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Astellas Receives Positive CHMP Opinion for EVRENZO™ (roxadustat) for Adult Patients with Symptomatic Anemia of Chronic Kidney DiseaseTOKYO, June 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Kenji Yasukawa, Ph.D., "Astellas") and FibroGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: FGEN, CEO: Enrique Conterno, "FibroGen") today announced the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion relating to the use of roxadustat for the treatment of adult patients with symptomatic anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD).1 CKD impacts one in 10 people globally, of whom one in five are affected by anemia.2, 3 Anemia of CKD is associated with significant impairment in quality of life and progression to adverse cardiovascular (CV) and renal outcomes.4-6 Anemia of CKD is often untreated or not treated to target.4-6 If approved by the European Commission (EC), roxadustat will be the first orally administered inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl hydroxylase (PH) available in Europe. Roxadustat increases hemoglobin (Hb) levels through a different mechanism of action compared to erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs). As a HIF-PH inhibitor, roxadustat activates the body's natural response to reduced oxygen levels in the blood. This response involves the regulation of multiple, coordinated processes that lead to the correction of anemia with a reduced need for intravenous iron. “Anemia of CKD remains an under recognized and undertreated condition. Today’s positive CHMP opinion marks a significant step in providing patients with a new and important treatment option for anemia associated with CKD, regardless of dialysis status,” said Bernhardt G. Zeiher, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Astellas. “We look forward to the review and assessment by the European Commission which, if positive, would make roxadustat the first HIF-PH inhibitor approved in Europe to treat symptomatic anemia in adult patients with CKD.” The positive CHMP opinion is based on the results from a comprehensive pivotal Phase 3 program comprising of eight multicenter and randomized studies, which involved 9,600 patients worldwide.7-12 The results of this program support roxadustat as efficacious in achieving and maintaining target Hb levels (10-12g/dL) in patients with symptomatic anemia of CKD regardless of dialysis status and irrespective of prior ESA treatment.7-11 The safety profile observed in the roxadustat development program is reflective of the CKD populations studied and comparable to ESAs.7-12 “Anemia of CKD significantly affects the daily lives of those living with the condition,” said Mark Eisner, M.D., M.P.H, Chief Medical Officer, FibroGen. “Roxadustat’s novel mechanism of action and oral administration provide physicians with the opportunity to help re-define the management of symptomatic anemia of CKD.” The positive opinion from the CHMP will now be reviewed by the EC, which has the authority to approve medicines for European Union member states, as well as Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Northern Ireland.13 The EC has 67 days from the CHMP opinion to issue a final decision. About CKD and Anemia of CKD Anemia, a serious medical condition in which patients have insufficient red blood cells and low levels of hemoglobin, is a common early complication of CKD affecting approximately 20% of CKD patients.3, 17 Anemia of CKD is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, cardiovascular complications and death, and can also cause significant fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and reduced quality of life.5, 18 Blood transfusions are used for treating severe anemia, however, they may reduce a patient’s opportunity for kidney transplant and can increase the risk of infection and/or complications such as heart failure and allergic reactions.19, 20 About Roxadustat Roxadustat is approved in Japan, China and Chile for the treatment of anemia of CKD in adult patients on dialysis (DD) and not on dialysis (NDD). In the U.S., the New Drug Application is under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Several other licensing applications for roxadustat have been submitted by Astellas and AstraZeneca to regulatory authorities across the globe and are currently in review. Astellas and FibroGen are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia of CKD in territories including Japan, Europe, Turkey, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, and South Africa. FibroGen and AstraZeneca are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia of CKD in the U.S., China, other markets in the Americas, in Australia/New Zealand, and Southeast Asia. About Astellas About FibroGen Astellas Cautionary Notes Information about pharmaceutical products (including products currently in development) that is included in this press release is not intended to constitute an advertisement or medical advice. FibroGen Forward-Looking Statements Contacts for inquiries or additional information: Astellas Pharma Inc. FibroGen, Inc. Media: References 1. European Medicines Agency. Meeting highlights from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) June 2021 Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/meeting-highlights-committee-medicinal-products-human-use-chmp 21-24-june-2021 TBC [Accessed June 2021] 2. Nephrology ISo. Chronic kidney disease. Global kidney health atlas 2019 [Accessed June 2021]. Available from: https://www.theisn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GKHAtlas_2019_WebFIle-1.pdf. 3. Dmitrieva O, de Lusignan S, Macdougall IC, Gallagher H, Tomson C, Harris K, et al. Association of anaemia in primary care patients with chronic kidney disease: cross sectional study of quality improvement in chronic kidney disease (QICKD) trial data. BMC Nephrol. 2013;14:24. 4. Wong MMY, Tu C, Li Y, Perlman RL, Pecoits-Filho R, Lopes AA, et al. Anemia and iron deficiency among chronic kidney disease Stages 3-5ND patients in the Chronic Kidney Disease Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study: often unmeasured, variably treated. Clin Kidney J. 2020;13(4):613-24. 5. Schmidt RJ, Dalton CL. Treating anemia of chronic kidney disease in the primary care setting: cardiovascular outcomes and management recommendations. Osteopath Med Prim Care. 2007;1:14. 6. Stauffer ME, Fan T. Prevalence of anemia in chronic kidney disease in the United States. PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e84943. 7. Clinicaltrials.Gov. Roxadustat in the Treatment of Anemia in End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Patients on Stable Dialysis (Pyrenees). NCT02278341. Available from: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02278341 [Accessed June 2021] 8. Shutov E, Sulowicz W, Esposito C, Tataradze A, Andric B, Reusch M, et al. Roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis: a phase 3, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study (ALPS). Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2021. 9. Coyne DW, Roger SD, Shin SK, Kim SG, Cadena AA, Moustafa MA, et al. Roxadustat for CKD-related Anemia in Non-dialysis Patients. Kidney Int Rep. 2021;6(3):624-35. 10. Provenzano R, Shutov E, Eremeeva L, Korneyeva S, Poole L, Saha G, et al. Roxadustat for anemia in patients with end-stage renal disease incident to dialysis. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2021. 11. Fishbane S, El-Shahawy MA, Pecoits-Filho R, Van BP, Houser MT, Frison L, et al. Roxadustat for Treating Anemia in Patients with CKD Not on Dialysis: Results from a Randomized Phase 3 Study. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2021;32(3):737-55. 12. Barratt J, Andric B, Tataradze A, Schömig M, Reusch M, Valluri U, et al. Roxadustat for the treatment of anaemia in chronic kidney disease patients not on dialysis: a phase 3, randomised, open-label, active-controlled study (DOLOMITES). Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2021. 13. European Medicines Agency. Authorizations of Medicines. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/about-us/what-we-do/authorisation-medicines [Accessed June 2021] 14. Ojo A. Addressing the global burden of chronic kidney disease through clinical and translational research. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2014;125:229-43; discussion 43-6. 15. Subbiah AK, Chhabra YK, Mahajan S. Cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic kidney disease: a neglected subgroup. Heart Asia. 2016;8(2):56-61. 16. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 2018. Available from: http://www.healthdata.org/sites/default/files/files/policy_report/2019/GBD_2017_Booklet.pdf. [Accessed June 2021] 17. National Kidney Foundation. Anemia and Chronic Kidney Disease. Available from: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/what_anemia_ckd. [Accessed June 2021] 18. Eriksson D, Goldsmith D, Teitsson S, Jackson J, van Nooten F. Cross-sectional survey in CKD patients across Europe describing the association between quality of life and anaemia. BMC Nephrol. 2016;17(1):97. 19. Disease NIoDaDaK. Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease. Available from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/anemia. [Accessed June 2021] 20. Sahu S, Hemlata, Verma A. Adverse events related to blood transfusion. Indian J Anaesth. 2014;58(5):543-51. |