Dutch immunology company argenx says the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for VYVGART (efgartigimod alfa-fcab) as an add-on to standard therapy for the treatment of adult patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) who are anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody positive.
The approval is applicable to all 27 European Union (EU) Member States plus Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein.
argenx said it will work with local health authorities to secure market access for VYVGART across the EU.
About generalized myasthenia gravis
Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a rare and chronic autoimmune disease where IgG autoantibodies disrupt communication between nerves and muscles, causing debilitating and potentially life-threatening muscle weakness. Approximately 85% of people with MG progress to gMG within 24 months, where muscles throughout the body may be affected. Patients with confirmed AChR antibodies account for approximately 85% of the total gMG population.
“Now, for the first time, people living with gMG in the EU will have a treatment option that is targeted to the biology of their disease, well-tolerated, and effective in managing symptoms. We are proud to bring the first-and-only approved FcRn blocker to the EU on the heels of our U.S. and Japan launches, and remain steadfast in our mission to make VYVGART available to patients across the globe,” said Tim Van Hauwermeiren, CEO of argenx.
“We are also committed to supporting broad access to our innovative therapy, and look forward to collaborating with local health authorities to secure sustainable access agreements so we can help alleviate the burden of this debilitating disease for as many eligible patients as possible across the EU.”
Results
The EC approval of VYVGART is based on results from the global Phase 3 ADAPT trial, which were published in the July 2021 issue of The Lancet Neurology. The ADAPT trial met its primary endpoint, demonstrating that significantly more anti-AChR antibody positive gMG patients were responders on the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale following treatment with efgartigimod compared with placebo. Responders were defined as having at least a two-point reduction on the MG-ADL scale sustained for four or more consecutive weeks during the first treatment cycle.
There were also significantly more responders on the quantitative myasthenia gravis (QMG) scale following treatment with efgartigimod compared with placebo. Responders were defined as having at least a three-point reduction on the QMG scale sustained for four or more consecutive weeks during the first treatment cycle.
‘Effective treatment option’
“People living with gMG in the EU have long faced a significant unmet medical need due to limitations of commonly used therapies. The EC approval of VYVGART adds an important new tool for clinicians providing care to these patients with a demonstrated efficacy and safety profile observed in clinical trials,” said Renato Mantegazza, professor at the Department of Neuroimmunology and Neuromuscular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milan, Italy, and ADAPT trial investigator.
“Living with gMG can severely impair a person’s ability to complete basic personal tasks. Now, patients and families living with the devastating impact of this disease have an effective treatment option that may help to significantly improve their quality of life.”
VYVGART is the first-and-only approved FcRn blocker in the U.S. and the EU for the treatment of adult gMG patients who are anti-AChR antibody positive, and in Japan for patients who do not have sufficient response to steroids or non-steroidal immunosuppressive therapies (ISTs).