CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Ironwood
Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: IRWD) announced today that it has
closed the previously-announced transaction with AstraZeneca
for the exclusive U.S. rights to all products containing lesinurad.
Lesinurad 200mg tablets were approved as ZURAMPIC® by the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in
December 2015 for use in combination with a xanthine oxidase
inhibitor (XOI) for the treatment of hyperuricemia associated with
uncontrolled gout. The licensing agreement includes exclusive U.S.
rights to the fixed-dose combination of lesinurad and
allopurinol. AstraZeneca plans to submit, on Ironwood's behalf, the
fixed-dose combination program for FDA regulatory review in the second
half of 2016. The agreement also includes certain rights to potentially
access RDEA3170 in gout indications in the U.S.
Gout is a serious, progressive and debilitating form of inflammatory
arthritis. As many as two million patients in the U.S.
on urate-lowering therapy have inadequately controlled hyperuricemia
associated with gout, as XOI treatment alone is not sufficient to
achieve their serum uric acid (sUA) treatment goals. ZURAMPIC is not
recommended for the treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia and should
not be used as monotherapy.
About ZURAMPIC® (lesinurad) 200mg tablets
FDA-approved ZURAMPIC® (lesinurad) works selectively to complement
xanthine oxidase inhibitors (XOIs) in the treatment of hyperuricemia
associated with uncontrolled gout. ZURAMPIC is not recommended for the
treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia and should not be used as
monotherapy. XOIs reduce the production of uric acid; ZURAMPIC increases
the excretion of uric acid. Together, the combination of ZURAMPIC and an
XOI provides a dual mechanism of action that both decreases production
and increases excretion of uric acid, thereby lowering serum uric acid
(sUA) levels in patients who have not achieved target serum uric acid
levels with XOI treatment alone. ZURAMPIC selectively inhibits the
function of transporter proteins urate transporter (URAT1) and organic
anion transporter 4 (OAT4), involved in uric acid reabsorption in the
kidney. The safety and efficacy of ZURAMPIC was established in three
Phase III clinical trials that evaluated a once-daily dose of ZURAMPIC
in combination with the XOI allopurinol or febuxostat compared to XOI
alone.
Important Safety Information and Limitations of Use
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WARNING: RISK OF ACUTE RENAL FAILURE MORE COMMON WHEN USED WITHOUT
A XANTHINE OXIDASE INHIBITOR (XOI)
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Acute renal failure has occurred with ZURAMPIC and was more
common when ZURAMPIC was given alone
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ZURAMPIC should be used in combination with an XOI
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Contraindications:
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Severe renal impairment (eCLcr less than 30 mL/min), end-stage renal
disease, kidney transplant recipients, or patients on dialysis
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Tumor lysis syndrome or Lesch-Nyhan syndrome
Warnings and Precautions:
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Renal events: Adverse reactions related to renal function have
occurred after initiating ZURAMPIC. A higher incidence was observed at
the 400-mg dose, with the highest incidence occurring with monotherapy
use. Monitor renal function at initiation and during therapy with
ZURAMPIC, particularly in patients with eCLcr below 60 mL/min, and
evaluate for signs and symptoms of acute uric acid nephropathy.
ZURAMPIC should not be initiated in patients with an eCLcr less than
45 mL/min
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Cardiovascular events: Major adverse cardiovascular events were
observed with ZURAMPIC; a causal relationship has not been established
Adverse Reactions:
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Most common adverse reactions with ZURAMPIC (in combination with an
XOI and more frequently than on an XOI alone) were headache,
influenza, blood creatinine increased, and gastroesophageal reflux
disease
Indication and Limitations of Use for ZURAMPIC
ZURAMPIC is a URAT1 inhibitor indicated in combination with an XOI for
the treatment of hyperuricemia associated with gout in patients who have
not achieved target serum uric acid levels with an XOI alone.
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ZURAMPIC is not recommended for the treatment of asymptomatic
hyperuricemia
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ZURAMPIC should not be used as monotherapy
Please see full Prescribing Information, including Boxed Warning,
at: http://www.azpicentral.com/zurampic/zurampic.pdf.
About Ironwood Pharmaceuticals
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: IRWD) is a commercial biotechnology
company focused on creating medicines that make a difference for
patients, building value for our fellow shareholders, and empowering our
passionate team. We are advancing a pipeline of innovative medicines in
areas of significant unmet need, including irritable bowel syndrome with
constipation (IBS-C)/chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC), refractory
gastroesophageal reflux disease, uncontrolled gout, and vascular and
fibrotic diseases. We discovered, developed and are commercializing
linaclotide, the U.S. branded prescription market leader in the
IBS-C/CIC category, and we are applying our proven R&D and commercial
capabilities to advance multiple internally-developed and
externally-accessed product opportunities. Ironwood was founded in 1998
and is headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. For more information, please
visit www.ironwoodpharma.com
or www.twitter.com/ironwoodpharma;
information that may be important to investors will be routinely posted
in both these locations.
This press release contains forward-looking statements. Investors are
cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, including, but not limited to, statements about the
anticipated timing of regulatory developments for the fixed-dose
combination of lesinurad and allopurinol. Applicable risks and
uncertainties include, but are not limited to, decisions made
by U.S. regulatory authorities, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and
their foreign counterparts and the efficacy, safety and tolerability of
the fixed-dose combination of lesinurad and allopurinol. Applicable
risks also include those that are listed under the heading "Risk
Factors" and elsewhere in Ironwood's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for
the quarter ended March 31, 2016 and in our subsequent SEC filings.
These forward-looking statements (except as otherwise noted) speak only
as of the date of this press release, and Ironwood undertakes no
obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Any trademarks referred to in this press release are the property of
their respective owners. All rights reserved.

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Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Media Relations
Trista
Morrison, 617-374-5095
Director, Corporate Communications
tmorrison@ironwoodpharma.com
or
Investor
Relations
Mary T. Conway, 617-768-2628
Investor Relations
maconway@ironwoodpharma.com
Source: Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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