Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca Receive Complete Response Letter from U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Dapagliflozin

Published on Thursday, 19 January 2012 02:03 Written by TradersHuddle Staff

PRINCETON, N.J. & WILMINGTON, Del.-( Business Wire )-

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (NYSE: BMY) and AstraZeneca (NYSE: AZN) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a complete response letter regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for investigational compound dapagliflozin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.

The complete response letter requests additional clinical data to allow a better assessment of the benefit-risk profile for dapagliflozin. This includes clinical trial data from ongoing studies and may require information from new clinical trials. Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca will work closely with the FDA to determine the appropriate next steps for the dapagliflozin application, and are in ongoing discussions with health authorities in Europe and other countries as part of the application procedures.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca remain committed to dapagliflozin and its development. This commitment is based on the benefit-risk profile of this investigational medicine, from a clinical development program that included more than 8,000 adult patients with type 2 diabetes (with more than 5,000 patients treated with dapagliflozin) in 19 clinical trials.

Dapagliflozin, an inhibitor of SGLT2, a target in the kidney, is under joint development by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca. Dapagliflozin, as an adjunct to diet and exercise, is being investigated to evaluate its safety and efficacy in improving glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, for use as a monotherapy and in combination with other anti-diabetic agents.

About Type 2 Diabetes

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that approximately one in every 11 adults in the United States has diagnosed diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 90 to 95% of all cases of diagnosed diabetes in adults. Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease characterized by insulin resistance and dysfunction of beta cells in the pancreas, which decreases insulin sensitivity and secretion, leading to elevated glucose levels. Over time, this sustained hyperglycemia contributes to worsening insulin resistance and further beta cell dysfunction. To date, treatments for type 2 diabetes have focused primarily on insulin-dependent mechanisms. An approach that acts independently of insulin could provide an additional option for adults with type 2 diabetes.

Significant unmet need still exists as nearly half of treated patients remain inadequately controlled on their current glucose-lowering regimen. Many patients with type 2 diabetes have additional comorbidities (such as obesity) which may complicate glycemic control.

About SGLT2

The kidney plays an important role in glucose balance, normally filtering ~180g of glucose each day, with virtually all glucose being reabsorbed back into circulation. SGLT2 is a major sodium-glucose cotransporter in the kidney and is an insulin-independent pathway for the reabsorption of glucose back into the blood.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca Collaboration

Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca entered into a collaboration in January 2007 to enable the companies to research, develop and commercialize select investigational drugs for type 2 diabetes. The Bristol-Myers Squibb/AstraZeneca Diabetes collaboration is dedicated to global patient care, improving patient outcomes and creating a new vision for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

About Bristol-Myers Squibb

Bristol-Myers Squibb is a global biopharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover, develop and deliver innovative medicines that help patients prevail over serious diseases. For more information about Bristol-Myers Squibb, visit www.bms.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bmsnews.

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a primary focus on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, neuroscience, respiratory and inflammation, oncology and infectious disease. AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide.

For more information about AstraZeneca in the U.S. or our AZ&Me™ Prescription Savings programs, please visit: www.astrazeneca-us.com or call 1-800-AZandMe (292-6363).

Bristol-Myers Squibb Forward-Looking Statement

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding product development. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Among other risks, there can be no guarantee that dapagliflozin will receive regulatory approval or, if approved, that it will become a commercially successful product. Forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect Bristol-Myers Squibb's business, particularly those identified in the cautionary factors discussion in Bristol-Myers Squibb's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Bristol-Myers Squibb undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

AstraZeneca Forward-Looking Statement

The statements contained herein include forward-looking statements. Although we believe our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, any forward-looking statements, by their very nature, involve risks and uncertainties and may be influenced by factors that could cause actual outcomes and results to be materially different from those predicted. The forward-looking statements reflect knowledge and information available at the date of the preparation of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, certain of which are beyond our control, include, among other things, those risk factors identified in the Company's Annual Report and Form 20-F Information 2010. Nothing contained herein should be construed as a profit forecast.

Media:Bristol-Myers SquibbPhil McNamara, +1 609-252-6022phil.mcnamara@bms.comorAstraZenecaRachelle Benson, +1 302-885-5853rachelle.benson@astrazeneca.comorKirsten Evraire, +1 302-885-0435kirsten.evraire@astrazeneca.comorInvestors:Bristol-Myers SquibbJohn Elicker, +1 609-252-4611john.elicker@bms.comorAstraZenecaKarl Hard, + This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.