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Merck announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has adopted a positive opinion recommending approval of ZEPATIER™ (elbasvir and grazoprevir), an investigational, once-daily, fixed-dose combination tablet for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) in adult patients.
The CHMP positive opinion will be reviewed by the European Commission.
If the European Commission affirms the CHMP opinion, it will grant a centralized marketing authorization with unified labeling that is valid in the 28 countries that are members of the European Union, as well as European Economic Area members, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. Merck anticipates that the European Commission decision will be made in mid-2016. The company continues to work to achieve manufacturing readiness to supply the EU market, with product launches estimated to begin in the fourth quarter of 2016 or the first quarter of 2017.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Health Canada approved ZEPATIER 50mg/100mg tablets in January 2016. In the United States, ZEPATIER is indicated for the treatment of adult patients with chronic HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection, with or without ribavirin (RBV).
“We are pleased with the CHMP’s positive opinion recommending the marketing authorization of ZEPATIER in the European Union, which marks an important step forward in the European regulatory process,” said Dr. Roy Baynes, senior vice president and head of clinical development, Merck Research Laboratories. “Our application was based on the findings from a broad clinical development program evaluating the efficacy and safety of ZEPATIER across diverse populations of patients with chronic hepatitis C, including patients with compensated cirrhosis and those with stage 4 or 5 chronic kidney disease.”
About ZEPATIER™ (elbasvir and grazoprevir) 50mg/100mg Tablets
ZEPATIER is a fixed-dose combination product containing elbasvir, a hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A inhibitor, and grazoprevir, an HCV NS3/4A protease inhibitor, and is indicated with or without ribavirin for treatment of chronic HCV genotype 1 or 4 infection in adults. ZEPATIER is a single tablet taken once daily.
The recommended dosing is 12 or 16 weeks with or without RBV, depending on HCV genotype, prior treatment history and, for patients with genotype 1a infection, presence of certain baseline NS5A resistance-associated polymorphisms. See Prescribing Information for ZEPATIER for specific dosage regimens and durations. Refer to RBV prescribing information for RBV dosing and dosage modifications when ZEPATIER is given with RBV. To determine dosage regimen and duration of ZEPATIER for genotype 1a patients, testing for the presence of virus with one or more baseline NS5A resistance-associated polymorphisms at positions 28, 30, 31, or 93 is recommended prior to initiating treatment.
About Merck
For 125 years, Merck has been a global health care leader working to help the world be well. Merck is known as MSD outside the United States and Canada. Through our prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. We also demonstrate our commitment to increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. For more information, visit www.merck.com
Please see Prescribing Information for ZEPATIER (elbasvir and grazoprevir) at http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zepatier/zepatier_pi.pdf
and the Patient Information for ZEPATIER at http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zepatier/zepatier_ppi.pdf
