First-in-world approval of Dupixent for adults with uncontrolled COPD with raised blood eosinophils based on two landmark Phase 3 trials showing Dupixent significantly reduced exacerbations, improved lung function and also improved health-related quality of life Dupixent is the first new treatment approach for COPD in more than a decade and a new option for approximately 220,000 adults in the European Union (EU) Approval represents the sixth approved indication for Dupixent in the EU and seventh approved indication globally TARRYTOWN, NY, USA and PARIS, France I July 03, 2024 I Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sanofi today announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved Dupixent® (dupilumab) as an add-on maintenance treatment for adults with uncontrolled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) characterized by raised blood eosinophils. Specifically, the approval covers patients already on a combination of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), a long-acting beta2-agonist (LABA) and a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA), or on a combination of a LABA and a LAMA if ICS is not appropriate. The EC is the first regulatory authority in the world to approve Dupixent for COPD patients. Additional submissions are under review with other regulatory authorities around the world, including in the U.S., China and Japan. “As a progressive and devastating disease, COPD leads to suffering from breathlessness that limits a person’s ability to conduct everyday activities such as walking up the stairs or to the mailbox. Many patients feel marginalized and isolated because of the physical and mental toll of the disease,” said Tonya Winders, President and Chief Executive Officer at Global Allergy & Airways Patient Platform. “After more than a decade of limited treatment advancements for those living with uncontrolled COPD, we are now in a new era of disease management for patients and caregivers, and we welcome the addition of innovative, new treatments such as Dupixent to help manage this progressive and irreversible disease.” “The approval of Dupixent for COPD is a long-awaited turning point for those who struggle to breathe even through the simplest of tasks, while also facing the risk of hospitalization, irreversible health decline and feelings of hopelessness,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Board Co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron, and a principal inventor of Dupixent. “With this approval, we are proud that Dupixent has the potential to redefine the treatment landscape in yet another disease, as a first-in-class therapy demonstrating unprecedented improvements on exacerbations and lung function, as well as improving health-related quality of life across two large Phase 3 trials.” The approval is based on results from the landmark Phase 3 BOREAS and NOTUS trials, which were separately published in the New England Journal of Medicine and evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in adults with uncontrolled COPD with evidence of type 2 inflammation (i.e., blood eosinophils ≥300 cells per μL). All patients were on background maximal standard-of-care inhaled therapy (with nearly all on triple therapy). In terms of efficacy, Dupixent patients in BOREAS (n=468) and NOTUS (n=470) experienced the following, respectively, compared to placebo (BOREAS n=471; NOTUS n=465): Reductions in exacerbations and improvements in lung function for Dupixent versus placebo were also observed in patients with higher baseline fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO; ≥20ppb) – an airway biomarker of inflammation – and across all pre-defined subgroups including smoking status, baseline lung function and history of exacerbations. “Patients with uncontrolled COPD have been waiting for a new treatment approach for many years, so we are thrilled to bring to market the first biologic to target an underlying cause of this devastating disease to reduce COPD exacerbations and improve lung function,” said Paul Hudson, Chief Executive Officer at Sanofi. “With today’s approval of Dupixent, we can change the treatment landscape for the more than 200,000 patients throughout the EU living with uncontrolled COPD with raised blood eosinophils. We look forward to working with other regulators around the world as quickly as possible to bring this novel treatment approach to patients in more countries.” COPD is a respiratory disease that damages the lungs and causes progressive lung function decline, and is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Symptoms include persistent cough, excessive mucus production and shortness of breath that may impair the ability to perform routine daily activities, which may lead to sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. COPD is also associated with a significant health and economic burden due to recurrent acute exacerbations that require systemic corticosteroid treatment and/or lead to hospitalization. Smoking and exposure to noxious particles are key risk factors for COPD, but even individuals who quit smoking can still develop or continue having the disease. There have been no new treatment approaches approved for more than a decade. BOREAS and NOTUS were replicate, randomized, Phase 3, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in adults who were current or former smokers with moderate-to-severe COPD with evidence of type 2 inflammation, as measured by blood eosinophils ≥300 cells per µL. The trials enrolled 1,874 patients who were aged 40 to 80 years in BOREAS and 40 to 85 years in NOTUS. During the 52-week treatment period, patients in BOREAS and NOTUS received Dupixent or placebo every two weeks added to a maximal standard-of-care inhaled triple therapy of ICS, LABA and LAMA. Double maintenance therapy, which included LABA and LAMA, was allowed if ICS was not appropriate. The primary endpoint for BOREAS and NOTUS evaluated the annualized rate of moderate or severe COPD exacerbations. Moderate exacerbations were defined as those requiring systemic steroids and/or antibiotics. Severe exacerbations were defined as those requiring hospitalization; requiring more than a day of observation in an emergency department or urgent care facility; or resulting in death. Key secondary endpoints included change from baseline in lung function (assessed by pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume [FEV1]) at 12 and 52 weeks, change from baseline at 52 weeks in SGRQ total score compared to placebo, and safety. Regeneron and Sanofi are motivated to transform the treatment paradigm of COPD by examining the role different types of inflammation play in the disease progression through the investigation of two potentially first-in-class biologics, Dupixent and itepekimab. Itepekimab is currently under clinical investigation in two Phase 3 trials and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority. Regeneron’s VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron’s co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite® technologies. Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create a substantial proportion of all original, FDA-approved or authorized fully human monoclonal antibodies. This includes REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab), Dupixent, Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent® (alirocumab), Kevzara® (sarilumab), Evkeeza® (evinacumab-dgnb), Inmazeb® (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn) and Veopoz™ (pozelimab-bbfg). In addition to the currently approved indications, Regeneron and Sanofi are studying dupilumab in a broad range of diseases driven by type 2 inflammation or other allergic processes in Phase 3 trials, including chronic pruritus of unknown origin, and bullous pemphigoid. These potential uses of dupilumab are currently under clinical investigation, and the safety and efficacy in these conditions have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority. DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used: Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous approved treatments and product candidates in development, most of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases, and rare diseases. Regeneron pushes the boundaries of scientific discovery and accelerates drug development using our proprietary technologies, such as VelociSuite®, which produces optimized fully human antibodies and new classes of bispecific antibodies. We are shaping the next frontier of medicine with data-powered insights from the Regeneron Genetics Center® and pioneering genetic medicine platforms, enabling us to identify innovative targets and complementary approaches to potentially treat or cure diseases. For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X. We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. Our team, across the world, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.