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Amicus Therapeutics announced that the U.S. FDA has granted accelerated approval of Galafold™ (migalastat) 123 mg capsules. Galafold is an oral, precision medicine for the treatment of adults with a confirmed diagnosis of Fabry disease and an amenable galactosidase alpha gene (GLA) variant based on in vitro assay data.
Galafold was approved under the Subpart H Accelerated Approval pathway based on reduction in kidney interstitial capillary cell globotriaosylceramide (KIC GL-3) substrate. As a condition of accelerated approval, Amicus Therapeutics will continue to study Galafold in a confirmatory Phase 4 program. Galafold is a capsule taken once every other day, at the same time of day. The FDA has approved Galafold for 348 amenable GLA variants. Galafold is the first oral medicine for Fabry disease, and the first new therapy approved to treat Fabry disease in the United States in more than 15 years.
John F. Crowley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Amicus Therapeutics, Inc., stated, “This FDA approval of Galafold is a transformative moment for people in the U.S. living with Fabry disease, as it gives adult patients with amenable GLA variants a new treatment option for the first time in more than 15 years. The Fabry disease community has had an active voice in every stage of development of this medicine. We are grateful to this wonderful and passionate community, particularly the patients and physicians who have made this research possible through their participation in the clinical trials, as well as to the U.S. regulators and our ever-persistent and dedicated Amicus team. This achievement highlights our company’s mission, which is focused on transforming the lives of people living with rare diseases. With our new and highly motivated U.S. leadership team, we are poised to make Galafold available to as many appropriate patients as possible.”
Fabry disease is a rare, progressive genetic disorder characterized by a defective gene (GLA) that causes an enzyme deficiency. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down disease substrate that, when deficient in patients with Fabry disease, builds up in the kidneys, which is one of the organ systems impacted by Fabry disease. In the U.S., it is estimated that more than 3,000 people are living with Fabry disease, and an estimated more than 50 percent of these diagnosed patients are currently untreated. Globally, it is estimated that 35 to 50 percent of Fabry disease patients may have an amenable GLA variant.
“People with rare diseases often have limited treatment options, so research leading to new therapies is critical. As a physician and researcher, I treated the first patient ever to receive Galafold in a clinical trial. Today, many years later, I am pleased that more patients will have access to this precision medicine,” said Raphael Schiffmann, M.D., M.H.Sc., Director, Baylor Scott & White Research Institute, Kimberly H. Courtwright and Joseph W. Summers Institute of Metabolic Disease – Dallas.
The FDA approval was based on data from a Phase 3 pivotal Fabry disease study in treatment-naïve patients (Study 011, or FACETS), which demonstrated the efficacy of Galafold, including a reduction in the amount of damaging disease substrate accumulated in the kidney capillaries. The most common side effects related to Galafold were headache, nasopharyngitis, urinary tract infection, nausea and pyrexia.
“Today is a long-awaited day of celebration for all of us living with and advocating for people with Fabry disease, especially those who have participated in the development of Galafold in the United States,” said Jack Johnson, Founder and Executive Director, Fabry Support & Information Group. “With the FDA approval of Galafold, certain members of the U.S. Fabry disease patient community finally have a second treatment option. Through their unwavering commitment and scientific innovation, Amicus has provided a much-needed new treatment option for many Fabry patients.”
Amicus Therapeutics will launch Galafold immediately, and will begin shipping to a limited distribution network in the coming week. Amicus Assist, a service that will provide product assistance and support to patients to help gain access to Amicus Therapeutics’ medications, will also be initiated immediately; for more information please call +1-833-AMICUS-A (+1-833-264-2872). With today’s approval, patients in 20 countries worldwide have reimbursable access to Galafold. Galafold is approved in Australia, Canada, European Union, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the U.S. Galafold is pending approval in Taiwan.
About Galafold
GalafoldTM (migalastat) 123 mg capsules is an oral pharmacological chaperone of alpha-Galactosidase A (alpha-Gal A) for the treatment of Fabry disease in adults who have amenable GLA variants. In these patients, Galafold works by stabilizing the body’s own dysfunctional enzyme so that it can clear the accumulation of disease substrate. Globally, Amicus Therapeutics estimates that approximately 35 to 50 percent of Fabry patients may have amenable GLA variants, though amenability rates within this range vary by geography. Galafold is approved in Australia, Canada, European Union, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and the U.S.
About Fabry Disease
Fabry disease is a rare, progressive genetic disorder characterized by a defective gene (GLA) that causes an enzyme deficiency. This enzyme is responsible for breaking down disease substrate that, when deficient in patients with Fabry disease, builds up in the kidneys, which is one of the organ systems impacted by Fabry disease.
About Amicus Therapeutics
Amicus Therapeutics is a global, patient-centric biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and delivering novel high-quality medicines for people living with rare metabolic diseases. The cornerstone of the Amicus portfolio is Galafold, an oral precision medicine for people living with Fabry disease who have amenable GLA variants. The lead biologics program in the Amicus Therapeutics pipeline is AT-GAA, an investigational therapy for Pompe disease. Amicus Therapeutics is committed to advancing and expanding a robust pipeline of cutting-edge, first- or best-in-class medicines for rare metabolic diseases. For more information please visit the company’s website at www.amicusrx.com.
