Teva Announces FDA Grants Approval for Tbo-filgrastim for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia



Teva Announces FDA Grants Approval for Tbo-filgrastim for the Treatment of Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for tbo-filgrastim (XM02 filgrastim), the first new granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) to be approved in the United States in more than 10 years. Tbo-filgrastim is a short-acting recombinant form of G-CSF, indicated to reduce the duration of severe neutropenia in patients with certain types of cancer (non-myeloid malignancies) who are receiving chemotherapy that affects the bone marrow. Neutropenia is a condition in which the number of white blood cells is decreased, leaving patients more susceptible to potentially life-threatening bacterial infections.

Teva currently markets filgrastim in Europe under the trade name Tevagrastim, a biosimilar to Neupogen. Tbo-filgrastim was filed in the U.S. as a Biologics License Application (BLA) since a biosimilar approval pathway had not been established at the time of submission. Teva will market tbo-filgrastim as early as November 2013, in accordance with the settlement reached with Amgen.

"As a company dedicated to bringing needed medicines to patients, we are delighted with the approval of tbo-filgrastim which offers physicians and their patients undergoing chemotherapy a new supportive care treatment option," said Dr. Michael Hayden, President of Global R&D and Chief Scientific Officer for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. “The approval of tbo-filgrastim demonstrates Teva’s strong commitment to providing patients with new treatment options. It expands upon Teva's existing Oncology portfolio with the addition of the first biologic and supportive care agent for oncology patients.”

In studies of tbo-filgrastim, the drug was shown to have statistically significant reductions in the duration of severe neutropenia compared to placebo. During the first 21-day chemotherapy cycle, patients treated with tbo-filgrastim had severe neutropenia for an average of 1.1 days, compared with 3.8 days for those receiving placebo.

Neutropenia is a granulocyte disorder characterized by an abnormally low number of neutrophils. Neutrophils typically make up the majority of white blood cells and serve as the primary defense against infections by destroying bacteria in the blood. Patients with neutropenia are more susceptible to infections that, without medical attention, may become life-threatening. Chemotherapy can damage the body’s ability to produce neutrophils, thereby causing neutropenia, which makes patients prone to infection and sepsis.

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is a naturally occurring hormone that is produced by the body to stimulate the bone marrow to produce neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that helps the immune system fight infection. A recombinant form of G-CSF (known as a biologic) is used to treat cancer patients with neutropenia in order to stimulate the bone marrow to produce more white blood cells.

Tbo-filgrastim is a short-acting recombinant form of G-CSF which was designed to stimulate the bone marrow to produce white bloods cells to reduce the duration of severe neutropenia in patients receiving chemotherapy associated with a clinically significant incidence of febrile neutropenia (neutropenia with fever). Tbo-filgrastim is a solution for subcutaneous injection and will be supplied as a single use, preservative-free, prefilled syringe in doses of 300mcg/0.5mL and 480 mcg/0.8mL.

What are the possible side effects of tbo-filgrastim?

The most common side effectof tbo-filgrastim is bone pain. If this happens, it can usually be relieved with a non-aspirin pain reliever such as acetaminophen; or an NSAID such as ibuprofen.

Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of tbo-filgrastim. For a complete list, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA.

Visit , or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE: TEVA) is a leading global pharmaceutical company, committed to increasing access to high-quality healthcare by developing, producing and marketing affordable generic drugs as well as innovative and specialty pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical ingredients. Headquartered in Israel, Teva is the world's leading generic drug maker, with a global product portfolio of more than 1,300 molecules and a direct presence in about 60 countries. Teva's branded businesses focus on CNS, oncology, pain, respiratory and women's health therapeutic areas as well as biologics. Teva currently employs approximately 46,000 people around the world and reached $18.3 billion in net revenues in 2011.