Amgen Announces Erenumab (AMG 334) Significantly Reduces Patients' Monthly Migraine Days In Phase 2 Study For The Prevention Of Chronic Migraine

Chronic Migraine Study Meets Primary Endpoint, Demonstrating Efficacy and Safety of Erenumab in Patients With Chronic Migraine Over 12 Weeks of Treatment

Erenumab Co-Developed by Amgen and Novartis

News provided by

Amgen

Jun 08, 2016, 04:30 ET

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., June 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced positive top-line results from the global Phase 2 study evaluating the efficacy and safety of erenumab (AMG 334) in chronic migraine prevention. The study met its primary endpoint of change in monthly migraine days. The reduction in migraine days was statistically significant for both the 70 mg and 140 mg doses.

"Migraine is the sixth leading cause of disability worldwide. Three to seven million Americans spend more than half of each month living with the debilitating symptoms of chronic migraine," said Sean E. Harper, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "These positive results are exciting because they add to the growing body of evidence supporting erenumab for the prevention of migraine. We look forward to Phase 3 episodic migraine data later this year."

At baseline, patients enrolled in this study were experiencing approximately 18 migraine days per month. Patients were randomized to receive either placebo, or one of two erenumab doses — 70 mg or 140 mg — subcutaneously, once monthly. Patients experienced a 6.6-day reduction from baseline in monthly migraine days in each of the erenumab treatment arms as compared to a 4.2-day reduction in the placebo arm, a statistically significant reduction in each erenumab treatment arm.

The safety profile of erenumab was similar to placebo across both treatment arms. No adverse event was reported in greater than five percent of patients treated with erenumab; the most common adverse events were injection site pain, upper respiratory tract infection and nausea.

Additional analyses of these data are ongoing and will be submitted to a future medical meeting and for publication.

About the 20120295 Study
The 20120295 study is a global Phase 2, randomized, 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the safety and efficacy of erenumab in chronic migraine prevention. In the study, 667 patients were randomized to receive once-monthly subcutaneous placebo or erenumab (70 mg or 140 mg) in a 3:2:2 ratio, respectively. The primary endpoint was change in monthly migraine days from baseline to the last four weeks of the 12-week treatment phase in patients with chronic migraine (the number of migraine days between weeks 9 and 12). Secondary study endpoints included reduction of at least 50 percent from baseline in monthly migraine days, change from baseline in monthly acute migraine-specific medication days and change from baseline in cumulative monthly headache hours.

About Erenumab
Erenumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody under investigation for the prevention of migraine. Erenumab specifically targets the Calcitonin-Gene-Related-Peptide (CGRP) receptor, which is believed to transmit signals that can cause incapacitating pain. Erenumab is currently under evaluation in several large global, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials to assess its safety and efficacy in migraine prevention.

About Migraine
Migraine involves incapacitating head pain and physical impairment, frequently accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and aura-related sound or other sensory disturbances.¹ Migraine is associated with personal and societal burdens of pain, disability, and financial cost, and it remains under-recognized and under-treated with more than 40 percent of people going undiagnosed.^2,3In the U.S., between three and seven million Americans suffer from chronic migraine, with at least 15 headache days per month with at least eight days being migraine.⁴

About Amgen and Novartis Neuroscience Collaboration
In August 2015, Amgen entered into a global collaboration with Novartis to jointly develop and commercialize pioneering treatments in the field of migraine and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The collaboration focuses on investigational Amgen drugs in the migraine field, including erenumab (currently in Phase 3 studies for episodic migraine and a Phase 2 study for chronic migraine) and AMG 301 (currently in a Phase 1 study for migraine). For the migraine program, Amgen retains commercialization rights in the U.S., Canada and Japan, and Novartis has commercialization rights in Europe and rest of world. Also, the companies are partnering in the development and commercialization of a beta-secretase 1 (BACE) inhibitor program in AD. Novartis' oral therapy CNP520 (currently in a Phase 1/2a study for AD) will be the lead molecule and further compounds from both companies' pre-clinical BACE inhibitor programs may be considered as follow-on molecules.

About Amgen
Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

For more information, visit www.amgen.com and follow us on www.twitter.com/amgen.

Forward Looking Statements
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CONTACT: Amgen, Thousand Oaks
Kristen Davis, 805-447-3008 (media)
Kristen Neese, 805-313-8267 (media)
Arvind Sood, 805-447-1060 (investors)

References
¹ National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Headache: Hope Through Research. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/headache/detail_headache.htm. Accessed June 6, 2016.
²World Health Organization. Headache disorders. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs277/en/. Updated April 2016. Accessed June 6, 2016.
³ Diamond S et al. Patterns of Diagnosis and Acute and Preventive Treatment for Migraine in the United States: Results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study. Headache. 2007; 47(3): 355-63.
⁴ Vimont C. "Chronic Migraine Impacts Entire Family." Practical Pain Management. http://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/patient/conditions/headache/chronic-migraine-impacts-entire-family. Updated November 19, 2015. Accessed June 6, 2016.