Company advancing plans to expand the FUROSCIX franchise to include an 80mg/1ml auto-injector as an additional delivery system designed to provide greater flexibility to heart failure patients
Agency confirms no additional clinical data required to pursue label expansion of FUROSCIX into chronic kidney disease (CKD)
BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- scPharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: SCPH), a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products that have the potential to optimize the delivery of infused therapies, advance patient care, and reduce healthcare costs, today announced that the Company has received positive feedback from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on two key long-term growth initiatives.
The Company today announced FDA feedback from a Type C meeting pertaining to the development of an 80mg/1mL auto-injector intended to provide an additional option to the on-body infusor for treatment of congestion due to fluid overload in eligible adult patients who do not require hospitalization.
The Company expects that an auto-injector, if successfully developed and approved, would reduce manufacturing costs compared to the current on-body infusor and confer environmental advantages. scPharmaceuticals plans to report data from a pivotal pharmacokinetic (PK) study in first half of 2024, and, if successful, targets submitting a Supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the FDA by the end of 2024.
The Company also announced today feedback from a Type D meeting with the FDA pertaining to the potential expansion of the FUROSCIX label to include treatment of edema due to fluid overload in patients with CKD. In its feedback, the FDA confirmed that no additional clinical studies are needed to expand the indication, provided that the Company demonstrates an adequate PK and pharmacodynamic bridge to the listed drug, furosemide injection, 10 mg/mL. CKD is a progressive disease characterized by worsening renal function over time, resulting in frequent episodes of fluid overload that are treated with loop diuretics.
“We are very pleased to have reached alignment with the FDA on the advancement of these two very important long-term growth initiatives for our company,” stated John Tucker, Chief Executive Officer of scPharmaceuticals. “We believe the development of an auto-injector, designed to administer a subcutaneous injection of our proprietary, concentrated furosemide formulation, represents a new potential treatment alternative that could further increase the appeal of FUROSCIX among both treating physicians and their patients while significantly lowering our costs. We look forward to announcing pivotal PK data and submitting a sNDA next year.”
“It is estimated that 12-15 million Americans are aware that they have kidney disease and 50% of patients with CKD do not have a diagnosis of heart failure. With fluid overload being one of the most common complications in CKD, which worsens with disease progression, we believe FUROSCIX could be beneficial to patients with CKD who have worsening symptoms due to fluid overload and are not responding to oral loop diuretics. We plan to advance FUROSCIX as we work towards our goal of introducing a new treatment option to CKD patients with edema as efficiently as possible.”
In August, scPharmaceuticals announced the issuance of U.S. patents covering concentrated formulations of furosemide. The Company has completed initial solubility and stability studies on multiple formulations described in the patent properties, has identified potential product candidates, and commenced Investigational New Drug Application enabling studies. scPharmaceuticals has additional U.S. patent applications pending that cover various methods of use of such or similar formulations of furosemide for treatment of congestion in patients with heart failure and edema in patients with kidney disease. The Company is also pursuing similar patent protection outside of the United States.
FUROSCIX® (furosemide injection) 80 mg/10mL for subcutaneous use
FUROSCIX® is indicated for the treatment of congestion due to fluid overload in adult patients with New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class II and Class III chronic heart failure.
FUROSCIX is not indicated for use in emergency situations or in patients with acute pulmonary edema. The On-Body Infusor will deliver only an 80-mg dose of FUROSCIX.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
FUROSCIX is contraindicated in patients with anuria, patients with a history of hypersensitivity to furosemide or medical adhesives and in patients with hepatic cirrhosis or ascites.
Furosemide may cause fluid, electrolyte, and metabolic abnormalities, particularly in patients receiving higher doses, patients with inadequate oral electrolyte intake, and in elderly patients. Serum electrolytes, CO2, BUN, creatinine, glucose, and uric acid should be monitored frequently during furosemide therapy.
Excessive diuresis may cause dehydration and blood volume reduction with circulatory collapse and possibly vascular thrombosis and embolism, particularly in elderly patients.
In patients with hepatic cirrhosis and ascites, sudden alterations of fluid and electrolyte balance may precipitate hepatic encephalopathy and coma. Treatment in such patients is best initiated in the hospital.
Furosemide can cause dehydration and azotemia. If increasing azotemia and oliguria occur during treatment of severe progressive renal disease, furosemide should be discontinued.
Cases of tinnitus and reversible or irreversible hearing impairment and deafness have been reported with furosemide. Reports usually indicate that furosemide ototoxicity is associated with rapid injection, severe renal impairment, the use of higher than recommended doses, hypoproteinemia or concomitant therapy with aminoglycoside antibiotics, ethacrynic acid, or other ototoxic drugs.
In patients with severe symptoms of urinary retention (because of bladder emptying disorders, prostatic hyperplasia, urethral narrowing), the administration of furosemide can cause acute urinary retention related to increased production and retention of urine. These patients require careful monitoring, especially during the initial stages of treatment.
The most common adverse reactions with FUROSCIX administration in clinical trials were site and skin reactions including erythema, bruising, edema, and injection site pain.
For more details, please read the full Prescribing Information at FUROSCIX.com/prescribing-information.pdf and Instructions for Use at FUROSCIX.com/instructions-for-use.pdf.
About scPharmaceuticals
scPharmaceuticals is a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products that are designed to reduce healthcare costs and improve health outcomes. The Company develops, internally and through strategic partnerships, innovative products and solutions that aim to expand and advance the outpatient care of select acute conditions. The Company’s lead programs focus on the subcutaneous, self-administration of IV-strength treatments in heart failure and infectious disease. scPharmaceuticals is headquartered in Burlington, MA. For more information, please visit www.scPharmaceuticals.com.
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements contained in this press release that do not relate to matters of historical fact should be considered forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, statements regarding the potential benefits of a FUROSCIX auto-injector, plans and timing for the release of additional preclinical data, plans and timing for additional regulatory submissions, the potential expansion of the FUROSCIX label to include treatment of edema due to fluid overload in patients with CKD and related regulatory progress, and our intellectual property portfolio and related strategy. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on management’s current expectations of future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those set forth in or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risk of any unforeseen delays or setbacks in the commercialization of FUROSCIX, the risk of the ability of the FUROSCIX On-Body Infusor to appropriately deliver therapy, the receipt of regulatory approval for any of our product candidates or, if approved, the successful commercialization of such products, risks related to manufacturing and quality assurances processes, and the risk that global economic factors and uncertainties, including as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, will impact the Company’s operations. For a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, and other important factors, any of which could cause our actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see the sections entitled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in the Company’s subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All information in this press release is as of the date of the release, and the Company undertakes no duty to update this information unless required by law.
Katherine Miranda
scPharmaceuticals Inc., 781-301-6869
kmiranda@scpharma.com
Investors:
PJ Kelleher
LifeSci Advisors, 617-430-7579
pkelleher@lifesciadvisors.com
