Harmony Biosciences Announces Plans To Initiate Phase 3 Clinical Trial For Treatment Of Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Harmony Biosciences (HRMY) announced that the FDA has accepted its IND application for pitolisant to treat idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). A Phase 3 clinical trial is planned for the first half of 2022, focusing on evaluating the drug's safety and efficacy in adults. This move aims to expand pitolisant's use beyond narcolepsy, potentially addressing the needs of 30,000 to 40,000 IH patients in the U.S. Harmony is responding to significant interest from the medical community and aims to provide new treatment options for this rare neurological disorder.
- FDA acceptance of IND application for pitolisant targeting idiopathic hypersomnia.
- Planned Phase 3 clinical trial in early 2022 aims to evaluate safety and efficacy.
- Opportunity to expand pitolisant's application beyond narcolepsy, addressing unmet needs for IH patients.
- None.
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Dec. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Harmony Biosciences Holdings, Inc. ("Harmony") (Nasdaq: HRMY), a pharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing innovative therapies for patients with rare neurological diseases, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted an Investigational New Drug (IND) application for pitolisant for the treatment of idiopathic hypersomnia (IH). Harmony is planning to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the safety and efficacy of pitolisant in adult patients with IH in the first half of 2022.
"We are excited to announce this latest development consistent with our goal to expand the utility of pitolisant beyond narcolepsy where we hope to have an opportunity to help even more patients living with rare neurological diseases," said John C. Jacobs, President and Chief Executive Officer of Harmony Biosciences. "Initiating a Phase 3 trial in patients with IH will accelerate our clinical pipeline for pitolisant and, if successful, would potentially give us the opportunity to pursue our next new indication for WAKIX®."
"We have received strong interest from both the sleep medicine and patient communities for Harmony to investigate pitolisant in patients with idiopathic hypersomnia and are preparing to initiate a Phase 3 clinical trial in adults with IH," said Harmony's Chief Medical Officer, Jeffrey Dayno, M.D. "Given pitolisant's unique mechanism of action working through histamine, a major wake-promoting neurotransmitter in the brain, we believe we have an opportunity to demonstrate its safety and effectiveness in IH, another central disorder of hypersomnolence like narcolepsy, with our goal being to offer a new treatment option for adult patients living with IH."
IH is a rare and chronic neurological disease that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) despite sufficient or even long sleep time. People living with IH experience significant EDS along with the symptoms of sleep inertia (prolonged difficulty waking up from sleep) and 'brain fog' (impaired cognition, attention, and alertness). Based on insurance claims data, the number of patients diagnosed with IH in the US ranges from 30,000 – 40,000.
"We support and encourage research into new treatment options and are grateful Harmony is planning to initiate this clinical trial, with the hope that it brings us one step closer to finding an important therapeutic advancement. We're also thankful Harmony chose to listen to people living with IH so early in the clinical development process," said Diane Powell, Board Chair & Chief Executive Officer at the Hypersomnia Foundation.
Pitolisant is marketed as WAKIX® in the U.S. for the treatment of EDS or cataplexy in adult patients with narcolepsy. Harmony is also evaluating pitolisant for the treatment of EDS and other symptoms in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome, and for the treatment of EDS and other non-muscular symptoms in adult patients with type 1 myotonic dystrophy.
About Idiopathic Hypersomnia
Idiopathic Hypersomnia (IH) is a rare and chronic neurological disease that is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) despite sufficient or even long sleep time. EDS in IH cannot be alleviated by naps, longer sleep or more efficient sleep. People living with IH experience significant EDS along with the symptoms of sleep inertia (prolonged difficulty waking up from sleep) and 'brain fog' (impaired cognition, attention, and alertness). The cause of IH is unknown, but it is likely due to alterations in areas of the brain that stabilize states of sleep and wakefulness. IH is one of the central disorders of hypersomnolence and, like narcolepsy, is a debilitating sleep disorder that can result in significant disruption in daily functioning.
About WAKIX® (pitolisant) Tablets
WAKIX, a first-in-class medication, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of excessive daytime sleepiness or cataplexy in adult patients with narcolepsy and has been commercially available in the U.S. since Q4 2019. It was granted orphan drug designation for the treatment of narcolepsy in 2010, and breakthrough therapy designation for the treatment of cataplexy in 2018. WAKIX is a selective histamine 3 (H3) receptor antagonist/inverse agonist. The mechanism of action of WAKIX is unclear; however, its efficacy could be mediated through its activity at H3 receptors, thereby increasing the synthesis and release of histamine, a wake promoting neurotransmitter. WAKIX was designed and developed by Bioprojet (France). Harmony has an exclusive license from Bioprojet to develop, manufacture and commercialize pitolisant in the United States.
Important Safety Information
Contraindications
WAKIX is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to pitolisant or any component of the formulation. Anaphylaxis has been reported. WAKIX is also contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment.
Warnings and Precautions
WAKIX prolongs the QT interval; avoid use of WAKIX in patients with known QT prolongation or in combination with other drugs known to prolong the QT interval. Avoid use in patients with a history of cardiac arrhythmias, as well as other circumstances that may increase the risk of the occurrence of torsade de pointes or sudden death, including symptomatic bradycardia, hypokalemia or hypomagnesemia, and the presence of congenital prolongation of the QT interval.
The risk of QT prolongation may be greater in patients with hepatic or renal impairment due to higher concentrations of pitolisant; monitor these patients for increased QTc. Dosage modification is recommended in patients with moderate hepatic impairment and moderate or severe renal impairment (see full prescribing information). WAKIX is not recommended in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
Adverse Reactions
In the placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted in patients with narcolepsy with or without cataplexy, the most common adverse reactions (≥
Drug Interactions
Concomitant administration of WAKIX with strong CYP2D6 inhibitors increases pitolisant exposure by 2.2-fold. Reduce the dose of WAKIX by half.
Concomitant use of WAKIX with strong CYP3A4 inducers decreases exposure of pitolisant by
H1 receptor antagonists that cross the blood-brain barrier may reduce the effectiveness of WAKIX. Patients should avoid centrally acting H1 receptor antagonists.
WAKIX is a borderline/weak inducer of CYP3A4. Therefore, reduced effectiveness of sensitive CYP3A4 substrates may occur when used concomitantly with WAKIX. The effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives may be reduced when used with WAKIX and effectiveness may be reduced for 21 days after discontinuation of therapy.
Use in Specific Populations
WAKIX may reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives. Patients using hormonal contraception should be advised to use an alternative non-hormonal contraceptive method during treatment with WAKIX and for at least 21 days after discontinuing treatment.
There is a pregnancy exposure registry that monitors pregnancy outcomes in women who are exposed to WAKIX during pregnancy. Patients should be encouraged to enroll in the WAKIX pregnancy registry if they become pregnant. To enroll or obtain information from the registry, patients can call 1-800-833-7460. The safety and effectiveness of WAKIX have not been established in patients less than 18 years of age.
WAKIX is extensively metabolized by the liver. WAKIX is contraindicated in patients with severe hepatic impairment. Dosage adjustment is required in patients with moderate hepatic impairment.
WAKIX is not recommended in patients with end-stage renal disease. Dosage adjustment of WAKIX is recommended in patients with moderate or severe renal impairment.
Dosage reduction is recommended in patients known to be poor CYP2D6 metabolizers; these patients have higher concentrations of WAKIX than normal CYP2D6 metabolizers.
Please see the Full Prescribing Information for WAKIX for more information.
To report suspected adverse reactions, contact Harmony Biosciences at 1-800-833-7460 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
About Harmony Biosciences
Harmony Biosciences is a commercial stage pharmaceutical company headquartered in Plymouth Meeting, PA. The Company was established by Paragon Biosciences, LLC, and is focused on providing novel treatment options for people living with rare neurological diseases who have unmet medical needs. For more information on Harmony, please visit the company's website: www.harmonybiosciences.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 statements regarding our product WAKIX. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our commercialization efforts and strategy for WAKIX; the rate and degree of market acceptance and clinical utility of WAKIX, pitolisant in additional indications, if approved, and any other product candidates we may develop or acquire, if approved; our research and development plans, including our plans to explore the therapeutic potential of pitolisant in additional indications; our ongoing and planned clinical trials; our ability to expand the scope of our license agreement with Bioprojet; the availability of favorable insurance coverage and reimbursement for WAKIX; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the timing of and our ability to obtain regulatory approvals for pitolisant for other indications as well as any other product candidates; our estimates regarding expenses, future revenue, capital requirements and needs for additional financing; our ability to identify additional products or product candidates with significant commercial potential that are consistent with our commercial objectives; our commercialization, marketing and manufacturing capabilities and strategy; significant competition in our industry; our intellectual property position; loss or retirement of key members of management; failure to successfully execute our growth strategy, including any delays in our planned future growth; our failure to maintain effective internal controls; the impact of government laws and regulations; volatility and fluctuations in the price of our common stock; and the significant costs and required management time as a result of operating as a public company; the fact that the price of Harmony's common stock may be volatile and fluctuate substantially; significant costs and required management time as a result of operating as a public company. These and other important factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 25, 2021, and our other filings with the SEC could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the forward-looking statements made in this press release. Any such forward-looking statements represent management's estimates as of the date of this press release. While we may elect to update such forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we disclaim any obligation to do so, even if subsequent events cause our views to change.
Harmony Biosciences Media Contact:
Nancy Leone
215-891-6046
nleone@harmonybiosciences.com
Harmony Biosciences Investor Contact:
Patti Bank
ICR Westwicke
415-513-1284
ir@harmonybiosciences.com
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SOURCE Harmony Biosciences
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