FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: MIRM) today announced that the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH) Canadian Drug Expert Committee (CDEC) has recommended public reimbursement for LIVMARLI® (maralixibat oral solution) for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with Alagille Syndrome (ALGS), with certain conditions. This announcement follows Health Canada’s authorization of LIVMARLI in this indication in 2023.
“The positive reimbursement recommendation for LIVMARLI by CADTH is an important step forward for patients suffering from the debilitating effects of cholestatic pruritus related to Alagille syndrome,” said Chris Peetz, chief executive officer at Mirum. “Accelerating access in all provinces to this meaningful treatment is critical as it is the first and only approved therapy available in this setting in Canada. These patients suffer greatly from the debilitating and disruptive effects of Alagille syndrome, which often starts in early childhood.”
“CADTH’s recommendation of reimbursement for LIVMARLI provides a meaningful advancement in the treatment of cholestatic pruritus for patients with Alagille syndrome. I am pleased that LIVMARLI will now become more accessible in Canada, where I have seen the critical need for a treatment to address the itch caused by cholestasis,” said Dr. Binita Kamath, Director, Hepatology Program and Senior Associate Scientist at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), Toronto, Canada.
“This recommendation is incredibly meaningful as it signifies hope for patients and their families who have suffered from the disruptive and painful effects of pruritus for far too long,” said Roberta Smith, president, Alagille Syndrome Alliance and mother of a daughter with ALGS. “We are grateful to CADTH for ensuring support of this new and important medication.”
The CADTH recommendation is based on data from the pivotal ICONIC study including six years of data across the LIVMARLI clinical program resulting in a robust body of evidence in patients with cholestatic pruritus in ALGS. Data from ICONIC demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful reductions in pruritus compared to placebo, as well as significant reductions in serum bile acids, both of which were durably maintained over several years of treatment.
LIVMARLI is also approved for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with Alagille syndrome (ALGS) in the U.S. and Europe, and for Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC) in the U.S. and in Europe.
ALGS is a rare genetic disorder caused by abnormalities in bile ducts that can lead to progressive liver disease. Malformed or reduced bile ducts cause cholestasis, the accumulation of bile acids in the liver, which leads to inflammation and liver injury, and prevents the liver from working properly. Cholestasis in ALGS is associated with pruritus which is among the most common indications for liver transplant in ALGS.
About LIVMARLI® (maralixibat) oral solution
LIVMARLI® (maralixibat) oral solution is an orally administered, once-daily, ileal bile acid transporter (IBAT) inhibitor and the only approved medication by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with Alagille syndrome (ALGS) three months of age and older and progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) five years of age and older.
LIVMARLI is also the only approved IBAT inhibitor approved by the European Commission for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with ALGS two months and older, and by Health Canada for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in ALGS. For more information for U.S. residents, please visit LIVMARLI.com.
Mirum has also submitted LIVMARLI for approval in Europe in PFIC for patients two months of age and older.
LIVMARLI has received Breakthrough Therapy designation for ALGS and PFIC type 2 and orphan designation for ALGS and PFIC. To learn more about ongoing clinical trials with LIVMARLI, please visit Mirum’s clinical trials section on the company’s website.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
LIVMARLI is not for use in PFIC type 2 patients who have a severe defect in the bile salt export pump (BSEP) protein.
LIVMARLI can cause side effects, including:
Liver injury. Changes in certain liver tests are common in patients with Alagille syndrome and PFIC but can worsen during treatment. These changes may be a sign of liver injury. In PFIC, this can be serious or may lead to liver transplant or death. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests and physical exams before starting and during treatment to check your liver function. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get any signs or symptoms of liver problems, including nausea or vomiting, skin or the white part of the eye turns yellow, dark or brown urine, pain on the right side of the stomach (abdomen), bloating in your stomach area, loss of appetite or bleeding or bruising more easily than normal.
Stomach and intestinal (gastrointestinal) problems. LIVMARLI can cause stomach and intestinal problems, including diarrhea and stomach pain. Your healthcare provider may advise you to monitor for new or worsening stomach problems including stomach pain, diarrhea, blood in your stool or vomiting. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms more often or more severely than normal for you.
A condition called Fat Soluble Vitamin (FSV) Deficiency caused by low levels of certain vitamins (vitamin A, D, E, and K) stored in body fat is common in patients with Alagille syndrome and PFIC but may worsen during treatment. Your healthcare provider should do blood tests before starting and during treatment and may monitor for bone fractures and bleeding which have been reported as common side effects.
US Prescribing Information
EU SmPC
Canadian Product Monograph
About Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Mirum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming the treatment of rare diseases affecting children and adults. Mirum has three approved medications: LIVMARLI® (maralixibat) oral solution, CHOLBAM® (cholic acid) capsules, and CHENODAL® (chenodiol) tablets.
LIVMARLI, an IBAT inhibitor, is approved for the treatment of two rare liver diseases affecting children and adults. It is approved for the treatment of cholestatic pruritus in patients with Alagille syndrome in the U.S. (three months and older), in Europe (two months and older), and in other regions globally. It is also approved in the U.S. in cholestatic pruritus in PFIC patients five years of age and older. Mirum has submitted for approval in Europe for the treatment of PFIC in patients two months of age and older. CHOLBAM is FDA-approved for the treatment of bile acid synthesis disorders due to single enzyme deficiencies and adjunctive treatment of peroxisomal disorders in patients who show signs or symptoms or liver disease. CHENODAL has received medical necessity recognition by the FDA to treat patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX).
Mirum’s late-stage pipeline includes two investigational treatments for debilitating liver diseases. Volixibat, an IBAT inhibitor, is being evaluated in two potentially registrational studies including the Phase 2b VISTAS study for primary sclerosing cholangitis and Phase 2b VANTAGE study for primary biliary cholangitis. Lastly, CHENODAL, has been evaluated in a Phase 3 clinical study, RESTORE, to treat patients with CTX, with positive topline results reported in 2023.
To learn more about Mirum, visit mirumpharma.com and follow Mirum on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include statements regarding, among other things, the potential commercial success of LIVMARLI in Canada and other approved territories and the additional improvements in disease beyond pruritus. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Words such as “will,” “intended,” “potential” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon Mirum’s current expectations and involve assumptions that may never materialize or may prove to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of various risks and uncertainties, which include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with Mirum’s business in general, the impact of geopolitical and macroeconomic events , and the other risks described in Mirum’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by any subsequent Quarter Reports on Form 10-Q. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made and are based on management’s assumptions and estimates as of such date. Mirum undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made, except as required by law.
