Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion for the marketing authorization of Prolia® (denosumab) for the treatment of bone loss associated with long-term systemic glucocorticoid therapy in adult patients at increased risk of fracture.
“Today’s positive opinion by the CHMP is an important step for Prolia in helping patients suffering from bone loss associated with systemic glucocorticoid therapy,” said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. “Chronic use of oral glucocorticoids has been associated with an increase in spine and hip fractures,1 and, if approved, an expanded use of Prolia will provide patients and physicians across much of Europe with a new treatment option for this serious condition.”
Glucocorticoid medications, which are used to treat many inflammatory conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, can cause significant side effects, including bone loss.2,3
The CHMP recommendation is supported by a Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, active-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of Prolia compared with risedronate in patients receiving glucocorticoid treatment.4 The study included two patient groups: those on sustained glucocorticoid therapy and those newly initiating glucocorticoid therapy. The study met the primary endpoint (percent change from baseline in lumbar spine bone mass density [BMD] at 12 months, assessing non-inferiority) and all secondary endpoints (the percent changes from baseline in lumbar spine and total hip BMD at 12 and 24 months, assessing superiority). Study results showed that, in patients on sustained glucocorticoid therapy, Prolia treatment led to greater gains in BMD, compared with risedronate, both at the lumbar spine (4.4 percent versus 2.3 percent, respectively) and total hip (2.1 percent versus 0.6 percent, respectively). Similarly, in patients newly initiating glucocorticoid therapy, Prolia treatment led to greater increases in BMD, compared with risedronate, both at the lumbar spine (3.8 percent versus 0.8 percent, respectively) and total hip (1.7 percent versus 0.2 percent, respectively).
Adverse events and serious adverse events were similar between treatment groups and consistent with the known safety profile of Prolia. No serious adverse events were reported with a subject incidence of two percent or greater in either treatment group.
The CHMP positive opinion will now be reviewed by the European Commission (EC), which has the authority to approve medicines for the European Union (EU). Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as members of the European Economic Area (EEA), will take corresponding decisions based on the decision of the EC.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently reviewing a supplemental Biologics License Application for this expanded indication and has set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of May 28, 2018.
About Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteoporosis (GIOP)
GIOP is the most common form of secondary osteoporosis.3 However, the proportion of patients that qualify for GIOP diagnosis and intervention is very small and depends on the level of exposure to glucocorticoid medications.5,6 In addition, a significant proportion of the patients treated long-term with glucocorticoid medications are already diagnosed with postmenopausal osteoporosis or treated with osteoporosis medications. Importantly, at similar levels of BMD, postmenopausal women taking glucocorticoids have considerably higher risk of fracture compared with nonusers of glucocorticoids.7 The most frequent chronic inflammatory diseases associated with long-term glucocorticoid use are chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), asthma, and rheumatoid arthritis.1 More than 10 percent of patients who receive long-term glucocorticoid treatment are diagnosed with a clinical fracture, and 30 to 40 percent have radiographic evidence of vertebral fractures.8,1
About Prolia® (denosumab)
Prolia is the first approved therapy that specifically targets RANK Ligand, an essential regulator of bone-removing cells (osteoclasts). Prolia is approved and marketed in over 80 countries worldwide.
Prolia is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy. In the U.S., Prolia is also approved for treatment to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy. Prolia is also indicated as a treatment to increase bone mass in women at high risk for fracture receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer and in men at high risk for fracture receiving androgen deprivation therapy for non-metastatic prostate cancer in the U.S.
