Med Check: Adlarity Transdermal Patch; Qulipta; Nuplazid; and More

Adlarity Transdermal Patch Approved for Treatment of Alzheimer’s

In March the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Adlarity (donepezil transdermal system) as a treatment for patients with mild, moderate, or severe dementia associated with Alzheimer’s disease, Corium Inc. announced. Adlarity is a once-weekly patch that continuously delivers either 5 mg or 10 mg of donepezil through the skin per day. Either the patient or a caregiver may place the patch on the patient’s back, thigh, or buttocks.

The FDA approved Adlarity based on a relative bioavailability study in healthy patients that compared the transdermal system to Aricept (donepezil hydrochloride) tablets. In the study, 60 healthy volunteers received 5 mg of Adlarity per day for five weeks, after which they received either 10 mg of Adlarity or oral donepezil per day for another five weeks. At the end of the study, exposure to donepezil was similar among patients who took Adlarity and those who took oral donepezil. Adlarity is expected to be available in the early fall.

Qulipta Promising for Treatment of Chronic Migraine

Adults with chronic migraine who took Qulipta (atogepant) in a phase 3 trial experienced fewer monthly migraine days compared with those who took placebo, AbbVie announced in March. Qulipta is currently approved for preventing episodic migraine in adults.

In the trial, more than 750 patients with at least a one-year history of chronic migraine were randomized to receive 60 mg of atogepant once a day, 30 mg of atogepant twice a day, or placebo for 12 weeks. All patients had at least 15 headache days with at least eight migraine days in the 28 days before randomization. The trial consisted of two analyses based on regulatory agency feedback in the United States and European Union.

The U.S. analysis revealed that patients in the 60 mg and 30 mg atogepant arms experienced a decrease of 6.88 and 7.46 monthly migraine days, respectively, compared with patients in the placebo arm, who experienced a decrease of 5.05 monthly migraine days. The European Union analysis revealed that patients in the 60 mg and 30 mg atogepant arms experienced a decrease of 6.75 and 7.33 monthly migraine days, respectively, compared with patients in the placebo arm, who experienced a decrease of 5.09 monthly migraine days.

Acadia Resubmits Nuplazid for Treatment of Alzheimer’s Psychosis

Acadia Pharmaceuticals in March announced that the FDA has set an action date for the company’s resubmitted supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Nuplazid (pimavanserin) for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Alzheimer’s disease psychosis. The FDA’s Division of Psychiatry has also advised the company that it is planning to hold an advisory committee meeting in connection with its review.

In April 2021 the FDA rejected pimavanserin for this indication, citing “a lack of statistical significance in some of the subgroups of dementia, and insufficient numbers of patients with certain less common dementia subtypes as lack of substantial evidence of effectiveness to support approval.”

The resubmission provides additional analyses from two previously conducted clinical studies, HARMONY and Study-019, to support the proposed indication for the drug and addresses the issues raised in the FDA’s rejection last year.

Pimavanserin is currently approved for the treatment of hallucinations and delusions associated with Parkinson’s disease psychosis.

Vraylar sNDA Submitted for Adjunctive Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder

In February AbbVie announced that it has submitted an sNDA for Vraylar (cariprazine) for the adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder in patients who are receiving ongoing antidepressant therapy. Cariprazine is currently approved for the treatment of schizophrenia in adults, the acute treatment of manic or mixed episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults, and the treatment of depressive episodes associated with bipolar I disorder in adults.

In a phase 3 study of 759 adults with major depressive disorder, patients who took 1.5 mg cariprazine daily experienced a statistically significant change from baseline to week six in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score compared with those who took placebo. In a second study, patients who took 2 mg to 4.5 mg of cariprazine per day also experienced a significant change from baseline to week eight in the MADRS total score compared with those who took placebo. In both of these studies, no new safety events were identified. ■