SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Genentech, a member of the Roche Group (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY), today announced new three-year data from the FIREFISH study, including one-year data from the open label extension, reinforcing the long-term efficacy and safety of Evrysdi^® (risdiplam) in infants with symptomatic Type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The data showed an estimated 91% of infants (n=58) treated with Evrysdi were alive after three years of treatment. The Evrysdi-treated infants continued to improve or maintain motor functions, including the ability to swallow, sit without support, stand with support and walk while holding on, between two and three years of treatment. Without treatment, children with Type 1 SMA are never able to sit without support. The study also showed overall continued reductions in serious adverse events (SAEs) and hospitalizations over time.

The FIREFISH study evaluated the efficacy and safety of Evrysdi in infants aged 1-7 months at the time of enrollment with Type 1 SMA. The study was in two parts, with Part 1 being the dose-finding period and Part 2 evaluating the efficacy and safety at the dose selected in Part 1. The pooled population includes participants treated with Evrysdi at the approved dose for a minimum of three years. These long-term data will be presented at the 14th European Paediatric Neurology Society (EPNS) Congress, April 28 – May 2, 2022.

“These long-term results in babies treated with Evrysdi are very encouraging, with the vast majority improving or maintaining motor functions after three years. Without treatment, they would typically not survive beyond two years of age,” said Levi Garraway, M.D., Ph.D., Genentech’s chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “Support for the compelling efficacy of Evrysdi continues to grow for a broad range of people, including infants with one of the most severe forms of SMA.”

Infants treated with Evrysdi maintained or continued to improve in their ability to sit without support between 24-36 months. Among the infants with an available assessment (n=48) treated with Evrysdi, 32 infants maintained and 4 gained the ability to sit without support for at least 5 seconds since month 24, as assessed by the Gross Motor Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development Third Edition (BSID-III). In addition, 20 infants maintained and 15 gained the ability to sit without support for at least 30 seconds. No infant who gained the ability to sit without support lost this ability after three years of treatment. The majority of infants treated with Evrysdi maintained the ability to feed orally and swallow up to month 36.

Most of the infants treated with Evrysdi continued to improve or maintain measures of the Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination 2 (HINE-2) between 24-36 months, including being able to hold their heads upright (36 maintained, 3 gained and none lost the ability since month 24), pivot while sitting (15 maintained, 11 gained and none lost the ability), stand with support (6 maintained, 5 gained and 1 lost the ability) and walk while holding on (1 maintained, 2 gained and none lost the ability).

The most common adverse events (AEs) were pyrexia (60%), upper respiratory tract infection (57%), pneumonia (43%), constipation (26%), nasopharyngitis (24%), diarrhea (21%), rhinitis (19%), vomiting (19%) and cough (17%). The most common SAEs were pneumonia (36%), respiratory distress (10%), viral pneumonia (9%), acute respiratory failure (5%) and respiratory failure (5%). The rate of AEs, including pneumonia, continued to decrease over time. The rate of SAEs similarly decreased, with a reduction of approximately 50% after each 12-month treatment period and a 78% reduction between the first and third year of treatment. All AEs and SAEs reported were reflective of the underlying disease and there were no treatment-related AEs leading to withdrawal or treatment discontinuation. The rate of hospitalizations decreased from 1.24 hospitalizations per patient year over 12 months to 0.70 hospitalizations over 36 months. No additional deaths have occurred since the primary analysis of FIREFISH, up to the data cut-off of this analysis (November 23, 2021).

Genentech leads the clinical development of Evrysdi as part of a collaboration with the SMA Foundation and PTC Therapeutics.

About Evrysdi^® (risdiplam)

Evrysdi is a survival motor neuron 2 (SMN2) splicing modifier designed to treat SMA caused by mutations in chromosome 5q that lead to survival motor neuron (SMN) protein deficiency. Evrysdi is administered daily at home in liquid form by mouth or by feeding tube.

Evrysdi is designed to treat SMA by increasing and sustaining the production of SMN protein in the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral tissues as demonstrated in animal models. SMN protein is found throughout the body and is critical for maintaining healthy motor neurons and movement.

Evrysdi was granted PRIME designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2018 and Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2017. In 2021 Evrysdi was awarded Drug Discovery of the Year by the British Pharmacological Society as well as the Society for Medicines Research award for Drug Discovery. Evrysdi is currently approved in 76 countries and the dossier is under review in a further 29 countries.

Evrysdi is currently being evaluated in five multicenter trials in people with SMA:

• FIREFISH (NCT02913482) – an open-label, two-part pivotal clinical trial in infants with Type 1 SMA. Part 1 was a dose-escalation study in 21 infants with the primary objective of assessing the safety profile of Evrysdi in infants and determining the dose for Part 2. Part 2 is a pivotal, single-arm study of Evrysdi in 41 infants with Type 1 SMA treated for two years, followed by an open-label extension. Enrollment for Part 2 was completed in November 2018. The primary objective of Part 2 was to assess efficacy as measured by the proportion of infants sitting without support after 12 months of treatment, as assessed by the Gross Motor Scale of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition (BSID-III) (defined as sitting without support for 5 seconds). The study met its primary endpoint.
• SUNFISH (NCT02908685) – SUNFISH is a two-part, double-blind, placebo-controlled pivotal study in people aged 2-25 years with Types 2 or 3 SMA. Part 1 (n=51) determined the dose for the confirmatory Part 2. Part 2 (n=180) evaluated motor function using the total score of Motor Function Measure 32 (MFM-32) at 12 months. MFM-32 is a validated scale used to evaluate fine and gross motor function in people with neurological disorders, including SMA. The study met its primary endpoint.
• JEWELFISH (NCT03032172) – an open-label exploratory trial designed to assess the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) in people with SMA aged 6 months to 60 years who received other investigational or approved SMA therapies for at least 90 days prior to receiving Evrysdi. The study has completed recruitment (n=174).
• RAINBOWFISH (NCT03779334) – an open-label, single-arm, multicenter study, investigating the efficacy, safety, PK and PD of Evrysdi in babies (~n=25), from birth to six weeks of age (at first dose) with genetically diagnosed SMA who are not yet presenting with symptoms. The study is fully enrolled.
• MANATEE (NCT05115110) – a global phase 2/3 clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of GYM329 (RO7204239), an anti-myostatin molecule targeting muscle growth, in combination with Evrysdi for the treatment of SMA in patients 2-10 years of age. The FDA Office of Orphan Products Development granted GYM329 Orphan Drug Designation for the treatment of patients with SMA in December 2021. The study is commencing recruitment in Q2 2022.

About SMA

SMA is a severe, progressive neuromuscular disease that can be fatal. It affects approximately one in 10,000 babies and is the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. SMA is caused by a mutation of the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, which leads to a deficiency of SMN protein. This protein is found throughout the body and is essential to the function of nerves that control muscles and movement. Without it, nerve cells cannot function correctly, leading to muscle weakness over time. Depending on the type of SMA, an individual’s physical strength and their ability to walk, eat or breathe can be significantly diminished or lost.

What is Evrysdi?

Evrysdi is a prescription medicine used to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in adults and children 2 months of age and older.

It is not known if Evrysdi is safe and effective in children under 2 months of age.

Important Safety Information

• Before taking Evrysdi, patients should tell their healthcare provider about all of their medical conditions, including if they:
  • are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. If patients are pregnant, or are planning to become pregnant, they should ask their healthcare provider for advice before taking this medicine. Evrysdi may harm one’s unborn baby.
  • are a woman who can become pregnant:
    • Before patients start their treatment with Evrysdi, their healthcare provider may test them for pregnancy. Because Evrysdi may harm one’s unborn baby, one’s healthcare provider will decide if taking Evrysdi is right for them during this time
    • Patients should talk to their healthcare provider about birth control methods that may be right for them. Patients should use birth control while on treatment and for at least 1 month after stopping Evrysdi
  • are an adult male planning to have children: Evrysdi may affect a man’s ability to have children (fertility). If this is of concern to patients, they should make sure to ask a healthcare provider for advice
  • are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Evrysdi passes into breast milk and may harm one’s baby. If patients plan to breastfeed, they should discuss with their healthcare provider about the best way to feed one’s baby while on treatment with Evrysdi
• Patients should tell their healthcare provider about all the medicines they take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Patients should keep a list of them to show their healthcare provider and pharmacist when they get a new medicine
• Patients should receive Evrysdi from the pharmacy as a liquid that can be given by mouth or through a feeding tube. The liquid solution is prepared by the patient’s pharmacist. If the medicine in the bottle is a powder, do not use it. The patient should contact their pharmacist for a replacement
• Avoid getting Evrysdi on one’s skin or in one’s eyes. If Evrysdi gets on one’s skin, wash the area with soap and water. If Evrysdi gets in one’s eyes, rinse one’s eyes with water
• The most common side effects of Evrysdi include:
  • For later-onset SMA:
    • fever
    • diarrhea
    • rash
  • For infantile-onset SMA:
    • fever
    • diarrhea
    • rash
    • runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, and cough (upper respiratory infection)
    • lung infection
    • constipation
    • vomiting

These are not all of the possible side effects of Evrysdi. For more information on the risk and benefits profile of Evrysdi, patients should ask their healthcare provider or pharmacist.

Patients may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or http://www.fda.gov/medwatch. Patients may also report side effects to Genentech at 1-888-835-2555.

Please see the full Prescribing Information for additional Important Safety Information.

About Genentech in Neuroscience

Neuroscience is a major focus of research and development at Genentech. Our goal is to pursue groundbreaking science to develop new treatments that help improve the lives of people with chronic and potentially devastating diseases.

Genentech and Roche are investigating more than a dozen medicines for neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Together with our partners, we are committed to pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding to solve some of the most difficult challenges in neuroscience today.

About Genentech

Founded more than 40 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious and life-threatening medical conditions. The company, a member of the Roche Group, has headquarters in South San Francisco, California. For additional information about the company, please visit http://www.gene.com.

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