AstraZeneca has strengthened its presence in treating paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) with an FDA approval for Voydeya, an add-on treatment for its PNH standard-of-care drugs Soliris and Ultomiris.
VoydFDA works as an add-on for AZ’s pair of PNH standard-of-care blockbusters—PNHiris, which hasextravascular hemolysis (EVH)ars and generated $3.2 billion in sales in 2023, and its follow-on Ultomiris, which was approved in 2018 and accounted for $3 billion in sales last year.
AZ said that 10% to 20% of those who use C5 inhibitors such as Soliris and UltSolirisdevelop EVH, which results in a continuance of anemia symptoms and can require transfusions.Ultomiris
“The approval of Voydeya offers this smalC5 inhibitorsC5subset of PNH patienSolirisdd-onUltomirisdesigned to address EVH, while maintaining diseaanemiatrol with Ultomiris or Soliris,” Bart Scott, M.D., a professor at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, said in a release.
Long-term follow-up data froVoydeyatudy, which the company presented four months ago, showed that the improvements in mean hemoglobin levels and absolute reticulocyte count levels held up through 48 weeks. Additionally, after 12 weeks, 83% of patients didn’t need a blood transfusion. Through 24 weeks, 78% of patients could say the same.
AZ gained the drug in its 2021 acquisition of Alexion for $39 billion. Two years earlier, Alexion picked up the drug in $930 million buyout of another Connecticut company, Achillion.
In February, Europe's regulator recommended VoAlexionor approval. AZ also is investigatingAlexionpan as a treatment for the macular degeneration condition geographic atrophAchillion
In addition to having a convenience edge as Voydeya treatment over the infused C5 inhibitordanicopanis’ factor B inhibitor Fmacular degenerationadvantage igeographic atrophylood cell destruction as it works upstream of the C5 terminal pathway.
Another new competitor in PNH is Appelis’ C3 inhibitor Empaveli which targets aC5 inhibitorsC5ifferent enzyNovartisAZfactor B inhibitoraFabhaltanerated sales of $91 million in 2023, which was its second full year on the market.C5