• First regulatory authorization of a CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy in Canada 

TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 /CNW/ - Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (Nasdaq: VRTX) today announced Health Canada has granted Marketing Authorization for ^PrCASGEVY^® (exagamglogene autotemcel), an autologous genome edited hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy, for the treatment of patients 12 years of age and older with sickle cell disease (SCD) with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) or transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia (TDT). There are an estimated 2,000 patients eligible for CASGEVY in Canada, the majority of whom are living with SCD.

"Today's marketing authorization for CASGEVY as Canada's first CRISPR-based gene-editing therapy is a historic moment," said Michael Siauw, General Manager at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Incorporated. "We are excited for the potential of this one-time therapy for eligible sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia patients and are working closely with provincial, territorial and federal governments to facilitate access as rapidly as possible."

This approval is based on the positive interim results from two global and ongoing clinical trials, CLIMB-121 in SCD and CLIMB-111 in TDT. The primary endpoint of being free from severe VOCs for at least 12 consecutive months or transfusion independence for at least 12 consecutive months was met in both trials. The safety profile is generally consistent with myeloablative conditioning with busulfan and hematopoietic stem cell transplant.

"CASGEVY's approval is an exciting moment for two patient communities that have long awaited an innovative therapy that brings new hope and possibilities for those in need," said Kevin Kuo, M.D., Hematologist and Clinician Investigator in the Red Blood Cell Disorders Clinic at University Health Network, and Principal Investigator for the CLIMB-131 clinical program.

Vertex has submitted CASGEVY to both Canada's Drug Agency (CDA-AMC) and the Institut national d'excellence en santé et en services sociaux (INESSS) in Québec for Health Technology Assessments. For more information on the details of our CDA-AMC applications, including key milestones, please visit here for our SCD submission and here for our TDT submission.

The administration of CASGEVY requires specialized experience in stem cell transplantation; therefore, Vertex is working closely with provincial hospitals and health authorities to establish a network of authorized treatment centers (ATCs) to offer CASGEVY.

SCD is a debilitating, progressive, life shortening genetic disease. SCD patients report health-related quality of life scores well below the general population and significant health care resource utilization. SCD affects the red blood cells, which are essential for carrying oxygen to all organs and tissues of the body. SCD causes severe pain, organ damage and shortened life span due to misshapen or "sickled" red blood cells. The clinical hallmark of SCD is vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which are caused by blockages of blood vessels by sickled red blood cells and result in severe and debilitating pain that can happen anywhere in the body at any time. SCD requires lifelong treatment and significant use of health care resources, and ultimately results in reduced life expectancy, decreased quality of life and reduced lifetime earnings and productivity. Stem cell transplant from a matched donor is a potentially curative option but is only available to a small fraction of people living with SCD because of the lack of available donors.

TDT is a serious, life-threatening genetic disease. TDT patients report health-related quality of life scores below the general population and significant health care resource utilization. TDT requires frequent blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy throughout a person's life. Due to anemia, patients living with TDT may experience fatigue and shortness of breath, and infants may develop failure to thrive, jaundice and feeding problems. Complications of TDT can also include an enlarged spleen, liver and/or heart, misshapen bones and delayed puberty. TDT requires lifelong treatment and significant use of health care resources, and ultimately results in reduced life expectancy, decreased quality of life and reduced lifetime earnings and productivity. Stem cell transplant from a matched donor is a potentially curative option but is only available to a small fraction of people living with TDT because of the lack of available donors.

^PrCASGEVY^® is an autologous genome edited hematopoietic stem cell-based therapy for eligible patients with SCD or TDT, in which a patient's own hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells are edited at the erythroid specific enhancer region of the BCL11A gene through a precise double-strand break. This edit results in the production of high levels of fetal hemoglobin (HbF; hemoglobin F) in red blood cells. HbF is the form of the oxygen-carrying hemoglobin that is naturally present during fetal development, which then switches to the adult form of hemoglobin after birth. CASGEVY has been shown to reduce or eliminate vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) for patients with SCD and transfusion requirements for patients with TDT.

CASGEVY is approved for certain indications in multiple jurisdictions for eligible patients.

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has approved medicines that treat the underlying causes of multiple chronic, life-shortening genetic diseases — cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease and transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia — and continues to advance clinical and research programs in these diseases. Vertex also has a robust clinical pipeline of investigational therapies across a range of modalities in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including acute and neuropathic pain, APOL1-mediated kidney disease, IgA nephropathy, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, type 1 diabetes, myotonic dystrophy type 1 and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.

Vertex was founded in 1989 and has its global headquarters in Boston, with international headquarters in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia, Latin America and the Middle East. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 14 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.ca or follow us on LinkedIn, YouTube and Twitter/X. 

(VRTX-GEN)

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, without limitation, statements made by Michael Siauw and Kevin Kuo, M.D. in this press release, and statements regarding expectations for Vertex's submissions to CDA-AMC and INESSS, and Vertex's plans to work closely with provincial hospitals and health authorities to establish a network of ATCs to offer CASGEVY. While Vertex believes the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are accurate, these forward-looking statements represent the company's beliefs only as of the date of this press release and there are a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that data from the company's development programs may not support registration or further development of its compounds due to safety and/or efficacy, or other reasons, and other risks listed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Vertex's most recent annual report and subsequent quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and available through the company's website at www.vrtx.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Vertex disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in this press release as new information becomes available.

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