- Allergan, an ABBVie (NYSE: ABBV) company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved BOTOX ® for the treatment of detrusor (bladder muscle) overactivity associated with a neurologic condition in pediatric patients 5 years of age and older who have an inadequate response to or are intolerant of anticholinergic medication.
Neurogenic detrusor overactivity occurs when the spinal cord and bladder are not able to communicate effectively, which can occur with neurologic conditions such as spina bifida and spinal cord injuries. As a result, the bladder muscle involuntarily contracts, increasing the pressure in the bladder and reducing the bladder capacity, which can cause the individual to leak urine frequently and unexpectedly. Elevated bladder pressure can also lead to bladder and kidney damage over time.
"BOTOX ® is the first neurotoxin approved for use in treating neurogenic detrusor overactivity in children who are not adequately managed with anticholinergic medication. While always satisfying to bring forth new indications, it is particularly rewarding when we can help advance care for pediatric patients with BOTOX ® ," said Mitchell F. Brin , M.D., Senior Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer, BOTOX ® & Neurotoxins, AbbVie. "This milestone marks the 12 th approved therapeutic indication for BOTOX ® , adding another approved use to the pediatric portfolio. Building upon our 30-year heritage in BOTOX ® research and development, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of neurotoxin innovation to address unmet medical needs across therapeutic areas."
The FDA approval is based on data from a randomized, double-blind Phase 3 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of BOTOX ® in more than 100 pediatric patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity and a long-term extension study. Results from the Phase 3 study demonstrated that intradetrusor administration of BOTOX ® 200 Units (not to exceed 6U/kg) reduced daytime urinary incontinence episodes, the study's primary endpoint, as well as lowered maximum bladder pressure and increased bladder capacity at week 6 (primary timepoint). The most common adverse reaction in the studies were bacteriuria (20%), urinary tract infection (7%), leukocyturia (7%), and hematuria (3%).
"Many children with underlying neurologic conditions may experience bladder and kidney damage over time, which underscores the importance of treatment. When caring for pediatric patients with neurogenic detrusor overactivity, we strive to reduce bladder pressure and increase the bladder's capacity. Previously, treatment options were limited primarily to anticholinergic medicines, where long-term use needs to be considered carefully, in addition to surgery," said Paul F. Austin , M.D., FAAP, Chief of Pediatric Urology at Texas Children's Hospital and Professor of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine . "Effectively managing neurogenic detrusor overactivity requires ongoing care, and there has been a high unmet need for alternative treatments. With its proven safety and efficacy profile, BOTOX ® offers a new treatment option for pediatric patients who are not adequately managed by anticholinergics."
There are several causes of neurogenic detrusor overactivity in children, such as transverse myelitis, spinal cord injury, and spina bifida, the latter of which is the most common and affects 1,500-2,000 of the more than 4 million babies born in the United States each year. 1 More than 90% of those living with spina bifida experience urinary symptoms. 2,3,4,5
Allergan is committed to providing resources and services, such as the BOTOX ® Savings Program, to help ensure BOTOX ® is accessible and affordable to patients.
About BOTOX ®
BOTOX ® is one of the most widely researched medications in the world, with a proven history as a therapeutic agent. 6 First approved by the FDA in 1989 for two rare eye muscle disorders – blepharospasm and strabismus in adults, BOTOX ® was the world's first approved botulinum toxin type A treatment. Today, BOTOX ® is FDA-approved for 12 therapeutic indications, including Chronic Migraine, overactive bladder, leakage of urine (incontinence) due to overactive bladder caused by a neurologic condition in adults, cervical dystonia, spasticity, severe underarm sweating (axillary hyperhidrosis), and pediatric detrusor overactivity associated with a neurologic condition. Backed by strong science and continuous innovation, BOTOX ® proudly embraces its past while boldly looking to the future.
BOTOX ® (onabotulinumtoxinA) Important Information
Indications
BOTOX ® is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used:
- To treat overactive bladder symptoms such as a strong need to urinate with leaking or wetting accidents (urge urinary incontinence), a strong need to urinate right away (urgency), and urinating often (frequency) in adults 18 years and older when another type of medicine (anticholinergic) does not work well enough or cannot be taken
- To treat leakage of urine (incontinence) in adults 18 years and older with overactive bladder caused by a neurologic disease who still have leakage or cannot tolerate the side effects after trying an anticholinergic medication
- To treat overactive bladder due to a neurologic disease in children 5 years of age and older when another type of medicine (anticholinergic) does not work well enough or cannot be taken
- To prevent headaches in adults with Chronic Migraine who have 15 or more days each month with headache lasting 4 or more hours each day in people 18 years or older
- To treat increased muscle stiffness in people 2 years of age and older with spasticity
- To treat the abnormal head position and neck pain that happens with Cervical Dystonia (CD) in people 16 years and older
- To treat certain types of eye muscle problems (Strabismus) or abnormal spasm of the eyelids (Blepharospasm) in people 12 years of age and older
BOTOX ® is also injected into the skin to treat the symptoms of severe underarm sweating (severe primary axillary hyperhidrosis) when medicines used on the skin (topical) do not work well enough in people 18 years and older.
It is not known whether BOTOX ® is safe and effective to prevent headaches in patients with migraine who have 14 or fewer headache days each month (episodic migraine).
BOTOX ® has not been shown to help people perform task-specific functions with their upper limbs or increase movement in joints that are permanently fixed in position by stiff muscles.
It is not known whether BOTOX ® is safe and effective for severe sweating anywhere other than your armpits.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
BOTOX ® may cause serious side effects that can be life threatening. Get medical help right away if you have any of these problems any time (hours to weeks) after injection of BOTOX ® :
- Problems swallowing, speaking, or breathing, due to weakening of associated muscles, can be severe and result in loss of life. You are at the highest risk if these problems are pre-existing before injection. Swallowing problems may last for several months
- Spread of toxin effects. The effect of botulinum toxin may affect areas away from the injection site and cause serious symptoms including: loss of strength and all-over muscle weakness, double vision, blurred vision and drooping eyelids, hoarseness or change or loss of voice, trouble saying words clearly, loss of bladder control, trouble breathing, and trouble swallowing
There has not been a confirmed serious case of spread of toxin effect away from the injection site when BOTOX ® has been used at the recommended dose to treat Chronic Migraine, severe underarm sweating, Blepharospasm, or Strabismus.
BOTOX ® may cause loss of strength or general muscle weakness, vision problems, or dizziness within hours to weeks of taking BOTOX ® . If this happens, do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities.
Do not receive BOTOX ® if you: are allergic to any of the ingredients in BOTOX ® (see Medication Guide for ingredients); had an allergic reaction to any other botulinum toxin product such as Myobloc ® (rimabotulinumtoxinB), Dysport ® (abobotulinumtoxinA), or Xeomin ® (incobotulinumtoxinA); have a skin infection at the planned injection site.
Do not receive BOTOX ® for the treatment of urinary incontinence if you: have a urinary tract infection (UTI) or cannot empty your bladder on your own and are not routinely catheterizing. Due to the risk of urinary retention (not being able to empty the bladder), only patients who are willing and able to initiate catheterization post treatment, if required, should be considered for treatment.
Patients treated for overactive bladder:
In clinical trials, 36 of the 552 patients had to self-catheterize for urinary retention following treatment with BOTOX ® compared to 2 of the 542 treated with placebo. The median duration of postinjection catheterization for these patients treated with BOTOX ® 100 Units (n = 36) was 63 days (minimum 1 day to maximum 214 days) as compared to a median duration of 11 days (minimum 3 days to maximum 18 days) for patients receiving placebo (n = 2). Patients with diabetes mellitus treated with BOTOX ® were more likely to develop urinary retention than nondiabetics.
Adult Patients treated for overactive bladder due to neurologic disease:
In clinical trials, 30.6% of patients (33/108) who were not using clean intermittent catheterization (CIC) prior to injection, required catheterization for urinary retention following treatment with BOTOX ® 200 Units as compared to 6.7% of patients (7/104) treated with placebo. The median duration of postinjection catheterization for these patients treated with BOTOX ® 200 Units (n = 33) was 289 days (minimum 1 day to maximum 530 days) as compared to a median duration of 358 days (minimum 2 days to maximum 379 days) for patients receiving placebo (n = 7). Among patients not using CIC at baseline, those with MS were more likely to require CIC post injection than those with SCI.
The dose of BOTOX ® is not the same as, or comparable to, another botulinum toxin product.
Serious and/or immediate allergic reactions have been reported , including itching, rash, red itchy welts, wheezing, asthma symptoms, dizziness, or feeling faint. Get medical help right away if you experience symptoms; further injection of BOTOX ® should be discontinued.
Tell your doctor about all your muscle or nerve conditions , such as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, myasthenia gravis, or Lambert-Eaton syndrome, as you may be at increased risk of serious side effects, including difficulty swallowing and difficulty breathing from typical doses of BOTOX ® .
Tell your doctor if you have any breathing-related problems. Your doctor may monitor you for breathing problems during treatment with BOTOX ® for spasticity or for detrusor overactivity associated with a neurologic condition. The risk of developing lung disease in patients with reduced lung function is increased in patients receiving BOTOX ® .
Cornea problems have been reported. Cornea (surface of the eye) problems have been reported in some people receiving BOTOX ® for their Blepharospasm, especially in people with certain nerve disorders. BOTOX ® may cause the eyelids to blink less, which could lead to the surface of the eye being exposed to air more than is usual. Tell your doctor if you experience any problems with your eyes while receiving BOTOX ® . Your doctor may treat your eyes with drops, ointments, contact lenses, or with an eye patch.
Bleeding behind the eye has been reported. Bleeding behind the eyeball has been reported in some people receiving BOTOX ® for their Strabismus. Tell your doctor if you notice any new visual problems while receiving BOTOX ® .
Bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections (common colds) have been reported. Bronchitis was reported more frequently in adults receiving BOTOX ® for upper limb spasticity. Upper respiratory infections were also reported more frequently in adults with prior breathing-related problems with spasticity. In pediatric patients treated with BOTOX ® for upper limb spasticity, upper respiratory tract infections were reported more frequently. In pediatric patients treated with BOTOX ® for lower limb spasticity, upper respiratory tract infections were not reported more frequently than placebo.
A u t onomic dysreflexia in patients treated for overactive bladder due to neurologic disease. Autonomic dysreflexia associated with intradetrusor injections of BOTOX ® could occur in patients treated for detrusor overactivity associated with a neurologic condition and may require prompt medical therapy. In clinical trials, the incidence of autonomic dysreflexia was greater in adult patients treated with BOTOX ® 200 Units compared with placebo (1.5% versus 0.4%, respectively).
Tell your doctor about all your medical conditions, including if you: have or have had bleeding problems; have plans to have surgery; had surgery on your face; weakness of forehead muscles; trouble raising your eyebrows; drooping eyelids; any other abnormal facial change; have symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) and are being treated for urinary incontinence (symptoms of a urinary tract infection may include pain or burning with urination, frequent urination, or fever); have problems emptying your bladder on your own and are being treated for urinary incontinence; are pregnant or plan to become pregnant (it is not known if BOTOX ® can harm your unborn baby); are breastfeeding or plan to (it is not known if BOTOX ® passes into breast milk).
Tell your doctor about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Using BOTOX ® with certain other medicines may cause serious side effects. Do not start any new medicines until you have told your doctor that you have received BOTOX ® in the past.
Tell your doctor if you received any other botulinum toxin product in the last 4 months; have received injections of botulinum toxin such as Myobloc ® , Dysport ® , or Xeomin ® in the past (tell your doctor exactly which product you received); have recently received an antibiotic by injection; take muscle relaxants; take an allergy or cold medicine; take a sleep medicine; take aspirin-like products or blood thinners.
Other side effects of BOTOX ® include: dry mouth, discomfort or pain at the injection site, tiredness, headache, neck pain, eye problems: double vision, blurred vision, decreased eyesight, drooping eyelids, swelling of your eyelids, dry eyes; drooping eyebrows; and upper respiratory tract infection. In adults being treated for urinary incontinence other side effects include: urinary tract infection, painful urination, and/or inability to empty your bladder on your own. If you have difficulty fully emptying your bladder after receiving BOTOX ® , you may need to use disposable self-catheters to empty your bladder up to a few times each day until your bladder is able to start emptying again. In children being treated for urinary incontinence other side effects include: urinary tract infection and bacteria in the urine.
For more information refer to the Medication Guide or talk with your doctor.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see BOTOX ® f ull Product Information , including Boxed Warning and M e dication Guide .
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas: immunology, oncology, neuroscience, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us at www.abbvie.com. Follow @AbbVie on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and LinkedIn .
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the failure to realize the expected benefits of AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan or to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's business, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, "Risk Factors," of AbbVie's 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and in other documents that AbbVie subsequently files with the Securities and Exchange Commission that update, supplement or supersede such information. AbbVie undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.
References:
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Spina Bifida Fact Sheet. Accessed online 5/6/2020 and available from: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/patient-caregiver-education/fact- sheets/spina-bifida-fact-sheet.
- Hascoet J, Manunta A, Brochard C, Arnaud A, Damphousse M, Menard H, et al. Outcomes of intra- detrusor injections of botulinum toxin in patients with spina bifida: A systematic review. Neurourology and Urodynamics. 2017;36(3):557-564.
- Pannek J, Blok B, Castro-Diaz D, Del Popolo G, Kramer G, Radziszewski P, et. al. Guidelines on neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction. European Association of Urology, 2013. Available from: https://uroweb.org/wp-content/uploads/20_Neurogenic-LUTD_LR.pdf.
- Shin M, Besser LM, Siffel C, Kucik JE, Shaw GM, Lu C, Correa A; Congenital Anomaly Multistate Prevalence and Survival Collaborative. Prevalence of spina bifida among children and adolescents in 10 regions in the United States . Pediatrics. 2010;126(2):274-279.
- Ouyang L, Grosse SD, Armour BS, Waitzman NJ. Health care expenditures of children and adults with spina bifida in a privately insured U.S. population. Birth Defects Research Part A, Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2007;79(7):552-558.
- Data on file, Allergan; BOTOX® Worldwide Marketing Authorization Status; BOTOX® Prescribing Information.
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