JERUSALEM--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE:TEVA) and the Huntington Study Group today announced results from the Phase III open-label, single-arm switch cohort of the ARC-HD (Alternatives for Reducing Chorea in HD) study were published in JAMA Neurology. Results from the study showed patients with chorea associated with Huntington disease (HD) were able to safely switch overnight from three times daily tetrabenazine to twice daily AUSTEDO™ (deutetrabenazine) tablets. The ARC-HD study was conducted by Teva in partnership with the Huntington Study Group.
A rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder, HD affects approximately 35,000 people in the United States. Chorea – involuntary, random and sudden, twisting and/or writhing movements – is one of the most striking physical manifestations of this disease and occurs in approximately 90% of patients. HD may also manifest as cognitive deterioration and behavioral and/or psychological problems.
“Chorea is a debilitating symptom of Huntington disease that can impact the safety, function and quality of life of many patients,” said Michael Hayden, M.D., Ph.D., President of Global R&D and Chief Scientific Officer at Teva. “We are pleased to share the ARC-HD study results to allow those physicians treating HD patients to increase their knowledge of AUSTEDO™.”
“Human-based research is critical to evolving our understanding of HD and to providing more options and meaningful treatments,” said Samuel Frank, M.D., principal investigator of the ARC-HD study and Director of the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Center of Excellence at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “It could not be done without the dedication of patients and their families who participate in clinical trials, for which we are extremely grateful.”
The ARC-HD study enrolled 37 patients who had been on a stable tetrabenazine regimen (≥8 weeks). Patients were converted from tetrabenazine to an initial AUSTEDO™ daily dose of approximately half the prior tetrabenazine daily dosage. One week after overnight conversion to AUSTEDO™, investigators could begin weekly dose adjustments, if needed, to achieve optimal chorea control. Changes from baseline in United Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS), Total Maximal Chorea Score (TMC) and Total Motor Score (TMS) were evaluated as efficacy endpoints.
For more information regarding this JAMA Neurology publication, visit http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2643174.
About AUSTEDO™
Austedo™ is an oral, small molecule inhibitor of vesicular monoamine 2 transporter, or VMAT2, that is designed to regulate the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Austedo™ is approved in the United States for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.
Important Safety Information
WARNING: DEPRESSION AND SUICIDALITY. AUSTEDOTM can increase the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts and behavior (suicidality) in patients with Huntington’s disease. Anyone considering the use of AUSTEDOTM must balance the risks of depression and suicidality with the clinical need for treatment of chorea. AUSTEDOTM is contraindicated in patients who are suicidal, and in patients with untreated or inadequately treated depression.
AUSTEDOTM is also contraindicated in: patients with hepatic impairment; patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), or within 14 days of discontinuing MAOI therapy; patients taking reserpine or within 20 days of discontinuing reserpine; and patients taking tetrabenazine (XENAZINE®). VMAT2 inhibitors, including AUSTEDOTM, may cause a worsening in mood, cognition, rigidity, and functional capacity. Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome has been observed in patients receiving tetrabenazine (a closely related VMAT2 inhibitor). AUSTEDOTM may increase the risk of akathisia, agitation, and restlessness and may cause parkinsonism in patients with Huntington’s disease. Sedation is a common dose-limiting adverse reaction of AUSTEDOTM.
Tetrabenazine causes an increase in the corrected QT (QTc) interval. A clinically relevant QT prolongation may occur in some patients treated with AUSTEDOTM who are CYP2D6 poor metabolizers or are co-administered a strong CYP2D6 inhibitor. Tetrabenazine elevates serum prolactin concentrations in humans.
Since deutetrabenazine or its metabolites bind to melanin-containing tissues, it could accumulate in these tissues over time. The most common adverse reactions (>8% of AUSTEDOTM-treated patients and greater than placebo) in a controlled clinical study were: somnolence, diarrhea, dry mouth, and fatigue. Please click here for full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning: austedo.com/pi. A copy may be requested from the US Medical Information Contact Center for Teva Specialty Medicines at 888-4-TEVA-RX (888-483-8279) and USMedInfo@tevapharm.com or Teva’s Public Relations or Investor Relations contacts.
About Huntington Disease
Huntington disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized by uncoordinated and uncontrollable movements, cognitive deterioration and behavioral and/or psychological problems. Onset of HD symptoms typically occurs in middle age, but the disease also manifests in children and the elderly. HD is the most common genetic cause of abnormal involuntary writhing movements called chorea.
About Teva
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company that delivers high-quality, patient-centric healthcare solutions used by approximately 200 million patients in 100 markets every day. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world’s largest generic medicines producer, leveraging its portfolio of more than 1,800 molecules to produce a wide range of generic products in nearly every therapeutic area. In specialty medicines, Teva has the world-leading innovative treatment for multiple sclerosis as well as late-stage development programs for other disorders of the central nervous system, including movement disorders, migraine, pain and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as a broad portfolio of respiratory products. Teva is leveraging its generics and specialty capabilities in order to seek new ways of addressing unmet patient needs by combining drug development with devices, services and technologies. Teva's net revenues in 2016 were $21.9 billion. For more information, visit www.tevapharm.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding deutetrabenazine, which are based on management’s current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to:
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