SAN FRANCISCO, March 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FibroGen, Inc. (Nasdaq: FGEN) and its partner, AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN), today announced that the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an advisory committee (AdCom) meeting to review the new drug application for roxadustat in the U.S. The companies have not received a confirmed AdCom meeting date from the FDA.

“While disappointed with the news today, FibroGen and AstraZeneca are committed to working with the FDA to bring roxadustat to patients with anemia of CKD in the U.S. as soon as possible,” said Enrique Conterno, Chief Executive Officer, FibroGen. “We continue to be confident in the efficacy and safety profile of this potential new medicine based on positive results from a global Phase 3 program encompassing more than 8,000 patients.”

Roxadustat has been approved in China, Japan and Chile for the treatment of anemia of CKD in both non-dialysis dependent (NDD) and dialysis-dependent (DD) adult patients.

Roxadustat, an oral small molecule hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitor, is the first HIF-PH inhibitor accepted by the FDA for review for the treatment of anemia of CKD.

About Anemia of CKD

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is generally a progressive disease characterized by gradual loss of kidney function that may eventually lead to kidney failure or end stage renal disease, requiring dialysis or kidney transplant. CKD is estimated to occur in approximately 10-12% of adults worldwide and is predicted to become the fifth most common cause of premature death globally by 2040.

Anemia, a serious medical condition in which patients have insufficient red blood cells and low levels of hemoglobin, is a common early complication of CKD, affecting approximately 20% of CKD patients. Anemia of CKD is associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, cardiovascular complications, and death, and can also cause significant fatigue, cognitive dysfunction and reduced quality of life. Blood transfusions are used for treating severe anemia, however, they may reduce a patient’s opportunity for kidney transplant and can increase the risk of infection and/or complications such as heart failure and allergic reactions.

About Roxadustat

Roxadustat, an oral medicine, is the first in a new class of medicines, HIF-PH inhibitors that promote erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production, through increased endogenous production of erythropoietin; improved iron absorption and mobilization; and downregulation of hepcidin. Roxadustat is also in clinical development for anemia associated with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA).

Roxadustat is approved in China, Japan, and Chile for the treatment of anemia of CKD in adult patients on dialysis (DD) and not on dialysis (NDD). In Europe, the Marketing Authorization Application for roxadustat for the treatment of anemia in with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in NDD and DD patients was filed by Astellas Pharma Inc. (Astellas) and accepted by the European Medicines Agency for review in May 2020. Several other licensing applications for roxadustat have been submitted by Astellas and AstraZeneca to regulatory authorities across the globe, and are currently in review.

Astellas and FibroGen are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia in territories including Japan, Europe, Turkey, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, and South Africa. FibroGen and AstraZeneca are collaborating on the development and commercialization of roxadustat for the potential treatment of anemia in the U.S., China, other markets in the Americas, in Australia/New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.

About FibroGen

FibroGen, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics. The Company applies its pioneering expertise in hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) biology to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of unmet needs. The Company is currently developing and commercializing roxadustat, an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity, for anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Roxadustat is also in clinical development for anemia associated with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and for chemotherapy-induced anemia (CIA). Pamrevlumab, an anti-CTGF human monoclonal antibody, is in clinical development for the treatment of locally advanced unresectable pancreatic cancer (LAPC), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). For more information, please visit www.fibrogen.com.

Source: FibroGen, Inc

Posted: March 2021