NICE Recommends Reimbursement for Translarna™

- Only approved treatment for the underlying cause of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy -

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Jan. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- PTC Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: PTCT) today announced that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has issued a Final Evaluation Document recommending Translarna™ (ataluren) for reimbursement and use across the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales. Translarna is the only approved treatment for patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 2 years and older who can walk.

Duchenne is a severe progressive disease that leads to rapidly worsening muscle function with children often using a wheelchair by early adolescence and eventually requiring artificial ventilation to breathe.^1,2 The NICE recommendation was based on data from clinical trials and real-world evidence demonstrating Translarna’s potential to slow disease progression and improve patient outcomes.^1-3

“The positive NICE Evaluation and agreement with the NHS provide critical access to Translarna for newly diagnosed and existing patients with nonsense mutation Duchenne in England and Wales,” said Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, PTC Therapeutics. “This recommendation marks an important milestone for the Duchenne community and reinforces PTC’s longstanding commitment to pursue access for patients who can benefit from this treatment.”

Translarna (ataluren), discovered and developed by PTC Therapeutics, is a protein restoration therapy designed to enable the formation of a functioning protein in patients with genetic disorders caused by a nonsense mutation. A nonsense mutation is an alteration in the genetic code that prematurely halts the synthesis of an essential protein. The resulting disorder is determined by which protein cannot be expressed in its entirety and is no longer functional, such as dystrophin in Duchenne. Translarna, the tradename of ataluren, is licensed in multiple countries including Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the European Economic Area for the treatment of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy in ambulatory patients aged 2 years and older. Ataluren is an investigational new drug in the United States.

Primarily affecting males, Duchenne is a rare and fatal genetic disorder that results in progressive muscle weakness from early childhood and leads to premature death in the mid-20’s due to heart and respiratory failure. It is a progressive muscle disorder caused by the lack of functional dystrophin protein. Dystrophin is critical to the structural stability of all muscles, including skeletal, diaphragm, and heart muscles. Patients with Duchenne can lose the ability to walk (loss of ambulation) as early as 10 years old, followed by loss of the use of their arms. Duchenne patients subsequently experience life-threatening lung complications, requiring the need for ventilation support, and heart complications in their late teens and 20s.

PTC is a science-driven, global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated medicines that provide benefits to patients with rare disorders. PTC’s ability to innovate to identify new therapies and to globally commercialize products is the foundation that drives investment in a robust and diversified pipeline of transformative medicines. PTC’s mission is to provide access to best-in-class treatments for patients who have little to no treatment options. PTC’s strategy is to leverage its strong scientific and clinical expertise and global commercial infrastructure to bring therapies to patients. PTC believes this allows it to maximize value for all its stakeholders. To learn more about PTC, please visit us at www.ptcbio.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter at @PTCBio.

For More Information:
Investors:
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Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this release, other than statements of historic fact, are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding: the future expectations, plans and prospects for PTC, including with respect to the expected timing of clinical trials and studies, availability of data, regulatory submissions and responses and other matters; PTC’s expectations with respect to the licensing, regulatory submissions and commercialization of its products and product candidates; PTC’s strategy, future operations, future financial position, future revenues, projected costs; and the objectives of management. Other forward-looking statements may be identified by the words, “guidance”, “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “target,” “potential,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “continue,” and similar expressions.

PTC’s actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements it makes as a result of a variety of risks and uncertainties, including those related to: the outcome of pricing, coverage and reimbursement negotiations with third party payors for PTC’s products or product candidates that PTC commercializes or may commercialize in the future; PTC’s ability to maintain its marketing authorization of Translarna for the treatment of nmDMD in Brazil, Russia, the European Economic Area (EEA) and other regions, including whether the European Medicines Agency determines in future annual renewal cycles that the benefit-risk balance of Translarna authorization supports renewal of such authorization; PTC’s ability to complete Study 041, which is a specific obligation to continued marketing authorization in the EEA; PTC’s ability to utilize results from Study 041, a randomized, 18-month, placebo-controlled clinical trial of Translarna for the treatment of nmDMD followed by an 18-month open-label extension, to support a marketing approval for Translarna for the treatment of nmDMD in the United States and a conversion to a standard marketing authorization in the EEA; significant business effects, including the effects of industry, market, economic, political or regulatory conditions; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; the eligible patient base and commercial potential of PTC’s products and product candidates; PTC’s scientific approach and general development progress; and the factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of PTC’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as any updates to these risk factors filed from time to time in PTC’s other filings with the SEC. You are urged to carefully consider all such factors.

As with any pharmaceutical under development, there are significant risks in the development, regulatory approval and commercialization of new products. There are no guarantees that any product will receive or maintain regulatory approval in any territory, or prove to be commercially successful, including Translarna.

The forward-looking statements contained herein represent PTC’s views only as of the date of this press release and PTC does not undertake or plan to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or changes in plans, prospects, assumptions, estimates or projections, or other circumstances occurring after the date of this press release except as required by law.

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SOURCE PTC Therapeutics, Inc.

Company Codes: NASDAQ-NMS:PTCT