DUBLIN, Dec. 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a New Drug Application (NDA) for UBRELVY™ (ubrogepant) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. UBRELVY™ is the first and only orally-administered calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist (gepant) for the treatment of migraine attacks once they start. Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by intermittent migraine attacks with symptoms that are often incapacitating. Migraine afflicts 31 million Americans and is the third most common disease and second leading cause of disability worldwide.

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"The FDA's approval of UBRELVY™, a new oral option that is effective in the acute treatment of migraine attacks, is a much-welcomed development for me and for many who care for patients. I can offer my migraine patients a new treatment option that may work for them," said Dr. Peter Goadsby, Neurologist and Professor at King's College, London, and University of California, San Francisco, and a paid consultant for Allergan. "Perhaps even better, I am able to offer a new sense of hope for my patients who struggle for relief from this highly disabling problem."

In clinical trials supporting the FDA's approval, UBRELVY™ provided quick pain relief for the majority of migraine patients. UBRELVY™ also met co-primary endpoints of freedom from pain and freedom from the most bothersome symptom (nausea, hypersensitivity to light, or hypersensitivity to sound), a recent, more stringent standard of efficacy the FDA set in 2018. UBRELVY™ provided lasting relief up to 24 hours as well. UBRELVY™ works in a new way by blocking CGRP, a protein that is released during a migraine attack, from binding to its receptors. It works without constricting blood vessels, which some older treatments are known to do. UBRELVY™ is non-narcotic, not scheduled, and does not have addiction potential. It has been approved with two dose strengths, 50 mg and 100 mg, and is specially designed so healthcare providers can provide a personalized treatment approach for appropriate patients.

"As someone living with migraine for 14 years, my life seems to be on pause when I experience a migraine attack," said Kristin Molacek, UBRELVY™ clinical trial patient. "During the clinical trial, my experience with UBRELVY™ was positive. It relieved the migraine symptoms that bothered me the most without serious side effects. We have needed this type of on-demand oral relief for a very long time, and I look forward to having the ability to better manage my migraine attacks."

"We are extremely pleased that UBRELVY™ is now approved by the FDA. As the first oral gepant, UBRELVY™ offers a new and different type of acute treatment option for people living with the debilitating pain and other symptoms of migraine," said David Nicholson, EVP and Chief R&D Officer, Allergan. "Its oral administration with two dose strengths allows for treatment flexibility and relief when a migraine attack occurs. As we continue to drive innovation in migraine treatment, we are very proud to offer patients another option, and we are confident that it will make a difference for those in need. At Allergan, we believe that migraine patients deserve access to all new medications for this debilitating disease."   

About UBRELVY™ (ubrogepant)
UBRELVY™ (ubrogepant) is a novel, highly potent, orally-administered calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist (gepant) for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults that is an option for a wide range of patients who experience migraine attacks. It works in a new way by blocking CGRP, a protein released during a migraine attack, from binding to its receptors. It works without constricting blood vessels, which some older treatments are known to do. CGRP receptor antagonism is a completely new mechanism of action for the acute treatment of migraine.

The FDA approval for UBRELVY™ is based on four clinical studies (ACHIEVE I, ACHIEVE II, UBR-MD-04 and 3110-105-002), which demonstrated efficacy, safety and tolerability of orally-administered UBRELVY™ in the acute treatment of migraine. The two pivotal Phase 3 clinical trials (ACHIEVE I and ACHIEVE II) established the safety and efficacy profile of UBRELVY™. Both 50 mg and 100 mg dose strengths demonstrated significantly greater rates of pain freedom and freedom from the most bothersome migraine-associated symptom at two hours, compared with placebo.

Nausea was the most common adverse event reported in 1.7-4.1% of patients at various doses during the pivotal studies, compared to 1.6-2.0% of patients who received placebo. There were no serious adverse events within 48 hours of a dose. Additionally, the safety study (UBR-MD-04) reinforced the long-term safety and tolerability of UBRELVY™ for both the 50 mg and 100 mg dose strengths. Our research shows that UBRELVY™ was well tolerated with an adverse event profile similar to placebo.

Visit www.ubrelvy.com for more information.

UBRELVY™ will be available in the first quarter of 2020.

About Migraine  
Migraine is a neurological disease with episodic attacks defined by symptoms such as headache pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea. Migraine is highly prevalent, affecting approximately 31 million Americans, and is associated with significant disability leading to high personal, family, occupational, societal, and economic burden. There has long been a need for new treatments for migraine with improved benefit-risk profiles as compared to current standard of care.

INDICATION

UBRELVY^TM (ubrogepant) is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. UBRELVY™ is not indicated for the preventive treatment of migraine.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Contraindication: Concomitant use of strong CYP3A4 inhibitors (e.g., ketoconazole, itraconazole, clarithromycin). 

Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions were nausea (4%) and somnolence (3%).

Please see link to full Prescribing Information.

About Allergan plc
Allergan plc (NYSE: AGN), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is a global pharmaceutical leader focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing branded pharmaceutical, device, biologic, surgical and regenerative medicine products for patients around the world. Allergan markets a portfolio of leading brands and best-in-class products primarily focused on four key therapeutic areas including medical aesthetics, eye care, central nervous system and gastroenterology. As part of its approach to delivering innovation for better patient care, Allergan has built one of the broadest pharmaceutical and device research and development pipelines in the industry.

With colleagues and commercial operations located in approximately 100 countries, Allergan is committed to working with physicians, healthcare providers and patients to deliver innovative and meaningful treatments that help people around the world live longer, healthier lives every day.

For more information, visit Allergan's website at www.Allergan.com.

About Allergan Leadership in Migraine
Allergan, a leader in the migraine space, markets BOTOX^® (onabotulinumtoxinA), the first FDA-approved, preventive treatment for adult Chronic Migraine (approved 2010) and UBRELVY^™ (ubrogepant), the first FDA-approved oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist (gepant), which is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults. Allergan is also advancing its migraine program with atogepant, an investigational small molecule oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist (gepant) specifically designed for the prevention of migraine. Atogepant is currently in Phase 3 development.

About Allergan MIND™ 
As part of Allergan's ongoing commitment to innovating and inspiring change in the migraine community, the company has established a migraine franchise, Allergan MIND™ (Migraine:  Innovation, Navigation, Discovery), to drive progress and unify its efforts as a worldwide leader in migraine. Allergan MIND™ represents the company's vision and mission to continue advancing science and improving the lives of people living with migraine with treatments, education and support in the pursuit of migraine freedom. This new migraine franchise serves as a center of excellence and catalyst for advancing the dialogue and treatment landscape in migraine, bringing together diverse stakeholders to rally around the latest insights and developments that will impact the future of migraine.

Forward-Looking Statement
Statements contained in this press release that refer to future events or other non-historical facts are forward-looking statements that reflect Allergan's current perspective on existing trends and information as of the date of this release. Actual results may differ materially from Allergan's current expectations depending upon a number of factors affecting Allergan's business. These factors include, among others, the difficulty of predicting the timing or outcome of FDA approvals or actions, if any; the impact of competitive products and pricing; market acceptance of and continued demand for Allergan's products; the impact of uncertainty around timing of generic entry related to key products, including RESTASIS®, on our financial results; risks associated with divestitures, acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures; risks related to impairments; uncertainty associated with financial projections, projected cost reductions, projected debt reduction, projected synergies, restructurings, increased costs, and adverse tax consequences; difficulties or delays in manufacturing; and other risks and uncertainties detailed in Allergan's periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to Allergan's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and Allergan's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended September 30, 2019. Except as expressly required by law, Allergan disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

CONTACTS: Allergan:

Investors:
Manisha Narasimhan, PhD
(862) 261-7162

Media: Lisa Brown
(862) 261-7320

Julie Ciardiello
(732) 429-4909

SOURCE Allergan plc