NORTH CHICAGO, Ill. and BUDAPEST, Hungary, AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) and Gedeon Richter Plc. (‘Richter’) today announced a new co-development and license agreement to research, develop and commercialize novel dopamine receptor modulators for the potential treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. The collaboration is based on the results of preclinical research carried out by Richter and includes several new chemical entities selected for development. AbbVie and Richter have collaborated for 15 years on Central Nervous System (CNS) projects, including globally launched products such as cariprazine (VRAYLAR® / REAGILA®).
“In collaboration with Richter, we will continue to build on our research that seeks to provide additional insights into our understanding of cariprazine’s clinical pharmacology and explore novel chemistry to identify new dopamine receptor modulators,” said Tom Hudson, MD, senior vice president, R&D, chief scientific officer, AbbVie. “AbbVie is committed to driving progress and finding solutions for patients living with complex neuropsychiatric conditions.”
“I am very pleased to extend our existing co-operation under this new collaboration with AbbVie as it opens the way towards new products that could help alleviate the debilitating psychiatric and cognitive symptoms of many neuropsychiatric conditions, leading to an improved quality of life for patients suffering from these conditions around the world,” said Gábor Orbán, CEO of Richter. “I greatly value AbbVie’s capabilities in the field of development and commercialization of drugs acting on the Central Nervous System and we are looking forward to entering this collaboration on new therapeutic options for patients and doctors.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the collaboration includes both preclinical and clinical R&D activities with shared financing by the parties. Richter will receive an upfront cash payment, along with potential future development, regulatory and commercialization milestones. In addition, Richter may also receive sales-based royalties. AbbVie will have worldwide commercialization rights except for traditional markets of Richter, such as geographic Europe, Russia, other CIS countries and Vietnam.
The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including applicable regulatory approvals.
About AbbVie
AbbVie’s mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people’s lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women’s health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
About Richter
Gedeon Richter Plc. (www.gedeonrichter.com), headquartered in Budapest/Hungary, is a major pharmaceutical company in Central Eastern Europe, with an expanding direct presence in Western Europe, in China and in Latin America. Having reached a market capitalization of EUR 4.4 billion (USD 5.0 billion) by the end of 2021, Richter’s consolidated sales were approximately EUR 1.8 billion (USD 2.1 billion) during the same year. The product portfolio of Richter covers many important therapeutic areas, including Women’s Healthcare, Central Nervous System and Cardiovascular areas. Having the largest R&D unit in Central Eastern Europe, Richter’s original research activity focuses on CNS disorders. With its widely acknowledged steroid chemistry expertise, Richter is a significant player in the Women’s Healthcare field worldwide. Richter is also active in biosimilar product development.
VRAYLAR (cariprazine) U.S. Uses and Important Safety Information1
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
VRAYLAR is a prescription medicine used in adults:
to treat schizophreniafor short-term (acute) treatment of manic or mixed episodes that happen with bipolar I disorderto treat depressive episodes that happen with bipolar I disorder (bipolar depression)
It is not known if VRAYLAR is safe and effective in children.
What is the most important information I should know about VRAYLAR?
Elderly people with dementia-related psychosis (having lost touch with reality due to confusion and memory loss) taking medicines like VRAYLAR are at an increased risk of death. VRAYLAR is not approved for treating patients with dementia-related psychosis.
Antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts or actions in some children and young adults within the first few months of treatment and when the dose is changed. Depression and other serious mental illnesses are the most important causes of suicidal thoughts and actions. Patients on antidepressants and their families or caregivers should watch for new or worsening depression symptoms, especially sudden changes in mood, behaviors, thoughts, or feelings. This is very important when an antidepressant is started or when the dose is changed. Report any change in these symptoms immediately to the doctor.
VRAYLAR may cause serious side effects, including:
Stroke (cerebrovascular problems) in elderly people with dementia-related psychosis that can lead to deathNeuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS): Call your healthcare provider or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away if you have high fever, stiff muscles, confusion, increased sweating, or changes in breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure. These can be symptoms of a rare but potentially fatal side effect called NMS. VRAYLAR should be stopped if you have NMSUncontrolled body movements (tardive dyskinesia or TD): VRAYLAR may cause movements that you cannot control in your face, tongue, or other body parts. Tardive dyskinesia may not go away, even if you stop taking VRAYLAR. Tardive dyskinesia may also start after you stop taking VRAYLARLate-occurring side effects: VRAYLAR stays in your body for a long time. Some side effects may not happen right away and can start a few weeks after starting VRAYLAR, or if your dose increases. Your healthcare provider should monitor you for side effects for several weeks after starting or increasing dose of VRAYLARProblems with your metabolism, such as:High blood sugar and diabetes: Increases in blood sugar can happen in some people who take VRAYLAR. Extremely high blood sugar can lead to coma or death. Your healthcare provider should check your blood sugar before or soon after starting VRAYLAR and regularly during treatment. Tell your healthcare provider if you have symptoms such as feeling very thirsty, very hungry, or sick to your stomach, urinating more than usual, feeling weak, tired, confused, or your breath smells fruityIncreased fat levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) in your blood: Your healthcare provider should check fat levels in your blood before or soon after starting VRAYLAR and during treatmentWeight gain: Weight gain has been reported with VRAYLAR. You and your healthcare provider should check your weight before and regularly during treatmentLow white blood cell count: Low white blood cell counts have been reported with antipsychotic drugs, including VRAYLAR. This may increase your risk of infection. Very low white blood cell counts, which can be fatal, have been reported with other antipsychotics. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests during the first few months of treatment with VRAYLARDecreased blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension): You may feel lightheaded or faint when you rise too quickly from a sitting or lying positionFalls: VRAYLAR may make you sleepy or dizzy, may cause a decrease in blood pressure when changing position (orthostatic hypotension), and can slow thinking and motor skills, which may lead to falls that can cause fractures or other injuriesSeizures (convulsions)Impaired judgment, thinking, and motor skills: Do NOT drive, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how VRAYLAR affects you. VRAYLAR may make you drowsyIncreased body temperature: Do not become too hot or dehydrated during VRAYLAR treatment. Do not exercise too much. In hot weather, stay inside in a cool place if possible. Stay out of the sun. Do not wear too much clothing or heavy clothing. Drink plenty of waterDifficulty swallowing that can cause food or liquid to get into your lungs
Who should not take VRAYLAR?
Do not take VRAYLAR if you are allergic to any of its ingredients. Get emergency medical help if you are having an allergic reaction (eg, rash, itching, hives, swelling of the tongue, lip, face or throat).
What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking VRAYLAR?
Tell your healthcare provider about any medical conditions and if you:
have or have had heart problems or a strokehave or have had low or high blood pressurehave or have had diabetes or high blood sugar in you or your familyhave or have had high levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, or triglycerides; or low levels of HDL-cholesterolhave or have had seizures (convulsions)have or have had kidney or liver problemshave or have had low white blood cell countare pregnant or plan to become pregnant. VRAYLAR may harm your unborn baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about the risk to your unborn baby if you take VRAYLAR during pregnancy. If you become pregnant or think you are pregnant during treatment, talk to your healthcare provider about registering with the National Pregnancy Registry for Atypical Antipsychotics at 1-866-961-2388 or http://www.womensmentalhealth.org/clinical-and-research-programs/pregnancyregistry/are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if VRAYLAR passes into breast milk. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby during treatment with VRAYLAR
Tell your healthcare provider about all medicines that you take, including prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements. VRAYLAR may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how VRAYLAR works. Do not start or stop any medicines while taking VRAYLAR without talking to your healthcare provider.
What are the most common side effects of VRAYLAR?
The most common side effects were difficulty moving or slow movements, tremors, uncontrolled body movements, restlessness and feeling like you need to move around, sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion.
These are not all possible side effects of VRAYLAR.
This article was shared with Prittle Prattle News as a Press Release by PRNewswire.
