MILAN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Zambon S.p.A., an international pharmaceutical company strongly committed to the central nervous system (CNS) therapeutic area, and its partner Newron Pharmaceuticals S.p.A. (“Newron”), a research and development company focused on novel CNS and pain therapies, today announced the launch of Xadago® (safinamide) in Italy for the treatment of mid- to late-stage Parkinson’s disease (PD). Following the launch in Switzerland, Germany and Spain, Xadago® (safinamide) is now available in Italy as add-on therapy to a stable dose of levodopa (L-dopa) alone or in combination with other PD therapies for mid-to late-stage fluctuating patients.
Prof. Fabrizio Stocchi from IRCSS S. Raffaele, Rome, declared that “safinamide represents an important option for patients with PD already treated with L-dopa alone or with other therapeutic combinations. Its dopaminergic and non dopaminergic properties introduce a novelty within the drugs for PD treatment.” Prof. Stocchi added: “Safinamide has been demonstrated to significantly increase on time with no, or non-troublesome dyskinesias in addition to an improvement of motor functions (UPDRS III). Studies performed in patients on L-Dopa have demonstrated its efficacy in benefiting both short-term (6 months) and long-term (up to 24 months) quality of life outcomes. Safinamide has been investigated in double blind, placebo-controlled studies of up to 24 months' duration, where it showed a good safety profile with maintenance of the clinical benefits."
Maurizio Castorina, CEO of Zambon S.p.A. said: “The launch of Xadago® in Italy makes us particularly proud because it is the result of Italian research excellence and a major step forward in the treatment of this progressive disease. We are committed to developing innovative therapies for patients suffering from PD and other central nervous system diseases and we look forward to launching this new chemical entity in other European countries in the near future.”
About Xadago® (safinamide)
Safinamide is a new chemical
entity with a unique mode of action including selective and reversible
MAO-B-inhibition and blocking of voltage dependent sodium channels which
leads to modulation of abnormal glutamate release. Clinical trials have
established its efficacy in controlling motor symptoms and motor
complications in the short term, maintaining this effect over 2 years.
Results from 24 month double-blind controlled studies suggest that
safinamide shows statistically significant effects on motor fluctuations
(ON/OFF time) without increasing the risk of developing troublesome
dyskinesia. This effect may be related to its dual mechanism acting on
both the dopaminergic and the glutamatergic pathways. Safinamide is a
once-daily dose and has no diet restrictions due to its high MAO-B/MAO-A
selectivity. The New Drug Application (NDA) for Xadago® to the US
FDA was accepted for filing by the US FDA, PDUFA date is March 29, 2016.
Zambon has the rights to develop and commercialize Xadago® globally,
excluding Japan and other key territories where Meiji Seika has the
rights to develop and commercialize the compound.
References:
Two-year,
randomized, controlled study of safinamide as add-on to levodopa in mid
to late Parkinson's disease. Borgohain, Rupam; Szasz, Jozsef;
Stanzione, Paolo; Meshram, Chandrashekhar; Bhatt, Mohit H et al. (2014)
Movement
disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society vol.
29 (10) p. 1273-80.
Anand R: Safinamide is associated with
clinically important improvement in motor symptoms in fluctuating PD
patients as add-on to levodopa (SETTLE). 17th International Congress of
Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders, Sydney, Australia, June
16-20, 2013.
About Parkinson’s disease
PD is the second most common
chronic progressive neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly after
Alzheimer’s disease, affecting 1-2% of individuals aged ≥ 65 years
worldwide. The prevalence of the PD market is expected to grow in the
next years due to the increase in the global population and advancements
in healthcare that contribute to an aging population at increased risk
for PD. The diagnosis of PD is mainly based on observational criteria of
muscular rigidity, resting tremor, or postural instability in
combination with bradykinesia. As the disease progresses, symptoms
become more severe. Early-stage patients are more easily managed on
L-dopa. L-dopa remains as the most effective treatment for PD, and over
75% of the patients with PD receive L-dopa. However, long term treatment
with L-dopa leads to seriously debilitating motor fluctuations, i.e.
phases of normal functioning (ON-time) and decreased functioning
(OFF-time). Furthermore, as a result of the use of high doses of L-dopa
with increasing severity of the disease, many patients experience
involuntary movements known as L-dopa-Induced Dyskinesia (LID). As the
disease progresses, more drugs are used as an add-on to what the patient
already takes, and the focus is to treat symptoms while managing LID and
the “off-time” effects of L-dopa. Most current therapies target the
dopaminergic system that is implicated in the pathogenesis of PD, and
most current treatments act by increasing dopaminergic transmission that
leads to amelioration of motor symptoms.
References:
BMC Oertel. European Handbook of Neurological
Management, Vol1, Chapter 14 & 15, 2011.
NICE PD guideline,
2006.
About Zambon
Zambon is a leading Italian pharmaceutical and
fine-chemical multinational company that has earned a strong reputation
over the years for high quality products and services. Zambon is
well-established in 3 therapeutic areas: respiratory, pain and woman
care, and is very strongly committed to its entry into the CNS space.
Zambon S.p.A. produces high quality products thanks to the management of
the whole production chain which involves Zach (Zambon chemical), a
privileged partner for API, custom synthesis and generic products. The
Group is strongly working on the treatment of the chronic respiratory
diseases as asthma and BPCO and on the CNS therapeutic area with Xadago®
(safinamide) for the Parkinson treatment. Zambon is headquartered in
Milan and was established in 1906 in Vicenza. Zambon is present in 19
countries with subsidiaries and almost 2,700 employees with
manufacturing units in Italy, Switzerland, France, China and Brazil.
Zambon products are commercialized in 84 countries.
For details on Zambon please see: www.zambongroup.com
About Newron Pharmaceuticals
Newron (SIX: NWRN) is a
biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel therapies
for patients with diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) and pain.
The Company is headquartered in Bresso near Milan, Italy. In addition to
Xadago® for Parkinson’s disease, Newron has a strong pipeline of
promising treatments for rare disease patients at various stages of
clinical development, including sarizotan for patients with Rett
syndrome and ralfinamide for patients with specific rare pain
indications. Newron is also developing NW-3509 as the potential first
add-on therapy for the treatment of patients with positive symptoms of
schizophrenia.
For more information, please visit: www.newron.com
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