AMAG Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Canadian New Drug Submission

AMAG Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Canadian New Drug Submission

LEXINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG - News) today announced that it has received a Notice of Non-Compliance (NON) from Health Canada regarding its New Drug Submission (NDS) for Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) injection for intravenous (IV) use for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult chronic kidney disease patients. AMAG and its commercial partner for the region, Takeda Canada Inc., have 90 days to respond to the NON.

 

The NON outlined Health Canada's concerns, which are focused mainly on chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) and preclinical toxicology issues. Among other things, Health Canada has requested additional information on polyglucose sorbitol carboxymethylether (PSC), a material used in the manufacture of Feraheme, including information related to pre-clinical safety of PSC and the manufacturing processes and controls related to the incorporation of PSC.

 

"We are working diligently with Takeda Canada to ensure that every issue raised in the NON is addressed," said Lee F. Allen, MD, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

About Feraheme

 

In the United States, Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) Injection for intravenous (IV) use is indicated for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Feraheme received marketing approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on June 30, 2009 and was commercially launched by AMAG in the U.S. shortly thereafter.

 

About AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

 

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of a therapeutic iron compound to treat iron deficiency anemia. AMAG manufactures and sells Feraheme® (ferumoxytol) Injection for intravenous use. For additional company or product information, please visit www.amagpharma.com or http://feraheme.com.

 

The important safety information below is based on the United States prescribing information.

 

Important Safety Information About Feraheme

 

Indication and contraindications

 

Feraheme is indicated for the treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease. Feraheme is contraindicated in patients with evidence of iron overload, known hypersensitivity to Feraheme or any of its components, and patients with anemia not caused by iron deficiency.

 

Warnings and precautions

 

Feraheme may cause life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and/or anaphylactoid reactions. Anaphylactic type reactions, presenting with cardiac/cardiorespiratory arrest, clinically significant hypotension, syncope, and unresponsiveness have been reported in the post-marketing experience. In clinical studies, serious hypersensitivity reactions were reported in 0.2% (3/1,726) of subjects receiving Feraheme. Other adverse reactions potentially associated with hypersensitivity (e.g., pruritus, rash, urticaria or wheezing) were reported in 3.7% (63/1,726) of subjects. Patients should be observed for signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity for at least 60 minutes following each Feraheme injection and the drug should only be administered when personnel and therapies are immediately available for the treatment of anaphylaxis and other hypersensitivity reactions.

 

Severe adverse reactions of clinically significant hypotension have been reported in the post-marketing experience. In clinical studies, hypotension was reported in 1.9% (33/1,726) of subjects, including three patients with serious hypotensive reactions. Please monitor for signs and symptoms of hypotension following each Feraheme injection. Excessive therapy with parenteral iron can lead to excess storage of iron with the possibility of iatrogenic hemosiderosis. Patients should be regularly monitored for hematologic response during parenteral iron therapy, noting that lab assays may overestimate serum iron and transferrin bound iron values in the 24 hours following administration of Feraheme. As a superparamagnetic iron oxide, Feraheme may transiently affect magnetic resonance diagnostic imaging studies for up to 3 months following the last Feraheme dose. Feraheme will not affect X-ray, CT, PET, SPECT, ultrasound, or nuclear imaging.

 

Adverse reactions

 

In clinical trials, the most commonly occurring adverse reactions in Feraheme treated patients versus oral iron treated patients reported in ≥ 2% of chronic kidney disease patients were diarrhea (4.0% vs. 8.2%), nausea (3.1% vs. 7.5%), dizziness (2.6% vs. 1.8%), hypotension (2.5% vs. 0.4%), constipation (2.1% vs. 5.7%) and peripheral edema (2.0% vs. 3.2%). In clinical trials, adverse reactions leading to treatment discontinuation and occurring in 2 or more Feraheme treated patients included hypotension, infusion site swelling, increased serum ferritin level, chest pain, diarrhea, dizziness, ecchymosis, pruritus, chronic renal failure, and urticaria.

 

Post-marketing safety experience

 

The following adverse reactions have been identified during post-approval use of Feraheme. Because these reactions are reported voluntarily from a population of uncertain size, it is not always possible to reliably estimate their frequency or establish a causal relationship to drug exposure.

 

The following serious adverse reactions have been reported from the post-marketing spontaneous reports with Feraheme: life-threatening anaphylactic/anaphylactoid reactions, cardiac/cardiorespiratory arrest, clinically significant hypotension, syncope, unresponsiveness, loss of consciousness, tachycardia/rhythm abnormalities, angioedema, ischemic myocardial events, congestive heart failure, pulse absent, and cyanosis. These adverse reactions have occurred up to 30 minutes after the administration of Feraheme injection. Reactions have occurred following the first dose or subsequent doses of Feraheme.