New data further reinforce OCREVUS (ocrelizumab) as a highly effective treatment option offering a favourable and consistent benefit:risk profile, with high treatment persistence and adherence
Initiation of Phase IIIb OCREVUS higher dose clinical trial programme and Phase IV study evaluating OCREVUS in minority populations
Initiation of Phase III clinical trial programme for fenebrutinib, an investigational medicine designed to be a highly selective and reversible Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor, which may offer novel approach to suppress disease activity and slow disease progression in MS
New Phase III data from SAkuraStar and SAkuraSky studies demonstrate reduced severity of relapses with ENSPRYNG (satralizumab), recently FDA-approved as the first and only subcutaneous treatment for adults living with anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD)
Basel, 3 September 2020 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced that new multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) data will be presented at MSVirtual2020, the 8th Joint Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) - European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) Meeting from 11-13 September 2020.
“While conditions of the nervous system are some of the most complex to understand and treat, we are committed to following the science to reduce relapses in NMOSD and slow and eventually stop disease progression in MS,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Roche's Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Product Development. “From the success of our first-in-class B-cell MS therapy OCREVUS, we are poised to continue advancing the science in MS with our new investigational BTK inhibitor fenebrutinib, and in NMOSD with the recent FDA approval of ENSPRYNG.”
New analyses from the two-year open-label Phase IIIb CASTING study will show patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) who experienced a prior suboptimal response to one or more disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) achieved a high rate of no evidence of disease activity (NEDA) after switching to OCREVUS. Other data to be presented will show high treatment persistence and strong adherence for patients treated with OCREVUS compared to other DMTs in real-world settings. Additionally, new longer-term safety data will reinforce the consistently favourable benefit:risk profile of OCREVUS.
We are exploring potential optimisation of OCREVUS, our first-in-class B-cell therapy, in a large Phase IIIb clinical trial programme to evaluate the impact of higher dose OCREVUS on reducing disability progression in relapsing MS (RMS) and primary progressive MS (PPMS). This decision was based on analyses from the pivotal RMS and PPMS studies presented at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting 2019, which showed higher OCREVUS exposure was associated with lower B-cell levels and with greater control of disability progression, without impacting safety.
Roche is also deeply committed to addressing barriers to clinical trial participation and advancing inclusive research. The study design of the recently initiated CHIMES (CHaracterisation of ocrelizumab In Minorities with multiplE Sclerosis) trial, an open-label, multi-centre Phase IV study evaluating disease activity and neurological biomarkers in African-American and Hispanic- and Latinx-American people with RMS treated with OCREVUS, will be presented.
Roche's commitment to potentially slow or stop disease progression continues with the Phase III clinical trial programme initiation of fenebrutinib, an investigational Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor in RMS and PPMS. Fenebrutinib is designed to be a highly selective small molecule and is the only reversible (non-covalent) BTK inhibitor currently in Phase III development in MS.
New data show ENSPRYNG lowered relapse severity in people with NMOSD in double-blind periods of SAkura Phase III studies. Pooled data from SAkura open-label extension (OLE) studies also showed ENSPRYNG significantly reduced risk of relapse, further reinforcing the findings from the double-blind period. Preventing relapses, the most severe of which cause cumulative, irreversible neurological damage and disability, is the primary goal for NMOSD disease management.
On 14 August, ENSPRYNG was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the first and only subcutaneous treatment for adults living with anti-aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody positive NMOSD, a rare disabling neurological disorder often mistaken for MS. ENSPRYNG can be self-administered every four weeks by a person living with NMOSD or a caregiver, after an initial loading dose and following training by a healthcare provider.
Until recently, people living with NMOSD did not have medicines specifically tested and designed to treat the condition. Many people with NMOSD remain misdiagnosed and untreated.
New data from the double-blind and OLE trials continue to build on one of the largest pivotal clinical trial programmes undertaken for this rare neurological disease, further demonstrating ENSPRYNG’s sustained efficacy and favourable safety profile in adults with NMOSD.
Follow Roche on Twitter via @Roche and keep up to date with MSVirtual2020: 8th Joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Meeting news and updates by using the hashtag #MSVIRTUAL2020.
OCREVUS is the first and only therapy approved for both RMS (including RRMS and active, or relapsing, secondary progressive MS [SPMS], in addition to clinically isolated syndrome [CIS] in the US) and PPMS. OCREVUS is a humanised monoclonal antibody designed to target CD20-positive B cells, a specific type of immune cell thought to be a key contributor to myelin (nerve cell insulation and support) and axonal (nerve cell) damage. This nerve cell damage can lead to disability in people with MS. Based on preclinical studies, OCREVUS binds to CD20 cell surface proteins expressed on certain B cells, but not on stem cells or plasma cells, suggesting that important functions of the immune system may be preserved. OCREVUS is administered by intravenous infusion every six months. The initial dose is given as two 300 mg infusions given two weeks apart. Subsequent doses are given as single 600 mg infusions.
ENSPRYNG, which was designed by Chugai, a member of the Roche Group, is a humanised monoclonal antibody that targets IL-6 receptor activity. The cytokine IL-6 is believed to be a key driver in NMOSD, triggering the inflammation cascade and leading to damage and disability. ENSPRYNG was designed using novel recycling antibody technology, which compared to conventional technology, allows for longer duration of the antibody and subcutaneous dosing every four weeks.
Positive Phase III results for ENSPRYNG, as both monotherapy and used concurrently with baseline immunosuppressant therapy, suggest that IL-6 inhibition is an effective therapeutic approach for NMOSD. The Phase III clinical development programme for ENSPRYNG includes two studies: SAkuraStar and SAkuraSky.
ENSPRYNG is approved in the US, Canada, Japan and Switzerland. Applications are under review with numerous regulators, including in the EU and China.
ENSPRYNG has been designated as an orphan drug in the US, Europe and Japan. In addition, it was granted Breakthrough Therapy Designation for the treatment of NMOSD by the FDA in December 2018.
Neuroscience is a major focus of research and development at Roche. Our goal is to pursue groundbreaking science to develop new treatments that help improve the lives of people with chronic and potentially devastating diseases.
Roche is investigating more than a dozen medicines for neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy and autism spectrum disorder. Together with our partners, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding to solve some of the most difficult challenges in neuroscience today.
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.
Roche is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.
Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Moreover, for the tenth consecutive year, Roche has been recognised as the most sustainable company in the Pharmaceuticals Industry by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).
The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2019 employed about 98,000 people worldwide. In 2019, Roche invested CHF 11.7 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 61.5 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan
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