FRAZER, Pa., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq:
CEPH) today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requesting approval of
TREANDA(R) (bendamustine HCl) for the treatment of patients with chronic
lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). CLL is a slowly progressing blood and bone
marrow disease with an estimated 15,000 new cases diagnosed every year in
the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute. If approved,
TREANDA would be the first new therapy approved by the FDA for the
treatment of CLL since 2001. In August 2007, the FDA granted orphan drug
designation to TREANDA for this indication.
"This is our first regulatory filing for TREANDA and a significant
milestone for our growing oncology portfolio," said Dr. Lesley Russell,
Executive Vice President, Worldwide Medical and Regulatory Operations. "We
also are developing TREANDA for the treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and
are planning additional submissions for Cephalon oncology compounds to the
FDA over the next 12 months."
The NDA is based on a large, international multi-center Phase 3
clinical trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of bendamustine HCl,
the active ingredient in TREANDA, compared to chlorambucil in patients who
were not previously treated for their disease. Chlorambucil is an
FDA-approved first- line therapy for patients with CLL. In the pivotal
trial, bendamustine HCl met both primary endpoints, overall response and
progression-free survival and demonstrated an acceptable tolerability
profile. The company anticipates that results from this study will be
released at the upcoming American Society of Hematology (ASH) annual
meeting in December 2007.
The company also is studying TREANDA for the treatment of patients with
indolent (or slowly-progressing) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), who are
refractory to the monoclonal antibody rituximab. Pending positive results
from this ongoing study, the company anticipates filing an NDA for TREANDA
in patients with indolent NHL who are refractory to rituximab in the fourth
quarter of 2007. In addition, Cephalon is studying TREANDA in combination
with rituximab in patients with relapsed indolent and mantle cell NHL. The
company anticipates that results from studies of TREANDA as monotherapy and
in combination will be presented at medical meetings later this year.
Upon FDA acceptance of the company's NDA filing of TREANDA for CLL, the
company will make a $15 million milestone payment to former shareholders of
Salmedix.
About TREANDA
TREANDA is a rationally designed purine analog/alkylator hybrid.
Preclinical data demonstrate that TREANDA induces rapid, sustained single-
and double-strand DNA damage, which results in apoptosis, or programmed
cell death, in the tumor. TREANDA also induces mitotic checkpoint
inhibition, which results in non-apoptotic cell death. TREANDA causes DNA
disruption that is both extensive and durable exhibiting a low level of
cross-resistance to other cytotoxic agents. The dual-effect of the
anti-tumor activity of TREANDA may be attributable to its unique chemical
design.
Cephalon holds exclusive rights to market and develop TREANDA in the
United States. TREANDA is licensed from Astellas Deutschland GmbH.
Bendamustine HCl, the active ingredient in TREANDA, is marketed in Germany
by Astellas' licensee, Mundipharma International Corporation Limited, under
the tradename RIBOMUSTIN(R). In Germany, RIBOMUSTIN is indicated as a
single-agent or in combination with other anti-cancer agents for indolent
NHL, multiple myeloma, and CLL. SymBio Pharmaceuticals Ltd holds exclusive
rights to market and sell bendamustine HCl in Asia.
About Cephalon Oncology
Cephalon Oncology is a strategic business unit focused on the
development and commercialization of oncology products and resources for
patients and healthcare providers. The Cephalon Oncology portfolio includes
a number of promising investigational and marketed compounds. In addition
to TREANDA, the Cephalon Oncology therapeutic portfolio in the United
States includes TRISENOX(R) (arsenic trioxide) injection, a product
approved in the United States for the treatment of patients with relapsed
or refractory acute promyelocytic leukemia, and CEP-701, an oral small
molecule inhibitor of tyrosine kinases including FLT-3, TRK and JAK-2, in
phase 3 development for acute myeloid leukemia.
In Europe, Cephalon markets three oncology products in 19 countries.
About Cephalon, Inc.
Cephalon, Inc. is an international biopharmaceutical company, recently
inducted into the World Economic Forum Community of Global Growth
Companies. For 20 years, the company has been dedicated to the discovery,
development and commercialization of innovative products in four core
therapeutic areas: central nervous system, pain, oncology and addiction. A
member of the Fortune 1000, Cephalon currently employs approximately 3,000
people in the United States and Europe. U.S. sites include the company's
headquarters in Frazer, Pennsylvania, and offices, laboratories or
manufacturing facilities in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Salt Lake City,
Utah, and suburban Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cephalon's European headquarters
are located in Maisons-Alfort, France.
The company's proprietary products in the United States include:
PROVIGIL(R) (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV], FENTORA(R) (fentanyl buccal tablet)
[C-II], TRISENOX, AMRIX(TM) (cyclobenzaprine hydrochloride extended-release
capsules), VIVITROL(R) (naltrexone for extended-release injectable
suspension), GABITRIL(R) (tiagabine hydrochloride), NUVIGIL(TM)
(armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV] and ACTIQ(R) (oral transmucosal fentanyl
citrate) [C-II]. The company also markets numerous products
internationally. Full prescribing information on its U.S. products is
available at http://www.cephalon.com or by calling 1-800-896-5855.
In addition to historical facts or statements of current condition,
this press release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements provide Cephalon's current expectations or forecasts of future
events. These may include statements regarding anticipated scientific
progress on its research programs; development of potential pharmaceutical
products, including the results of any clinical programs with respect to
TREANDA or the timing or acceptance of any current or future filings for
regulatory approval of TREANDA or other Cephalon Oncology compounds;
interpretation of clinical results, particularly with respect to the
TREANDA clinical trials; manufacturing development and capabilities; market
prospects for its products; sales and earnings guidance; and other
statements regarding matters that are not historical facts. You may
identify some of these forward-looking statements by the use of words in
the statements such as "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "project,"
"intend," "plan," "believe" or other words and terms of similar meaning.
Cephalon's performance and financial results could differ materially from
those reflected in these forward-looking statements due to general
financial, economic, regulatory and political conditions affecting the
biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries as well as more specific risks
and uncertainties facing Cephalon such as those set forth in its reports on
Form 8-K, 10-Q and 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission. Given these risks and uncertainties, any or all of these
forward-looking statements may prove to be incorrect. Therefore, you should
not rely on any such factors or forward-looking statements. Furthermore,
Cephalon does not intend to update publicly any forward-looking statement,
except as required by law. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995 permits this discussion.
SOURCE Cephalon, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.cephalon.com
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/134563.html /
CONTACT:
Media, Jenifer Antonacci, +1-610-738-6674, or
jantonacci@cephalon.com, or Investors, Robert (Chip) Merritt,
+1-610-738-6376, or cmerritt@cephalon.com, both of Cephalon, Inc.
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