European Medicines Agency Accepts Filing For EVENITY™ (Romosozumab)

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. and BRUSSELS, Jan. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) and UCB (Euronext Brussels: UCB) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for EVENITY™* (romosozumab) for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women and in men at increased risk of fracture. If approved in Europe, EVENITY will be a novel osteoporosis treatment that increases bone formation and reduces bone resorption simultaneously to increase bone mineral density (BMD) and reduce the risk of fracture.

"Amgen has a legacy of addressing the needs of patients with osteoporosis, and EVENITY has the potential to deliver fracture risk reduction to patients," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "Together with UCB, we look forward to discussing the overall benefit:risk with European regulatory authorities."

The MAA for EVENITY is based on results from three pivotal Phase 3 studies: FRAME, including 7,180 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis; ARCH, including 4,093 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture; and BRIDGE, including 245 men with osteoporosis. The agency will evaluate the clinical benefit:risk profile of EVENITY in these three pivotal studies, including the potential to increase BMD and reduce the risk of fractures in women with osteoporosis, as well as the cardiovascular safety signal seen in the ARCH study.

"We are currently seeing a large gap in the management and treatment of osteoporosis, especially in the post-fracture setting, with an estimated four out of five patients remaining undiagnosed and untreated after a fracture.¹ Without adequate management, some fragility fractures may lead to a loss of autonomy in patients' daily lives," said Dr. Pascale Richetta, head of bone and executive vice president, UCB. "At UCB, we are striving to help patients avoid potentially debilitating fractures and to help close this concerning gap."

About EVENITY™* (romosozumab)
EVENITY is an investigational bone-forming monoclonal antibody and is not approved by any regulatory authority for the treatment of osteoporosis. It is designed to work by inhibiting the activity of sclerostin, which enables EVENITY to increase bone formation and reduce bone resorption simultaneously. EVENITY is being studied for its potential to reduce the risk of fractures in an extensive global Phase 3 program. This program includes two large fracture trials comparing EVENITY to either placebo or active comparator in more than 11,000 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Amgen and UCB are co-developing EVENITY.

About the Pivotal EVENITY Clinical Trials
FRAME (FRActure study in postmenopausal woMen with ostEoporosis) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that evaluated 7,180 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. The study evaluated the effectiveness of EVENITY treatment (210 mg), compared with placebo, in reducing the risk of new vertebral fractures through 12 months. The study also evaluated the effectiveness of treating with EVENITY for 12 months followed by denosumab for 12 months, compared with placebo followed by denosumab, in reducing the risk of new vertebral fractures through 24 months.

ARCH (Active-contRolled fraCture study in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at High risk of fracture) is a randomized, double-blind, alendronate-controlled study of EVENITY in 4,093 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture based on previous fracture history. The study evaluated 12 months of EVENITY treatment (210 mg)  followed by at least 12 months of alendronate treatment (70 mg), compared with alendronate treatment alone, to determine effectiveness in reducing the incidence of clinical fracture (non-vertebral fracture and clinical vertebral fracture) and new vertebral fracture.

BRIDGE (placeBo-contRolled study evaluatIng the efficacy anD safety of romosozumab in treatinG mEn with osteoporosis) is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 245 men aged 55-90 years with osteoporosis and a history of fragility fracture (excluding hip fracture) or vertebral fracture. The study evaluated the effectiveness of EVENITY treatment for 12 months, compared with placebo, in increasing bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and the effect on BMD at the femoral neck and total hip.  

About Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that weakens bone over time, making them thinner, more brittle and more likely to break.² Patients who experience an osteoporotic fracture are twice as likely to suffer a future fracture, yet approximately 80 percent of patients are not treated for underlying osteoporosis after a fracture.³

About the Amgen and UCB Collaboration
Since 2004, Amgen and UCB have been working together under a collaboration and license agreement to research, develop and market antibody products targeting the protein sclerostin. As part of this agreement, the two companies continue to collaborate on the development of romosozumab for the treatment of osteoporosis. This gene-to-drug project demonstrates how Amgen and UCB are joining forces to translate a genetic discovery into a new medicine, turning conceptual science into a reality.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

About UCB
UCB, Brussels, Belgium (www.ucb.com) is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of innovative medicines and solutions to transform the lives of people living with severe diseases of the immune system or of the central nervous system. With more than 7,500 people in approximately 40 countries, the company generated revenue of € 4.2 billion in 2016. UCB is listed on Euronext Brussels (symbol: UCB). Follow us on Twitter: @UCB_news

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Moreover, sales may be impacted by international and domestic trends toward managed care and health care cost containment and the reimbursement policies imposed by third-party payers as well as legislation affecting biopharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement.

*The trademark EVENITY™ is provisionally approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency.

CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008 (media)
Kristen Neese, 805-313-8267 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

CONTACT: UCB, Brussels 
France Nivelle, Global Communications, UCB 
T +32.2.559.9178, [email protected] 
Scott Fleming, Global Communications Lead, Bone, UCB
T+447702777378, [email protected]
Laurent Schots, Media Relations, UCB 
T+32.2.559.92.64, [email protected]
Antje Witte, Investor Relations, UCB 
T +32.2.559.94.14, [email protected]
Isabelle Ghellynck, Investor Relations, UCB
T+32.2.559.9588, [email protected]

1. Nguyen TV, Center JR, Eisman JA (2004) Osteoporosis: underrated, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Med J Aust 180:S18.
2. International Osteoporosis Foundation. What Is Osteoporosis? 2015. Available at: http://www.iofbonehealth.org/what-is-osteoporosis. Accessed August 4, 2017. 
3. International Osteoporosis Foundation. Stop at One. One Fracture Leads to Another. http://share.iofbonehealth.org/WOD/2012/patient_brochure/WOD12-patient_brochure.pdf. Accessed January 3, 2018.

SOURCE Amgen

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