Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc an ophthalmic pharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of first-in-class therapies for the treatment of patients with open-angle glaucoma and other diseases of the eye, announced the submission of its New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for RoclatanTM (netarsudil/latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005%. RoclatanTM is a once-daily eye drop designed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It is a fixed dose combination of Aerie’s Rhopressa®, which is currently available in the United States, and the widely-prescribed PGA (prostaglandin analog) latanoprost. RoclatanTM successfully achieved its primary efficacy endpoint in two Phase 3 registration trials, named Mercury 1 and Mercury 2, and also achieved successful 12-month safety and efficacy results in Mercury 1, the results of which are included in the NDA submission.
The expected FDA review period for RoclatanTM NDA is only ten months instead of twelve months because Aerie’s submission is filed under Section 505(b)(2) of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, since RoclatanTM is a fixed dose combination of two previously approved drugs in the United States.
“The RoclatanTM NDA filing represents another significant achievement for Aerie this year, on top of our recent commercial launch of Rhopressa® in the United States. Since RoclatanTM is being filed through the 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway, in which both active ingredients, netarsudil and latanoprost, are already approved in the United States, we expect a ten-month FDA review. We believe, if approved, RoclatanTM has the potential to be the most efficacious therapy in the market for the reduction of IOP, which makes this submission all the more exciting for our valued employees, eye care professionals, and most importantly, patients who suffer from glaucoma or ocular hypertension,” said Vicente Anido, Jr., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Aerie.
About Roclatan
RoclatanTM (netarsudil/latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.02%/0.005%, is a once-daily eye drop designed to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension. It is a fixed dose combination of Aerie’s Rhopressa®, which is currently available in the United States, and widely-prescribed PGA (prostaglandin analog) latanoprost. RoclatanTM successfully achieved its primary efficacy endpoint in two Phase 3 registration trials, named Mercury 1 and Mercury 2, and also achieved successful 12-month safety and efficacy results in Mercury 1, the results of which are included in the May 2018 NDA submission. A third Phase 3 trial for RoclatanTM, named Mercury 3, is currently underway in Europe but is not required for approval in the United States.
