- Company secures formulary status at another large Medicare Part D sponsor
- 95 percent of dialysis patients on phosphate binders across Medicare Part D and commercial insurance providers now have unrestricted access to Auryxia
BOSTON, May 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:KERX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on bringing innovative medicines to people with renal disease, today announced that an additional large Medicare Part D plan sponsor has added Auryxia to its Medicare Part D plan formularies, effective June 1, 2017. Auryxia is currently indicated in the U.S. for the control of serum phosphorus levels in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis. Auryxia’s formulary status at this new Part D plan sponsor is effective for the remainder of 2017 and the full year 2018. The broad formulary status across Part D and commercial plans will support continuing growth of Auryxia in dialysis and provide access to Auryxia for people with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) and non-dialysis dependent (NDD) CKD, pending approval of this indication later this year.
“We are pleased that this final large payer has added Auryxia to its formulary, bringing unrestricted access to Auryxia to 95 percent of dialysis patients on phosphate binders with commercial or Medicare Part D insurance, on par with the market-leading phosphate binder,” said Greg Madison, president and chief executive officer of Keryx Biopharmaceuticals. “Given that 30 to 40 percent of dialysis patients have phosphorous levels that are out of range, patients on dialysis need treatment options and Auryxia, as a non-calcium, non-chewable phosphate binder, is an important option for these patients.”
It is estimated that there are approximately 450,000 people in the U.S. who have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and who require dialysis treatment. The majority of ESRD patients require chronic treatment with phosphate-binding medicines to lower and maintain serum phosphorus at acceptable levels. Medicare Part D and commercial insurance companies cover most of the prescription drug costs for people with ESRD, including the vast majority of phosphate binder prescriptions.
Keryx is also seeking a label expansion for ferric citrate to include the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults with non-dialysis dependent CKD. A supplemental new drug application is under review by the U.S. FDA, with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of November 6, 2017 for completion.
About Auryxia®
Auryxia (ferric citrate) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on September 5, 2014 and is indicated in the U.S. for the control of serum phosphorus levels in patients with CKD on dialysis. The U.S. approval of Auryxia was based on data from the company's Phase 3 registration program in dialysis patients. In the Phase 3 clinical trials, Auryxia effectively reduced serum phosphorus levels to within the established guidelines range of 3.5 to 5.5 mg/dL.
Auryxia binds with dietary phosphate in the GI tract and precipitates as ferric phosphate. The unbound portion of Auryxia has been shown to increase serum iron parameters including ferritin and transferrin saturation (TSAT). Iron absorption from Auryxia may lead to excessive elevations in iron stores. Accordingly, physicians should assess and monitor iron parameters before starting and while on Auryxia, and may need to decrease or discontinue IV iron for these patients. The most common adverse events for Auryxia treated patients were gastrointestinal related, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and constipation. For more information about Auryxia and the U.S. full prescribing information, visit www.Auryxia.com.
Use of ferric citrate in patients with NDD-CKD and IDA, as highlighted above, is investigational and has not been determined to be safe or efficacious.
IMPORTANT U.S. SAFETY INFORMATION FOR AURYXIA® (ferric citrate)
Contraindication: Patients with iron overload syndrome, e.g. hemochromatosis, should not take Auryxia®.
Iron Overload: Iron absorption from Auryxia may lead to increased iron in storage sites. Iron parameters should be monitored prior to and while on Auryxia. Patients receiving IV iron may require a reduction in dose or discontinuation of IV iron therapy.
Accidental Overdose of Iron: Accidental overdose of iron containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6 years of age. Keep Auryxia away from children as it contains iron. Call a poison control center or your physician in case of an accidental overdose in a child.
Patients with Gastrointestinal Bleeding or Inflammation: Safety has not been established for these patients.
Adverse Events: The most common adverse events with Auryxia were diarrhea (21%), nausea (11%), constipation (8%), vomiting (7%) and cough (6%). Gastrointestinal adverse reactions were the most common reason for discontinuing Auryxia (14%). Auryxia contains iron and may cause dark stools, which is considered normal with oral medications containing iron.
Drug Interactions: Doxycycline should be taken at least 1 hour before Auryxia. Ciprofloxacin should be taken at least 2 hours before or after Auryxia.
For Full Prescribing Information for Auryxia, please visit http://auryxia.com/important-safety-information/
Forward Looking Statements
Some of the statements included in this press release, particularly those regarding the commercialization and ongoing clinical development of Auryxia, the expected impact of the new formulary coverage for Auryxia and the submission of an sNDA to the FDA to expand the label of ferric citrate to include the treatment of IDA in adults with stage 3-5 NDD-CKD and the potential approval in this indication and the impact thereof on Keryx, may be forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. For those statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Among the factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially are the following: whether we can increase adoption of Auryxia in patients with CKD on dialysis; the risk that expanded formulary access to Auryxia may not lead to increased adoption or sales; the risk that the FDA may not concur with our interpretation of our Phase 3 study results in NDD- CKD, supportive data, conduct of the studies, or any other part of our regulatory submission and could ultimately deny approval of ferric citrate for the treatment of IDA in adults with stage 3-5 NDD-CKD; the risk that if approved for use in NDD-CKD that we may not be able to successfully market Auryxia for use in this indication; our ability to continue to supply Auryxia following the recent resupply to the market; and other risk factors identified from time to time in our reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. We do not undertake to update any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date hereof. This press release and prior releases are available at http://www.keryx.com. The information found on our website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is included for reference purposes only.
About Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., with headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, is a commercial stage company focused on bringing innovative medicines to people with renal disease. Keryx developed and commercializes Auryxia® (ferric citrate) in the U.S. Ferric citrate is marketed as Riona® by Keryx’s Japanese partner, Japan Tobacco Inc. and Torii Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. In September 2015, the European Commission granted European market authorization for Fexeric® (ferric citrate coordination complex). Keryx has programs underway to leverage its development and commercial infrastructure, including evaluation of iron deficiency anemia in adults with non-dialysis depended chronic kidney disease and in-licensing medicines for renal disease. For more information about Keryx, please visit www.keryx.com.