Teva Launches Adasuve (Loxapine) In The U.S.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries announced that it has commercially launched Adasuve (loxapine) inhalation powder 10 mg in the U.S. Adasuve is the first and only orally inhaled drug for the acute treatment of agitation linked to schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder in adult patients.

Michael McHugh, Vice President and General Manager of Teva Select Brands and Teva Women’s Health, said, “The availability of orally inhaled Adasuve provides a rapid onset of action that quickly improves symptoms for patients and gives providers in enrolled hospitals another treatment choice. As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing patient care and bringing new therapies and delivery systems to the market that fit within our areas of expertise, Teva is pleased to launch this new treatment choice that is aligned with Teva’s New Therapeutic Entities (NTE) program.”

Adasuve is administered to patients via Alexza Pharmaceuticals’ Staccato single-use hand held drug delivery device. The novel drug-device combination product ensures rapid systemic delivery by inhalation of a thermally-generated aerosol form of loxapine, a first generation antipsychotic, to the lung. A single administration of Adasuve results in rapid absorption of loxapine with a maximum plasma concentration reached in about two minutes.

Richard Jaffe, Medical Director for Research and Clinical Trials at the Belmont Center for Comprehensive Treatment Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, said, “Existing treatment options for patients with agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder are limited to oral tablets or injectable modes of administration, sometimes requiring the use of restraints. Adasuve is a drug-device combination that offers health care providers a new option to help manage agitation.” Jaffe is also a clinical trial investigator.

Patients experiencing agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder usually manifest aggressive behaviors that interfere with their medical care. Physicians often have to resort to rapidly absorbed antipsychotic medications to calm patients’ agitation quickly. Approximately seven million episodes rooted in agitation linked with schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder end up in an acute emergency treatment setting per year.

The company said Adasuve is currently available through a select distribution network.