JERSEY CITY, N.J., May 13, 2022  /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved RADICAVA ORS^® (edaravone), the oral form of edaravone, for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a neurodegenerative disease that currently has no cure and can progress rapidly.^1,2 RADICAVA ORS offers the same efficacy as RADICAVA^® (edaravone), an FDA-approved intravenous (IV) treatment shown in a pivotal trial to help slow the loss of physical function in ALS.^1,3

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"At MTPA, patients have been the driving force behind our work as we strive to develop meaningful treatment options for ALS and continue to tackle unmet needs," said Atsushi Fujimoto, President, MTPA. "Five years ago, we proudly launched RADICAVA as a treatment option for patients with ALS in the U.S. Now, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation with RADICAVA ORS, an orally administered option allowing patients flexibility in how they take their medicine."

RADICAVA ORS is specifically formulated for patients with ALS and provides a flexible administration option (taken orally or via feeding tube) with a small, 5 mL dose, a portable bottle, an oral dosing syringe and no need for patients to refrigerate or reconstitute before taking.¹ With appropriate instruction from a healthcare provider (HCP), RADICAVA ORS may take only a few minutes to administer on treatment days.¹ RADICAVA ORS should be taken in the morning after overnight fasting.¹ To learn more about RADICAVA ORS, visit radicava.com/update.

"ALS is a progressive disease that, due to its heterogenous nature, impacts patients at different rates with varying symptoms," said Tulio Bertorini, M.D., Professor of Neurology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. "Therefore, it is crucial that patients have treatment and formulation options that accommodate their own unique needs, and RADICAVA ORS provides HCPs who have prescribed their ALS patients edaravone with an alternate delivery option."

The comprehensive clinical development program for edaravone in ALS has spanned over a decade and included multiple clinical trials for the IV and oral formulations. The FDA approval of RADICAVA ORS is supported by several studies, including data from the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial (MCI186-19) evaluating 137 ALS patients that showed treatment with RADICAVA slowed the loss of physical function by 33 percent (approximately one-third) compared to placebo at 24 weeks, as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R), a validated rating instrument for monitoring disease progression in patients.^1,3,4 Additionally, seven Phase 1 clinical pharmacology studies were conducted to examine the pharmacokinetics, safety, drug-to-drug interactions, dosing, bioavailability and bioequivalence of RADICAVA ORS in healthy individuals and ALS patients with and without a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube/nasogastric (NG) tube, as well as a global Phase 3, 24-week trial demonstrating the safety and tolerability profile of the treatment in 185 patients with ALS.^1,5 Lastly, there is an ongoing Phase 3 study evaluating the long-term safety and tolerability of RADICAVA ORS for up to 96 weeks.⁶

The most common adverse events that occurred in greater than 10 percent of patients treated with RADICAVA were bruising (contusion), problems walking (gait disturbance) and headache.¹ Fatigue was observed in 7.6 percent of patients taking RADICAVA ORS.¹ RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS are contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to edaravone or any of the inactive ingredients of this product.¹ Hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylactic reactions have been reported in patients treated with RADICAVA.¹

"To address the unmet needs in ALS, we must continue to find new treatments, as well as optimize current treatments and care," said Calaneet Balas, President & CEO of The ALS Association. "We thank MTPA and the FDA for working diligently to make this oral formulation possible and are confident it will be a welcome addition to help further support the ALS community."

As a part of MTPA's commitment to helping patients with ALS access RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS, MTPA created the JourneyMate Support Program^™, which provides resources to help patients and caregivers on their ALS treatment journey.

The JourneyMate Support Program^™offers educational support and resources for patients who are considering or have already been prescribed an MTPA product. Experienced program team members are trained to address patient and caregiver educational needs and provide them with personalized answers and resources for living with ALS.

• ALS Resource Specialist: A go-to resource in the JourneyMate Support Program^™ for general information about ALS and RADICAVA ORS.
• Insurance & Access Specialist: This specialist can help patients and caregivers understand insurance coverage, financial support options, site of care, specialty pharmacy options and the steps to accessing a RADICAVA ORS prescription.
• ALS Clinical Educator: Once RADICAVA ORS is prescribed, an ALS Clinical Educator can provide personalized education to patients and their families about RADICAVA ORS and will also provide resources throughout treatment.

This program is here to supplement the resources that a doctor provides. For more information, call 1-866-684-7737 or visit radicava.com/journeymate.

About RADICAVA^® (edaravone) and RADICAVA ORS^® (edaravone)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RADICAVA^® (edaravone) on May 5, 2017, and the oral formulation RADICAVA ORS^® (edaravone) on May 12, 2022, for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). RADICAVA is administered in 28-day cycles by IV infusion. It takes 60 minutes to receive each 60 mg dose. For the initial cycle, the treatment is infused daily for 14 consecutive days, followed by a two-week drug-free period. All cycles thereafter are infused daily for 10 days within a 14-day period, followed by a two-week drug-free period. RADICAVA ORS is taken daily for 14 consecutive days followed by a 14-day drug-free period for the initial treatment cycle. For subsequent treatment cycles, RADICAVA ORS is taken for 10 days within a 14-day period followed by a 14-day drug-free period. RADICAVA ORS should be taken in the morning after overnight fasting. Patients should not eat or drink (except water) within one hour after taking RADICAVA ORS.¹

Edaravone was discovered and developed for ALS by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC) and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Inc (MTDA), commercialized in the U.S. by Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc (MTPA). The MTPC group companies began researching ALS in 2001 through an iterative clinical platform over a 13-year period. In 2015, RADICAVA was approved for the treatment of ALS in Japan and South Korea. Marketing authorizations were subsequently granted in Canada (October 2018), Switzerland (January 2019), China (July 2019), Indonesia (July 2020), Thailand (April 2021) and Malaysia (December 2021). To date, in the U.S., RADICAVA has been used to treat over 6,500 patients, with nearly one-million days of therapy, and has been prescribed by more than 1,600 HCPs.⁷

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Hypersensitivity Reactions
RADICAVA (edaravone) and RADICAVA ORS (edaravone) are contraindicated in patients with a history of hypersensitivity to edaravone or any of the inactive ingredients of this product. Hypersensitivity reactions (redness, wheals, and erythema multiforme) and cases of anaphylaxis (urticaria, decreased blood pressure, and dyspnea) have occurred with RADICAVA.

Patients should be monitored carefully for hypersensitivity reactions. If hypersensitivity reactions occur, discontinue RADICAVA or RADICAVA ORS, treat per standard of care, and monitor until the condition resolves.

Sulfite Allergic Reactions
RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS contain sodium bisulfite, a sulfite that may cause allergic-type reactions, including anaphylactic symptoms and life-threatening or less severe asthmatic episodes in susceptible people. The overall prevalence of sulfite sensitivity in the general population is unknown but occurs more frequently in asthmatic people.

Adverse Reactions
The most common adverse reactions (≥10%) reported in RADICAVA-treated patients were contusion (15%), gait disturbance (13%), and headache (10%). In an open label study, fatigue was also observed in 7.6% of patients receiving RADICAVA ORS.

Pregnancy
Based on animal data, RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS may cause fetal harm.

To report suspected adverse reactions or product complaints, contact Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc., at 1-888-292-0058. You may also report suspected adverse reactions to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

INDICATION
RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS are indicated for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

For more information, including full Prescribing Information, please visit www.RADICAVA.com.

About JourneyMate Support Program™
The JourneyMate Support Program™offers educational support and resources for patients who are considering or have already been prescribed an MTPA product. An ALS Clinical Educator is an educational resource for patients who have been prescribed a Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) product. An ALS Clinical Educator is provided by MTPA and VMS and is not affiliated with or provided by a doctor. An ALS Clinical Educator does not provide medical advice. The program does not provide medical advice and does not take the place of a patient's doctor. All questions about a condition, diagnosis, or treatment should be referred to the patient's doctor. If a patient has a medical emergency, they should call 911. Adverse events or product complaints should be reported by calling 1-888-292-0058.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.
Based in Jersey City, N.J., Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc. (MTPA) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's (MTPC) 100 percent owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. It was established by MTPC to commercialize approved pharmaceutical products in North America. For more information, please visit www.mt-pharma-america.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Inc.
The U.S. headquarters of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Development America, Inc. (MTDA) is located in Jersey City, New Jersey. MTDA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation's 100 percent-owned U.S. holding company, Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Holdings America, Inc. For more information, please visit https://mt-pharma-development-america.com/.

About Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation
Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation (MTPC), the pharma arm of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group (MCHC Group), is one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in the world, founded in 1678, and focusing on ethical pharmaceuticals. MTPC is headquartered in Doshomachi, Osaka, the birthplace of Japan's pharmaceutical industry. The MCHC Group has positioned health care as its strategic focus in its management policy, "Forging the future". MTPC sets the MISSION of "Creating hope for all facing illness". To that end, MTPC is prioritizing work on "precision medicine" to provide drugs with high treatment satisfaction by identifying patient populations with high potential for efficacy and safety, focusing on the disease areas of central nervous system and immuno-inflammation. In addition, MTPC is working to develop "around the pill solutions" to address specific patient concerns based on therapeutic medicine, including prevention of diseases, pre-symptomatic disease care, prevention of aggravation and prognosis. For more information, go to https://www.mt-pharma.co.jp/e/.

Media inquiries:
Lisa Vanella
646-822-6029
Lisa.vanella@syneoshealth.com

MTPA 
Media_MTPA@mt-pharma-us.com

¹ RADICAVA and RADICAVA ORS Prescribing Information. Jersey City, NJ: Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.; 2022.
²"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, June 2013, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Amyotrophic-Lateral-Sclerosis-ALS-Fact-Sheet.
³ Edaravone (MCI-186) ALS 19 Study Group. Safety and efficacy of edaravone in well defined patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2017;16(7):505-512.
⁴ Rutkove SB. Clinical measures of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neurotherapeutics. 2015;12(2):384-393.
⁵ClinicalTrials.gov. 2019. Safety Study of Oral Edaravone Administered in Subjects With ALS. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04165824.
⁶ ClinicalTrials.gov. 2020. Safety Extension Study of Oral Edaravone Administered in Subjects With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04577404.
⁷Data on file. Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.

SOURCE Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America, Inc.