Orphalan announces FDA approval of Cuvrior™ for the treatment of adult patients with stable Wilson’s disease who are de-coppered and tolerant to penicillamine
Paris, France 2 May 2022 – Orphalan SA (“Orphalan” or “the Company”), an international orphan drug development and commercialisation company, today announces approval of Cuvrior™, a new salt of trientine (trientine tetrahydrochloride) by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Cuvrior™ is approved for the treatment of adult patients with stable Wilson’s disease who are de-coppered and tolerant to penicillamine. Penicillamine is currently approved as a first-line treatment of Wilson’s disease in the US with about one third of patients developing intolerance1.
Orphalan recently completed a global phase III trial, CHELATE, which met its primary efficacy endpoint by demonstrating that Cuvrior™ was non-inferior to penicillamine as measured by non-ceruloplasmin copper (NCC). In consultation with the FDA, an assay based on total serum copper protein speciation was used for measuring this primary efficacy endpoint.
Wilson’s disease is a rare inherited disorder of copper transport primarily affecting the liver and brain. Orphalan commercializes its trientine tetrahydrochloride product in Europe under the name of Cuprior® and expects to launch Cuvrior™, which has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the FDA, in the US by early 2023. The approval follows the New Drug Application (NDA) submission for the company’s product last year.
Dr. Naseem Amin, Chief Executive Officer at Orphalan, commented: “We are delighted with the approval of our product, Cuvrior™, which provides a well-tolerated and effective option for Wilson’s disease patients. At Orphalan, we are committed to delivering innovative therapies, with our drug Cuprior® already approved and launched in European countries, and we look forward to launching Cuvrior™ in the United States. We also plan further national submissions to make our product available to patients globally.”
Mary L Graper, Vice President of Scientific Affairs, Wilson Disease Association, added: “Wilson’s disease is a devastating disorder affecting patients worldwide and for which there has remained a significant need for innovative new treatments. The approval of Orphalan’s Cuvrior™ is extremely promising and is reflective of Orphalan’s patient-driven approach. This marks the culmination of many years of work and is an important moment, offering new hope for patients affected by this disease.”
Professor Michael Schilsky, MD, Director, Center for Excellence for Wilson Disease at Yale University, said: “As a physician, I have seen first-hand how Wilson’s disease impacts the lives of patients and, until now, there have been few effective long-term treatment options available. The approval of Orphalan’s Cuvrior™ by the FDA is backed by positive data from Orphalan’s multicenter, multinational CHELATE trial – the first head-to-head controlled study of a new trientine salt versus penicillamine. For patients in need, Cuvrior™ represents a well-tolerated and effective alternative to penicillamine, the current standard of care.”
1 Weiss KH, et al. Efficacy and Safety of Oral Chelators in Treatment of Patients With Wilson Disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2013 Aug;11(8):1028-35.e1-2.
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About Trientine Tetrahydrochloride
Trientine tetrahydrochloride is an oral trientine formulation. In the US, trientine tetrahydrochloride has been granted with Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of Wilson’s disease excluding patients intolerant of penicillamine. It has been approved under the 505(b)(2) pathway for the treatment of adult stable Wilson’s disease patients who are successfully de-coppered and tolerant to penicillamine. The 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway is a type of New Drug Application (NDA).
About Orphalan
Orphalan is an international orphan drug development and commercialisation company. The company delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with orphan diseases and is a pioneer in the space. Orphalan was founded in 2011 and has launched Cuprior®. across Europe with its own commercial organization. For more information visit www.orphalan.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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