Humoral Hypercalcemia of Malignancy

AstraZeneca is splashing out $800 million upfront to bolster its rare disease pipeline with the purchase of Amolyt Pharma and its Phase III asset for chronic hypoparathyroidism.Marc Dunoyer, chief executive of AstraZeneca’s rare-disease unit Alexion, noted that patients with chronic hypoparathyroidism “face a significant need for an alternative to current supportive therapies,” with Amolyt’s eneboparatide holding “the potential to lessen the often debilitating impact of low parathyroid hormone and avoid the risks of high-dose calcium supplementation.”Eneboparatide – also known as AZP-3601 – is a PTH receptor 1 agonist that in Phase II studies has shown the ability to achieve normalisation of serum calcium levels, as well as the potential to eliminate dependence on daily calcium and vitamin D supplementation. AstraZeneca noted that in adults with chronic hypoparathyroidism and hypercalciuria, eneboparatide normalised calcium in urine, while it also preserved bone mineral density.According to Amolyt’s website, its pipeline also includes AZP-3813 for acromegaly - with initial Phase I results expected later this year - and the preclinical candidate AZP-40XX for primary hyperparathyroidism and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy.Along with the upfront payment, Amolyt shareholders are eligible to receive an additional $250 million payable upon achievement of a specified regulatory milestone. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the third quarter.

Pictured: AstraZeneca's headquarters in Silicon Valley/iStock, Sundry Photography AstraZeneca on Thursday announced that it is acquiring rare disease specialist Amolyt Pharma in a deal that could reach $1.05 billion in value. Under the terms of the agreement, AstraZeneca will buy Amolyt’s outstanding shares for a total of $800 million, due on the deal’s closing. Amolyt will also be entitled to a contingent payment of $250 million upon meeting a yet-undisclosed regulatory milestone. The partners expect to complete the transaction in the third quarter of 2024, pending regulatory clearances and other customary closing conditions. After the acquisition is closed, Amolyt and its employees will join AstraZeneca’s rare disease unit Alexion. At the center of the acquisition is Amolyt’s late-stage candidate for the rare disease hypoparathyroidism, which is characterized by low levels of the parathyroid hormones in the blood. Patients with hypoparathyroidism also have abnormal levels of calcium and phosphorous, which can lead to complications such as kidney problems and heart failure. “Chronic hypoparathyroid patients face a significant need for an alternative to current supportive therapies, which do not address the underlying hormone deficiency,” Alexion CEO Marc Dunoyer said in a statement, adding that eneboparatide could “lessen the often-debilitating impact of low parathyroid hormone” while also avoiding the “risks of high-dose calcium supplementation.” Dubbed eneboparatide, Amolyt’s candidate for hypoparathyroidism activates the parathyroid hormone receptor 1, leading to stable and sustained calcium levels in the blood and normal calcium excretion through the urine. According to the biotech’s website, this mechanism of action allows eneboparatide to treat the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism and avoid kidney disease, while also slowly removing the need for calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Eneboparatide also helps preserve bone integrity by normalizing bone turnover levels and lowering bone resorption. In a Phase IIa study, 93% of patients who were treated with eneboparatide were able to stop standard of care treatment using calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Urinary calcium excretion also dropped to normal levels, while serum calcium levels remained within target range. Patients also showed stable bone mineral density, including those who had osteopenia. In May 2023, Amolyt announced that it had competed an end-of-Phase II meeting with the FDA and that it would launch a Phase III study of eneboparatide in hypoparathyroidism. The biotech at the time envisioned the study, dubbed Calypso, to be the largest Phase III trial to date in this indication. Top-line data are expected by the end of 2024. In addition to eneboparatide, AstraZeneca will also gain ownership of AZP-3813, which is being assessed for acromegaly with topline Phase I data expected in the first half of this year. Amolyt is also developing AZP-40XX, which is still in the very early stages of development for primary hyperparathyroidism and humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Tristan Manalac is an independent science writer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. Reach out to him on LinkedIn or email him at tristan@tristanmanalac.com or tristan.manalac@biospace.com.

Wyost® (denosumab-bddz) and Jubbonti® (denosumab-bddz) interchangeable with and approved by FDA for all indications of reference medicines Xgeva ®* (denosumab) and Prolia®* (denosumab) FDA approval based on robust clinical studies and totality of evidence, which show no clinically meaningful differences from reference medicines March 5, 2024 – Sandoz, the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wyost® (denosumab-bbdz) and Jubbonti® (denosumab-bbdz), the first and only FDA-approved denosumab biosimilars, to treat all indications of the reference medicines. Keren Haruvi, President Sandoz North America, said: "Sandoz has achieved the first FDA approval for biosimilars to denosumab, a medicine that can address primary and secondary bone loss, such as osteoporosis, as well as cancer-related skeletal events, which are disease states that can profoundly reduce quality of life for patients. I am proud that Sandoz continues to pioneer access to these life-changing medicines for the patients who need them most." Wyost® is approved to prevent skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with multiple myeloma and in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors, to treat adults and skeletally mature adolescents with giant cell tumor of bone that is unresectable or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and to treat hypercalcemia of malignancy refractory to bisphosphonate therapy.1 Bone is the third most frequent site for metastatic tumors.2 Nearly all types of cancer can spread to the bone and cause pain and fractures, though cancers that often metastasize in bones include breast and prostate.3 Jubbonti® is approved to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men at high risk for fracture receiving androgen deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer, and to increase bone mass in women at high risk for fracture receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer.4 Osteoporosis is a bone disease that develops when bone mineral density and bone mass decrease or when bone strength and structure change. People living with osteoporosis typically do not have symptoms and might not know they have the disease until they experience a fracture. More than 10 million US adults aged 50 and over live with osteoporosis, a major cause of fractures in postmenopausal women and in older men.5,6 Half of all women over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture during their lifetime.7 The FDA approval is based on robust clinical studies and accompanied by labeling with safety warnings. The Jubbonti® approval is also accompanied by approval of Sandoz’s Jubbonti® Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program, which is designed to inform prescribers and patients about the risk of severe hypocalcemia associated with Jubbonti® in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease, including dialysis-dependent patients. Wyost® and Jubbonti® have the same dosage form, route of administration, dosing regimen and presentation as the respective reference medicines. Wyost® and Jubbonti® are approved as interchangeable with the reference medicines for all indications. Given ongoing patent litigation around these products, Sandoz will not comment on anticipated launch timing or other launch details at this time. Wyost® 120 mg/1.7 mL (70 mg/mL) injection has been approved by the FDA as interchangeable with the reference medicine, a human monoclonal antibody designed to bind to the RANKL protein, an activator of osteoclasts (cells involved in breaking down bone tissue).8,9 Wyost® is indicated in the US to prevent SREs in patients with multiple myeloma and in patients with bone metastases from solid tumors, to treat adults and skeletally mature adolescents with giant cell tumor of bone that is unresectable or where surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity, and to treat hypercalcemia of malignancy refractory to bisphosphonate therapy.1 Jubbonti® 60 mg/1 mL injection has been approved by the FDA as interchangeable with the reference medicine, a human monoclonal antibody designed to bind to the RANKL protein, an activator of osteoclasts (cells involved in breaking down bone tissue).8,9 Jubbonti® is indicated in the US to treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, to treat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis in men and women at high risk for fracture, to increase bone mass in men at high risk for fracture receiving androgen deprivation therapy for nonmetastatic prostate cancer, and to increase bone mass in women at high risk for fracture receiving adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy for breast cancer.4 References 1. Wyost®. Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/761362s000lbl.pdf [Last accessed: March 2024] 2. Bone Metastasis. Apoorva Jayarangaiah; Alysia K. Kemp; Pramod Theetha Kariyann, Oct 25 2022. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507911/#:~:text=The%20skeleton%20is%20the%20third,metastasize%20to%20bone%20as%20well. [Last accessed: March 2024] 3. American Cancer Society. Bone Metastases. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/advanced-cancer/bone-metastases.html [Last accessed: March 2024] 4. Jubbonti®. Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2024/761362s000lbl.pdf [Last accessed: March 2024] 5. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Osteoporosis. 2022. Available at: https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/osteoporosis [Last accessed: March 2024] 6. National Center for Health Statistics. Osteoporosis or Low Bone Mass in Older Adults: United States, 2017–2018. 2021. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db405.htm [Last accessed: March 2024] 7. Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation. Osteoporosis Fast Facts. Available at: https://www.bonehealthandosteoporosis.org/wp-content/uploads/Osteoporosis-Fast-Facts-2.pdf [Last accessed: March 2024] 8. Amgen Inc. Prolia® (Denosumab): Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.pi.amgen.com/-/media/Project/Amgen/Repository/pi-amgen-com/Prolia/prolia_pi.pdf [Last accessed: March 2024] 9. Amgen Inc. Xgeva® (Denosumab): Prescribing Information. Available at: https://www.pi.amgen.com/-/media/Project/Amgen/Repository/pi-amgen-com/xgeva/xgeva_pi.pdf [Last accessed: March 2024] Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. 22,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 500 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger total social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1500 products addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world’s first oral penicillin in 1951, and the first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion. 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