Company Plans for Full Commercial Launch of Makena Line Extension in Second Quarter of 2016

WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 23, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAG) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company’s single-dose, preservative-free formulation of Makena® (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection). Makena is the only FDA-approved treatment indicated to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women who are pregnant with one baby and who have spontaneously delivered one preterm baby in the past. 

The single-dose formulation is an expansion of the Makena product line. Packaged in trays of four (a month’s supply), the single-dose formulation provides an alternative package size to the current multi-dose vial, which contains five weekly injections.  AMAG currently expects to commercialize the new single-dose, preservative-free formulation of Makena in the second quarter of 2016.   

“We are pleased to receive FDA approval of single-dose, preservative-free Makena. This new prescribing option underscores our company’s commitment to listening and responding to requests from healthcare providers and patients,” said William Heiden, chief executive officer of AMAG. “We believe the single-dose formulation is an important first step in our next generation development program for Makena and further demonstrates the company’s dedication to improving the quality of care for women at risk of preterm birth.”

The new single-dose formulation:

• Provides the convenience of a single-use vial for once-weekly dosing, without the need for storage of a multi-dose vial;
• Allows pharmacists to dispense a month’s supply of single-dose Makena vials or to dispense individual single-dose vials for women who are nearing the end of their course of therapy; and
• Offers an FDA-approved, preservative-free version of Makena for patients and healthcare providers who prefer this option.

“We are pleased FDA approved the single-dose, preservative-free formulation of Makena, as it offers a convenient option for healthcare providers to treat women who are at high risk of recurrent preterm birth in accordance with clinical guidelines,” stated Dan O’Keeffe, M.D., executive vice president, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

For more information about Makena, visit www.makena.com.

About Makena® (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection)
Makena® is a progestin indicated to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women with a singleton pregnancy who have a history of singleton spontaneous preterm birth. The effectiveness of Makena is based on improvement in the proportion of women who delivered <37 weeks of gestation. There are no controlled trials demonstrating a direct clinical benefit, such as improvement in neonatal mortality and morbidity.

Limitation of use: While there are many risk factors for preterm birth, safety and efficacy of Makena has been demonstrated only in women with a prior spontaneous singleton preterm birth. It is not intended for use in women with multiple gestations or other risk factors for preterm birth.

Important Safety Information for Makena (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection)
Makena should not be used in women with any of the following conditions: blood clots or other blood clotting problems, breast cancer or other hormone-sensitive cancers, or history of these conditions; unusual vaginal bleeding not related to the current pregnancy, yellowing of the skin due to liver problems during pregnancy, liver problems, including liver tumors, or uncontrolled high blood pressure.

Before patients receive Makena, they should tell their healthcare provider if they have an allergy to hydroxyprogesterone caproate, castor oil, or any of the other ingredients in Makena; diabetes or prediabetes, epilepsy, migraine headaches, asthma, heart problems, kidney problems, depression, or high blood pressure.

In one clinical study, certain complications or events associated with pregnancy occurred more often in women who received Makena. These included miscarriage (pregnancy loss before 20 weeks of pregnancy), stillbirth (fetal death occurring during or after the 20th week of pregnancy), hospital admission for preterm labor, preeclampsia (high blood pressure and too much protein in the urine), gestational hypertension (high blood pressure caused by pregnancy), gestational diabetes, and oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid levels).

Makena may cause serious side effects including blood clots, allergic reactions, depression, and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The most common side effects of Makena include injection site reactions (pain, swelling, itching, bruising, or a hard bump), hives, itching, nausea, and diarrhea.

For additional U.S. product information, including full prescribing information, please visit www.makena.com.

About AMAG
AMAG Pharmaceuticals uses its business and clinical expertise to develop and commercialize products that provide clear benefits and improve people’s lives. Based in Waltham, MA, AMAG has a diverse portfolio of products in the areas of maternal health, anemia management and cancer supportive care. AMAG continues to work to expand the impact of these and future products for patients by delivering on its growth strategy, which includes organic growth, as well as the pursuit of products and companies that align with AMAG’s existing therapeutic areas or those that could benefit from its proven core competencies. For additional company information, please visit www.amagpharma.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein which do not describe historical facts, including, among others, statement regarding our expectations to begin to commercialize the new single-dose formulation of Makena in the second quarter of 2016; the expected benefits of the single-dose vial of Makena to healthcare providers and patients; expectations for the next generation development program for Makena; AMAG’s ability to provide clear benefits and improve people’s lives; and plans to expand and diversify AMAG’s portfolio are forward-looking statements which involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements.

Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, those risks identified in AMAG’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended June 30, 2015 and September 30, 2015 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any such risks and uncertainties could materially and adversely affect AMAG’s results of operations, its profitability and its cash flows, which would, in turn, have a significant and adverse impact on AMAG’s stock price. AMAG cautions you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

AMAG disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any such statements to reflect any change in expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals® is a registered trademark of AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Makena® is a registered trademark of Lumara Health Inc. 

Investor Contact: 
Linda Lennox
Vice President, Investor Relations 
617-498-2846

Media Contact:
Katie Payne
Vice President, External Affairs
617-498-3303