Antares Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRS) today announced that it has received
written recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
related to its clinical development program for QuickShot®
Testosterone (QS T). The recommendations received were in response to
various clinical, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls) and user
study submissions made by the Company through November 2014. The Company
believes that it has already factored many of the recommendations cited
in the advice letter into the protocol of the ongoing phase 3 study and
into the protocols for planned human use studies as a result of guidance
provided by FDA at the May 2014 Type C meeting. Based on a single
reported occurrence of hives in the Company’s phase 2 study, which the
FDA characterized as an apparent allergic reaction, as well as the known
safety experience with other parenteral testosterone products, the FDA
is recommending that the Company create a larger safety database,
including approximately 350 subjects exposed to QS T with 200 subjects
exposed for six months and 100 subjects exposed for a year. The Company
does not believe that the adverse event of hives reported in the phase 2
study was related to study drug. Based on the number of subjects in
previous studies and in the current phase 3 study, the Company
anticipates that it may need approximately 70 additional subjects
exposed to QS T for six months. The Company is assessing the FDA’s
comments in the advice letter and their impact on the timing of the
filing of a New Drug Application for QS T with the FDA. The timing, cost
and design of the study to obtain the additional 70 subjects and data
required will be determined based on further discussion with the FDA.
The Company continues to expect to release top-line pharmacokinetic data
from the current phase 3 study in the second quarter of 2015.
Eamonn P. Hobbs, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are
committed to working closely with the FDA on all aspects of the QS T
clinical development program and believe that we will be able to provide
a novel product for once-weekly self-administration of testosterone at
home that offers a new route of administration for treating hypogonadism
or Low T.”
As previously announced, the Company is conducting a double-blind,
multiple-dose, phase 3 study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QS T
administered subcutaneously once each week to testosterone-deficient
adult males. Patients enrolled in this study had a documented diagnosis
of hypogonadism or testosterone deficiency defined as having repeated
testosterone levels below 300 ng/dL. The study includes a screening
phase, a treatment titration and efficacy phase and an extended
treatment phase. Approximately 150 patients are enrolled in this study.
Patients meeting all eligibility criteria were assigned to receive a
starting dose of 75 mg QS T once weekly for six weeks. Blinded
adjustments to dose are made at week 7 based upon the week 6 pre-dose
blood level. The efficacy of QS T and dose adjustment to regulate
testosterone levels will be evaluated after 12 weeks of treatment. Upon
completion of this phase, patients may remain on their optimized QS T
dose and will be followed for an additional 40 weeks.
About Antares Pharma
Antares Pharma focuses on self-administered parenteral pharmaceutical
products. The Company markets OTREXUP™ (methotrexate) injection for
subcutaneous use in the treatment of adults with severe active
rheumatoid arthritis and children with active polyarticular juvenile
idiopathic arthritis. LEO Pharma markets OTREXUP™ to dermatologists for
adults with severe recalcitrant psoriasis. Antares Pharma is also
developing QuickShot® Testosterone for testosterone
replacement therapy. The Company's technology platforms include VIBEX®
disposable Medi-Jet, disposable multi-use pen injectors and reusable
needle-free injectors. Antares Pharma has a multi-product deal with Teva
that includes VIBEX® epinephrine and several other products.
Our reusable needle-free injector for use with human growth hormone
(hGH) is sold worldwide by Ferring Pharmaceuticals. In the U.S., Antares
has received FDA approval for Gelnique 3%™ (oxybutynin) gel, a treatment
for overactive bladder that is marketed by Actavis. Elestrin®
(estradiol gel) is FDA approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe
vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, and is marketed in the
U.S. by Meda.
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT UNDER THE PRIVATE SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM
ACT OF 1995
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements made with respect to
the protocols of the ongoing phase 3 clinical study of QuickShot®
Testosterone (QS T) and of planned human use studies and the
incorporation of recommendations from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration therein; the timing, cost and design, including number of
patients, of the study to provide additional data; the timing of the
Company’s ongoing phase 3 clinical trial for QS T and the release of
top-line data therefrom; the submission by the Company of a New Drug
Application for QS T and the approval thereof; and other statements
regarding matters that are not historical facts, and involve
predictions. These statements involve known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results,
performance, achievements or prospects to be materially different from
any future results, performance, achievements or prospects expressed in
or implied by such forward-looking statements. In some cases you can
identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as ''may'',
''will'', ''should'', ''would'', ''expect'', ''intend'', ''plan'',
''anticipate'', ''believe'', ''estimate'', ''predict'', ''potential'',
''seem'', ''seek'', ''future'', ''continue'', or ''appear'' or the
negative of these terms or similar expressions, although not all
forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Such
forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and
are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to
differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking
statements. Additional information concerning these and other factors
that may cause actual results to differ materially from those
anticipated in the forward-looking statements is contained in the "Risk
Factors" section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
year ended December 31, 2013, and in the Company's other periodic
reports and filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on the
forward-looking statements contained in this press release. All
forward-looking statements are based on information currently available
to the Company on the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no
obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to
reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release,
except as required by law.
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