Actavis Confirms Complete Response Letter For Nebivolol/Valsartan Fixed-Dose Combination For Hypertension

DUBLIN, Dec. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Actavis plc (NYSE: ACT) today confirmed that the Company has received a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its New Drug Application (NDA) for the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of nebivolol and valsartan for the treatment of hypertension.

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“Although we are disappointed in the receipt of a complete response letter, Actavis remains committed to bringing treatments to market that address the significant public health issue of cardiovascular disease,” said David Nicholson, Senior Vice President, Actavis Global Brands R&D. “Bystolic is a safe and effective option that is commonly used in combination with other antihypertensive medications to help patients reach blood pressure treatment goals. We will review the complete response and determine the appropriate next steps.”

About Nebivolol/ValsartanFixed-Dose Combination Study

Data submitted to the FDA in support of approval of this NDA included a single phase III randomized, controlled trial of approximately 4,100 patients. In this pivotal efficacy study, the FDC of nebivolol and valsartan met its primary and key secondary endpoints, demonstrating statistically significant reductions from baseline in diastolic and systolic blood pressure at eight weeks in patients with hypertension, versus both nebivolol alone and valsartan alone, including either monotherapy agent at its highest doses. The rate of patients experiencing at least one treatment-emergent adverse event was similar across treatment groups and placebo. In addition, a 52-week open-label safety study was conducted to describe the long-term safety profile of the nebivolol/valsartan combination. As of 2014 data, the worldwide exposure of each component drug has been ~40 million patient-years for nebivolol and ~180 million patient-years for valsartan.

About Hypertension

According to the CDC, hypertension has been called the “silent killer” because it often has no warning signs or symptoms and has been associated with serious cardiovascular (CV) risks, such as stroke and myocardial infarction. Hypertension represents a significant public health issue with high prevalence in the United States. According to the National Institute for Health Statistics, approximately 30 percent of adults in the United States have hypertension. Inadequate control of hypertension is a significant public health problem, with approximately half of all patients still not achieving target goals. Numerous antihypertensive drugs, from a variety of pharmacologic classes and with different mechanisms of action, have been shown in randomized controlled trials to reduce CV morbidity and mortality, and it can be concluded that blood pressure reduction is largely responsible for those benefits. In addition, approximately two-thirds of hypertensive patients will require more than one drug to achieve blood pressure goals, further emphasizing the importance of antihypertensive drug combinations and of studies of safety and efficacy such as this program’s.

About Actavis

Actavis plc (NYSE:ACT), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a unique specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing high quality affordable generic and innovative branded pharmaceutical products for patients around the world.

Actavis markets a broad portfolio of branded and generic pharmaceuticals and develops innovative medicines for patients suffering from diseases principally in the central nervous system, gastroenterology, women’s health, urology, cardiovascular, respiratory and anti-infective therapeutic categories. The Company is an industry leader in product research and development, with one of the broadest brand development pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry, and a leading position in the submission of generic product applications. Actavis has commercial operations in more than 60 countries and operates more than 30 manufacturing and distribution facilities around the world.

For more information, visit Actavis’ website at www.actavis.com.

Forward-Looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Actavis’ current perspective of existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Except as expressly required by law, Actavis disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from Actavis’ current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Actavis’ business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Actavis’ products; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Actavis’ periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Actavis’ Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014. Except as expressly required by law, Actavis disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS:

Investors:
Lisa DeFrancesco
(862) 261-7152

Media:
Charlie Mayr
(862) 261-8030

David Belian
(862) 261-8141

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SOURCE Actavis plc