Upcoming FDA PDUFA: Auxilium Pharmaceuticals + Biospecifics Technologies - Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum) - Peyronie's Disease

Auxilium is awaiting an FDA drug approval decision on Sept 6, 2013 for an application of an existing drug for a novel indication (Peyronie's disease - penile curvature).

Date of FDA Decision (PDUFA): September 6, 2013
Company name: Auxilium Pharmaceuticals & Biospecifics Technologies
Stock ticker: AUXL and BSTC
Location: Malvern, Pennsylvania

Type of application: Supplemental BLA – novel indication
Name of drug: Xiaflex (Collagenase clostridium histolyticum)
Indication: Peyronie's Disease

24^th July 2013 (Auxilium Pharma):

Market Cap	$892.06 Mln
52-week range	13.87 – 29.37
Avg. volume	900,897

Q1 2013:

Net Loss	$0.05 per share
Cash	$467.8 mln

Auxilium is an unmet niche specialist addressing rare and orphan diseases, mainly through biopharmaceuticals.  Auxilium has two products on the market and three currently in clinical development; all products in the Auxilium’s pipeline are for different indications of the same product – Xiaflex (collagenase clostridium histolyticum).

Auxilium Pharmaceuticals: Clinical Pipeline

Collagenase clostridium histolyticum is an enzyme produced by the bacterium Clostridium histolyticum that dismantles collagen. It is marketed and is being developed as a local injection into areas with overly high collagen accumulation, such as in the case of Dupuytren’s disease (severely clenched fingers) and Peyronie’s disease (penile curvature)—a connective tissue disorder involving the growth of fibrous plaques in the soft tissue of the penis affecting up to 10% of men. According to Auxilium, 65,000 to 120,000 new patients are diagnosed with Peyronie’s disease each year. Peyronie’s disease causes pain, abnormal curvature, erectile dysfunction, indentation, loss of girth and shortening, with no effective treatment to date. Xiaflex has already demonstrated efficacy in treating Peyronie’s disease in clinical trials, and, if approved, will be the first non-surgical treatment for the indication.

In two 400-patient trials Xiaflex was injected into the penile plaque over a period of several months. The company reported in a press release that the treatment yielded a 37.6 reduction in penile curvature in one trial and a 30.5% reduction in the second. The average deformity of the penis at the beginning of the study was 48.8 degrees in men receiving the drug and 49 degrees in those receiving placebo. After 52 weeks, the deformity was only 31 degrees in men receiving Xiaflex and 39 degrees in those receiving placebo. Although the results are not overwhelming, Xiaflex is the only available treatment currently in the pipeline, thus an automatic improvement over what is currently available.

Xiaflex was developed by BioSpecifics Technologies, but its clinical trials were carried out by Auxilium. Along with Pfizer Auxilium is also responsible for Xiaflex’s marketing.

Click here for a free report on the upcoming PDUFA stock catalysts in 2013.