Press Releases
November 18, 2014
European Commission Grants Marketing Authorization for Gilead’s Harvoni®▼ (Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir), the First Single Tablet Regimen to Treat the Majority of Chronic Hepatitis C Patients With Genotype 1 and 4
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Harvoni is indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in adults and is recommended in treatment-naïve and treatment-experienced cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic genotype 1 and 4 patients with a treatment duration of 12 or 24 weeks depending on prior treatment history and cirrhosis status. Eight weeks of treatment with Harvoni may be considered in non-cirrhotic treatment-naïve genotype 1 patients. In genotype 1 and 4 patients with decompensated cirrhosis, and genotype 3 patients with cirrhosis and/or prior treatment failure, Harvoni should be used in combination with ribavirin for 24 weeks. Harvoni is also indicated for patients with HCV who have HIV co-infection.
Today’s marketing authorization is based on the clinical development
program that included more than 2,000 patients with HCV infection, and
follows an accelerated assessment by the
“Genotype 1 patients living with hepatitis C in
The marketing authorization is supported primarily by data from three Phase 3 studies, ION-1, ION-2 and ION-3. These studies evaluated eight, 12 or 24 weeks of treatment with Harvoni, with or without ribavirin, among nearly 2,000 genotype 1 HCV patients with compensated liver disease.
These studies included non-cirrhotic treatment-naïve patients (ION-3), cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic treatment-naïve patients (ION-1) and cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients who failed prior therapy with an interferon-based regimen, including regimens containing an HCV protease inhibitor (ION-2). The primary endpoint for each study was sustained virologic response (HCV undetectable) 12 weeks after completing therapy (SVR12). Patients who achieve SVR12 are considered cured of HCV. In these studies, ribavirin was not shown to increase response rates. Trial participants in the ribavirin-free arms (n=1,080) achieved SVR12 rates of 94 to 99 percent.
The approval was also supported by preliminary data from the SOLAR-1 trial, which evaluated difficult to treat patients with decompensated cirrhosis and patients who have undergone liver transplantation, and from the ERADICATE trial, which evaluated genotype 1 HCV patients co-infected with HIV. The primary endpoint in these studies was SVR12. At the time of submission, only preliminary results were available. In the SOLAR-1 trial, participants with decompensated cirrhosis receiving a 12-week treatment regimen of Harvoni plus ribavirin had an SVR4 rate of 90 percent (n=45/50). In post-liver transplant patients without decompensated liver disease, SVR4 rates were greater than 95 percent (n=109). In an interim analysis of the ERADICATE trial, 40 of the 50 patients had reached 12 weeks post treatment and had SVR12 rates of 98 percent (n=39/40).
The ELECTRON-2 trial, a Phase 2 open-label study, provided preliminary data on genotype 3 infected HCV patients demonstrating 100 percent (n=26/26) SVR12 when Harvoni was used in combination with ribavirin for 12 weeks.
In these clinical studies, fatigue and headache were more common in patients treated with Harvoni compared to placebo.
Harvoni was approved by the
Important Safety Information
The summary of product characteristics of co-prescribed medicinal products should be consulted before starting therapy with Harvoni.
Harvoni should not be administered concomitantly with other medicinal products containing sofosbuvir.
In clinical studies, fatigue and headache were more common in patients treated with Harvoni compared to placebo.
Contraindications include hypersensitivity to the active substances or to any of the excipients. Co-administration with rosuvastatin or St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) is contraindicated. Co-administration with certain P-glycoprotein (P-gp) inducers (e.g. rifampicin, carbamazepine and phenytoin) is not recommended. Monitoring of digoxin and dabigatran is recommended when used with Harvoni. Caution and frequent renal monitoring is recommended for co-administration with certain HIV antiretroviral regimens. Safety has not been established in patients with severe renal impairment. For patients on statins dose reduction should be considered and careful monitoring for statin adverse events (myopathy and rhabdomyolysis) should be undertaken. A Summary of Product Characteristics is available at www.ema.europa.eu.
About
Forward-Looking Statement
This press release includes forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are
subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, including the risk
that physicians and patients may not see advantages of Harvoni over
other therapies and may therefore be reluctant to prescribe the product,
and the risk that private and public payers may be reluctant to provide
coverage or reimbursement for the product. Further, additional studies
of Harvoni may produce unfavorable results. These risks, uncertainties
and other factors could cause actual results to differ materially from
those referred to in the forward-looking statements. The reader is
cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These and
other risks are described in detail in Gilead’s Quarterly Report on Form
10-Q for the quarter ended
Harvoni and Sovaldi are registered trademarks of
For more information on
Source:
Gilead Sciences, Inc.
Patrick O’Brien, +1-650-522-1936 (Investors)
Cara
Miller, +1-650-522-1616 (Media, U.S.)
Arran Attridge, +44 208 587
2477 (Media, Europe)