Biohaven Delivers Positive Phase 3 Results with Rimegepant Zydis ODT

Biohaven announced positive topline results from a randomized, controlled Phase 3 clinical trial (BHV3000-303 or Study 303) evaluating the efficacy and safety of its Zydis orally dissolving tablet (ODT) formulation of rimegepant, an oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist, for the acute treatment of migraine. In Study 303, rimegepant Zydis ODT statistically differentiated from placebo on the two co-primary endpoints as well as the first 21 consecutive primary and secondary outcome measures that were prespecified in hierarchical testing. Consistent with the two previous Phase 3 clinical trials, Study 303 met its co-primary registrational endpoints of pain freedom and freedom from most bothersome symptom (MBS) at 2 hours using a single dose. Importantly, patients treated with the rimegepant Zydis ODT formulation began to numerically separate from placebo on pain relief as early as 15 minutes, and this difference was statistically significant at 60 minutes (p < 0.0001). Additionally, a significantly greater percentage of patients treated with rimegepant Zydis ODT returned to normal functioning by 60 minutes as compared to placebo (p = 0.0025). Lasting clinical benefit was observed through 48 hours after a single dose of rimegepant on freedom from pain (p < 0.0001), pain relief (p < 0.0001), freedom from the most bothersome symptom (p = 0.0018), and freedom from functional disability (p < 0.0001). Superiority over placebo was also demonstrated in multiple other secondary endpoints. The vast majority of patients treated with rimegepant Zydis ODT (85%) did not use any rescue medications.

"Fast-acting and long-lasting pain relief in an easy to use formulation is important to patients. Rimegepant provides these characteristics and we believe is the first oral CGRP receptor antagonist to report superiority over placebo on pain relief and return to normal functioning by 60 minutes," Vlad Coric, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Biohaven, said. "These results, combined with the previous data from the two prior Phase 3 trials, reinforce the potential of rimegepant to be an important new and differentiated option for the acute treatment of migraine."

The double-blind, randomized, multicenter, Phase 3 outpatient trial treated 1,375 patients across sites in the United States. Patients were required to have at least a one-year history of migraine (with or without aura), consistent with a diagnosis according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders. The trial was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rimegepant Zydis ODT formulation compared with placebo in the acute treatment of migraine. Patients were given a single 75 mg dose of rimegepant Zydis ODT or a matching placebo. They were instructed to take their study medication when they had a migraine which reached moderate or severe pain intensity.

"Migraine is a serious, incapacitating, and highly prevalent neurological disease affecting 15% of the population. People with migraine miss work and lose time with their families because of disabling pain and associated symptoms," Richard B. Lipton, M.D., Professor and Vice Chair of Neurology, and Director of the Montefiore Headache Center, at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine said. "The most widely used acute prescription drugs, triptans, have cardiovascular contraindications, do not work in everyone and have been associated with high recurrence rates in those who respond. Rimegepant Zydis ODT formulation is rapidly absorbed and has a long half-life. It is gratifying to see the attractive pharmacokinetic profile deliver on its promise in a randomized trial. If approved, rimegepant could potentially play an important role in helping people with migraine find relief from their pain and get back to what they need to do in their lives."

Additional secondary and exploratory outcome measures from this study are anticipated to be presented at upcoming scientific meetings in 2019.

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