Sanofi Dupixent gets European Commission okay to treat eosinophilic esophagitis
Dupixent is an injection administered under the skin (subcutaneous injection) at different injection sites.
Paris: Pharma major, Sanofi, has announced that the European Commission (EC) has expanded the marketing authorization for Dupixent (dupilumab) in the European Union (EU) to treat eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) in adults and adolescents 12 years and older, weighing at least 40 kg, who are inadequately controlled by, are intolerant to, or who are not candidates for conventional medicinal therapy.
EoE is a chronic, progressive inflammatory disease that damages the esophagus and prevents it from working properly. With this approval, Dupixent is the first and only targeted medicine specifically indicated to treat EoE in Europe and the U.S.
The EC decision is supported by 52-week data from a Phase 3 trial consisting of three parts (Part A, B and C). Part A and Part B investigated Dupixent 300 mg weekly (Part A n=42; Part B n=80) compared to placebo (Part A n=39; Part B n=79) for 24 weeks. Part C (n=188) observed patients who had continued on or switched to Dupixent from Parts A and B for an additional 28 weeks.
Dupixent patients in Parts A and B, respectively, experienced:
- An approximately 10 times higher rate of histological disease remission (60% and 59%), a co-primary endpoint, compared to placebo (5% and 6%).
- A 69% and 64% reduction in disease symptoms compared to 32% and 41% with placebo. Disease symptoms were measured using the Dysphagia Symptom Questionnaire (DSQ), on which Dupixent patients experienced a 21.9- and 23.8-point clinically meaningful improvement compared to a 9.6- and 13.9-point improvement for placebo, a co-primary endpoint. Swallowing improvement was observed as early as four weeks.
- A greater than seven-fold reduction in abnormal endoscopic findings from baseline (-3.2 and -4.5 points) compared to placebo (-0.3 and -0.6 points).
- Nominally significant improvements in swallowing-related pain and health-related quality of life, as well as less frequent non-swallowing symptoms.
Histological disease remission, swallowing improvement, and reduction in abnormal endoscopic findings were consistent with the overall population in patients who were uncontrolled, or not responsive to or not eligible for swallowed topical corticosteroids. Longer term efficacy in Part C was similar to results observed in Parts A and B.
The safety results of the trial were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in its approved indications.
Read also: Sanofi gets EMA panel recommendation for Dupixent to treat eosinophilic esophagitis
