The FDA on Thursday expanded the label for Amgen’s rare disease drug Uplizna, approving it in an autoimmune disorder that’s quickly become a hot — and crowded — area for biopharma.
Regulators gave the green light to Uplizna in generalized myasthenia gravis, a chronic condition that causes muscle weakness, particularly in the eyes, face, throat and lungs. It’s the second drug approved for myasthenia gravis this year, and the fifth since 2021.
Uplizna’s pricing will remain the same for myasthenia gravis as its other two approved conditions, an Amgen spokesperson said. Currently, Uplizna’s average wholesale acquisition cost is $140,248.50 per dose. In myasthenia gravis, patients take two doses per year, plus an additional “loading dose” in the first year.
Uplizna will face competition with both formulations of argenx’s Vyvgart, UCB’s Rystiggo and Zilbrysq, Johnson & Johnson’s Imaavy, and AstraZeneca-Alexion’s Soliris and Ultomiris.
Jasper van Grunsven, SVP of Amgen’s rare disease portfolio, told
Endpoints News
the company hopes Uplizna can differentiate itself because researchers saw the drug provide a double whammy in clinical trials: a long-lasting response with twice-yearly dosing.
Based on the data, “we feel we could be competitive in both” first-line and second-line settings, van Grunsven said.
Many other drugmakers are testing experimental treatments for myasthenia gravis in the clinic. AstraZeneca’s
gefurulimab
passed a Phase 3 test in July, and Regeneron’s siRNA drug
cemdisiran
also succeeded in a pivotal trial in August. Cartesian Therapeutics is also
testing
a CAR-T therapy for the condition.
Amgen acquired Uplizna as part of its $27.8 billion buyout of Horizon Therapeutics. Van Grunsven said that the deal, combined with the 2022 acquisition of ChemoCentryx, has positioned Amgen well in rare diseases going forward.
Next for Uplizna are Phase 2 studies for CD19-positive, B cell-mediated autoimmune disease in combination with Blincyto, another of Amgen’s rare disease drugs.
“The rare disease franchise looks very good. Our engine is very committed behind further developing that,” van Grunsven said.