ZUG, Switzerland, February 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
This Press Release is intended for Global Use
If approved, Natpar would be the first licensed recombinant parathyroid hormone in Europe for the management of chronic hypoparathyroidism, the only endocrine-deficiency disorder with no hormone treatment[1]
Shire plc (LSE: SHP, NASDAQ: SHPG) announces that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending the granting of Conditional Marketing Authorisation for Natpar (rhPTH[1-84]), a recombinant human protein with the full length 84-amino-acid sequence of endogenous parathyroid hormone (PTH), as an adjunctive treatment for adult patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism who cannot be adequately controlled with standard therapy alone.
Hypoparathyroidism, a designated orphan disease by the European Commission (EC), is a rare disease that occurs when inadequate levels of PTH are secreted by the parathyroid glands, resulting in a mineral imbalance in the body expressed by a low concentration of calcium (hypocalcemia) and high concentration of phosphate (hyperphosphatemia) in the blood.
“This endorsement by the EMA is a critical step towards addressing an unmet need for patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism,” said Philip J. Vickers, Ph.D., Head of R&D, Shire. “As a leader in rare diseases, we are committed to advancing therapeutic options for patients with hypoparathyroidism, and we believe that by offering the first recombinant PTH in hypoparathyroidism, we can help patients who are inadequately controlled on standard therapy alone to manage their condition.”
The EC will now consider the CHMP positive opinion in its final decision on whether to provide Conditional Marketing Authorisation for Natpar; a final decision from the EC is expected later in 2017.
“Hypoparathyroidism is the last endocrine disorder for which there is no hormone treatment” said Liz Glenister, Chief Executive of a hypoparathyroid patient organization. “Currently, there is a high unmet medical need in patients in the EU who may not be adequately controlled in managing their hypoparathyroidism; those patients are looking forward to this new potential option in the management of their disease.”
Supportive Data
The CHMP submission was based on outcomes from the Phase III efficacy and safety of rhPTH(1-84) in hypoparathyroidism clinical trial (REPLACE) in patients aged 18-85 years with chronic hypoparathyroidism. In the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized Phase III study 134 patients with hypoparathyroidism were randomized in a ratio of 2:1 to either placebo or 50 micrograms once daily of rhPTH(1-84) for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was a 50 percent or greater reduction from baseline in their daily dose of oral calcium and active vitamin D while maintaining a stable albumin corrected serum calcium concentration greater than or equal to baseline concentration (baseline was 2.12 mmol/L for the rhPTH(1-84) group and 2.15 mmol/L for the placebo group) and less or equal to the upper limit of normal (normal range 2.1-2.6 mmol/L) but ideally within the target range of 2.0-2.25 mmol/L. At the end of the follow-up period, 53 percent of the patients on rhPTH(1-84) achieved the primary endpoint compared with 2 percent of patients in the placebo group (p<0.0001).[2]
The overall incidences of adverse events were similar in both groups. By week 24, 93 percent of patients in the rhPTH(1-84) and 100 percent of patients in the placebo group had at least one adverse event, with hypocalcemia, muscle spasm, paraesthesias, headache, and nausea being the most common adverse events. Ten (11 percent) patients in the rhPTH(1-84) group and four (9 percent) in the placebo group had serious adverse events; only one serious adverse event (hypercalcemia requiring a brief hospital stay) in the rhPTH(1-84) group was regarded as treatment related.[2]
About Natpar
Natpar is a recombinant human parathyroid hormone (PTH), which if approved will be available as a 25, 50, 75 and 100 micrograms once-daily injection as adjunctive treatment of adult patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism who cannot be adequately controlled with standard therapy alone.
Natpar is approved in the United States under the trade name Natpara® (parathyroid hormone).
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