GlaxoSmithKline plc (LSE:GSK) and Theravance, Inc. (NASDAQ: THRX) announced the submission of a regulatory application in the European Union for the investigational once-daily LAMA/LABA combination medicine, UMEC/VI, for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). On 18th December 2012, GSK and Theravance announced the submission of a regulatory application in the United States (US) for UMEC/VI, for patients with COPD.
UMEC/VI is a combination of two investigational bronchodilator molecules - GSK573719 or umeclidinium bromide (UMEC), a long-acting muscarinic antagonist (LAMA) and vilanterol (VI), a long-acting beta2 agonist (LABA), administered using the ELLIPTA™ inhaler.
European Submission
A Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) for UMEC/VI (55/22mcg and 113/22mcg doses), with the proposed proprietary name ANORO™, has been submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) as a maintenance bronchodilator treatment to relieve symptoms in adult patients with COPD. The UMEC/VI doses of 55/22mcg and 113/22mcg are specified as the delivered doses (emitted from the inhaler) which are equivalent to the 62.5/25mcg and 125/25mcg pre-dispensed doses (contained inside the inhaler) submitted for approval in the US.
Future Regulatory Submissions
Regulatory submissions for UMEC/VI are planned in other countries during the course of 2013. In addition, GSK intends to commence global regulatory submissions for UMEC monotherapy later this year.
Other Respiratory Development Programmes
UMEC/VI is one of several late-stage assets in the GSK respiratory development portfolio, which includes fluticasone furoate/vilanterol (FF/VI, with proposed brand names RELVAR™ and BREO™), VI monotherapy and MABA (GSK961081), developed in collaboration with Theravance, as well as GSK’s investigational medicines FF monotherapy, UMEC monotherapy and anti-IL5 MAb (mepolizumab). These investigational medicines are not currently approved anywhere in the world.
ANORO™, RELVAR™, BREO™ and ELLIPTA™ are trademarks of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies. The use of these brand names is not approved by any regulatory authorities.
GlaxoSmithKline - one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies - is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.
Theravance - is a biopharmaceutical company with a pipeline of internally discovered product candidates and strategic collaborations with pharmaceutical companies. Theravance is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of small molecule medicines across a number of therapeutic areas including respiratory disease, bacterial infections, and central nervous system (CNS)/pain. Theravance's key programs include: RELVAR™ or BREO™ (FF/VI), ANORO™ (UMEC/VI) and MABA (Bifunctional Muscarinic Antagonist-Beta2 Agonist), each partnered with GlaxoSmithKline plc, and its oral Peripheral Mu Opioid Receptor Antagonist program. By leveraging its proprietary insight of multivalency to drug discovery, Theravance is pursuing a best-in-class strategy designed to discover superior medicines in areas of significant unmet medical need.