NORTH CHICAGO - AbbVie (NYSE: ABBV) today announced that it has submitted applications for a new indication to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) for upadacitinib (RINVOQ; 15 mg, once daily) for the treatment of adult patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA).
GCA is an autoimmune disease of medium and large arteries and can cause headache, jaw pain, and changes in vision, including sudden and permanent loss of vision.
'Currently, there are few approved treatment options for patients with GCA. Most patients are managed with glucocorticoids, and many are unable to discontinue them without the recurrence of GCA symptoms,' stated Roopal Thakkar, M.D., executive vice president, research and development, and chief scientific officer, AbbVie. 'We recognize the importance of maintaining remission and limiting the use of glucocorticoids in GCA.'
The regulatory submissions to the FDA and EMA are supported by previously announced results from the SELECT-GCA Phase 3 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib in patients with GCA.
About SELECT-GCA
SELECT-GCA (M16-852) is a Phase 3, multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of upadacitinib in 428 patients with GCA. The study consists of two periods. The first period evaluated the efficacy of upadacitinib in combination with a 26-week corticosteroid taper regimen compared to placebo in combination with a 52-week corticosteroid taper regimen. In addition, the first period assessed the safety and tolerability of upadacitinib in these patients. The second period is ongoing to evaluate the safety and efficacy of continuing versus withdrawing upadacitinib in maintaining remission in participants who achieved sustained remission in the first period.1
About Giant Cell Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known as temporal arteritis, is an autoimmune disease of medium and large arteries, characterized by granulomatous inflammation of the three-layered vessel wall, which affects temporal and other cranial arteries as well as the aorta and other large arteries.2,4 GCA can cause headache, jaw pain, and changes in or loss of vision, including sudden and permanent loss of vision. Caucasian women over the age of 50 - most commonly between the ages of 70 and 80 years - have the highest risk of developing giant cell arteritis. Although women are more likely than men to develop GCA, research suggests that men are more likely to have ocular manifestations with their disease.5
About Upadacitinib (RINVOQ)
Discovered and developed by AbbVie scientists, RINVOQ is a JAK inhibitor that is being studied in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.6,7 Based on enzymatic and cellular assays, RINVOQ demonstrated greater inhibitory potency for JAK-1 vs JAK-2, JAK-3, and TYK-2.6 The relevance of inhibition of specific JAK enzymes to therapeutic effectiveness and safety is not currently known. Upadacitinib (RINVOQ) is being studied in Phase 3 clinical trials for alopecia areata, giant cell arteritis, hidradenitis suppurativa, Takayasu arteritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, and vitiligo.8-12 The use of upadacitinib in giant cell arteritis is not approved and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by regulatory authorities.
About AbbVie in Rheumatology
For more than 20 years, AbbVie has been dedicated to improving care for people living with rheumatic diseases. Anchored by a longstanding commitment to discovering and delivering transformative therapies, we pursue cutting-edge science that improves our understanding of promising new pathways and targets, ultimately helping more people living with rheumatic diseases reach their treatment goals.
About AbbVie
AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines and solutions that solve serious health issues today and address the medical challenges of tomorrow. We strive to have a remarkable impact on people's lives across several key therapeutic areas immunology, oncology, neuroscience, and eye care and products and services in our Allergan Aesthetics portfolio.
Forward-Looking Statements
Some statements in this news release are, or may be considered, forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words 'believe,' 'expect,' 'anticipate,' 'project' and similar expressions and uses of future or conditional verbs, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. Additional information about the economic, competitive, governmental, technological and other factors that may affect AbbVie's operations is set forth in Item 1A, 'Risk Factors,' of AbbVie's 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as updated by its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. AbbVie undertakes no obligation, and specifically declines, to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.
Contact:
Shannelle Fowler
Tel: +1 773-520-2106
Email: shannelle.fowler@abbvie.com
Dana Harville
Tel: +1 224-358-7053
Email: dana.harville@abbvie.com
ABBVIE INC. 
