TARRYTOWN, N.Y., Feb. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) today announced that EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection has been approved by the European Commission for the treatment of visual impairment due to Macular Edema secondary to Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). The new indication includes Macular Edema following Branch Retinal Vein Occlusion (BRVO) in addition to the previously approved indication of Macular Edema secondary to Central Retinal Vein Occlusion (CRVO). The recommended treatment approach in the European Union (EU) is to initiate the therapy with one injection per month, continuing monthly treatment until maximum visual acuity is achieved and/or there are no signs of disease activity. Treatment may then be continued with a treat and extend regimen with gradually increased treatment intervals to maintain stable visual and/or anatomic outcomes.
EU approval is based on positive data from the Phase 3 VIBRANT study in patients with visual impairment due to macular edema secondary to BRVO.
EYLEA is approved in the United States for the treatment of neovascular (wet) Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), Macular Edema following Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO), which includes both CRVO and BRVO, and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). EYLEA is also approved in the EU and other markets for use in wet AMD and DME.
Bayer Healthcare and Regeneron are collaborating on the global development of EYLEA. Regeneron maintains exclusive rights to EYLEA in the United States. Bayer Healthcare licensed the exclusive marketing rights outside of the United States, where the companies share equally the profits from sales of EYLEA, with the exception of Japan where Regeneron receives a percentage of net sales.
About Retinal Vein Occlusion
Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) is the second most common retinal vascular disease and is a significant cause of visual impairment. Of the two main types of retinal vein occlusion - CRVO and BRVO - the latter is more common. In BRVO, a blockage occurs in the blood vessels branching from the main vein draining the retina, resulting in the release of vascular endothelial growth factor and consequent retinal edema. Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO) has a significant global impact with an estimated 16.4 million people affected worldwide, including around 13.9 million with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) and 2.5 million with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO).
About EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection for Intravitreal Injection
EYLEA is a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitor formulated as an injection for the eye. EYLEA is designed to block the growth of new blood vessels and decrease the ability of fluid to pass through blood vessels (vascular permeability) in the eye by blocking VEGF-A and placental growth factor (PLGF), two growth factors involved in angiogenesis. EYLEA helps prevent VEGF-A and PLGF from interacting with their natural VEGF receptors as shown in preclinical studies.
IMPORTANT PRESCRIBING INFORMATION FOR EYLEA® (aflibercept) INJECTION IN THE UNITED STATES
EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection is a prescription medicine approved for the treatment of patients with:
Wet AMD: The recommended dose for EYLEA is 2 mg administered by injection in the eye every 2 months (8 weeks) following 3 initial monthly (4 weeks) injections. EYLEA may be dosed once per month, but additional benefit was not seen with this dosing plan.
Macular Edema following CRVO: The recommended dose for EYLEA is 2 mg administered by injection in the eye monthly (every 4 weeks).
DME: The recommended dose for EYLEA is 2 mg administered by injection in the eye every 2 months (8 weeks) following 5 initial monthly (4 weeks) injections. EYLEA may be dosed once per month, but additional benefit was not seen with this dosing plan.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR EYLEA® (aflibercept) INJECTION
EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection is a prescription medication administered by injection into the eye. You should not use EYLEA if you have an infection in or around the eye, eye pain or redness, or known allergies to any of the ingredients in EYLEA, including aflibercept. As with all medications, EYLEA can cause side effects.
Injection into the eye can result in an infection in the eye and retinal detachment. Inflammation in the eye has been reported with the use of EYLEA.
In some patients, injections with EYLEA may trigger a temporary increase in eye pressure within 1 hour of the injection. Sustained increases in eye pressure have been reported with repeated injections and your doctor may monitor this after each injection.
There is a potential risk of serious and sometimes fatal side effects related to blood clots, leading to heart attack or stroke in patients receiving EYLEA.
The most common side effects reported in patients receiving EYLEA are increased redness in the eye, eye pain, cataract, moving spots in the field of vision, increased pressure in the eye and vitreous (gel-like substance) detachment.
Serious side effects related to the injection procedure are rare but can occur including infection inside the eye, retinal detachment, cataract, increased pressure in the eye, and vitreous detachment. It is important that you contact your doctor right away if you think you might be experiencing any side effects.
EYLEA is for prescription use only. For additional safety information, please talk to your doctor and see the full Prescribing Information for EYLEA.
Please see the full U.S. Prescribing Information for EYLEA at www.EYLEA.com.
The product information is intended only for residents of the United States. The product discussed herein may have different labeling in different countries.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals
Regeneron is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company based in Tarrytown, New York that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures, and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron commercializes medicines for eye diseases, colorectal cancer, and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including hypercholesterolemia, oncology, rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com.
Regeneron Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties relating to future events and the future performance of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (“Regeneron”), and actual events or results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” variations of such words, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. These statements concern, and these risks and uncertainties include, among others, the nature, timing, and possible success and therapeutic applications of Regeneron’s products, product candidates, and research and clinical programs now underway or planned; unforeseen safety issues resulting from the administration of products and product candidates in patients, including serious complications or side effects in connection with the use of Regeneron’s product candidates in clinical trials; the likelihood and timing of possible regulatory approval and commercial launch of Regeneron’s late-stage product candidates and new indications for marketed products; ongoing regulatory obligations and oversight impacting Regeneron’s marketed products (such as EYLEA® (aflibercept) Injection), research and clinical programs, and business, including those relating to patient privacy; determinations by regulatory and administrative governmental authorities which may delay or restrict Regeneron’s ability to continue to develop or commercialize Regeneron’s products and product candidates; competing drugs and product candidates that may be superior to Regeneron’s products and product candidates; uncertainty of market acceptance and commercial success of Regeneron’s products and product candidates and the impact of studies (whether conducted by Regeneron or others and whether mandated or voluntary) on the commercial success of Regeneron’s products and product candidates; the ability of Regeneron to manufacture and manage supply chains for multiple products and product candidates; coverage and reimbursement determinations by third-party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid; unanticipated expenses; the costs of developing, producing, and selling products; the ability of Regeneron to meet any of its sales or other financial projections or guidance and changes to the assumptions underlying those projections or guidance; the potential for any license or collaboration agreement, including Regeneron’s agreements with Sanofi and Bayer HealthCare LLC, to be cancelled or terminated without any further product success; and risks associated with intellectual property of other parties and pending or future litigation relating thereto. A more complete description of these and other material risks can be found in Regeneron’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014. Any forward-looking statements are made based on management’s current beliefs and judgment, and the reader is cautioned not to rely on any forward-looking statements made by Regeneron. Regeneron does not undertake any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statement, including without limitation any financial projection or guidance, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Your Investor Relations Contact at Regeneron:
Manisha Narasimhan, Ph.D. Tel. 914.847.5126
E-Mail: manisha.narasimhan@regeneron.com
Your Media Contact at Regeneron:
Arleen Goldenberg, Tel. 914.847.3456
E-Mail: Arleen.Goldenberg@regeneron.com
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eylea-aflibercept-injection-receives-eu-approval-for-the-treatment-of-visual-impairment-due-to-macular-edema-secondary-to-retinal-vein-occlusion-300042038.html
SOURCE Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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