CHMP recommends inclusion of Bydureon BCise device with indication for the drug in treating type 2 diabetes.- AstraZeneca.

AstraZeneca announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion, recommending inclusion of Bydureon (2mg prolonged-release suspension for injection) BCise device as a new formulation within the marketing authorisation for Bydureon (exenatide extended-release) for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. The new formulation of once-weekly Bydureon is an improved single-dose, pre-filled pen device which, in combination with other glucose-lowering medicines including basal insulin, aims to help improve glycaemic control in adults with type-2 diabetes whose blood sugar levels are inadequately controlled by other glucose-lowering medicines together with diet and exercise.

The CHMP recommendation is based on the clinical trials DURATION-NEO-1 and NEO-2. DURATION-NEO-1 is a 28-week, randomised, open-label, comparator-controlled trial (n=375), which showed that once-weekly Bydureon demonstrated an HbA1c reduction of 1.4% vs 1.0% for twice-daily Byetta (exenatide) injection at 28 weeks (baseline HbA1c 8.5% and 8.4%, respectively). Additionally, Bydureon administered once weekly via the BCise device demonstrated a mean weight reduction of -1.5 Kg as monotherapy, vs. -1.9 Kg (baseline was 97 Kg) when combined with certain oral antidiabetic medicines. This new formulation of once-weekly Bydureon (2mg prolonged-release suspension for injection) for the BCise device is approved by the US FDA.

Comment: Bydureon BCise is an improved pre-filled, once-weekly, single-use pen. It competes with other injectable GLP-1 agonists including Victoza (once-daily) and Trulicity (once-weekly).