Patent designed to protect the subcutaneous administration of Makena(R) (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection)

WALTHAM, Mass., Dec. 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAG) today announced the issuance of U.S. Patent Number 9,844,558 entitled “Methods of Reducing Risk of Preterm Birth.” This newly issued patent is directed to subcutaneous administration and dosing of Makena® (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection) and is expected to expire on May 2, 2036. Makena is a treatment to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women who are pregnant with one baby and who spontaneously delivered one preterm baby in the past. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) established a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of February 14, 2018 for the Makena subcutaneous auto-injector, a drug-device combination product. If approved, the auto-injector will join the Makena portfolio, which also includes the FDA-approved intramuscular injection.

“Securing this patent is another important step in our preparation to bring the Makena subcutaneous auto-injector to market,” said William Heiden, AMAG’s president and chief executive officer. “If approved, this drug-device combination will offer health care providers with a ready-to-administer product and provide women with an alternative option to an intramuscular injection. We believe that this auto-injector will help more women who may be at risk for recurrent preterm birth.”

AMAG developed the Makena auto-injector with its device partner Antares Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRS), which holds issued patents on the auto-injector device and drug device combination. If approved, AMAG will request FDA Orange Book listing of this new patent, as well as the eligible Antares patents.

About AMAG
AMAG is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and delivering important therapeutics, conducting clinical research in areas of unmet need and creating education and support programs for the patients and families we serve. Our currently marketed products support the health of patients in the areas of maternal and women’s health, anemia management and cancer supportive care. Through CBR®, we also help families to preserve newborn stem cells, which are used today in transplant medicine for certain cancers and blood, immune and metabolic disorders, and have the potential to play a valuable role in the ongoing development of regenerative medicine. For additional company information, please visit www.amagpharma.com. 

About Makena® (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection)
Makena is a progestin indicated to reduce the risk of preterm birth in women pregnant with a single baby 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.

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 product information, including full prescribing information, please visit www.makena.com.

Forward-Looking Statements   
This press release contains forward-looking information about AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Any statements contained herein which do not describe historical facts, including, among others, AMAG’s ability to bring the Makena subcutaneous auto-injector to market; AMAG’s belief that the auto-injector will, if approved, help more women who may be at risk for preterm birth; the ability to list eligible patents in the Orange Book and beliefs that newborn stem cells have the potential to play a valuable role in the development of regenerative medicine 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, 2016, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ending March 31, 2017, June 30, 2017 and September 30, 2017 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 AMAG Pharmaceuticals IP, Ltd.  Cord Blood Registry® and CBR® are registered trademarks of Cbr Systems, Inc.

AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Contacts:
Investors:
Linda Lennox
Vice President, Investor Relations
617-498-2846

Media:
Sarah Connors
Senior Director, Product Communications
781-296-0722