Release Details

Data included from first and only Phase 3 trial specifically evaluating a biologic in this difficult-to-treat population

Phase 3 trial showed more than twice as many patients treated with Dupixent achieved clear or almost clear skin and nearly four times as many had improvement in itch, compared with placebo

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. and PARIS, Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: REGN) and Sanofi today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has updated the label for Dupixent^® (dupilumab) in atopic dermatitis, adding efficacy and safety data for patients aged 12 years and older with atopic dermatitis with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe hand and/or foot involvement. These Phase 3 data are from the first and only trial evaluating a biologic specifically for this difficult-to-treat population and have also been added to the Dupixent label in the European Union, with regulatory submissions underway in additional countries.

“We rely heavily on our hands and feet throughout the day, making atopic dermatitis particularly disruptive for patients who experience constant itch and painful cracking and bleeding skin lesions on these critical areas of the body,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron, and a principal inventor of Dupixent. “Dupixent has been used to treat hundreds of thousands of patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis around the world since its initial U.S. approval in 2017, and we are pleased that Dupixent is now the first biologic with data in the label supporting its use in this particularly challenging subset of the disease.”

“Living with atopic dermatitis on your most essential body areas like the hands and feet can make daily activities including walking and writing incredibly burdensome even in the case where disease symptoms are mild elsewhere. Unfortunately, treating atopic dermatitis on the hands and feet has historically been difficult and there have been no Phase 3 trials evaluating a biologic in this population of patients,” said Naimish Patel, M.D., Head of Global Development, Immunology and Inflammation at Sanofi. “Having these data added for this difficult-to-treat population is important for physicians looking for tools to treat these patients and reinforces the already well-established efficacy and safety of Dupixent in atopic dermatitis overall.”

The label update is based on data from the Phase 3 LIBERTY-AD-HAFT trial. In the trial, patients received Dupixent (n=67) every two weeks (adults 300 mg, adolescents 200 mg or 300 mg based on body weight) or placebo (n=66). At 16 weeks, patients treated with Dupixent experienced the following:

• 40% achieved clear or almost clear skin on hands and feet compared to 17% with placebo, the primary endpoint
• 52% saw a clinically meaningful reduction in itch on hands and feet compared to 14% with placebo, the key secondary endpoint

The safety results were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in atopic dermatitis. Most common adverse events (AEs) observed with Dupixent (≥1%) in atopic dermatitis include injection site reactions, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, oral herpes, keratitis, eye pruritus, other herpes simplex virus infection, dry eye and eosinophilia.

About the Clinical Trial
The Phase 3 double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, LIBERTY-AD-HAFT, evaluated the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in 133 adult and adolescent (aged 12 to 17 years) patients with atopic dermatitis with moderate-to-severe hand and/or foot involvement who had an inadequate response or intolerance to topical corticosteroids. Patients with hand and foot disease predominantly driven by allergic or irritant contact dermatitis were excluded from the trial.

The primary endpoint evaluated the proportion of patients with clear or almost clear skin of hand and feet eczema at 16 weeks, as measured by a score of 0 or 1 on the Investigator Global Assessment Scale. The key secondary endpoint measured the proportion of patients with improvement in itch on hands and feet from baseline (measured by a ≥4-point reduction in Peak-Pruritis Numeric Rating Scale [PP-NRS] on a 0-10 scale) at 16 weeks.

About Dupixent
Dupixent, which was invented using Regeneron's proprietary VelocImmune^® technology, is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the signaling of the interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-13 (IL-13) pathways and is not an immunosuppressant. The Dupixent development program has shown significant clinical benefit and a decrease in type 2 inflammation in Phase 3 trials, establishing that IL-4 and IL-13 are key and central drivers of the type 2 inflammation that plays a major role in multiple related and often co-morbid diseases. These diseases include approved indications for Dupixent, such as atopic dermatitis, asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) and prurigo nodularis.

Dupixent has received regulatory approvals in one or more countries around the world for use in certain patients with atopic dermatitis, asthma, CRSwNP, EoE or prurigo nodularis in different age populations. Dupixent is currently approved for one or more of these indications in more than 60 countries, including in Europe, the U.S. and Japan. More than 800,000 patients are being treated with Dupixent globally.

About Regeneron’s VelocImmune Technology 
Regeneron's VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron's co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite^® technologies. Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create a substantial proportion of all original, FDA-approved or authorized fully human monoclonal antibodies. This includes REGEN-COV^® (casirivimab and imdevimab), Dupixent, Libtayo^® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent^® (alirocumab), Kevzara^® (sarilumab), Evkeeza^® (evinacumab-dgnb) and Inmazeb^® (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn).

Dupilumab Development Program
Dupilumab is being jointly developed by Regeneron and Sanofi under a global collaboration agreement. To date, dupilumab has been studied across more than 60 clinical trials involving more than 10,000 patients with various chronic diseases driven in part by type 2 inflammation. 

In addition to the currently approved indications, Regeneron and Sanofi are studying dupilumab in a broad range of diseases driven by type 2 inflammation or other allergic processes in Phase 3 trials, including pediatric EoE, chronic spontaneous urticaria, chronic pruritus of unknown origin, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with evidence of type 2 inflammation and bullous pemphigoid. These potential uses of dupilumab are currently under clinical investigation, and the safety and efficacy in these conditions have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

U.S. INDICATIONS

DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used: 

• to treat adults and children 6 months of age and older with moderate-to-severe eczema (atopic dermatitis or AD) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies. DUPIXENT can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with atopic dermatitis under 6 months of age. 
• with other asthma medicines for the maintenance treatment of moderate-to-severe eosinophilic or oral steroid dependent asthma in adults and children 6 years of age and older whose asthma is not controlled with their current asthma medicines. DUPIXENT helps prevent severe asthma attacks (exacerbations) and can improve your breathing. DUPIXENT may also help reduce the amount of oral corticosteroids you need while preventing severe asthma attacks and improving your breathing. DUPIXENT is not used to treat sudden breathing problems. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with asthma under 6 years of age. 
• with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis under 18 years of age. 
• to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older, who weigh at least 88 pounds (40 kg), with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with eosinophilic esophagitis under 12 years of age and who weigh less than 88 pounds (40 kg). 
• to treat adults with prurigo nodularis (PN). It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with prurigo nodularis under 18 years of age. 
  

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION 

Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT^®. 

Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you: 

• have eye problems. 
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection. 
• are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.  
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby. 
  • A pregnancy registry for women who take DUPIXENT during pregnancy collects information about the health of you and your baby. To enroll or get more information call 1-877-311-8972 or go to https://mothertobaby.org/ongoing-study/dupixent/. 
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk. 

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the- counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.   

Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines; have asthma and use an asthma medicine; or have atopic dermatitis, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, eosinophilic esophagitis, or prurigo nodularis and also have asthma. Do not change or stop your corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine to come back. 

DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including: 

• Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, joint pain, general ill feeling, itching, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, or cramps in your stomach-area.  
• Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an exam if needed. 
• Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs, or persistent fever. 
• Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.   

The most common side effects include: 

• Eczema: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, dry eye, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia). 
• Asthma: injection site reactions, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), pain in the throat (oropharyngeal pain), and parasitic (helminth) infections. 
• Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyposis: injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), gastritis, joint pain (arthralgia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), and toothache. 
• Eosinophilic Esophagitis: injection site reactions, upper respiratory tract infections, cold sores in your mouth or on your lips, and joint pain (arthralgia). 
• Prurigo Nodularis: eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, herpes virus infections, common cold symptoms (nasopharyngitis), dizziness, muscle pain, and diarrhea. 
  

Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088. 

Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider. In children 12 years of age and older, it’s recommended DUPIXENT be administered by or under supervision of an adult. In children 6 months to less than 12 years of age, DUPIXENT should be given by a caregiver. 

Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information. 

About Regeneron 
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for over 35 years by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous FDA-approved treatments and product candidates in development, almost all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases. 

Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through our proprietary VelociSuite^® technologies, such as VelocImmune^®, which uses unique genetically humanized mice to produce optimized fully human antibodies and bispecific antibodies, and through ambitious research initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center, which is conducting one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world. 

For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on LinkedIn. 

About Sanofi
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.

Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN and NASDAQ: SNY.
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