European Commission approves Durveqtix (fidanacogene elaparvovec), a one-time gene therapy for adults with hemophilia B
Pfizer Inc. announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorization for Durveqtix (fidanacogene elaparvovec), a gene therapy for the treatment of severe and moderately severe hemophilia B (congenital factor IX deficiency) in adult patients without a history of factor IX inhibitors and without detectable antibodies to variant AAV serotype Rh74
Durveqtix is designed to enable people living with hemophilia B to produce factor IX (FIX) themselves via a one-time dose, rather than multiple intravenous FIX infusions weekly or biweekly with the current standard of care.
“There is a substantial medical and treatment burden for people with hemophilia B that receive standard of care today, with frequent infusions and many remaining at risk of breakthrough bleeds that can lead to pain and restricted mobility,” said Alexandre de Germay, Chief International Commercial Officer and Executive Vice President, Pfizer. “Durveqtix has shown the potential to offer long-term bleed protection in a one-time dose, reducing or eliminating bleeds for the appropriate patients with hemophilia B. These outcomes and their impact could become potentially transformative for hemophilia B care in the European Union.”
Hemophilia B is a rare genetic bleeding disorder that prevents normal blood clotting because of a deficiency in FIX that causes those with the disease to bleed more frequently and longer than others. The standard of care for hemophilia B treatment is prophylactic infusions of FIX replacement therapy that temporarily replace or supplement low levels of blood-clotting factor. Despite prophylaxis and regular intravenous infusions, many people living with moderate to severe hemophilia B are at risk of spontaneous bleeding episodes. The current standard of care also places strain on healthcare systems’ budgets and resource utilization.
The conditional marketing authorization is based on results from the pivotal Phase III BENEGENE-2 study (NCT03861273) evaluating the efficacy and safety of Durveqtix in adult male participants (age 18–62) with moderately severe to severe hemophilia B. BENEGENE-2 met its primary efficacy endpoint of non-inferiority and demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in annualized bleeding rate (ABR) for total bleeds (treated and untreated) post-Durveqtix infusion versus prophylaxis regimen with FIX, administered as part of usual care. Efficacy, based on ABR, also remained stable during year two to year four after treatment. Durveqtix was generally well-tolerated, with a safety profile consistent with Phase 1/II results.
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