First Big Test Approaches for Urovant

Investors who backed Urovant’s $140m flotation last September will soon find out whether the money was well spent. Before the end of March the company will release topline pivotal data on the overactive bladder project vibegron, a β3-adrenergic receptor agonist licensed from Merck & Co, and a positive result should allow regulatory filings to follow. It seems likely that the trial will hit: Merck successfully conducted a large phase IIb study of vibegron a few years ago, and a similar compound is already on the market in the shape of Myrbetriq, which has been sold by Astellas since 2011. This well-established product has only four years of US patent life left, so if Urovant has any chance of building vibegron into a similarly large product it needs to prove that its contender is both safer and more effective. Read more.

Source: Evaluate, March 12, 2019

Astellas Makes Another Gene Therapy Play with Juventas Deal

Astellas has made another deal in the gene therapy category, licensing a candidate for treating faecal incontinence from US biotech Juventas Therapeutics. Terms of the deal haven’t been disclosed, but Astellas says it has taken an exclusive option on the non-viral gene therapy – called JVS-100 and in early-stage clinical development – in all world markets except China. It’s paying an upfront fee and will also fund preclinical and clinical studies of the therapy. JVS-100 is Ohio-based Juventas’ lead product candidate and delivers the gene sequence for stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), a naturally occurring signalling protein that is thought to activate the body’s tissue repair pathways, using a plasmid vector. The agreement grants Astellas a licence to develop JVS-100 through phase 2a clinical studies, with an option to acquire the therapy for further development and commercialisation if all goes according to plan. Juventas has already tested the candidate in early-stage trials involving more than 180 patients in other indications, including repeat administrations, and says it has no significant side effects. Read more.

Source: PMLiVE, November 23, 2018

Urovant Starts Pursuit of Astellas’ Overactive Bladder Drug Myrbetriq with New Phase 3 Trial

A little later than expected, Roivant group company Urovant has started its confirmatory phase 3 program for overactive bladder (OAB) drug vibegron, originally licensed from Merck & Co. The pivotal trial—which was originally expected to get underway last year—will involve around 1,400 adults with symptoms of OAB such as urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency, according to Urovant. The drug already has positive phase 2b and phase 3 data in hand, so if the latest trial is positive Urovant should be able to move ahead with regulatory filings. If approved, it could become a direct competitor to Astellas’ Myrbetriq (mirabegron), the first beta3-adrenergic agonist to reach the market for OAB. And that could present a big commercial opportunity: Astellas reported sales of its drug rose 30% to 93.1 billion yen ($876 million) in the nine months to end-January 2018 with take-up driven by greater tolerability than the widely used antimuscarinic OAB drug class. Read more.

Source: Fierce Biotech, March 28, 2018

U.S. FDA Accepts for Review Astellas sNDA for Mirabegron

Astellas Pharma Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) that seeks approval for the use of mirabegron in combination with solifenacin succinate 5 mg for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency. The anticipated Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for a decision by the FDA is April 28, 2018. In the United States, mirabegron and solifenacin succinate are marketed as Myrbetriq® and VESIcare®, respectively. Each is approved by the FDA as a monotherapy for the treatment of OAB with symptoms of urge urinary continence, urgency and urinary frequency. Read more.

Source: Gurufocus.com, September 12, 2017

Astellas Submits Supplemental New Drug Application for Mirabegron

Astellas Pharma Inc. (TSE: 4503, President and CEO: Yoshihiko Hatanaka, “Astellas”) announced today the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for the use of mirabegron in combination with solifenacin succinate 5 mg for the treatment of overactive bladder (OAB) with symptoms of urge urinary incontinence, urgency and urinary frequency. In the United States, mirabegron and solifenacin succinate are marketed as Myrbetriq^® and VESIcare^®, respectively. Each is approved by the FDA as a monotherapy for the treatment of OAB with symptoms of urge urinary continence, urgency and urinary frequency. Read more.

Source: PRNewswire, June 29, 2017