to positively impact the lives of the millions of patients living with respiratory disease.
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions used by millions of patients every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world’s largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of more than 1,000 molecules to produce a wide range of generic products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines, Teva has a world-leading position in innovative treatments for disorders of the central nervous system, including pain, as well as a strong portfolio of respiratory products. Teva integrates its generics and specialty capabilities in its global research and development division to create new ways of addressing unmet patient needs by combining drug development capabilities with devices, services and technologies. Teva’s net revenues in 2015 amounted to $19.7 billion. For more information, visit www.tevapharm.com.
