Archive for the ‘European Union’ Category

European Commission Approves RINVOQ (upadacitinib) as First JAK Inhibitor in the European Union for the Treatment of Both Adults and Adolescents with…

"This is a significant milestone for AbbVie in our pursuit to transform care in atopic dermatitis," said Michael Severino, M.D., vice chairman and president, AbbVie."We are excited to provide an additional treatment option in Europeto help alleviate the burden of unrelenting itch and rash that many of these patients struggle with in daily life, despite available treatment options."

The EC approval is supported by data from one of the largest registrational Phase 3 programs in atopic dermatitis with more than 2,500 adults and adolescents with moderate to severe disease.1 These studies evaluated the efficacy and safety of RINVOQ monotherapy (Measure Up 1 [MU1] and Measure Up 2 [MU2]) and with topical corticosteroids (AD Up [AU]) compared to placebo.1 In all three studies, the co-primary endpoints were at least a 75 percent improvement in the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI 75) and validated Investigator's Global Assessment for Atopic Dermatitis (vIGA-AD) score of 0/1 (clear or almost clear) at week 16.1

"As a dermatologist researching and treating atopic dermatitis for more than 25 years, I've seen first-hand the debilitating impact this disease can have on a person's daily life," said Alan Irvine, M.D., D.Sc., professor of dermatology, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, and RINVOQ clinical study investigator. "Clinicians need more tools to help them treat and manage this complex disease. The degree and early onset of skin clearance and itch relief in the RINVOQ Phase 3 clinical studies are very encouraging. The outcomes have the potential to advance treatment goals for patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis."

Highlights From the Global Phase 3 Atopic Dermatitis Clinical Trial Program1Across the Phase 3 studies, all primary and secondary endpointswere met with 15 mg and 30 mg doses of RINVOQ compared to placebo. Highlights include:

The most commonly reported adverse reactions (5% of patients) with RINVOQ 15 mg or 30 mg were upper respiratory tract infection (25.4%), acne (15.1%), herpes simplex (8.4%), headache (6.3%) and increased blood creatine phosphokinase (CPK; 5.5%).1 The most common serious adverse reactions were serious infections (<1.0%).1

The Marketing Authorization means that RINVOQ is approved in all member states of the European Union, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Northern Ireland. RINVOQ is already approved for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in Russia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Chile, and is currently under review in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

*10,500 patients includes all patients across all arms (active treatment and placebo) in 8 Phase 3 trials in rheumatoid arthritis, 2 in psoriatic arthritis, 1 in ankylosing spondylitis and 5 in atopic dermatitis.2-9 This includes 344 adolescent patients (aged 12 to 17 years) in the Phase 3 Measure Up 1, Measure Up 2 and, AD Up studies in atopic dermatitis.1,2,5 Of the total number of patients included in these trials, 6,280 were randomized to receive RINVOQ at either dose.2-9

About RINVOQ(upadacitinib)Discovered and developed by AbbVie scientists, RINVOQ is a selective and reversible JAK inhibitor that is being studied in several immune-mediated inflammatory diseases.1,10-20In human cellular assays, RINVOQ preferentially inhibits signaling by JAK1 or JAK1/3 with functional selectivity over cytokine receptors that signal via pairs of JAK2.1RINVOQ 15 mg is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis, and by the European Commission for adults with moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis, adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and adults with active ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Phase 3 trials of RINVOQ in rheumatoid arthritis, atopic dermatitis, psoriatic arthritis, axial spondyloarthritis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, giant cell arteritis and Takayasu arteritis are ongoing.12-20

Important EU Indications and Safety Information about RINVOQ(upadacitinib)1

Rheumatoid arthritisRINVOQ is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe active rheumatoid arthritis in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). RINVOQ may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate.

Psoriatic arthritisRINVOQ is indicated for the treatment of active psoriatic arthritis in adult patients who have responded inadequately to, or who are intolerant to one or more DMARDs. RINVOQ may be used as monotherapy or in combination with methotrexate.

Ankylosing spondylitisRINVOQ is indicated for the treatment of active ankylosing spondylitis in adult patients who have responded inadequately to conventional therapy.

Atopic dermatitisRINVOQ is indicated for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in adults and adolescents 12 years and older who are candidates for systemic therapy.

ContraindicationsRINVOQ is contraindicated in patients hypersensitive to the active substance or to any of the excipients, in patients with active tuberculosis (TB) or active serious infections, in patients with severe hepatic impairment, and during pregnancy.

Special warnings and precautions for useImmunosuppressive medicinal productsUse in combination with other potent immunosuppressants is not recommended.

Serious infectionsSerious and sometimes fatal infections have been reported in patients receiving upadacitinib. The most frequent serious infections reported included pneumonia and cellulitis. Cases of bacterial meningitis have been reported. Among opportunistic infections, TB, multidermatomal herpes zoster, oral/esophageal candidiasis, and cryptococcosis have been reported with upadacitinib. As there is a higher incidence of infections in patients 65 years of age, caution should be used when treating this population.

Viral reactivationViral reactivation, including cases of herpes zoster, was reported in clinical studies. The risk of herpes zoster appears to be higher in Japanese patients treated with upadacitinib.

VaccinationsThe use of live, attenuated vaccines during or immediately prior to therapy is not recommended. It is recommended that patients be brought up to date with all immunizations, including prophylactic zoster vaccinations, prior to initiating upadacitinib, in agreement with current immunization guidelines.

MalignancyThe risk of malignancies, including lymphoma is increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Malignancies, including nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), have been reported in patients treated with upadacitinib. Consider the risks and benefits of upadacitinib treatment prior to initiating therapy in patients with a known malignancy other than a successfully treated NMSC or when considering continuing upadacitinib therapy in patients who develop a malignancy.

Hematological abnormalitiesTreatment should not be initiated, or should be temporarily interrupted, in patients with hematological abnormalities observed during routine patient management.

Cardiovascular riskRA patients have an increased risk for cardiovascular disorders. Patients treated with upadacitinib should have risk factors (e.g., hypertension, hyperlipidemia) managed as part of usual standard of care.

LipidsUpadacitinib treatment was associated with dose-dependent increases in lipid parameters, including total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

Hepatic transaminase elevationsTreatment with upadacitinib was associated with an increased incidence of liver enzyme elevation compared to placebo.

Venous thromboembolismsEvents of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) have been reported in patients receiving JAK inhibitors, including upadacitinib. Upadacitinib should be used with caution in patients at high risk for DVT/PE.

Adverse reactionsThe most commonly reported adverse reactions in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis clinical trials (2% of patients in at least one of the indications) with upadacitinib 15 mg were upper respiratory tract infections, blood creatine phosphokinase (CPK) increased, alanine transaminase increased, bronchitis, nausea, cough, aspartate transaminase increased, and hypercholesterolemia.

The most commonly reported adverse reactions in atopic dermatitis trials (2% of patients) with upadacitinib 15 mg or 30 mg were upper respiratory tract infection, acne, herpes simplex, headache, CPK increased, cough, folliculitis, abdominal pain, nausea, neutropenia, pyrexia, and influenza.

Ankylosing spondylitis:Overall, the safety profile observed in patients with active ankylosing spondylitis treated with upadacitinib 15 mg was consistent with the safety profile observed in patients with RA.

Psoriatic arthritis:Overall, the safety profile observed in patients with active psoriatic arthritis treated with upadacitinib 15 mg was consistent with the safety profile observed in patients with RA. A higher incidence of acne and bronchitis was observed in patients treated with upadacitinib 15 mg (1.3% and 3.9%, respectively) compared to placebo (0.3% and 2.7%, respectively). A higher rate of serious infections (2.6 events per 100 patient-years and 1.3 events per 100 patient-years, respectively) and hepatic transaminase elevations (ALT elevations Grade 3 and higher rates 1.4% and 0.4%, respectively) was observed in patients treated with upadacitinib in combination with MTX therapy compared to patients treated with monotherapy. There was a higher rate of serious infections in patients 65 years of age, although data are limited.

Atopic dermatitis:Dose-dependent changes in ALT increased and/or AST increased ( 3 x ULN), lipid parameters, CPK values (> 5 x ULN), and neutropenia (ANC < 1 x 109 cells/L) associated with upadacitinib treatment were similar to what was observed in the rheumatologic disease clinical studies. Based on limited data in atopic dermatitis patients aged 65 years and older, there was a higher rate of overall adverse reactions with the upadacitinib 30 mg dose compared to the 15 mg dose. The safety profile for upadacitinib 15 mg in adolescents was similar to that in adults. The safety and efficacy of the 30 mg dose in adolescents are still being investigated.

This is not a complete summary of all safety information.

Please see the RINVOQ full SmPC for complete prescribing information at http://www.EMA.europa.eu.

Globally, prescribing information varies; refer to the individual country product label for complete information.

About AbbVie

AbbVie's mission is to discover and deliver innovative medicines 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, eye care, virology, women's health and gastroenterology, in addition to products and services across its Allergan Aesthetics portfolio. For more information about AbbVie, please visit us atwww.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedInorInstagram.

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, among others, 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 indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, failure to realize the expected benefits from AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan plc ("Allergan"), failure to promptly and effectively integrate Allergan's businesses, competition from other products, challenges to intellectual property, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry and the impact of public health outbreaks, epidemics or pandemics, such as COVID-19. 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 2020 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 to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements as a result of subsequent events or developments, except as required by law.

References:

SOURCE AbbVie

abbvie.com

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European Commission Approves RINVOQ (upadacitinib) as First JAK Inhibitor in the European Union for the Treatment of Both Adults and Adolescents with...

EU completes evacuation of diplomatic staff from Kabul but keeps ‘core team’ on the ground – Euronews

The European Union has evacuated the bulk of its diplomatic corps and local staff from Kabul but will keep a small "core team" on the ground to oversee the process until it's finally completed.

The majority of EU personnel, made up of diplomats, experts and administration officials with EU citizenship, has already left the country, the Commission confirmed on Thursday.

Some of them were personally welcomed last week by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel at their arrival on the Torrejn Air Base, in Madrid.

A Commission spokesperson said a "core team" will remain stationed inside Kabul airport for the time being, although he didn't specify who was part of this entourage due to security reasons.

"[The core team] will be on the ground as long as necessary in order to complete the evacuation operations. And it's a very small core team," said spokesperson Peter Stano.

Additionally, the bloc has managed to evacuate over 400 members of the local staff, mainly Afghan nationals, who were working for the EU delegation in Kabul until the Taliban took over the country. This group includes employees and their family members.

Afghans who have worked or collaborated with Western governments are at high risk of being the target of reprisal and punishment by the Taliban.

The evacuated Afghan nationals are not legally entitled to stay and work inside the European Union and will have to be resettled across the bloc. But this reallocation won't be mandatory: it has to come through a voluntary offer from an EU country.

"[The Afghan nationals] are in the process of being transferred to member states who offered places. But we are still in ongoing contacts with the member states to make sure that there will be all of them taken care of," explained the spokesperson, without naming potential host countries.

"It's an ongoing process. It's a very intense process in which we are involved with the member states. But when it comes to EU local staff from Kabul, I think the member states are very clear that they are willing to help."

Evacuation efforts have accelerated in recent days as the US Administration of President Joe Biden refused to extend the withdrawal of troops beyond 31 August.

European countries have said that, without American support, it would be impossible to guarantee the safety of their citizens, many of whom flocked to the airport in search of an exit.

Countries like Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany and Canada have already completed the evacuation operations of their diplomatic staff. Others, like the United Kingdom and France, continue to work against the clock before the American departure.

Until this month, the EU's role in Afghanistan was mostly focused on promoting and strengthening democratic institutions, rule of law, governance, security and human rights. The EU Delegation in Kabul, which is headed by Ambassador Andreas von Brandt, also took part in the now-failed peace process between the Taliban and the Western-backed government of former President Ashraf Ghani.

Ambassador von Brandt took to Twitter on Thursday afternoon to announce he had "made it home" safely and thanked the French Air and Space Force for its assistance.

Despite the geopolitical defeat of the NATO alliance, Brussels says it will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the vulnerable population of Afghanistan. On Tuesday, following a G7 virtual meeting, President von der Leyen announced a package of aid worth 200 million.

Since 1994, the EUs Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) has provided a total of 725.5 million to those affected by conflicts in Afghanistan.

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EU completes evacuation of diplomatic staff from Kabul but keeps 'core team' on the ground - Euronews

Sustainable Finance: New EU Delegated Legislation – Finance and Banking – European Union – Mondaq News Alerts

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

A wide range of new EU legislative measures on sustainablefinance came into force on 22 August 2021.

In total, there are five Commission Delegated Regulations andtwo Commission Delegated Directives (collectively the"Delegated Acts").

The Delegated Acts seek to integrate sustainability issues andconsiderations into the following EU legislative regimes

On 21 April 2021, the European Commission (the"Commission") published the draft texts of the DelegatedActs as part of its Sustainable Finance Package1.

Final versions of the Delegated Acts were published in the EUOfficial Journal on 2 August 2021.

The Delegated Acts are designed to complement the obligations inRegulation (EU) 2019/2088 ("SFDR") and Regulation (EU)2020/852 (the "Taxonomy Regulation") and form part of theCommission's 'ambitious and comprehensive' package ofmeasures to help improve the flow of money towards sustainableactivities across the EU.

UCITS

Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2021/12702 (the"UCITS amending Directive") amends Directive 2010/43/EUand imposes obligations on UCITS management companies to:

AIFMD

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/12553amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 231/2013 and imposes obligationson AIFMs to:

MiFID II

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/12534amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/565 and requires investmentfirms providing financial advice or portfolio management to carryout a mandatory assessment of the sustainability preferences ofclients; take this into account in the selection of financialproducts and prepare client reports explaining how therecommendation meets a client's investment objectives, riskprofile, capacity to bear loss and sustainability preferences.

Investments firm will also need to take into accountsustainability risks when complying with organisationalrequirements and to integrate sustainability into risk managementpolicies.

Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2021/12695 amendsDelegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 (the "Amending MIFID ProductGovernance Directive") and will require investment firmsmanufacturing and distributing financial instruments to considersustainability factors in the product approval process of eachfinancial instrument and in the product governance and oversightarrangements for each financial instrument that is intended to bedistributed to clients seeking financial instruments with asustainability related profile.

Solvency II and the IDD

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/12566amends Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/35 and supplements SolvencyII to introduce the integration of sustainability risks in thegovernance, conflicts of interest and risk management of insuranceand reinsurance undertakings.

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/12577amends Delegated Regulations (EU) 2017/2358 and (EU) 2017/2359 onthe integration of sustainability factors, risks and preferencesinto the product oversight and governance requirements forinsurance undertakings and insurance distributors and into therules on conduct of business and investment advice forinsurance-based investment products.

All the Delegated Acts entered into force on 22 August 2021.

The Delegated Regulations will be directly effective from 1August 20228 .

Member States have until 31 July 2022 to adopt and apply lawsimplementing the UCITS Amending Directive.

Member States have until 22 August 2022 to adopt laws toimplement the Amending MIFID Product Governance Directive. Thosemeasures must apply by 22 November 2022.

We have produced a guide9 focusing on sustainableinvestment fund strategies to help promote environmental, socialand governance aims.

1 https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/210421-sustainable-finance-communication_en

2 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021L1270&from=EN

3 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R1255&from=EN

4 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R1253&from=EN

5 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021L1269&from=EN

6 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R1256&from=EN

7 https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R1257&from=EN

8 Other than the correcting Delegated Regulation (EU)2021/1254 relating to MiFID.

9 https://maples.com/-/media/files/pdfs/esg/a-guide-to-sustainable-investment-funds.pdf

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Are Cruel Animal Tests for Cosmetics Back in the EU? – PETA

Tests on animals for cosmetics ingredients and sales of animal-tested products are banned across the European Union (EU). Yet animals are still being poisoned and killed in tests for cosmetics ingredients there.

Back in 2013, people all over world celebrated when a ban on animal testing for cosmetics came into full force in the EU. Europe had led the way in banning animal tests for cosmetics products and their ingredientsa ban based on the fundamental principle that no new cosmetics are worth the harm caused to animals in these deadly tests. The message was clear: No animal deserves to suffer and be killed for the sake of lipstick or toothpaste, and the EU was taking a stand against animal testing.

But under the guise of chemical-testing legislation called the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, authorities are now demanding that some cosmetics ingredients be tested on animals under certain circumstances. At least 150 chemicals registered under REACH are ingredients used exclusively in cosmetics, and many of these are subject to new animal testing requests by the European Chemicals Agency.

These tests completely undermine the purpose of the banto bring safe cosmetics to market without requiring new tests on animals. It is inexcusable that animals will still be forced to suffer and die in cruel and excruciating tests for cosmetics ingredients in the EU.

PETA has been campaigning against this issue since it first arose and will keep doing so until animal tests for cosmetics are history. We recently joined forces with other animal protection groups to urge the president of the European Commission to suspend all requests for cosmetics ingredients tests on animals and to allow companies to demonstrate the safety of ingredients using only non-animal methods.

Companies always have the option to choose different ingredients or even decide not to develop products if it means sparing animals lives. Weve let cosmetics companies know that if they test on animals for any reason or buy ingredients from companies that test on animals, they will no longer be eligible for inclusion on PETAs list of companies that dont test on animals. To comply with the strict standards of our program, cosmetics companies must find an alternative source for ingredients or reformulate a product to eliminate any ingredients tested on animals under the REACH program.

To ensure that the products youre buying are truly animal testfree, its more important than ever to use PETAs Global Beauty Without Bunnies database when you shop for cosmetics and personal care products. PETA is dedicated to ensuring that the companies and brands found on our list of companies that dont test on animals are truly animaltest freeall the way down the supply chain. Our program does not allow for any loopholes or exceptions for regulatory testing on animals.

Browse PETAs Global Beauty Without Bunnies Database

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Are Cruel Animal Tests for Cosmetics Back in the EU? - PETA

India, Other BRICS Nations Oppose European Union’s Proposed Carbon Border Tax – Swarajya

Indias opposition to the European Unions (EU) proposed carbon border tax has found the backing of its other BRICS partners, namely Brazil, Russia, China, and South Africa.

The 27-member EU had recently decided to levy a border tax on the import of carbon-intensive goods, which will be enforced from 2026 onwards.

Now, India along with other BRICS participants have objected to the aforementioned proposal in the New Delhi statement of the five-nation group.

We noted with grave concern the proposals for introducing trade barriers, such as unilateral carbon border adjustment, that are discriminatory, read the statement, Times of India reported.

The BRICS countries have spoken in one voice on the back of their virtual environmental ministerial meeting that was chaired by India.

The five countries have also decided to worked together for abatement and control of air and water pollution.

Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav stressed that the year 2021 is important as the UN Biodiversity Conference and UN Climate Change Conference are slated to be held in October and November this year respectively.

He said that the BRICS countries can play a very significant role in addressing contemporary global climate challenges like marine plastic litter, biodiversity loss, climate change, air pollution amongst others through these multilateral forums.

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India, Other BRICS Nations Oppose European Union's Proposed Carbon Border Tax - Swarajya