DUBLIN, IRELAND--(Marketwired - June 20, 2016) -
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Theravance Biopharma |
"The number of difficult-to-treat, Gram-positive pathogens that are non-susceptible and/or resistant to various widely-prescribed antibiotics continues to grow and presents significant treatment challenges for healthcare practitioners in the U.S. and abroad," said Frank Pasqualone, Senior Vice President and Global Head, Acute Care Business at Theravance Biopharma. "As we continue to evaluate VIBATIV against a range of these infection-causing clinical isolates, we are impressed to consistently see that the drug has potent in vitro activity, regardless of the isolates' phenotype and resistance profile. Importantly, in many cases this potency is demonstrated to be several fold greater than other antibiotics routinely used for the treatment of Gram-positive infections."
Highlights from data presentations include:
- Results showed that VIBATIV possessed the greatest in vitro activity of all antibiotics evaluated against a broad, global collection of contemporary S. aureus clinical isolates causing bacteremia, including endocarditis. Overall, the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for VIBATIV were eight-fold lower than for daptomycin and 16- to 32-fold lower than for vancomycin and linezolid against the S. aureus isolates that were evaluated, including MRSA, MSSA and multi-drug resistant subsets. MICs are a measure used to express in vitro activity of an antibiotic against a pathogen.
- Data from a second study demonstrated potent in vitro activity for VIBATIV against multiple daptomycin-resistant MRSA strains causing infective endocarditis in a rigorous animal model. VIBATIV significantly reduced the levels of MRSA found in all three target tissues (heart, kidney and spleen) that were evaluated as compared to the untreated control and daptomycin-treated groups (p < 0.000001). Additionally, VIBATIV produced a high percentage of target tissues (ranging from 71 to 100 percent) that were classified as culture-negative for MRSA, while daptomycin did not sterilize any of the target tissues. Finally, there was no mortality observed in animals treated with VIBATIV, as opposed to a 29 percent mortality rate for those animals in the standard daptomycin treatment group.
- Findings from a third study demonstrated potent in vitro activity for VIBATIV against a broad, global collection of contemporary Gram-positive pathogens, including S. aureus clinical isolates such as MRSA, causing bone and joint infections. This potency was demonstrated against all S. aureus isolates evaluated, regardless of phenotype. Additionally, all clinical isolates that were shown to be daptomycin-resistant or teicoplanin-resistant remained susceptible to VIBATIV.
"The threat of antibiotic resistance and how to best address this challenge remain topics of urgent discussion within the healthcare community. This growing concern highlights the importance of the demonstrated potent in vitro activity for VIBATIV against challenging pathogens that have lost susceptibility to popular treatments such as vancomycin and daptomycin. This is especially true as the number of effective treatment options at the disposal of healthcare practitioners to combat these difficult treatment continues to dwindle," stated Jon Bruss, M.D., Vice President Clinical Development & Medical Affairs at Theravance Biopharma. "S. aureus bacteremia, infective endocarditis and bone and joint infections are just the latest examples of difficult-to-treat pathogens against which VIBATIV may have a therapeutic role."
About VIBATIV® (telavancin)
VIBATIV® was discovered internally in a research program dedicated to finding new antibiotics for serious infections due to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and other Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA and MSSA. VIBATIV is a bactericidal, once-daily, injectable lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with in vitro potency and a dual mechanism of action that both inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis and disrupts bacterial cell membrane function. The drug's proven efficacy against difficult-to-treat Gram-positive infections has been demonstrated in several large, multinational registrational studies, which involved one of the largest cohorts of patients with S. aureus infections studied to date. Additionally, there is extensive and well-documented evidence of the drug's in vitro potency and in vivo activity against a broad collection of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult-to-treat and multidrug-resistant. VIBATIV is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) caused by susceptible isolates of S. aureus when alternative treatments are not suitable. In addition, VIBATIV is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with complicated skin & skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of Gram-positive bacteria, including S. aureus, both methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant (MRSA) strains.
VIBATIV is also approved for marketing in Europe, Canada and Russia. Theravance Biopharma plans to market VIBATIV outside the U.S. through a network of partners. To date, the company has secured partners for VIBATIV in the following geographies -- Europe, Canada, Middle East, North Africa, Israel, Russia, China and India.
VIBATIV® Important Safety Information
Mortality
Patients with pre-existing moderate/severe renal impairment (CrCl ≤50 mL/min) who were treated with VIBATIV® for hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia/ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia had increased mortality observed versus vancomycin. Use of VIBATIV in patients with pre-existing moderate/severe renal impairment (CrCl ≤50 mL/min) should be considered only when the anticipated benefit to the patient outweighs the potential risk.
Nephrotoxicity
New onset or worsening renal impairment occurred in patients who received VIBATIV. Renal adverse events were more likely to occur in patients with baseline comorbidities known to predispose patients to kidney dysfunction and in patients who received concomitant medications known to affect kidney function. Monitor renal function in all patients receiving VIBATIV prior to initiation of treatment, during treatment, and at the end of therapy. If renal function decreases, the benefit of continuing VIBATIV versus discontinuing and initiating therapy with an alternative agent should be assessed.
Fetal Risk
Women of childbearing potential should have a serum pregnancy test prior to administration of VIBATIV. Avoid use of VIBATIV during pregnancy unless the potential benefit to the patient outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. Adverse developmental outcomes observed in three animal species at clinically relevant doses raise concerns about potential adverse developmental outcomes in humans. If not already pregnant, women of childbearing potential should use effective contraception during VIBATIV treatment.
Contraindication
Intravenous unfractionated heparin sodium is contraindicated with VIBATIV administration due to artificially prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test results for up to 18 hours after VIBATIV administration.
VIBATIV is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to the drug.
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Serious and potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic reactions, may occur after first or subsequent doses. VIBATIV should be used with caution in patients with known hypersensitivity to vancomycin.
Geriatric Use
Telavancin is substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of adverse reactions may be greater in patients with impaired renal function. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection in this age group.
Infusion Related Reactions
VIBATIV is a lipoglycopeptide antibacterial agent and should be administered over a period of 60 minutes to reduce the risk of infusion-related reactions. Rapid intravenous infusions of the glycopeptide class of antimicrobial agents can cause "Red-man Syndrome" like reactions including: flushing of the upper body, urticaria, pruritus, or rash.
QTc Prolongation
Caution is warranted when prescribing VIBATIV to patients taking drugs known to prolong the QT interval. In a study involving healthy volunteers, VIBATIV prolonged the QTc interval. Use of VIBATIV should be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome, known prolongation of the QTc interval, uncompensated heart failure, or severe left ventricular hypertrophy.
Most Common Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions (greater than or equal to 10% of patients treated with VIBATIV) were diarrhea, taste disturbance, nausea, vomiting, and foamy urine.
Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide in the U.S., is available at www.VIBATIV.com.
About Theravance Biopharma
Theravance Biopharma is a diversified biopharmaceutical company with the core purpose of creating medicines that make a difference in the lives of patients suffering from serious illness. Our pipeline of internally discovered product candidates includes potential best-in-class medicines to address the unmet needs of patients being treated for serious conditions primarily in the acute care setting. VIBATIV® (telavancin), our first commercial product, is a once-daily dual-mechanism antibiotic approved in the U.S., Europe and certain other countries for certain difficult-to-treat infections. Revefenacin (TD-4208) is a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) being developed as a potential once-daily, nebulized treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our neprilysin (NEP) inhibitor program is designed to develop selective NEP inhibitors for the treatment of a range of major cardiovascular and renal diseases, including acute and chronic heart failure, hypertension and chronic kidney diseases such as diabetic nephropathy. Our research efforts are focused in the areas of inflammation and immunology, with the goal of designing medicines that provide targeted drug delivery to tissues in the lung and gastrointestinal tract in order to maximize patient benefit and minimize risk. The first program to emerge from this research is designed to develop GI-targeted pan-Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors for the treatment of a range of inflammatory intestinal diseases.
In addition, we have an economic interest in future payments that may be made by Glaxo Group Limited or one of its affiliates pursuant to its agreements with Innoviva, Inc. relating to certain drug development programs, including the Closed Triple (the combination of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium, and vilanterol), currently in development for the treatment of COPD and asthma.
For more information, please visit www.theravance.com.
THERAVANCE®, the Cross/Star logo, MEDICINES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE® and VIBATIV® are registered trademarks of the Theravance Biopharma group of companies.
This press release contains certain "forward-looking" statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans, objectives and future events. Theravance Biopharma intends such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of such statements include statements relating to: the Company's strategies, plans and objectives, the Company's regulatory strategies and timing and results of clinical studies, the potential benefits and mechanisms of action of the Company's product and product candidates and the Company's expectations for product candidates through development and commercialization. These statements are based on the current estimates and assumptions of the management of Theravance Biopharma as of the date of the press release and are subject to risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results of Theravance Biopharma to be materially different from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements include, among others, risks related to: delays or difficulties in commencing or completing clinical studies, the potential that results from clinical or non-clinical studies indicate the Company's product candidates are unsafe or ineffective, the feasibility of undertaking future clinical trials for our product candidates based on FDA policies and feedback, dependence on third parties to conduct clinical studies, delays or failure to achieve and maintain regulatory approvals for product candidates, risks of collaborating with third parties to discover, develop and commercialize product and product candidates and risks associated with establishing and maintaining sales, marketing and distribution capabilities with appropriate expertise and supporting infrastructure and risks of developing an institutional customer mix for VIBATIV® (telavancin) that meet the Company's plan for the product. Other risks affecting Theravance Biopharma are described under the heading "Risk Factors" contained in Theravance Biopharma's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on May 10, 2016. In addition to the risks described above and in Theravance Biopharma's other filings with the SEC, other unknown or unpredictable factors also could affect Theravance Biopharma's results. No forward-looking statements can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from such statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Theravance Biopharma assumes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements on account of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Contact Information:
Renee Gala
Chief Financial Officer
650-808-4045
investor.relations@theravance.com
Tim Brons
Vida Strategic Partners (media)
646-319-8981
tbrons@vidasp.com
