NORTHBROOK, Ill., Sept. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas announces today the data that will be presented on the anti-fungal isavuconazole at the 4^th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), September 5-9 in Washington, D.C.

The Presentations at ICAAC will feature data from the SECURE isavuconazole invasive aspergillosis Phase 3 study with outcome analyses for subsets of patients with hematologic and other malignancies. Astellas is presenting pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics data as well as clinical data in patients with other fungal infections, including fusarium and scedosporium, Cryptococcus and dimorphic fungal diseases.

Astellas has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for isavuconazole for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis (also known as zygomycosis), which are life-threatening fungal infections predominantly occurring in immunocompromised patients.

The FDA designated isavuconazole as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) for both invasive mucormycosis and invasive aspergillosis. QIDP status provides priority review and a five-year extension of market exclusivity in the United States. QIDP incentives were granted under the 2012 U.S. Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act as a part of the FDA Safety and Innovation Act. Also, in 2013, isavuconazole was granted Orphan Drug status for invasive aspergillosis and invasive mucormycosis which, if approved, will result in the product having seven years of market exclusivity in addition to that provided under the GAIN Act.

Isavuconazole posters and presentations at ICAAC:

• Isavuconazole is Effective for the Treatment of Experimental Cryptococcal Meningitis. L. K. Najvar, N. P. Wiederhold, R. Bocanegra, M. Olivo, W. R. Kirkpatrick, T. F. Patterson; M-427; Saturday, September 6, 12:00- 2:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Isavuconazole (Symposium "Old and New Anti-Infective Agents from a Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Perspective"). A. J. Lepak; A-505; Saturday, September 6, 6:05 PM - 6:45 PM, Room 152 A
• Effect of Multiple Doses of Ketoconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of Isavuconazole in Healthy Subjects. T. Yamazaki, H. Pearlman, D. L. Kowalski, C. Lademacher, A. V. Desai, R. W. Townsend; A-695; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Effect of Multiple Doses of Isavuconazole on the Pharmacokinetics of CYP1A2 Substrate Caffeine and CYP2C8 substrate Repaglinide in Healthy Subjects. A. Desai, H. Pearlman, T. Yamazaki, C. Lademacher, D. Kowalski, J. Keirns, R. W. Townsend; A-696; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Isavuconazole (ISA) Population Pharmacokinetic Modeling from Phase 1 and Phase 3 Clinical Trials and Target Attainment Analysis. A. Desai, L. Kovanda, D. Kowalski, Q. Lu, R. W. Townsend; A-697; Sunday, September 7, 2014 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Pharmacodynamics (PD) of Isavuconazole (ISA) For Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis (IPA). H. Box, L. Gregson, J. L. Livermore, T. W. Felton, S. Whalley, J. Goodwin, L. McEntee, A. Johnson, W. W. Hope; A-698; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Assessing Isavuconazole Induced Resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. C. Jimenez-Ortigosa, S. Matsumoto, M. M. Fouant, L. Kovanda, D. S. Perlin; M-1081 ; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• Molecular Epidemiology and Antifungal Susceptibility of Aspergillus terreus Species Complex: A 6-year Surveillance Study at a Tertiary Care Chest Hospital, Delhi, India. S. Kathuria, C. Sharma, P. K. Singh, F. Hagen, J. F. Meis, A. Chowdhary; M-1084; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM; Exhibit Hall B
• AFLP and Antifungal Susceptibility of Rhizopus species from Patients with Mucormycosis, Delhi, India. S. Kathuria, P. K. Singh, F. Hagen, J. F. Meis, A. Chowdhary; M-1086; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Isavuconazole and Nine Comparator Antifungal Susceptibility Profiles for Common and Uncommon Opportunistic Fungi Collected in 2013: Application of New Clinical Breakpoints and Epidemiological Cutoff Values. M. A. Pfaller, S. A. Messer, R. Dietrich, P. R. Rhomberg, R. N. Jones, M. Castanheira; M-1091; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• In Vitro Combination Therapy with Isavuconazole against Candida spp. V. Petraitis, M. McCarthy, J. Meletiadis, A. Katragkou, P. W. Moradi, G. E. Strauss, K. L. Myint, K. Hussain, L. L. Kovanda, M. M. Fouant, E. Roilides, R. Petraitiene, T. J. Walsh; M-1106; Sunday, September 7, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Resistance Mechanisms to Azoles in Moulds. J. Chandra, P. Mukherjee, M. A. Ghannoum;
  M-1278; Monday, September 8, 10:00 AM - 10:15 AM, Room 202 B
• A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Trial Evaluating Isavuconazole (ISA) vs. Voriconazole (VRC) for the Primary Treatment of Invasive Fungal Disease (IFD) Caused by Aspergillus spp. or other Filamentous Fungi (SECURE): Outcomes by Malignancy Status. A. J. Ullmann, S. Shoham, W. Huang, S. Mujais; M-1756; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• A Phase 3 Randomized, Double-Blind, Non-Inferiority Trial Evaluating Isavuconazole (ISA) Vs. Voriconazole (VRC) for the Primary Treatment of Invasive Mold Infection (SECURE): Outcomes in Subset of Patients with Hematologic Malignancies (HM). K. Marr, E. Bow, W. Heinz, M. Lee, R. Maher, B. Zeiher, J. Maertens; M-1757; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Outcomes by Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations from Isavuconazole Phase 3 Trial of Invasive Aspergillosis (SECURE). D. Andes, M. Ghannoum, L. Kovanda, W. Huang, Q. Lu, B. Zeiher, M. Jones, W. Hope; M-1761; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Outcomes in Patients with Invasive Fungal Disease Caused by Dimorphic Fungi Treated with Isavuconazole:  Experience from the VITAL trial. G. R. Thompson, A. Rendon, R. Santos, F. Queiroz-Telles, L. Ostrosky-Zeichner, B. Zeiher, R. Maher, M. Lee; M-1775; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Outcomes in Patients with Invasive Mold Disease Caused by Fusarium or Scedosporium spp. Treated with Isavuconazole; Experience from the VITAL and SECURE Trials. A. Cornely, L. Ostrosky-Zeichner, G. Rahav, R. Maher, B. Zeiher, M. Lee, J. Perfect; M-1760; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B
• Successful Outcomes in Patients with Invasive Fungal Disease due to C. gattii and C. neoformans Treated with Isavuconazole: Experience from the VITAL Trial. F. Queiroz-Telles, O.A. Cornely, J. Perfect, L. Kovanda, B. Zeiher, J. Vazquez; M-1773; Monday, September 8, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM, Exhibit Hall B

About Isavuconazole

Isavuconazole (drug substance: isavuconazonium sulfate) is an investigational once-daily intravenous and oral broad-spectrum antifungal being developed for the treatment of severe invasive and life-threatening fungal infections. Isavuconazole is the active moiety of the prodrug isavuconazonium sulfate. Information regarding isavuconazole ongoing clinical trials is available at clinicaltrials.gov.  

Isavuconazole demonstrated in-vitro and in-vivo coverage of a broad range of yeasts (such as Candida species) and molds (such as Aspergillus species) as well as activity against emerging and often fatal molds including those that cause mucormycosis.

In the Phase 3 invasive aspergillosis study, isavuconazole demonstrated non-inferiority to voriconazole on the primary endpoint of all-cause mortality at day 42.  The treatment-emergent adverse events for isavuconazole were statistically fewer relative to voriconazole in the System Organ Classes of hepatobiliary, skin and eye disorders. In both treatment groups, the most common treatment emergent adverse events were nausea, vomiting, pyrexia (fever) and diarrhea.

Isavuconazole is being co-developed with Basilea Pharmaceutica International Ltd.

About Astellas Infectious Disease

Astellas' commitment to the field of infectious diseases is an active one. We're expanding the knowledge base of this therapeutic area and empowering physicians to make evidence-based clinical decisions.

Our proud history of collaborating with investigators around the world provides ideal environments to study compounds that have the potential for significant breakthroughs and allows us to generate and publish key information on our advances. In fact, Astellas has performed some of the world's largest clinical trials in fungal infections.

About Astellas

Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceuticals. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.us. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AstellasUS.

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