Partners to provide Mayzent access for SPMS patients in Canada
Teva to lead Canadian distribution of Novartis oral therapy
Written by |
- Teva Canada and Novartis partner to ensure Mayzent access for patients in Canada.
- SPMS involves steady disability worsening, sometimes with active inflammation and relapses.
- Mayzent prevents immune cells from damaging the brain and spinal cord.
Teva Canada and Novartis Canada formed a partnership to ensure continued access to Mayzent (siponimod) for people in Canada living with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS).
Teva Canada will take over the promotion, distribution, and commercialization of the oral MS therapy in Canada. The companies say the collaboration is intended to support patients and healthcare providers by maintaining nationwide availability of the treatment.
Teva said the partnership builds on its long-standing experience working with neurologists and MS specialists in Canada and is designed to help maximize patient access to the therapy.
“Through this partnership, we are reaffirming our dedication to the MS community and to patient-centred care,” Fabien Paquette, general manager of Teva Canada, said in a company press release. “Teva Canada is proud to lead with purpose, ensuring access and support for those who need it most. We are all in for better health.”
Myelin damage leads to MS symptoms
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks myelin, a protective sheath around nerve fibers, in the brain and spinal cord. This disrupts nerve signal transmission and causes nerve damage, leading to a range of MS symptoms.
Most people with MS are initially diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), marked by relapses where symptoms suddenly worsen, followed by periods of recovery. Over time, some people with RRMS will transition to SPMS, in which disability steadily worsens independent of relapses.
While some with SPMS will not relapse or show signs of active inflammation on MRI scans, others will steadily progress while continuing to experience active inflammation and relapses. Those are said to have active SPMS.
Mayzent, developed by Novartis, works by binding to S1P receptors on immune cells, which prevents them from leaving lymph nodes, structures where immune cells are matured and stored. As a result, immune cells can no longer reach the brain and spinal cord and cause damage.
The therapy is also believed to promote myelin repair and prevent nerve damage.
Mayzent is approved in Canada to delay the progression of physical disability in people with active SPMS. Its approval was based on results from the Phase 3 EXPAND clinical trial (NCT01665144), which showed that the treatment significantly slowed disability progression, reduced relapse rates, and decreased the number of lesions in SPMS patients.
In the U.S., Mayzent is approved for a broader group of patients with relapsing forms of MS, including RRMS and clinically isolated syndrome, a first episode of neurological symptoms that often precedes a definite MS diagnosis.
“This agreement reflects our shared responsibility to support people living with MS,” said Dimitri Gitas, president of Novartis Canada. “Through this partnership, we’re strengthening support for Canadians living with multiple sclerosis and advancing better health outcomes nationwide.”
