Avanir Pharmaceuticals Announces Positive Outcome of Phase IIIb COMPASS Trial: A Head-to-Head Study Comparing AVP-825 to Oral Sumatriptan for the Acute Treatment of Migraine

ALISO VIEJO, Calif., June 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVNR) today announced that COMPASS, its Phase IIIb clinical trial comparing the efficacy and safety of the investigational product AVP-825 22mg to sumatriptan 100mg tablets for the treatment of acute migraines in adults, met the primary efficacy endpoint. AVP-825 is an investigational drug-device combination product consisting of low-dose sumatriptan powder delivered intranasally utilizing a novel Breath Powered™ delivery technology. In March 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted the New Drug Application (NDA) of AVP-825 and the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) V goal date is November 26, 2014.

The COMPASS study met the primary endpoint for the sum of pain intensity difference at 30 minutes post dose (SPID30), showing that migraine sufferers achieved greater pain relief within 30 minutes of treatment with 22 mg of the investigational product AVP-825 compared with 100 mg sumatriptan tablet (p<0.0001). In addition, AVP-825 treated migraine sufferers achieved pain freedom in a greater proportion of migraine attacks at 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 minutes post dose compared with those treated with sumatriptan tablet (p<0.05). In these topline data, several additional secondary endpoints relating to pain relief were also met.

The overall safety profile of AVP-825, an investigational product, was consistent with that observed in previous trials, with less than 2% of subjects experiencing an adverse event leading to treatment discontinuation. There were no serious adverse events in the study. Nasal discomfort and abnormal product taste were more common with AVP-825 administration; these adverse events were deemed mild in nearly 90% of cases.  

Avanir plans to review the detailed data from the COMPASS study and present the full results at an upcoming medical meeting.

"There are millions of Americans suffering from migraine who are dissatisfied with their current treatment options," said Roger K. Cady, MD, Director of the Headache Care Center and Associate Executive Chairman of the National Headache Foundation. "By combining an innovative, targeted intranasal delivery system with sumatriptan, the most widely prescribed migraine medication, AVP-825 has the potential to provide migraine sufferers with an option that will address their needs for a fast-acting treatment that is well tolerated."

"AVP-825 was designed to deliver sumatriptan powder deep into the nasal cavity where is can be readily and efficiently absorbed," said Joao Siffert, MD, chief medical officer of Avanir. "These data show that AVP-825, an investigational product, can efficiently deliver sumatriptan and confers faster migraine headache relief at a lower dose than the most commonly utilized sumatriptan tablets."

About the COMPASS Study

The Compass study is a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, double-dummy crossover study in which migraine sufferers were treated with either 22 mg of the investigational drug-device combination product AVP-825 and placebo tablet or Breath Powered device-delivered placebo and 100 mg sumatriptan tablets. Study participants were instructed to treat up 5 migraine attacks in each 12-week treatment period. Migraine headache and presence of migraine associated symptoms of phonophobia (sensitivity to sound), photophobia (sensitivity to light) and nausea/vomiting were assessed immediately before dosing and at 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 120 minutes and at 24 and 48 hours after administration. 275 participants and 1531 migraines were assessed during the study.

About AVP-825
AVP-825 is an investigational drug-device combination product consisting of low-dose sumatriptan powder (22mg) delivered intranasally utilizing a novel Breath Powered delivery technology. If approved, AVP-825 would be the first and only fast-acting, dry-powder intranasal form of sumatriptan for the treatment of migraine. AVP-825 is an investigational drug-device combination product not approved by the FDA. In the phase III (TARGET) clinical trial the most common AEs (incidence >5%) reported for AVP-825 were product taste (22%), nasal discomfort (13%), and rhinitis (6%); local AEs were almost exclusively mild to moderate in severity and transient. Sumatriptan is contraindicated for certain patients, including those with a history of coronary artery disease (CAD) or coronary vasospasm.

The Breath Powered delivery technology is activated by user's breath to propel medications deep into the nasal cavity where absorption is more efficient and consistent than through most other routes. A user exhales into the device, automatically closing the soft palate and sealing off the nasal cavity completely. Through a sealing nosepiece placed into the nostril, the exhaled breath carries medication from the device directly into one side of the nose. Narrow nasal passages are gently expanded and medication is dispersed deep into the nasal cavity reaching areas where it can be rapidly absorbed. As the medication is delivered, the air flows around to the opposite side of the nasal cavity and exits through the other nostril. Closure of the soft palate helps prevent swallowing or inhalation of sumatriptan powder into the lungs.

About Migraine

Migraine represents an area of significant unmet medical need. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 37 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. The triptan class of medications is generally considered the standard of care with over 13 million prescriptions written annually. Sumatriptan is the class leader with a market share of over 50% making it the most commonly prescribed migraine drug in the U.S. 100 mg tablets are the most commonly prescribed form of sumatriptan.  An online survey of over 2,500 frequent migraine sufferers revealed that 66% were dissatisfied with their treatments. As a result, many migraine sufferers are seeking new fast-acting, well tolerated treatment options.

About Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative medicines to patients with central nervous system disorders of high unmet medical need. As part of our commitment, we have extensively invested in our pipeline and are dedicated to advancing medicines that can substantially improve the lives of patients and their loved ones. For more information about Avanir, please visit www.avanir.com.

Avanir® is a registered trademark owned by Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. licensed exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of AVP-825, a novel Breath Powered intranasal system containing a low-dose sumatriptan powder from OptiNose AS.

©2014 Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Forward Looking Statements

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements regarding Avanir's plans, potential opportunities, financial or other expectations, projections, goals objectives, milestones, strategies, market growth, timelines, legal matters, product pipeline, clinical studies, product development and the potential benefits of its commercialized products and products under development are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to the potential effectiveness and/or safety of AVP-825, the timing for an FDA approval and the prospects for commercial success and adoption, if approved by the FDA. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including the risks and uncertainties associated with Avanir's operating performance and financial position, the market demand for and acceptance of Avanir's products domestically and internationally, research, development and commercialization of new products domestically and internationally, obtaining additional indications, obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals domestically and internationally, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements are based on current information that may change and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the issuance of this press release.

Avanir Investor & Media Contact
Ian Clements, PhD
[email protected]
+1 (949) 389-6700

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SOURCE Avanir Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

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