Bayer to Present Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Data at the 2017 Annual Meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians

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Oct 24, 2017, 09:00 ET

WHIPPANY, N.J., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer announced today that data from its pulmonary disease franchise will be presented in scientific sessions at the 2017 annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST 2017), October 28 – November 1 in Toronto, Canada. The presentations include two oral scientific sessions about new analyses of the RESPITE (Riociguat clinical Effects Studied in Patients with Insufficient Treatment response to PDE-5 inhibitors) study investigating the clinical effects of riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The RESPITE study is a part of the collaboration between Bayer and MSD (known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada).

"These data provide us with further understanding about management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who are having difficulty reaching or maintaining their therapeutic goal," said Aleksandra Vlajnic, M.D., vice president of medical affairs at Bayer. "Bayer is committed to continuing research that adds to the growing body of knowledge that helps inform potential treatment strategies for this progressive and life-shortening disease."

The presentations being made are:

Effect of Riociguat on Pulmonary Arterial Compliance in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in the RESPITE study

Date/Time: Tue, October 31st, 3:30 PM - 3:45 PM
Location: Convention Center - 603
Presenter: Thenappan Thenappan, M.D., University of Minnesota

The Relationship of Hemodynamics and Exercise Capacity with Response to Riociguat Therapy in the RESPITE Study of PAH Patients with an Insufficient Response to Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors

Date/Time: Tue, October 31st, 3:45 PM – 4:00 PM
Location: Convention Center - 603
Presenter: Raymond L. Benza, M.D., Allegheny General Hospital

About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is defined by elevated pressure in the arteries going from the right side of the heart to the lungs.ⁱ Typical symptoms of PAH include shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue, weakness, chest pain and syncope.ⁱⁱ PAH is caused by abnormalities in the walls of the pulmonary arteries.^i,iii

The presentations include data on riociguat, which is marketed as Adempas® in the U.S. Since October 2014, the worldwide strategic collaboration between Bayer and MSD (known as Merck in the U.S. and Canada) in the field of sGC modulators, brings together the two leading companies in this field, who both have the stated intent to make full use of this promising class of compounds and the potential it holds for the benefit of patients. Riociguat, the first sGC stimulator approved and made available to patients, is the first product which is part of this collaboration.

About Adempas^® (riociguat)
Riociguat, licensed in the U.S. as Adempas, is a stimulator of soluable guanylate cyclase (sGC) and is the only treatment approved in the U.S. for use in two types of pulmonary hypertension (WHO Groups 1 and 4).

INDICATIONS

Adempas (riociguat) tablets is indicated for the treatment of adults with persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), (WHO Group 4) after surgical treatment, or inoperable CTEPH, to improve exercise capacity and WHO functional class.
Adempas is indicated for the treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), (WHO Group 1), to improve exercise capacity, WHO functional class and to delay clinical worsening.*

Efficacy was shown in patients on Adempas monotherapy or in combination with endothelin receptor antagonists or prostanoids. Studies establishing effectiveness included predominantly patients with WHO functional class II–III and etiologies of idiopathic or heritable PAH (61%) or PAH associated with connective tissue diseases (25%).

*Time to clinical worsening was a combined endpoint defined as death (all-cause mortality), heart/lung transplantation, atrial septostomy, hospitalization due to persistent worsening of pulmonary hypertension, start of new PAH-specific treatment, persistent decrease in 6MWD and persistent worsening of WHO functional class.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

WARNING: EMBRYO-FETAL TOXICITY

Do not administer Adempas (riociguat) tablets to a pregnant female because it may cause fetal harm.

Females of reproductive potential: Exclude pregnancy before the start of treatment, monthly during treatment, and 1 month after stopping treatment. Prevent pregnancy during treatment and for one month after stopping treatment by using acceptable methods of contraception.

For all female patients, Adempas is available only through a restricted program called the Adempas Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program.

Contraindications

Adempas is contraindicated in:

Pregnancy. Adempas may cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman. Adempas was consistently shown to have teratogenic effects when administered to animals. If this drug is used during pregnancy, or if the patient becomes pregnant while taking this drug, the patient should be apprised of the potential hazard to the fetus
Co-administration with nitrates or nitric oxide donors (such as amyl nitrite) in any form.
Concomitant administration with specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) -5 inhibitors (such as sildenafil, tadalafil, or vardenafil) or nonspecific PDE inhibitors (such as dipyridamole or theophylline) is contraindicated. Do not administer within 24 hours of sildenafil. Do not administer 24 hours before or within 48 hours after tadalafil.
Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias (PH-IIP).

Warnings and Precautions

Embryo-Fetal Toxicity. Adempas may cause fetal harm when administered during pregnancy and is contraindicated for use in women who are pregnant. In females of reproductive potential, exclude pregnancy prior to initiation of therapy, advise use of acceptable contraception and obtain monthly pregnancy tests. For females, Adempas is only available through a restricted program under the Adempas REMS Program.

Adempas REMS Program. Females can only receive Adempas through the Adempas REMS Program, a restricted distribution program.

Important requirements of the Adempas REMS program include the following:

Prescribers must be certified with the program by enrolling and completing training.
All females, regardless of reproductive potential, must enroll in the Adempas REMS Program prior to initiating Adempas. Male patients are not enrolled in the Adempas REMS Program.
Female patients of reproductive potential must comply with the pregnancy testing and contraception requirements.
Pharmacies must be certified with the program and must only dispense to patients who are authorized to receive Adempas.

Further information, including a list of certified pharmacies, is available at www.AdempasREMS.com or 1-855-4ADEMPAS.

Hypotension. Adempas reduces blood pressure. Consider the potential for symptomatic hypotension or ischemia in patients with hypovolemia, severe left ventricular outflow obstruction, resting hypotension, autonomic dysfunction, or concomitant treatment with antihypertensives or strong CYP and P-gp/BCRP inhibitors. Consider a dose reduction if patient develops signs or symptoms of hypotension.

Bleeding. In the placebo-controlled clinical trials, serious bleeding occurred in 2.4% of patients taking Adempas compared to 0% of placebo patients. Serious hemoptysis occurred in 5 (1%) patients taking Adempas compared to 0 placebo patients, including one event with fatal outcome. Serious hemorrhagic events also included 2 patients with vaginal hemorrhage, 2 with catheter site hemorrhage, and 1 each with subdural hematoma, hematemesis, and intra-abdominal hemorrhage.

Pulmonary Veno-Occlusive Disease. Pulmonary vasodilators may significantly worsen the cardiovascular status of patients with pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD). Therefore, administration of Adempas to such patients is not recommended. Should signs of pulmonary edema occur, the possibility of associated PVOD should be considered and if confirmed, discontinue treatment with Adempas.

Most Common Adverse Reactions

The most common adverse reactions occurring more frequently (>3%) on Adempas than placebo were headache (27% vs 18%), dyspepsia/gastritis (21% vs. 8%), dizziness (20% vs 13%), nausea (14% vs 11%), diarrhea (12% vs 8%), hypotension (10% vs 4%), vomiting (10% vs 7%), anemia (7% vs 2%), gastroesophageal reflux disease (5% vs 2%), and constipation (5% vs 1%).

Other events that were seen more frequently in Adempas compared to placebo and potentially related to treatment were: palpitations, nasal congestion, epistaxis, dysphagia, abdominal distension and peripheral edema.

For important risk and use information, please see the full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning, at: http://labeling.bayerhealthcare.com/html/products/pi/Adempas_PI.pdf

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2016, the Group employed around 115,200 people and had sales of EUR 46.8 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.6 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.7 billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6, 2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

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ⁱ Rosenkranz S. Pulmonary hypertension: current diagnosis and treatment. Clin Res Cardiol. 2007;96(8):527-541.
ⁱⁱ McKenna SP et al. The Cambridge Pulmonary Hypertension Outcome Review (CAMPHOR): a measure of health-related quality of life and quality of life for patients with pulmonary hypertension. Qual Life Res 2006;15(1):103-115.
ⁱⁱⁱ Galiè, N et al. A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Eur Heart J 2009;30:394-403.

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SOURCE Bayer