DUBLIN, IRELAND—(Marketwired – Jan 26, 2016) – Theravance Biopharma, Inc. (
NASDAQ
:
TBPH
) (“Theravance Biopharma” or the “Company”) today announced the commercial launch of VIBATIV® (telavancin) in Canada. VIBATIV is a bactericidal, once–daily antibiotic with in vitro potency and a dual mechanism of action against Gram–positive bacteria, including difficult–to–treat pathogens such as methicillin–resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The drug is approved in Canada for the treatment of adult patients with hospital–acquired bacterial pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator–associated bacterial pneumonia (VAP) known or suspected to be caused by susceptible isolates of Staphylococcus aureus including methicillin–susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA. VIBATIV is also approved in Canada for the treatment of adult patients with complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by susceptible strains of Gram–positive microorganisms.
VIBATIV is being marketed and sold in Canada by PENDOPHARM, a division of Pharmascience Inc. Under terms of their development and commercialization agreement, Theravance Biopharma will supply commercial product to PENDOPHARM for sale in the Canadian market. In addition, the Company will receive potential future contingent payments and a royalty on net sales of VIBATIV in Canada from PENDOPHARM.
“As the challenge of treating MRSA–related infections continues to increase, it is essential that patients and healthcare practitioners around the world have access to potent agents with the proven ability to resolve these often difficult–to–treat pathogens. With this in mind, we are pleased that the Canadian healthcare community will now have access to one of the industry's most potent antibiotics against susceptible Gram–positive pathogens,” said Frank Pasqualone, Senior Vice President, VIBATIV Development and Operations at Theravance Biopharma. “This launch represents an important milestone in our strategic expansion of VIBATIV as a global brand, designed to bring the therapeutic benefits of the drug to the largest number of patients possible. In addition to treating individual patients, we believe that broadening the availability of VIBATIV, an antibiotic with demonstrated efficacy against difficult–to–treat and multidrug–resistant infections, may also play an important role in combatting the growing global threat of antibiotic resistance.”
VIBATIV is a bactericidal, once–daily, injectable lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with in vitro potency and a dual mechanism of action whereby telavancin both inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis and disrupts bacterial cell membrane function. The drug's proven efficacy against difficult–to–treat Gram–positive infections has been demonstrated in several large, multinational registrational studies, which involved one of the largest cohorts of patients with MRSA infections studied to date. Additionally, there is extensive and well–documented evidence of the drug's in vitro potency and in vivo activity against a broad collection of Gram–positive bacterial pathogens, including those that are considered difficult–to–treat and multidrug–resistant.
About VIBATIV® (telavancin)
VIBATIV® was discovered internally in a research program dedicated to finding new antibiotics for serious infections due to Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and other Gram–positive bacteria, including MRSA and MSSA. VIBATIV is a bactericidal, once–daily, injectable lipoglycopeptide antibiotic with in vitro potency and a dual mechanism of action whereby telavancin both inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis and disrupts bacterial cell membrane function. VIBATIV for injection is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients with hospital–acquired and ventilator–associated bacterial pneumonia (HABP/VABP) caused by susceptible isolates of S. aureus when alternative treatments are not suitable. In addition, VIBATIV is approved in the U.S. for the treatment of adult patients for complicated skin & skin structure infections (cSSSI) caused by susceptible isolates of Gram–positive bacteria, including S. aureus, both methicillin–susceptible (MSSA) and methicillin–resistant (MRSA) strains.
In addition to the U.S., VIBATIV is approved for marketing in Europe, Canada and Russia. Theravance Biopharma plans to market VIBATIV outside the U.S. through a network of partners. To date, the company has secured partners for VIBATIV in the following geographies — Europe, Canada, Middle East, North Africa, Israel, Russia, China and India.
VIBATIV® Important Safety Information (U.S.)
Mortality
Patients with pre–existing moderate/severe renal impairment (CrCl ≤50 mL/min) who were treated with VIBATIV® for hospital–acquired bacterial pneumonia/ventilator–associated bacterial pneumonia had increased mortality observed versus vancomycin. Use of VIBATIV in patients with pre–existing moderate/severe renal impairment (CrCl ≤50 mL/min) should be considered only when the anticipated benefit to the patient outweighs the potential risk.
Nephrotoxicity
New onset or worsening renal impairment occurred in patients who received VIBATIV. Renal adverse events were more likely to occur in patients with baseline comorbidities known to predispose patients to kidney dysfunction and in patients who received concomitant medications known to affect kidney function. Monitor renal function in all patients receiving VIBATIV prior to initiation of treatment, during treatment, and at the end of therapy. If renal function decreases, the benefit of continuing VIBATIV versus discontinuing and initiating therapy with an alternative agent should be assessed.
Fetal Risk
Women of childbearing potential should have a serum pregnancy test prior to administration of VIBATIV. Avoid use of VIBATIV during pregnancy unless the potential benefit to the patient outweighs the potential risk to the fetus. Adverse developmental outcomes observed in three animal species at clinically relevant doses raise concerns about potential adverse developmental outcomes in humans. If not already pregnant, women of childbearing potential should use effective contraception during VIBATIV treatment.
Contraindication
Intravenous unfractionated heparin sodium is contraindicated with VIBATIV administration due to artificially prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) test results for up to 18 hours after VIBATIV administration.
VIBATIV is contraindicated in patients with a known hypersensitivity to the drug.
Hypersensitivity Reactions
Serious and potentially fatal hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic reactions, may occur after first or subsequent doses. VIBATIV should be used with caution in patients with known hypersensitivity to vancomycin.
Geriatric Use
Telavancin is substantially excreted by the kidney, and the risk of adverse reactions may be greater in patients with impaired renal function. Because elderly patients are more likely to have decreased renal function, care should be taken in dose selection in this age group.
Infusion Related Reactions
VIBATIV is a lipoglycopeptide antibacterial agent and should be administered over a period of 60 minutes to reduce the risk of infusion–related reactions. Rapid intravenous infusions of the glycopeptide class of antimicrobial agents can cause “Red–man Syndrome” like reactions including: flushing of the upper body, urticaria, pruritus, or rash.
QTc Prolongation
Caution is warranted when prescribing VIBATIV to patients taking drugs known to prolong the QT interval. In a study involving healthy volunteers, VIBATIV prolonged the QTc interval. Use of VIBATIV should be avoided in patients with congenital long QT syndrome, known prolongation of the QTc interval, uncompensated heart failure, or severe left ventricular hypertrophy.
Most Common Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions (greater than or equal to 10% of patients treated with VIBATIV) were diarrhea, taste disturbance, nausea, vomiting, and foamy urine.
Full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide in the U.S., is available at www.VIBATIV.com.
About Theravance Biopharma
The mission of Theravance Biopharma (
NASDAQ
:
TBPH
) is to create value from a unique and diverse set of assets: an approved product; a development pipeline of late–stage assets; and a productive research platform designed for long–term growth.
Our pipeline of internally discovered product candidates includes potential best–in–class opportunities in underserved markets in the acute care setting, representing multiple opportunities for value creation. VIBATIV® (telavancin), our first commercial product, is a once–daily dual–mechanism antibiotic approved in the U.S., Europe and certain other countries for certain difficult–to–treat infections. Revefenacin (TD–4208) is an investigational long–acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) being developed as a potential once–daily, nebulized treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Axelopran (TD–1211) is an investigational potential once–daily, oral treatment for opioid–induced constipation (OIC). Our earlier–stage clinical assets represent novel approaches for potentially treating diseases of the lung and gastrointestinal tract and infectious disease. In addition, we have an economic interest in future payments that may be made by Glaxo Group Limited or one of its affiliates (“GSK”) pursuant to its agreements with Innoviva, Inc. (formerly Theravance, Inc.) relating to certain drug development programs, including the combination of fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium and vilanterol (the “Closed Triple”).
With our successful drug discovery and development track record, commercial infrastructure, experienced management team and efficient corporate structure, we believe that we are well positioned to create value for our shareholders and make a difference in the lives of patients.
For more information, please visit www.theravance.com.
THERAVANCE®, the Cross/Star logo, MEDICINES THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE® and VIBATIV® are registered trademarks of the Theravance Biopharma group of companies.
About PENDOPHARM, a Division of Pharmascience Inc.
PENDOPHARM is a division of Pharmascience Inc., a Canadian privately–owned company. Established in 1983, Pharmascience Inc. is the largest pharmaceutical company in Quebec, with a highly–skilled workforce of 1,600 people. It commercializes nearly 300 products, including branded prescription, OTC and BTC products as well as generic products in Canada and with its affiliates and distributors in Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and Oceania.
Strategically committed to growth, PENDOPHARM (www.pendopharm.com) is actively engaged in licensing, partnering, developing and marketing late–stage specialty prescription medicines as well as consumer brands.
This press release contains certain “forward–looking” statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding, among other things, statements relating to goals, plans, objectives and future events. Theravance Biopharma intends such forward–looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward–looking statements contained in Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of such statements include statements relating to: the Company's strategies, plans and objectives, the Company's regulatory strategies and timing and results of clinical studies, the potential benefits and mechanisms of action of the Company's product and product candidates and the Company's expectations for product candidates through development and commercialization. These statements are based on the current estimates and assumptions of the management of Theravance Biopharma as of the date of the press release and are subject to risks, uncertainties, changes in circumstances, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results of Theravance Biopharma to be materially different from those reflected in the forward–looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward–looking statements include, among others, risks related to: delays or difficulties in commencing or completing clinical studies, the potential that results from clinical or non–clinical studies indicate the Company's product candidates are unsafe or ineffective, the feasibility of undertaking future clinical trials for our product candidates based on FDA policies and feedback, dependence on third parties to conduct clinical studies, delays or failure to achieve and maintain regulatory approvals for product candidates, risks of collaborating with third parties to discover, develop and commercialize product and product candidates and risks associated with establishing and maintaining sales, marketing and distribution capabilities with appropriate expertise and supporting infrastructure. Other risks affecting Theravance Biopharma are described under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Theravance Biopharma's Quarterly Report on Form 10–Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 12, 2015. In addition to the risks described above and in Theravance Biopharma's other filings with the SEC, other unknown or unpredictable factors also could affect Theravance Biopharma's results. No forward–looking statements can be guaranteed and actual results may differ materially from such statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward–looking statements. Theravance Biopharma assumes no obligation to update its forward–looking statements on account of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.