Teva drug approved to ease chorea in Huntington's patients

To treat some of Huntington disease’s harshest symptoms and help restore quality of life to those suffering from the rare, fatal neurodegenerative disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved a medication created by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.
The FDA approved Austedo (deutetrabenazine) tablets for the treatment of chorea associated with Huntington’s disease.
Chorea is a common condition in central nervous system disorders; it manifests in involuntary muscle spasms of the limbs, trunk and face in approximately 90 percent of individuals with Huntington’s disease, which affects the over 35,000 U.S. residents.
Austedo is the first compound of its kind — one that is engineered with deuterium — to gain FDA approval and only the second medication approved for Huntington’s disease itself.
“Chorea is a major symptom for many living with Huntington disease,” Dr. Michael Hayden, Teva’s president of global research and development, said. “It impacts patients’ functionality and activities of daily living, and there have been limited treatment options for these patients.”
Hayden said the company feels “uniquely positioned” to develop Austedo as a potential treatment based on demonstrable clinical results to date; its commitment to patients, and now the FDA’s endorsement.
“The FDA’s approval of Austedo represents an important new treatment option for people with Huntington’s disease and highlights the need for more therapeutic resources for this underserved patient community,” Louise Vetter, who serves as CEO of the New York-based Huntington’s Disease Society of America, said.
Teva is the largest generic drug manufacturer and one of the 15 largest pharmaceutical companies worldwide.