Shionogi filed for Emergency Use Authorization of Ensitrelvir Fumaric Acid in Taiwan, for the Treatment of COVID-19

OSAKA, Japan, April 11, 2023 - Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; Chief Executive Officer: Isao Teshirogi, Ph.D.; hereafter "Shionogi") announced that TFDA (Taiwan Food and Drug Administration) has accepted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for ensitrelvir fumaric acid (hereafter “ensitrelvir”) for the treatment of COVID-19. This EUA filing was conducted by Taiwan Shionogi & Co., Ltd., (hereafter “Taiwan Shionogi”), the Taiwan subsidiary of Shionogi.

Ensitrelvir, known as Xocova^® 125 mg tablet in Japan, received emergency regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection. It remains an investigational drug outside Japan. The EUA filing in Taiwan is based on the positive results of the Phase 3 part of the pivotal SCORPIO-SR trial (Phase 2/3 study) conducted in Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam¹. From now, Shionogi and Taiwan Shionogi will continue to communicate closely with TFDA to get the EUA in Taiwan as soon as possible.

Shionogi is committed to “Protect people worldwide from the threat of infectious diseases” with research and development of therapeutics, while also working towards total care through awareness building, epidemiologic monitoring, prevention, diagnosis, and addressing exacerbations, as well as treating infections directly. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to have a major impact on people’s lives and to represent a global threat, Shionogi will seek to contribute to re-establishing the safety and security of society by developing new products and services to address this pandemic. Shionogi is committed to equitable access worldwide, including working with the Medicines Patent Pool to provide access to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and strengthening its manufacturing and global supply chain.

Ensitrelvir (known in Japan as Xocova®), an oral antiviral drug for COVID-19 currently approved under the emergency regulatory approval system in Japan, is a 3CL protease inhibitor created through joint research between Hokkaido University and Shionogi. SARS-CoV-2 has an enzyme called 3CL protease, which is essential for the replication of the virus. Ensitrelvir suppresses the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by selectively inhibiting 3CL protease. Ensitrelvir is the first antiviral agent to show both clinical symptomatic efficacy for five typical Omicron-related symptoms (primary endpoint) and antiviral efficacy (key secondary endpoint) in a predominantly vaccinated population of patients with mild to moderate SARS-CoV-2 infection, regardless of risk factors, in the Phase 3 part of the Phase 2/3 study conducted during the Omicron-dominant phase of the epidemic. With regard to safety, most adverse events were mild in severity and no deaths were seen in the study. Among the most common treatment-related adverse events were temporary decreases in high-density lipoprotein and increased blood triglycerides, as observed in previous studies. Currently, the Phase 2b/3 part of the Phase 2/3 study targeting SARS-CoV-2 infected persons who were asymptomatic or only had mild symptoms is being conducted in Asia, mainly in Japan.

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track designation to ensitrelvir for COVID-19. FDA Fast Track designation is designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of potential new therapies that treat serious conditions and fulfill an unmet medical need. Ensitrelvir remains an investigational drug outside of Japan and has not been approved outside of Japan. In addition, the brand name Xocova® has not been approved for use outside of Japan and pertains only to the approved drug in Japan.

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