argenx Announces UK MHRA Approval of VYVGART for the Treatment of Generalized Myasthenia Gravis
15 Mars 2023 - 02:25PM
GlobeNewswire Inc.
VYVGART is the first neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)
blocker approved in the UK for the treatment of adults living with
generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine
receptor (AChR) antibody positive
68% of anti-AChR antibody positive gMG patients
treated with VYVGART were responders (n=44/65) on the Myasthenia
Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale compared with 30%
of patients treated with placebo (n=19/64) (p<0.0001) during the
first treatment cycle in the Phase 3 ADAPT trial
argenx is committed to collaborating with local
authorities to facilitate broad and rapid access to VYVGART for
eligible patients
MARCH 15,
2023
Amsterdam, the
Netherlands — argenx (Euronext &
Nasdaq: ARGX), a global immunology company committed to improving
the lives of people suffering from severe autoimmune diseases,
today announced that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has granted marketing authorization for
VYVGART® (efgartigimod alfa-fcab) as an add-on to standard therapy
for the treatment of adult patients with gMG who are AChR antibody
positive1.
“We are pleased to announce this latest
regulatory approval of VYVGART, another exciting advancement toward
our vision of making our innovation available to as many patients
as possible," said Tim Van Hauwermeiren, Chief Executive Officer of
argenx. “As we seek to redefine the treatment of this debilitating
disease, we look forward to close collaboration with the National
Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish
Medicines Consortium (SMC) to support broad and rapid access to
this new treatment option, connecting eligible gMG patients in the
UK to the care they need.”
The MHRA approval of VYVGART is based on results from the global
Phase 3 ADAPT trial, which were published in the July 2021 issue of
The Lancet Neurology. The ADAPT trial met its primary endpoint,
demonstrating that significantly more anti-AChR antibody positive
gMG patients were responders on the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of
Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale following treatment with efgartigimod
compared with placebo (68% vs. 30%; p<0.0001). Responders were
defined as having at least a two-point reduction on the MG-ADL
scale sustained for four or more consecutive weeks during the first
treatment cycle2.
There were also significantly more responders on
the Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) scale following treatment
with efgartigimod compared with placebo (63% vs. 14%; p<0.0001).
Responders were defined as having at least a three-point reduction
on the QMG scale sustained for four or more consecutive weeks
during the first treatment cycle.
VYVGART had a demonstrated safety profile in the
ADAPT clinical trial. The most commonly reported adverse reactions
that occurred more frequently with VYVGART than placebo were upper
respiratory tract infections (10.7% following treatment with
efgartigimod vs. 4.8% of placebo) and urinary tract infections
(9.5% vs. 4.8%).
“gMG can impact patients and caregivers in every
area of life – many are faced with the difficult choice of taking
significant time away from work, giving up hobbies or spending less
time with their loved ones. VYVGART is the first-and-only FcRn
blocking treatment to receive approval in UK, offering patients and
their families a new treatment option that is targeted to the
underlying pathogenesis of the disease and supported by strong
efficacy, safety and tolerability data,” said Prof Saiju Jacob,
Consultant Neurologist at the University Hospitals Birmingham. “The
marketing authorization of VYVGART is great news for the gMG
community in the UK, providing a newer treatment option which along
with the existing drugs will hopefully reduce the burden of this
debilitating disease.”
VYVGART was granted a Promising Innovative
Medicine (PIM) designation by the MHRA in November 2021, as well as
a positive scientific opinion under the Early Access to Medicines
Scheme in May 2022.
About Phase 3 ADAPT TrialThe
Phase 3 ADAPT trial was a 26-week randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled, multi-center, global trial evaluating the
safety and efficacy of efgartigimod in adult patients with gMG. A
total of 167 adult patients with gMG in North America, Europe and
Japan enrolled in the trial. Patients were randomized in a 1:1
ratio to receive efgartigimod or placebo, in addition to stable
doses of their current gMG treatment. ADAPT was designed to enable
an individualized treatment approach with an initial treatment
cycle followed by subsequent treatment cycles based on clinical
evaluation. The primary endpoint was the comparison of percentage
of MG-ADL responders in the first treatment cycle between
efgartigimod and placebo treatment groups in the anti-AChR antibody
positive population2.
About VYVGARTVYVGART
(efgartigimod alfa-fcab) is a human IgG1 antibody fragment that
binds to the neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn), resulting in the
reduction of circulating immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies. It
is the first and only approved FcRn blocker. VYVGART is approved in
the United States, Europe and the UK for the treatment of adults
with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine
receptor (AChR) antibody positive, and in Japan for the treatment
of adults with gMG who do not have sufficient response to steroids
or non-steroidal immunosuppressive therapies (ISTs).
About Generalized Myasthenia
GravisGeneralized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a rare and
chronic autoimmune disease where IgG autoantibodies disrupt
communication between nerves and muscles, causing debilitating and
potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. Approximately 85% of
people with MG progress to gMG within 24 months2, where muscles
throughout the body may be affected. Patients with confirmed AChR
antibodies account for approximately 85% of the total gMG
population3.
About argenxargenx is a global
immunology company committed to improving the lives of people
suffering from severe autoimmune diseases. Partnering with leading
academic researchers through its Immunology Innovation Program
(IIP), argenx aims to translate immunology breakthroughs into a
world-class portfolio of novel antibody-based medicines. argenx
developed and is commercializing the first-and-only approved
neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) blocker in the U.S., the EU, Japan and
the UK.
For further information, please contact:
Media:Erin Murphyemurphy@argenx.com
Investors:Beth
DelGiaccobdelgiacco@argenx.com
Forward-looking Statements
The contents of this announcement include statements that are,
or may be deemed to be, “forward-looking statements.” These
forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology, including the terms “believes,”
“hope,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,”
“will,” or “should” and include statements argenx makes concerning
the commercialization of VYVGART® in the UK, the access of patients
to VYVGART and the impact thereof on reducing the burden of gMG. By
their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and
uncertainties, and readers are cautioned that any such
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance. argenx’s actual results may differ materially from
those predicted by the forward-looking statements as a result of
various important factors. A further list and description of these
risks, uncertainties and other risks can be found in argenx’s U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and reports,
including in argenx’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed
with the SEC as well as subsequent filings and reports filed by
argenx with the SEC. Given these uncertainties, the reader is
advised not to place any undue reliance on such forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date of publication of this document. argenx undertakes no
obligation publicly update or revise the information in this press
release, including any forward-looking statements, except as may be
required by law.
1 VYVGART UK Summary of Product Characteristics2 Howard JF et
al. Lancet Neurol 2021;20(7):526-536.3 Behin et al. New Pathways
and Therapeutics Targets in Autoimmune Myasthenia Gravis. J
Neuromusc Dis 5. 2018. 265-277
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