icon-    folder.gif   Conference Reports for NATAP  
 
  IAS 2015: 8th IAS Conference on
HIV Pathogenesis Treatment and Prevention
Vancouver, Canada
18-22 July 2015
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Janssen Submits Supplemental New Drug Application to U.S. FDA for All-Oral, Once-Daily OLYSIO® (Simeprevir) in Combination with Sofosbuvir
 
 
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Filing Supported by Data from the Phase 3 OPTIMIST-1 and -2 Clinical Trials Evaluating OLYSIO® Combination Therapy in Hepatitis C Patients with and without Cirrhosis
 
TITUSVILLE, N.J., July 23, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Janssen Therapeutics, Division of Janssen Products, LP (Janssen), today announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to update the label for once-daily, all-oral OLYSIO® (simeprevir). OLYSIO® is a hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS3/4A protease inhibitor, currently approved for use with sofosbuvir for adults with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) infection as a 12-week treatment for patients without cirrhosis or a 24-week treatment regimen for patients with cirrhosis. Sofosbuvir is a nucleotide analog NS5B polymerase inhibitor marketed by Gilead Sciences, Inc.
 
OLYSIO® was approved in November 2014 in combination with sofosbuvir based on the Phase 2 COSMOS clinical trial. This sNDA is based on results from the Phase 3 OPTIMIST-1 and OPTIMIST-2 trials, which evaluated 12 and eight weeks of therapy for treatment-naive and treatment-experienced genotype 1 CHC adult patients without cirrhosis, and 12 weeks of therapy for treatment-naive and treatment-experienced genotype 1 CHC adult patients with cirrhosis. "OLYSIO® has contributed significantly to the care of people living with hepatitis C. The availability of multiple treatment options is important to help offer an opportunity for cure, and we believe OLYSIO® will continue to play a meaningful role going forward," said Richard Nettles, M.D., vice president, Medical Affairs, Janssen Therapeutics. "We're pleased to submit the data from the Phase 3 OPTIMIST trials, which adds to the body of clinical information about this combination in patients with and without cirrhosis." Results from the OPTIMIST trials were presented in April 2015 at The International Liver Congress™ 2015 of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Vienna.
 
About the OPTIMIST Trials
 
OPTIMIST-1 is a Phase 3, randomized, open-label trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of the all-oral regimen of simeprevir and sofosbuvir (SMV/SOF) among treatment-naive and treatment-experienced genotype 1 CHC patients without cirrhosis. The primary study endpoint is sustained virologic response (SVR) at 12 weeks after treatment (SVR12) with 12 and eight weeks of treatment with SMV/SOF versus a historical control (patients previously treated with approved regimens containing a direct-acting antiviral, pegylated interferon and ribavirin).
 
· Ninety-seven (97) percent of patients treated with SMV/SOF for 12 weeks (n=150/155) achieved SVR12, which was superior to the SVR12 rate of 87 percent among the historical control.
 
· SVR12 rates of 100 percent were seen among patients with IL28B CC genotype (n=43/43) and those with baseline NS5A and NS3 Q80K polymorphisms (n=9/9).
 
· Patients treated with eight weeks of SMV/SOF achieved an SVR12 rate of 83 percent (n=128/155), which was not superior to the SVR12 rate of 83 percent in the historical control.
 
· High SVR12 rates were seen among patients with baseline HCV RNA < 4 million IU/mL (96 percent; n=46/48), IL28B CC genotype (93 percent; n=38/41), patients with genotype 1b CHC (92 percent; n=36/39) and patients without baseline NS5A and Q80K polymorphisms (89 percent; n=78/88).
 
· The most frequently reported adverse events in the 12- and eight-week treatment arms were headache (14 and 17 percent, respectively), fatigue (12 and 15 percent, respectively) and nausea (15 and 9 percent, respectively).
 
OPTIMIST-2 is a Phase 3, open-label, single-arm trial to investigate the efficacy and safety of SMV/SOF in treatment-naive and treatment-experienced genotype 1 CHC patients with cirrhosis. The primary endpoint is SVR12 with SMV/SOF versus a historical control.
 
· Twelve (12) weeks of treatment with SMV/SOF resulted in SVR12 rates of 84 percent (n=86/103), which was superior to the SVR12 rate of 70 percent in the historical control.
 
· Higher SVR12 rates were seen in patients with baseline NS5A polymorphisms with or without NS3 Q80K polymorphisms (100 percent; n=13/13), patients with albumin ≥4 g/dL (94 percent; n=47/50) and treatment-naïve patients (88 percent; n=44/50).
 
· The most common adverse events were fatigue (20 percent), headache (20 percent) and nausea (11 percent).
 
About Hepatitis C
 
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infectious disease of the liver that affects approximately 2.7 million people in the United States and is a leading cause of chronic liver disease. Approximately 150 million people are infected with hepatitis C worldwide and 350,000 people per year die from the disease globally. When left untreated, hepatitis C can cause significant damage to the liver, including cirrhosis. Additionally, hepatitis C may increase the risk of developing complications from cirrhosis, which may include liver failure.
 
About OLYSIO® (Simeprevir)
 
OLYSIO® (simeprevir) is an NS3/4A protease inhibitor which has been developed by Janssen Sciences Ireland UC in collaboration with Medivir AB. In November 2013, OLYSIO® was initially approved by the U.S. FDA, and in May 2014, it was granted marketing authorization by the European Commission. Subsequent marketing authorizations have followed in several other countries around the world. Indications vary by market.
 
Janssen is responsible for the global clinical development of OLYSIO® and has exclusive, worldwide marketing rights, except in the Nordic countries. Medivir AB retains marketing rights for OLYSIO® in these countries under the marketing authorization held by Janssen-Cilag International NV.
 
About the Janssen HCV Development Program
 
The goal of the Janssen HCV clinical development program is to provide physicians with multiple treatment options in order to offer patients the best possible chance of achieving a cure. Ongoing studies focus on the investigation of the NS3/4A protease inhibitor simeprevir in a number of different treatment combinations and HCV patient populations, including those who are difficult to cure. Following the acquisition of Alios BioPharma by Johnson & Johnson in November 2014 and the recent collaboration with Achillion Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Janssen HCV pipeline includes AL-335, a uridine based nucleotide analog; AL-516, a guanosine-based nucleotide analog NS5B polymerase inhibitor; odalasvir (ACH-3102), an NS5A inhibitor; ACH-3422, a nucleotide pro-drug of a uridine analog; and sovaprevir, a protease inhibitor. These compounds are being developed with the express intent of targeting critical steps of the HCV virus replication cycle with the potential of delivering new treatment options for patients.