Cycle Launches Sajazir as Treatment Option for Acute HAE Attacks
Cycle Pharmaceuticals has launched Sajazir, an injectable form of icatibant, as a new treatment option for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adults.
Patients who use Sajazir can take advantage of Cycle Vita, the company’s recently created rare disease product support hub.
Icatibant, also sold as Firazyr, by Takeda Pharmaceuticals, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating HAE, which is estimated to affect more than 7,000 people in the United States.
The new treatment, which comes in the form of a pre-filled 30 mg/3 ml syringe, treats swelling from HAE that can occur in the abdomen, extremities, genitals, face, or throat. It is designed to be self-administered under the skin, or subcutaneously, in the abdominal area.
“The launch of Sajazir gives the HAE community an exciting new treatment option,” Zac Bohlen, Cycle’s vice president of U.S. sales, said in a press release. “Cycle understands the importance of providing product support to complement the impact of therapeutic products.”
Cycle is encouraging HAE patients using Sajazir to check out its new platform. Cycle Vita offers an array of product information and support to individuals in the U.S. who have been prescribed a Cycle medication, as well as to healthcare providers who may not be up to speed on some of the disorders or on how they are treated.
Offering personalized, round-the-clock assistance, Cycle Vita helps patients navigate treatment insurance and payment processes, according to the company. Patients also may receive emotional support from the platform’s team of registered nurses or other healthcare professionals, as well as guidance and training in self-administering Sajazir.
“Cycle Vita is an essential part of our core mission to better support patients with HAE and their families,” said John Reid, director of patient hub services. “We will appropriately guide patients through every stage of their journey by streamlining the enrollment and finance process and providing ongoing treatment support in addition to the expertise of the patient’s healthcare team.”
Icatibant, the active ingredient of both Sajazir and Firazyr, prevents the signaling molecule bradykinin — which causes blood vessels to widen and become more permeable, and is found in excessive levels in HAE patients — from interacting with its receptor. By doing so, icatibant effectively interrupts the signaling cascade that otherwise would lead to swelling.
Found to have a good safety profile in multiple Phase 3 trials, icatibant has been shown to be effective in treating HAE swelling attacks.
The FDA last year approved Cipla’s generic version of Firazyr — which was first approved in 2011 for treating acute HAE attacks in patients ages 18 and older. The original therapy was developed by Shire, now part of Takeda.
Takeda’s patent for Firazyr expired in July 2019, making generic options of icatibant now available.
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