About Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration and weakness. It primarily affects males, with symptoms typically appearing in early childhood, around ages 3 to 5. DMD is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a protein that plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure and function of muscle fibers. Without dystrophin, muscle cells become fragile and easily damaged, leading to progressive muscle degeneration. Symptoms of DMD usually begin with difficulty in walking, frequent falls, and muscle weakness, particularly in the legs and pelvis. As the disease progresses, individuals may experience difficulty standing, climbing stairs, and eventually, complete loss of mobility. Other complications can include respiratory and cardiac issues due to muscle weakness.
About AGAMREE® (vamorolone)
AGAMREE’s unique mode of action is based on differential effects on glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptors and modifying further downstream activity. As such, it is considered a novel corticosteroid designed to achieve dissociative properties while maintaining efficacy that has the potential to demonstrate comparable efficacy to steroids, with the potential for a better-tolerated side effect profile. This mechanism of action may allow AGAMREE to emerge as an effective alternative to the current standard of care corticosteroids in children, adolescents, and adult patients with DMD. In the pivotal VISION-DMD study, AGAMREE met the primary endpoint Time to Stand (TTSTAND) velocity versus placebo (p=0.002) at 24 weeks of treatment and showed a good safety and tolerability profile. The most commonly reported adverse events versus placebo from the VISION-DMD study were cushingoid features, psychiatric disorders, vomiting, weight increases, and vitamin D deficiency. Adverse events were generally of mild to moderate severity.
About Kye Pharmaceuticals
Kye Pharmaceuticals is a growth-stage Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company committed to bringing value to Canadians by identifying, licensing, and commercializing novel prescription medicines that may not otherwise be available to patients across Canada. Fueled by courage and agility, our corporate philosophy is rooted in the pursuit of innovation and driven by our entrepreneurial spirit. With a growing pipeline of novel medicines, Kye’s portfolio spans a range of therapeutic areas, including cardiology, psychiatry, pediatrics, rare diseases, hematology, and neurology. Kye Pharmaceuticals is a private company headquartered in Toronto focused on bringing medications to the Canadian market which fulfill clinically significant unmet needs. Kye is committed to licensing and launching medicines that matter by delivering better outcomes to our partners, Canadian healthcare professionals, and, most importantly, patients across Canada. For more information, please visit www.kyepharma.com.
About Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
With exceptional patient focus, Catalyst is committed to developing and commercializing innovative first-in-class medicines that address rare and difficult-to-treat diseases. Catalyst’s flagship U.S. commercial product is FIRDAPSE® (amifampridine) Tablets 10 mg, approved for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (“LEMS”) in adults and pediatric patients 6 years of age and older. In January 2023, Catalyst acquired the U.S. commercial rights to FYCOMPA® (perampanel) CIII, a prescription medicine approved in people with epilepsy aged four and older alone or with other medicines to treat partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures and with other medicines to treat primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures for people with epilepsy aged 12 and older. Further, Canada’s national healthcare regulatory agency, Health Canada, has approved the use of FIRDAPSE for the treatment of adult patients in Canada with LEMS. On July 18, 2023, Catalyst acquired an exclusive license for North America for AGAMREE® (vamorolone) oral suspension 40 mg/mL, a novel corticosteroid treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. AGAMREE previously received FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track designations and was approved by the FDA for commercialization in the U.S. on October 26, 2023. AGAMREE became commercially available by prescription in the U.S. on March 13, 2024.
