Cephalon Provides Update on Regulatory Review of NUVIGIL for the Treatment of Excessive Sleepiness Associated with Jet Lag Disorder
Company Expects FDA Decision by End of First Quarter 2010
FRAZER, Pa., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cephalon, Inc. (Nasdaq: CEPH) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the action date to March 29, 2010, for its review of the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for NUVIGIL® (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV]. The sNDA is for the indication of improved wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with jet lag disorder due to eastbound travel.
"We will continue to work closely with the FDA to assist them in completing their review of our application in a timely manner and do not anticipate any further delays beyond the March 29, 2010, action date," said Dr. Lesley Russell, Chief Medical Officer at Cephalon. "We remain excited about this opportunity as there are no medications approved by the FDA to treat excessive sleepiness associated with eastbound jet lag disorder."
This sNDA for NUVIGIL was filed with the FDA on June 29, 2009, and given the action date of December 29, 2009, under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA). The company submitted additional information within 90 days of the assigned action date. Subsequently, the FDA informed the company that the agency required more time for a full review of the submission and, therefore, would extend the action date by three months.
About NUVIGIL
NUVIGIL, the longer-lasting isomer of modafinil, was launched in the United States in June 2009. It is indicated to improve wakefulness in patients with excessive sleepiness associated with treated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), shift work disorder (SWD), or narcolepsy. NUVIGIL is not approved as a treatment for jet lag disorder or its associated symptoms. The NUVIGIL label includes a bolded warning for serious or life-threatening rash, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome, that has been reported in adults and children taking modafinil, a racemic mixture of S- and R-modafinil (the latter is armodafinil, the active ingredient in NUVIGIL). NUVIGIL is not approved for use in pediatric patients for any indication.
The most common adverse events in controlled clinical trials (five percent or greater) were headache, nausea, dizziness, and insomnia. Full prescribing information for NUVIGIL is available at www.NUVIGIL.com.
About Cephalon, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Cephalon, Inc. is an international biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and commercialization of many unique products in four core therapeutic areas: central nervous system, inflammatory diseases, pain and oncology. A member of the Fortune 1000 and the S&P 500 Index, 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.