Better Health, Brighter Future
DEERFIELD, Ill., and OSAKA, Japan, September 4, 2009 – Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”) today announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc. (U.S.), received on September 2 (U.S. TIME), a complete response letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the New Drug Application (NDA) for the fixed-dose combination (FDC) of alogliptin and ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl). The FDA informed Takeda on June 26, 2009 that further review of the alogliptin monotherapy NDA would be conditional based upon additional data from a cardiovascular (CV) safety study that satisfies the statistical requirements of the December 2008 FDA Guidance titled, “Guidance for Industry: Diabetes Mellitus – Evaluating Cardiovascular Risk in New Antidiabetic Therapies to Treat Type 2 Diabetes.”
“This complete response letter from the FDA is consistent with the June 26 complete response letter for alogliptin, a key component of the alogliptin and ACTOS fixed-dose combination product,” said Nancy Joseph-Ridge, M.D., general manager, Pharmaceutical Development Division. “The FDA recently agreed to the study design for a cardiovascular outcomes trial for alogliptin, titled EXAMINE, and patient enrollment is planned to begin this month. We anticipate that the EXAMINE trial will provide the FDA with the information needed to continue the NDA reviews of both the alogliptin monotherapy and the alogliptin and ACTOS fixed-dose combination.”
The complete response letter was specific to the FDC of alogliptin and ACTOS, and did not include any new questions or concerns about alogliptin or ACTOS.
About ACTOS® (pioglitazone HCl)
ACTOS is a prescription medication used with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes. ACTOS is not for patients with type 1 “juvenile” diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. ACTOS has not been studied in children and is not recommended for children under the age of 18. ACTOS may be taken alone or with a sulfonylurea, metformin, or insulin.
Important Safety Information About ACTOS
ACTOS is not for everyone. Certain patients with heart failure should not start taking ACTOS. ACTOS can cause new, or worsen, heart failure. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience unusually fast weight gain, fluid retention (swelling), shortness of breath, or unusual tiredness.
Do not take ACTOS if you have active liver disease. Your doctor should perform a blood test to check for liver problems before you start ACTOS and periodically thereafter. Talk to your doctor immediately if you experience nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, tiredness, loss of appetite, dark urine, or yellowing of the skin.
If you are of childbearing age, talk to your doctor before taking ACTOS, as it could increase your chance of becoming pregnant. Talk to your doctor if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed. When taking ACTOS with insulin or sulfonylureas, you may be at risk for low blood sugar. Some people taking ACTOS may experience flulike symptoms, mild-to-moderate swelling of legs and ankles, anemia, and weight gain. Patients with diabetes should have regular eye exams. If you experience vision problems, consult your doctor immediately. Some patients have experienced visual changes while taking ACTOS.
Some people, particularly women, are at higher risk of having bone fractures while taking ACTOS. Other side effects may include cold-like symptoms, headache, sinus infection, muscle pain, tooth disorder, and sore throat.
Please visit the Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. Web site at www.tpna.com for Complete Prescribing Information including the boxed warning about heart failure.
About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
Located in Osaka, Japan, Takeda is a research-based global company with its main focus on pharmaceuticals. As the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and one of the global leaders of the industry, Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products. Additional information about Takeda is available through its corporate Web site, www.takeda.com.
About Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc.
Based in Deerfield, Ill., Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc., and Takeda Global Research & Development Center, Inc., are subsidiaries of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan. The respective companies currently market oral diabetes, insomnia, rheumatology and gastroenterology treatments and seek to bring innovative products to patients through a pipeline that includes compounds in development for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, gastroenterology, neurology and other conditions. Takeda is committed to striving toward better health for individuals and progress in medicine by developing superior pharmaceutical products. To learn more about these Takeda companies, visit www.tpna.com.
Contacts:
Julia Ellwanger
Takeda Global Research & Development
+1-847-582-2461 (office)
Seizo Masuda
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited
+81-3-3278-2037 (office)