FDA Approval for New Treatment of Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease

Corium, Inc. announced today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Corium’s ADLARITY (donepezil transdermal system) as a treatment for patients with mild, moderate, or severe dementia of the Alzheimer’s type. ADLARITY is the first and only once-weekly patch to continuously deliver consistent doses of donepezil through the skin, resulting in a low likelihood of adverse gastrointestinal (GI) side effects associated with oral donepezil. ADLARITY is the first approved prescription drug product using Corium’s proprietary CORPLEX transdermal technology, which has been used for years in consumer products.

Donepezil is the most prescribed medication in a class of Alzheimer’s drugs known as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and is the active ingredient in the oral medication Aricept®. Oral donepezil is absorbed through a patient’s digestive system, a route associated with GI side effects and fluctuations in the concentration of drug in circulation. ADLARITY delivers seven days of a consistent dose of donepezil through a patient’s skin, maintaining the level of medicine needed for effective treatment. The transdermal delivery of donepezil directly into a patient’s skin bypasses the digestive system, resulting in a low possibility of GI side effects and making it easier for patients living with Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers to administer the treatment reliably.

“The availability of a once-weekly patch formulation of donepezil has the potential to substantially benefit patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. It offers effective, well-tolerated and stable dosing for seven days for patients who cannot take daily oral donepezil reliably because of impaired memory. It can also offer benefits for those patients who have diminished ability to swallow or have GI side effects associated with ingestion of oral donepezil,” said Pierre N. Tariot, MD, director of the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Phoenix, Ariz.

“I am thrilled to hear there is a new medication for people living with Alzheimer’s disease, which uses an existing therapy with an innovative new twist. This easy-to-use skin patch offers bonuses of only needing to be administered once-weekly, which in turn reduces care partners’ responsibilities too. This definitely is a step forward in the right direction,” said Lori La Bey, Care Partner to her mother who lived with dementia for 30 years, Founder of Alzheimer’s Speaks, and Co-founder of Dementia Map.

Corium has deep expertise in transdermal technology and an industry-leading track record of developing and manufacturing transdermal products. ADLARITY’s approval represents an important milestone for Corium’s proprietary and proven CORPLEX transdermal technology. CORPLEX was developed with the goal of optimizing clinical benefits for patients by delivering continuous, controlled, and sustained release of a drug over a defined time. Corium is developing other CNS therapies applying its CORPLEX technology and maintains a robust patent portfolio covering CORPLEX and ADLARITY.

“The FDA approval of ADLARITY brings to market a new and innovative way to deliver consistently a well-tolerated form of donepezil, the most widely used medicine for patients with Alzheimer’s disease,” said Perry J. Sternberg, President and CEO of Corium. “The approval of ADLARITY reinforces the value of Corium’s innovative CORPLEX technology, our CNS expertise, and our mission to deliver solutions that transform care for the Alzheimer’s community and others impacted by CNS diseases. We feel truly privileged to have the opportunity to potentially help millions of people in the U.S. living with Alzheimer’s disease, their loved ones, and their caregivers with a new option that can address some of the current challenges in treatment and care.”

The FDA approved the once-weekly use of ADLARITY in 5 mg/day or 10 mg/day formulations. Patients may be switched from 5 mg/day or 10 mg/day oral donepezil directly to the once-weekly ADLARITY by their prescriber. ADLARITY is conveniently placed by a patient or caregiver on a patient’s back, thigh, or buttocks.