INVESTORS & MEDIA
News Release
Dupixent® (dupilumab) Approved by European Commission for Adolescents with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis
Only biologic approved in the
Approval is based on Phase 3 trial results showing Dupixent significantly improved disease extent and severity, skin clearance, and itch intensity, as well as sleep and health-related quality of life
"Moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can affect many aspects of an adolescent's life, including their physical and emotional well-being," said
Atopic dermatitis, the most common form of eczema, is a chronic inflammatory disease. In its moderate-to-severe form, it is characterized by rashes that can potentially cover much of the body, and can include intense, persistent itching, skin lesions and skin dryness, cracking, redness, crusting and oozing. Inadequately controlled atopic dermatitis can have a physical, emotional and psychosocial impact, causing sleep disturbance, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and feelings of isolation. Despite standard-of-care therapy, there continues to be an unmet need for many adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who often have uncontrolled, persistent symptoms.
"Adolescents with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in the EU now have an approved biologic medicine that can significantly control persistent, debilitating symptoms like itch and skin lesions, as well as improve sleep, which is particularly critical during these formative years," said
Dupixent is a fully-human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) proteins. Data from Dupixent clinical trials have shown that IL-4 and IL-13 are key drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in atopic dermatitis, as well as asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP, currently under review in the EU).
"Adolescents with inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis face a certain set of challenges that can have a lasting impact on their lives. The physical and psychological symptoms of moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis can prevent adolescents from fully participating in activities with their peers, including school, sports and hobbies, and can often place a serious burden on family members," said
The EC approval is based on clinical data from the LIBERTY AD program, including a pivotal Phase 3 trial and an open-label extension trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in adolescents with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. Key data points from the pivotal trials at 16 weeks include:
- More than five times as many Dupixent patients experienced at least 75% improvement in disease extent and severity compared to placebo: 42% of patients who received Dupixent achieved 75% or greater skin improvement compared to 8% with placebo, as measured by the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI-75), the co-primary endpoint of the trial.
- More than 10 times as many Dupixent patients had clear or almost clear skin compared to placebo: 24% of patients who received Dupixent achieved clear or almost clear skin compared to 2% with placebo, as measured by an Investigator's Global Assessment (IGA) score of 0 or 1, the co-primary endpoint of the trial.
- Dupixent patients experienced a 66% average improvement in the EASI score of skin inflammation from baseline compared to 24% for placebo.
- More than seven times as many Dupixent patients experienced significantly less itch compared to placebo: 37% of patients who received Dupixent achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in itch of at least four points on the Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) compared to 5% with placebo.
- More than three times as many Dupixent patients experienced significant improvements in health-related quality of life compared to placebo: 61% of patients who received Dupixent achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in quality of life of at least six points on the Children's Dermatology Life Quality Index (CDLQI) compared to 20% with placebo.
- More than six times as many Dupixent patients reported significant improvements in disease severity compared to placebo: 63% of patients who received Dupixent reported a clinically meaningful improvement in disease severity of at least six points on the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM), which is a composite measure that includes sleep, compared to 10% with placebo.
Data from the open-label extension trial showed that the clinical benefit of Dupixent at week 16 was sustained through week 52. The safety profile of Dupixent in adolescent trials was similar to the safety profile from trials in adults with atopic dermatitis, and consistent through 52 weeks as observed in the open-label extension trial. The most common adverse events were injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation including redness, swelling and itching, and cold sores.
There is no requirement for initial laboratory testing or ongoing laboratory monitoring for patients taking Dupixent.
About Dupixent
Dupixent comes in two doses (200 mg and 300 mg), each as a pre-filled syringe, and the dose is weight-based (<60 kilograms [kgs] or >60 kgs) in adolescents with atopic dermatitis. Dupixent is intended for injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection) and is given every other week following an initial dose (400 mg and 600 mg, respectively). Dupixent can be given in a clinic or at home by self-administration after training by a healthcare professional.
This approval in the EU expands the indication for Dupixent, which is approved for use in adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who are candidates for systemic therapy. It is also approved in the EU for adults and adolescents 12 years and older as an add-on maintenance treatment for severe asthma with type 2 inflammation characterized by raised blood eosinophils and/or raised fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), who are inadequately controlled with high dose inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) plus another medicinal product for maintenance treatment.
Outside of the EU, Dupixent is approved for use in specific patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis and certain patients with asthma in a number of other countries around the world, including the U.S. and
Dupilumab Development Program
In addition to the currently approved indications, Regeneron and
U.S. INDICATIONS
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used:
- to treat people 12 years of age and older with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 12 years of age.
- with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe asthma in people aged 12 years and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. DUPIXENT is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 12 years of age.
- with other medicines to treat chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis in adults whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis under 18 years of age.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION FOR U.S. PATIENTS
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have eye problems
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection
- are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines. Do not stop taking your corticosteroid medicines unless instructed by your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine to come back.
- are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a "live vaccine" if you are treated with DUPIXENT.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements. If you are taking asthma medicines, do not change or stop your asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions (hypersensitivity), including a severe reaction known as anaphylaxis. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following symptoms: breathing problems, fever, general ill feeling, swollen lymph nodes, swelling of the face, mouth and tongue, hives, itching, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded (low blood pressure), joint pain, or skin rash.
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision.
- Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, shortness of breath, persistent fever, chest pain, or a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs.
The most common side effects include:
- Atopic dermatitis: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, and cold sores in your mouth or on your lips.
- Asthma: injection site reactions, pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia).
- Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), toothache, gastritis, and joint pain (arthralgia).
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed. DUPIXENT is an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give DUPIXENT injections, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to inject DUPIXENT until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it is recommended that DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
About Regeneron
Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through our proprietary VelociSuite® technologies, such as VelocImmune® which produces optimized fully-human antibodies, and ambitious research initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, which is conducting one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world.
For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.
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