“Polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis can be a painful disease for children where multiple joints are impacted by this chronic infammation,” said George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Board co-Chair, President and Chief Scientific Officer at Regeneron. “Not only are their daily lives impacted, but their futures can be disrupted without adequate treatment. The approval of Kevzara in polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis provides these vulnerable patients and their families a new FDA-approved treatment option to help navigate this disease.” The FDA approval in this patient population is supported by evidence from adequate and well-controlled studies and pharmacokinetic data from adults with rheumatoid arthritis as well as a pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, dose finding and safety study in pediatric patients with pJIA. People living with pJIA may experience joint symptoms such as pain, stiffness and swelling, which may restrict their activities and make certain aspects of their day-to-day life incredibly challenging. The disease can lead to an increased risk of permanent joint damage as well as delayed growth and development, due to chronic joint inflammation. “This latest approval for Kevzara brings a new treatment option with an established efficacy and safety profile to pediatric patients living with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis,” said Brian Foard, Executive Vice President, Head, Specialty Care at Sanofi. “This milestone highlights our ongoing commitment to bringing medicines to our younger patients living with this chronic condition that can cause debilitating joint pain and inflammation.” Sanofi and Regeneron are committed to helping patients in the U.S. who are prescribed Kevzara gain access to the medicine and receive the support they may need. KevzaraConnect®, a comprehensive and specialized program that provides support services to patients throughout every step of the treatment process, can help eligible patients who are uninsured, lack coverage, or need copay assistance. For more information, please call: 1-844-Kevzara (1-844-538-9272) or visit www.Kevzara.com. Kevzara binds specifically to the IL-6 receptor and has been shown to inhibit IL-6-mediated signaling. IL-6 is an immune system protein produced in increased quantities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and has been associated with disease activity, joint destruction and other systemic problems. Regeneron’s VelocImmune technology utilizes a proprietary genetically engineered mouse platform endowed with a genetically humanized immune system to produce optimized fully human antibodies. When Regeneron’s co-Founder, President and Chief Scientific Officer George D. Yancopoulos was a graduate student with his mentor Frederick W. Alt in 1985, they were the first to envision making such a genetically humanized mouse, and Regeneron has spent decades inventing and developing VelocImmune and related VelociSuite® technologies. Dr. Yancopoulos and his team have used VelocImmune technology to create a substantial proportion of all original, FDA-approved or authorized fully human monoclonal antibodies. This includes REGEN-COV® (casirivimab and imdevimab), Dupixent® (dupilumab), Libtayo® (cemiplimab-rwlc), Praluent® (alirocumab), Kevzara, Evkeeza® (evinacumab-dgnb), Inmazeb® (atoltivimab, maftivimab and odesivimab-ebgn) and Veopoz® (pozelimab-bbfg). U.S. Indications and Important Safety Information
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Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading biotechnology company that invents, develops and commercializes life-transforming medicines for people with serious diseases. Founded and led for over 35 years by physician-scientists, our unique ability to repeatedly and consistently translate science into medicine has led to numerous FDA-approved treatments and product candidates in development, almost all of which were homegrown in our laboratories. Our medicines and pipeline are designed to help patients with eye diseases, allergic and inflammatory diseases, cancer, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, hematologic conditions, infectious diseases and rare diseases. Regeneron is accelerating and improving the traditional drug development process through our proprietary VelociSuite® technologies, such as VelocImmune, which uses unique genetically humanized mice to produce optimized fully human antibodies and bispecific antibodies, and through ambitious research initiatives such as the Regeneron Genetics Center®, which is conducting one of the largest genetics sequencing efforts in the world. For more information, please visit www.Regeneron.com or follow Regeneron on LinkedIn. We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. Our team, across the world, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions.