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FDA Votes 9-1 to Advance Rexulti for Alzheimer’s 

The FDA has approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) of REXULTI® (brexpiprazole) for the treatment of agitation associated with  Alzheimer’s. It's the first such treatment to be approved in the US. Learn more.
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Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Co. Ltd. (Otsuka) and Lundbeck LLC (Lundbeck) announce the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) of REXULTI® (brexpiprazole) for use in the treatment of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

The approval makes REXULTI the first and only pharmacological treatment approved in the U.S. for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Agitation is a common neuropsychiatric symptom in Alzheimer’s dementia and one of the most complex and stressful aspects of caring for people living with the condition. It is reported in approximately half of people with Alzheimer’s dementia and is associated with earlier nursing home placement.1,2 REXULTI is not indicated as an as needed (“prn”) treatment for agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

Makoto Inoue, president and representative director of Otsuka, commented, “Today marks a major milestone for patients, caregivers, and families navigating the complexities of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Otsuka Pharmaceutical will continue its efforts to engage and provide options for those impacted by this devastating condition.”

Deborah Dunsire, CEO and president, Lundbeck, said, “This approval is a testament to our commitment and unwavering support of patients and caregivers to lessen the symptoms of agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. We look forward to offering this first FDA-approved treatment option to address this significant unmet need for patients. We are grateful to the patients and caregivers who participated in these important trials.”

The FDA previously granted priority review for the sNDA, a designation for a drug application that represents a significant improvement in the safety and/or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of a serious medical condition.

The submission was based on two Phase 3, 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled fixed-dose studies that evaluated the frequency of agitation symptoms in patients with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease based on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) total score. The primary endpoint was a change in agitation symptom frequency (CMAI total score) from baseline at Week 12 in both studies. Brexpiprazole patients with agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease achieved a 31% greater reduction from baseline in frequency of agitation symptoms vs. placebo.

Overall, the data showed brexpiprazole as being well-tolerated with a low incidence of discontinuations, and with a safety profile consistent with the known safety profile of brexpiprazole in other indications. 3

About Agitation Associated with Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease

Agitation associated with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease is a common neuropsychiatric symptom that is reported in approximately half of all patients with Alzheimer’s dementia. The condition has a large impact on the quality of life for the patients, family members, and caregivers.

Agitation associated with dementia covers a large group of behaviors occurring in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, such as pacing, gesturing, profanity, shouting, shoving, and hitting.5Symptoms of agitation are also a consistent predictor of nursing home admission in patients with dementia, including those with Alzheimer’s disease.

About Brexpiprazole

Brexpiprazole was approved in the U.S. in 2015, as an adjunctive therapy to antidepressants in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD) and as a treatment for schizophrenia in adults. Brexpiprazole was also approved by Health Canada for schizophrenia and adjunctive treatment of MDD in 2017 and 2019, respectively. It was approved by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan and by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in 2018 for the treatment of schizophrenia.

Brexpiprazole was discovered by Otsuka and is being co-developed by Otsuka and Lundbeck. The mechanism of action of brexpiprazole is unknown, however the efficacy of brexpiprazole may be mediated through a combination of partial agonist activity at serotonin 5-HT1A and dopamine D2 receptors, and antagonist activity at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.


MORE INFORMATION:

REXULTI is a prescription medicine used:

  • along with antidepressant medicines to treat major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults
  • to treat schizophrenia in adults and children ages 13 years and older
  • to treat agitation that may happen with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease

REXULTI should not be used as an “as needed” treatment for agitation that may happen with dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease.

SOURCE:

Otsuka Pharmaceuticals

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Hanna Levi Julian

This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. it has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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This site was inspired by my Mom’s autoimmune dementia.

It is a place where we separate out the wheat from the chafe, the important articles & videos from each week’s river of news. Google gets a new post on Alzheimer’s or dementia every 7 minutes. That can overwhelm anyone looking for help. This site filters out, focuses on and offers only the best information. It has helped hundreds of thousands of people since it debuted in 2007. Thanks to our many subscribers for your supportive feedback.

The site is dedicated to all those preserving the dignity of the community of people living with dementia.

Peter Berger, Editor

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