2014年12月24日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --全球仿制药巨头阿特维斯（Actavis）与合作伙伴Adamas制药公司近日宣布，复方新药Namzaric已获FDA批准用于正接受盐酸美金刚和盐酸多奈哌齐治疗且病情稳定的中度至重度阿尔茨海默氏型老年性痴呆（Alzheimer's type dementia）的治疗。阿特维斯计划于2015年将Namzaric推向市场。
Namzaric是一种每日一次的口服胶囊，由固定剂量美金刚和多奈哌齐（memantine ER/donepezil）组成，适用于目前正在服用美金刚（10mg每日2次；或28mg缓释片每日1次）和多奈哌齐（10mg）的患者。此外，该胶囊可以被打开，将内容物撒在食物上，以方便可能有吞咽困难的患者。
美金刚（memantine）和多奈哌齐（donepezil）联合用药，是用于中度至重度阿尔茨海默氏型老年性痴呆患者的一套行之有效的治疗方案。Namzaric（缓释美金刚ER/多奈哌齐），有助于帮助减轻患者日常用药的负担，并改善患者的依从性和合规性（compliance，即遵医行为）。
Namzaric包括2种剂量，28mg/10mg和14mg/10mg，后者可用于有严重肾功能损害的患者。目前，美金刚缓释（memantine ER）胶囊已以品牌名NAMENDA XR上市销售，适用于中度至重度阿尔茨海默型老年痴呆的治疗。多奈哌齐品牌名为ARICEPT，适用于轻度至重度阿尔茨海默型老年痴呆的治疗。
今年2月，阿特维斯耗资250亿美元收购Forest Lab后将Namzaric及阿尔茨海默氏症药物Namenda及一些新药如抗抑郁药Viibryd收入囊中。（生物谷Bioon.com）
英文原文：Actavis and Adamas Announce FDA Approval of Namzaric, a Fixed-Dose Combination of Memantine Extended-Release and Donepezil Hydrochloride
- Indicated for Treatment of Moderate to Severe Alzheimer's Disease -
DUBLIN and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Dec. 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Actavis plc (ACT) and Adamas Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ADMS) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the New Drug Application (NDA) for Namzaric, a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of memantine hydrochloride extended-release, a NMDA receptor antagonist, and donepezil hydrochloride, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. Namzaric was approved for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type in patients stabilized on memantine hydrochloride and donepezil hydrochloride.
"Namzaric combines, in one capsule, two complementary therapeutic agents which are often co-prescribed as approximately 70% of Namenda XR patients are also on AChEI therapy. Both Namenda XR and donepezil have proven efficacy and safety, for the treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, data has shown that combination therapy with Namenda XR and an AChEI demonstrated greater improvement in cognition and global function verses an AChEI alone," said David Nicholson, Actavis Senior Vice President, Global Brands R&D. "Along with our partner Adamas, we are proud that this important therapy will provide a convenient and innovative treatment option for Alzheimer's patients and caregivers that reduces the number of capsules they are required to take each day for the treatment of this devastating disease."
"We are excited about the approval of Namzaric ¡ª the first fixed-dose combination of extended-release memantine and donepezil ¡ª and look forward to its launch by Actavis in 2015," said Gregory T. Went, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Adamas Pharmaceuticals, Inc. "Namzaric is also the first FDA-approved FDC product to emerge from Adamas' platform for modifying the pharmacokinetic profiles of approved drugs, and we look forward to developing additional new treatments for individuals with serious neurological CNS disorders."
Namzaric, formerly known as MDX-8704, is a once-daily oral capsule for patients currently taking memantine (10 mg twice daily or 28 mg extended-release once-daily) and donepezil 10 mg. In addition, the capsules can be opened to allow the contents to be sprinkled on food to facilitate dosing for patients who may have difficulty swallowing.
"When determining therapies for my patients in the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer's disease, I consider the therapy's effectiveness, safety profile and its ease of administration. The FDA's approval of Namzaric offers a new therapeutic option that provides patients a fixed-dose combination of two treatments often prescribed together, in one capsule," said Gustavo Alva, MD, Neuropsychiatrist and Medical Director at ATP Clinical Research in Costa Mesa, CA and volunteer faculty member at University of California, Irvine.
Namzaric will be available in two dosage strengths, 28/10 mg (memantine extended release/donepezil) and 14/10mg (memantine extended release/donepezil) for patients with severe renal impairment. Memantine ER is the active ingredient in the currently marketed NAMENDA XR?, which is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Donepezil is the active ingredient in ARICEPT?, which is indicated for the treatment of mild to severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. Actavis and Adamas collaborated on the development of the fixed-dose combination and Actavis will have exclusive U.S. commercialization rights, while Adamas will retain exclusive commercialization rights outside of the U.S. Actavis expects to launch Namzaric in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2015.
About the Clinical Trials
The efficacy and safety of the coadministration of memantine HCl extended release and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs), including donepezil HCl, was based on the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 677 outpatients on a stable dose of AChEIs. The clinical study was not conducted with Namazaric; however, bioequivalence of Namazaric with coadministered memantine HCl extended release and donepezil HCl was demonstrated. Approximately 68% of the patients randomized to receive either memantine HCl extended release 28 mg or placebo were taking donepezil as the AchEI at Baseline and throughout the study. The results of this study, demonstrated statistically significant improvement in cognition and global function for patients treated with NAMENDA XR 28 mg plus an AChEI compared to placebo plus an AChEI.
The most commonly observed adverse reactions seen with memantine hydrochloride extended-release in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, defined as those occurring at a frequency of at least 5% in the memantine hydrochloride extended-release group and at a higher frequency than placebo, were headache, diarrhea, and dizziness.
About Alzheimer's
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by problems with memory, thinking and behavior that eventually become severe enough to affect daily tasks. An estimated 5.2 million people in the United States are currently living with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's disease is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States among those aged 65 and older and was reported as an underlying cause of death for more than 83,000 Americans in 2010.