Amgen Submits Supplemental New Drug Application for Otezla® (apremilast) for Adults with Mild-To-Moderate Plaque Psoriasis

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) today announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Otezla^® (apremilast) for the treatment of adults with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy. The sNDA is based on data from the Phase 3 ADVANCE trial that demonstrated oral Otezla 30 mg twice daily achieved a statistically significant improvement in the primary endpoint of the static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA) response at week 16 compared to placebo.

"Despite treatment advances, there remains an unmet need for people with clinically mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis who use existing topical therapies and still have challenges managing their disease, particularly those with disease in hard-to-treat locations. Results from the ADVANCE trial demonstrated the potential of Otezla to provide an oral, non-biologic option for these patients," said David M. Reese, M.D., executive vice president of Research and Development at Amgen. "We look forward to working with the FDA to potentially expand access to Otezla and deliver on our commitment to improve outcomes for people living with mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis."

Otezla also demonstrated statistically significant improvements in key secondary endpoints compared to placebo, including achieving at least a 75% improvement from baseline in the percent of affected body surface area (BSA), change in BSA total score from baseline and change in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) total score from baseline at week 16. Adverse events observed in the ADVANCE trial were consistent with the known safety profile of Otezla. The most commonly reported adverse events that occurred in at least 5% of patients in either treatment group were diarrhea, headache, nausea, nasopharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infection.

Detailed results will be submitted for presentation at an upcoming medical meeting.

In the U.S., Otezla is approved for the treatment of adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis who are candidates for phototherapy or systemic therapy, adult patients with active psoriatic arthritis and for adult patients with oral ulcers associated with Behçet's Disease. Since its initial FDA approval in 2014, Otezla has been prescribed to more than 250,000 patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis or active psoriatic arthritis in the U.S.¹