Rockwell Medical, Inc. Files New Drug Submission with Health Canada for Marketing Approval of Triferic® AVNU™

WIXOM, Mich., May 26, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rockwell Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq: RMTI) (“Rockwell Medical” or the “Company”), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming anemia management and improving outcomes for patients around the world, today announced the filing of a New Drug Submission (“NDS”) with Health Canada for Triferic AVNU (ferric pyrophosphate citrate). The Company seeks an indication to promote Triferic AVNU in Canada for the replacement of iron to maintain hemoglobin in adult patients with hemodialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease. The filing is the first international regulatory submission for the intravenous therapy.

“Our submission to Health Canada reflects an important milestone for our Company as well as for the more than 20,000 Canadians undergoing hemodialysis,” said Russell Ellison, M.D., M.Sc., President and Chief Executive Officer of Rockwell Medical. “Rockwell Medical is focused on transforming the treatment of iron deficiency and anemia around the world to improve outcomes for patients. If approved by Health Canada, we expect Triferic AVNU to be an important new treatment option for dialysis clinics and the patients they serve.”

Rockwell Medical has a distribution agreement with RMC Canada, through which Rockwell Medical will receive a transfer price based on Triferic sales in Canada, subject to Canadian regulatory approval.

About Rockwell Medical

Rockwell Medical is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to transforming anemia management in a wide variety of therapeutic areas and across the globe, improving the lives of very sick patients. The Company’s initial focus is the treatment of anemia in end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Rockwell Medical's exclusive renal drug therapies, Triferic (ferric pyrophosphate citrate) Dialysate and Triferic AVNU, are the only FDA-approved therapeutics indicated for iron replacement and maintenance of hemoglobin in hemodialysis patients. Rockwell Medical is also an established manufacturer, supplier and leader in delivering high-quality hemodialysis concentrates/dialysates to dialysis providers and distributors in the U.S. and abroad.

About Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU

Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU are the only FDA-approved therapies in the U.S. indicated to replace iron and maintain hemoglobin in hemodialysis patients during each dialysis treatment. Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU have a unique and differentiated mechanism of action, which has the potential to benefit patients and health care economics. Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU represent a potential innovative medical advancement in hemodialysis patient iron management – with the potential to become the future standard of care.

Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU both deliver approximately 5-7 mg iron with every hemodialysis treatment to the bone marrow and maintain hemoglobin without increasing iron stores (ferritin). Both formulations donate iron immediately and completely to transferrin (carrier of iron in the body) upon entry into the blood which is then transported directly to the bone marrow to be incorporated into hemoglobin, with no increase in ferritin (stored iron and inflammation) and no reports of anaphylaxis in over 1,000,000 patient administrations, addressing a significant medical need in overcoming Functional Iron Deficiency (FID) in ESRD patients.

Important Safety Information

Serious hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylactic-type reactions, some of which have been life-threatening and fatal, have been reported in patients receiving parenteral iron products. Patients may present with shock, clinically significant hypotension, loss of consciousness, and/or collapse. Monitor patients for signs and symptoms of hypersensitivity during and after hemodialysis until clinically stable. Personnel and therapies should be immediately available for the treatment of serious hypersensitivity reactions. Hypersensitivity reactions have been reported in 1 (0.3%) of 292 patients receiving Triferic in two randomized clinical trials.

Iron status should be determined on pre-dialysis blood samples. Post dialysis serum iron parameters may overestimate serum iron and transferrin saturation.

The most common adverse reactions (≥3% and at least 1% greater than placebo) in controlled clinical studies include: procedural hypotension (21.6%), muscle spasms (9.6%), headache (9.2%), pain in extremity (6.8%), peripheral edema (6.8%), dyspnea (5.8%), back pain (4.5%), pyrexia (4.5%), urinary tract infection (4.5%), asthenia (4.1%), fatigue (3.8%), arteriovenous (AV) fistula thrombosis (3.4%), and AV fistula site hemorrhage (3.4%).

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, Rockwell Medical’s intention to commercialize Triferic Dialysate, and Triferic AVNU. Words such as, “may,” “might,” “will,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “could,” “can,” “would,” “develop,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “forecast,” “project,” “intend” or the negative of these terms, and similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward looking statements.  While Rockwell Medical believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions and are subject to various risks and uncertainties (including, without limitation, those set forth in Rockwell Medical’s SEC filings), many of which are beyond our control and subject to change. Actual results could be materially different.  Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: statements about the challenges inherent in new product development and other indications and therapeutic areas for our products; the likelihood of success with our NDS filing with Health Canada; the success and of our commercialization of Triferic Dialysate, which was launched in May 2019; the success and timing of our evaluation program for Triferic AVNU and our commercial launch of Triferic AVNU in the United States and Canada; the risk that topline clinical data and real world results may not be predictive of future results; the anticipated number of future clinics with which we may contract for use of Triferic Dialysate; the expected number of annualized treatments for Triferic Dialysate and Triferic AVNU; the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (including, applicable federal state or local orders) on business and operating results, including our supply chain, dialysis concentrates business and the commercial launch of Triferic AVNU; potential future milestone payments and royalties under our applicable license agreements; expected financial performance, including cash flows, revenues, growth, margins, funding, liquidity and capital resources; and those risks more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2020 and of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as such description may be amended or updated in any future reports we file with the SEC. Rockwell Medical expressly disclaims any obligation to update our forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law.

Triferic^® is a registered trademark of Rockwell Medical, Inc.  Triferic AVNU is pending with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. 

CONTACTS

Investors:
Argot Partners
212.600.1902
[email protected]

Media:
David Rosen
Argot Partners
212.600.1902
[email protected]