BioSante Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive LibiGel Safety Data in Phase III Program
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: BPAX), today announced positive safety data in its ongoing LibiGel Phase III clinical development program.
BioSante reported that with over 1,250 women enrolled and almost 825 women-years of exposure in its LibiGel Phase III clinical development program, there have been no deaths and only five cardiovascular events. This analysis of blinded data indicates a very low cardiovascular event rate has occurred thus far. Therefore, in view of the excellent LibiGel safety profile, BioSante's LibiGel Phase III development program will continue as planned. BioSante targets submission to the FDA of a new drug application (NDA) by mid-2011.
"The cardiovascular safety data indicate that LibiGel, to date, has been shown to be safe," said Stephen M. Simes, BioSante's president and CEO. "We are happy to see that LibiGel continues to show its safety in healthy women, and also in those women with at least two cardiac risk factors enrolled in our cardiovascular and breast cancer safety study. We will continue to analyze blinded cardiac event data on a regular basis. LibiGel remains the only pharmaceutical product in the U.S. in active development for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in menopausal women. We continue to believe that LibiGel can be the first product approved by the FDA for this common and unmet medical need also referred to as female sexual dysfunction (FSD)."
The Phase III Cardiovascular and Breast Cancer Safety Study is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-center, cardiovascular events and breast cancer study that will enroll between 2,400 and 3,100 women, exposed to LibiGel or placebo for 12 months. An NDA can be filed and reviewed by FDA, possibly leading to approval of LibiGel, at that time. After NDA submission and potential approval of LibiGel, BioSante will continue to follow the women enrolled in the study for an additional four years.
The LibiGel safety study is tracking a predefined list of cardiovascular events, in agreement with the FDA, including cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke, in women 50 years of age or older and suffering from at least two cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension and diabetes. The objective of the safety study is to show the relative safety of testosterone compared to placebo in the number of cardiovascular events. The incidence of breast cancer also will be tracked over the course of the study.
In addition to the Phase III cardiovascular and breast cancer safety study, BioSante is conducting two LibiGel Phase III efficacy trials. The Phase III efficacy trials of LibiGelin the treatment of FSD are double-blind, placebo-controlled trials that will enroll up to approximately 500 surgically menopausal women each for a six-month clinical trial. The efficacy trials are being conducted under an FDA approved SPA (special protocol assessment agreement).
As previously announced by BioSante, treatment with LibiGelin a Phase II clinical trial significantly increased satisfying sexual events in surgically menopausal women suffering from FSD. The Phase II trial results showed LibiGel significantly increased the number of satisfying sexual events by 238 percent versus baseline (p<0.0001); this increase also was significant versus placebo (p<0.05). In this study, the effective dose of LibiGel produced testosterone blood levels within the normal range for pre-menopausal women and had a safety profile similar to that observed in the placebo group. In addition, no serious adverse events and no discontinuations due to adverse events occurred in any subject receiving LibiGel. The Phase II clinical trial was a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted in the United States, in surgically menopausal women distressed by their low sexual desire and activity.
About BioSante Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
BioSante is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing products for female sexual health, menopause, contraception and male hypogonadism. BioSante's lead products include LibiGel® (transdermal testosterone gel) in Phase III clinical development by BioSante under a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) SPA (Special Protocol Assessment) for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction (FSD), and ElestrinTM (estradiol gel) developed through FDA approval by BioSante, indicated for the treatment of moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, currently marketed in the U.S. The gel formulation used in LibiGel is licensed from Antares Pharma, Inc. Also in development are Bio-T-GelTM, a testosterone gel for male hypogonadism, and an oral contraceptive in Phase II clinical development using BioSante patented technology. The current market in the U.S. for estrogen and testosterone products is approximately $2.5 billion and for oral contraceptives approximately $3 billion. The company also is developing its calcium phosphate technology (CaP) for aesthetic medicine (BioLookTM), as a vaccine adjuvant, including for an H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, and drug delivery. Additional information is available online at: www.biosantepharma.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The statements regarding BioSante contained in this news release that are not historical in nature, particularly those that utilize future dates and terminology such as "will," "potential", "could," "can," "believe," "intends," "continue," "plans," "expects," "estimates" or comparable terminology, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions, and entail various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Important factors known to BioSante that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements include BioSante's need for and ability to obtain additional financing, the difficulty of developing pharmaceutical products, obtaining regulatory and other approvals and achieving market acceptance; the marketing success of BioSante's licensees or sublicensees; the success of clinical testing, and other factors identified and discussed from time to time in BioSante's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors discussed in BioSante's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, which discussions are incorporated herein by reference. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. BioSante undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.