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Drug Trials Snapshots: BYFAVO

HOW TO USE THIS SNAPSHOT
The information provided in Snapshots highlights who participated in the clinical trials that supported the FDA approval of this drug, and whether there were differences among sex, race and age groups. The “MORE INFO” bar shows more detailed, technical content for each section. The Snapshot is intended as one tool for consumers to use when discussing the risks and benefits of the drugs.

LIMITATIONS OF THIS SNAPSHOT
Do not rely on Snapshots to make decisions regarding medical care. Always speak to your health provider about the risks and benefits of a drug. Refer to the BYFAVO Prescribing Information for complete information.

BYFAVO (remimazolam)
by-FAV-o
Acacia Pharma
Approval date: July 2, 2020


DRUG TRIALS SNAPSHOT SUMMARY:

What is the drug for?

BYFAVO is a drug used to start and maintain sedation in adults undergoing short (less than 30 minutes) procedures.

How is this drug used?

BYFAVO is given as an injection through a vein (intravenous) by a healthcare provider.

What are the benefits of this drug?

BYFAVO provides sedation in adult patients undergoing short procedures.

Were there any differences in how well the drug worked in clinical trials among sex, race and age?

  • Sex: BYFAVO worked similarly in men and women.
  • Race: BYFAVO worked similarly in White and Black or African American patients.
  • Age: BYFAVO worked similarly in patients below and above 65 years of age.

What are the possible side effects?

BYFAVO may cause serious side effects including:

  • Severe and life-threatening allergic reactions;
  • Like other similar drugs, BYFAVO may cause sedation in newborns after being used during pregnancy;
  • Life-threatening, deep sedation if used with opiates.

The most common adverse reactions are low blood pressure, high blood pressure and low blood oxygen level (hypoxia).

Were there any differences in side effects among sex, race and age?

  • Sex: The occurrence of side effects was similar in men and women.
  • Race: The occurrence of side effects was similar in White and Black or African American patients.
  • Age: The occurrence of side effects was higher in patients 65 years of age and above compared to those below 65 years.

WHO WAS IN THE CLINICAL TRIALS?

Who participated in the trials?

The FDA approved BYFAVO based on evidence from three clinical trials (Trial 1/NCT02290873, Trial 2/NCT02296892 and Trial 3/NCT02532647) in adult patients undergoing short procedures. Trials were conducted at 32 sites in the United States.

Figure 1 summarizes how many men and women were in the clinical trials used to evaluate the side effects of BYFAVO (also called the Safety Population).

Figure 1. Demographics by Sex (Safety Population)

Pie chart summarizing how many men and women were in the clinical trial. In total, 507 women (52%) and 459 men (48%) participated in the clinical trial.

Adapted from FDA Review

Figure 2 summarizes the percentage of patients by race in the clinical trials used to evaluate the side effects of BYFAVO.

Figure 2. Demographics by Race (Safety Population)

Pie chart summarizing the percentage of patients by race enrolled in the clinical  trial. In total, 754 White (78%), 161 Black or African American  (17%), 37 Asian (4%) and 14 Other (1%)

*includes American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, Multiple and Other

Adapted from FDA Review

The figure below summarizes how many patients by age were in the trials used to evaluate the side effects of BYFAVO.

Figure 3. Demographics by Age (Safety Population)

Pie charts summarizing how many individuals of certain age groups were enrolled in the clinical trial. In total,  463 (69%) were less than 65 and 303 patients were 65 years and older (31%).

Adapted from FDA Review

The figure below summarizes how many patients by ethnicity were in the trials used to evaluate the side effects of BYFAVO.

Figure 4. Demographics by Ethnicity (Safety Population)

Pie charts summarizing ethnicity of patients enrolled in the clinical trial. In total,  81 patients were Hispanic or Latino (8%) and 885 patients were not Hispanic or Latino (92%).

Adapted from FDA Review

How were the trials designed?

There were three clinical trials that provided data for BYFAVO approval.

Trials 1 and 3 were conducted in patients undergoing colonoscopy and Trial 2 was conducted in patients undergoing bronchoscopy procedures.

In the trials, patients were randomly divided in three groups: one group received BYFAVO, one group received placebo and one group received midazolam (similar, but approved drug). In the first two groups, neither patients nor investigators knew which medications were given and patients could also receive midazolam as a rescue drug when needed for sedation. In the third group, all patients received midazolam only. Additionally, in all three trials patients received a medication for pain control.

Trials 1 and 2 compared patients who received BYFAVO to patients in the other two groups, measuring the success of sedation with the set of pre-determined criteria. Data from Trial 3 were used primarily to assess the side effects of BYFAVO when multiple dosing is used.

GLOSSARY

CLINICAL TRIAL: Voluntary research studies conducted in people and designed to answer specific questions about the safety or effectiveness of drugs, vaccines, other therapies, or new ways of using existing treatments.
COMPARATOR: A previously available treatment or placebo used in clinical trials that is compared to the actual drug being tested.
EFFICACY: How well the drug achieves the desired response when it is taken as described in a controlled clinical setting, such as during a clinical trial.
PLACEBO: An inactive substance or “sugar pill” that looks the same as, and is given the same way as, an active drug or treatment being tested. The effects of the active drug or treatment are compared to the effects of the placebo.
SUBGROUP: A subset of the population studied in a clinical trial. Demographic subsets include sex, race, and age groups.

PRESCRIBING INFORMATION

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