UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_________________
FORM 8-K
_________________
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): January 27, 2022
_______________________________
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
_______________________________
| Delaware | 001-37539 | 27-4825712 |
| (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) |
181 Oyster Point Blvd.
South San Francisco, California 94080
(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)
(650) 741-7700
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Not Applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
_______________________________
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
| Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share | GBT | The NASDAQ Global Select Market |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
In this report, "GBT," "Company," "we," "our," and "us" means Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc., and/or one or more of our subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise provides.
On January 27, 2022, we issued a press release titled “Positive Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) Scientific Opinion Awarded to GBT’s Voxelotor for the Treatment of Haemolytic Anaemia Due to Sickle Cell Disease.” A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Form 8-K are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements containing the words “will,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “believes,” “forecast,” “estimates,” “expects” and “intends,” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based on GBT’s current expectations and actual results could differ materially. Statements in this Form 8-K may include statements that are not historical facts and are considered forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. GBT intends these forward-looking statements, including statements regarding GBT’s priorities, dedication, commitment, focus, goals, mission and vision; safety, efficacy and mechanism of action of Oxbryta (voxelotor) and other product characteristics; significance of reducing sickling and hemolysis and raising hemoglobin; commercialization, delivery, availability, use and commercial and medical potential of Oxbryta; significance of the positive scientific opinion under EAMS, including patient access; expanding the approved use and availability of Oxbryta to treat patients in Europe and other territories, including potential regulatory review, timing and approval; altering the treatment, course and care of SCD and mitigating related complications; safety, efficacy, mechanism of action, advancement and potential of GBT’s drug candidates and pipeline; and working on new targets and discovering, developing and delivering treatments, to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, and GBT makes this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect GBT’s current views about its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to the company and on assumptions the company has made. GBT can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved, and, furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond GBT’s control, including, without limitation, risks and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extent and duration of the impact on GBT’s business, including commercialization activities, regulatory efforts, research and development, corporate development activities and operating results, which will depend on future developments that are highly uncertain and cannot be accurately predicted, such as the ultimate duration of the pandemic, travel restrictions, quarantines, social distancing and business closure requirements in the U.S. and in other countries, and the effectiveness of actions taken globally to contain and treat the disease; the risks that GBT is continuing to establish its commercialization capabilities and may not be able to successfully commercialize Oxbryta; risks associated with GBT’s dependence on third parties for research, development, manufacture, distribution and commercialization activities; government and third-party payer actions, including those relating to reimbursement and pricing; risks and uncertainties relating to competitive treatments and other changes that may limit demand for Oxbryta; the risks regulatory authorities may require additional studies or data to support continued commercialization of Oxbryta; the risks that drug-related adverse events may be observed during commercialization or clinical development; data and results may not meet regulatory requirements or otherwise be sufficient for further development, regulatory review or approval; compliance with obligations under the Pharmakon loan; and the timing and progress of activities under GBT’s collaboration, license and distribution agreements; along with those risks set forth in GBT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and in GBT’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as discussions of potential risks, uncertainties and other important factors in GBT’s subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, GBT assumes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 99.1 | Press Release, dated January 27, 2022 | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document) |
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. | ||
| Date: January 27, 2022 | By: | /s/ Jeffrey Farrow |
| Jeffrey Farrow | ||
| Chief Financial Officer | ||
EXHIBIT 99.1
Positive Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) Scientific Opinion Awarded to GBT’s Voxelotor for the Treatment of Haemolytic Anaemia Due to Sickle Cell Disease
LONDON, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT) today announced that the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has awarded a positive scientific opinion under the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) for voxelotor, an oral once-daily tablet under review by the MHRA for the treatment of haemolytic anaemia due to sickle cell disease (SCD) in adults and paediatric patients 12 years of age and older as monotherapy or in combination with hydroxycarbamide. This positive opinion means that those patients living with SCD and meeting the eligibility criteria can gain early, pre-license access to voxelotor, while the MHRA completes its review of the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA).
The aim of EAMS is to grant early access to medicines that have received Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designation for patients in the UK with life-threatening or seriously debilitating conditions prior to marketing authorisation when there is a clear unmet medical need. Medicines under EAMS that receive marketing authorisation by the MHRA as well as a positive assessment by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also benefit from accelerated NHS England commissioning.
Following a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicine Products for Human Use (CHMP) recommending the approval of voxelotor in the European Union (EU), GBT submitted an application to the MHRA for a Great Britain Marketing Authorisation using the European Commission (EC) Decision Reliance Procedure. If approved, voxelotor would be the first medicine in Great Britain and Europe that directly inhibits sickle haemoglobin polymerisation, the molecular cause of sickling and destruction of red blood cells in SCD.
SCD is a rare genetic condition that affects approximately 15,000 people in the UK.1 People living with SCD and those closest to them experience a lifelong journey with the disease that touches every aspect of their lives. Patients experience progressive, serious complications and morbidities, including end-organ damage, which lead to decreased quality of life and early mortality.2 Furthermore, economic disadvantages and health inequalities experienced by many patients with SCD can have negative societal impacts in areas such as access to healthcare, education and employment.3-9
“This decision marks a significant milestone for the sickle cell community in the UK,” said Arvind Agrawal, UK Medical Director at GBT. “The EAMS positive scientific opinion is a key step forward to meeting our goal of providing patients in the UK with the first oral treatment option that inhibits red blood cell sickling and has the potential to reduce acute and chronic complications of sickle cell disease. GBT is delighted with the progress to help eligible patients have access to this innovation as soon as possible.”
Voxelotor is currently approved in the United States, under the brand name Oxbryta®, for the treatment of SCD in adults and children 4 years of age and older.10 The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has granted marketing authorisation for voxelotor as an oral treatment for SCD in adults and children 12 years of age and older.
For more information on the GBT Early Access to Medicines Scheme please contact EAMSinquiry@gbt.com.
About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects approximately 15,000 people in the UK,1 an estimated 52,000 people in Europe,11 and millions of people throughout the world, particularly among those whose ancestors are from sub-Saharan Africa.12 It also affects people of Hispanic, South Asian, Southern European and Middle Eastern ancestry.12 SCD is a lifelong inherited rare blood disorder that impacts haemoglobin, a protein carried by red blood cells that delivers oxygen to tissues and organs throughout the body.13 Due to a genetic mutation, individuals with SCD form abnormal haemoglobin known as sickle haemoglobin. Through a process called haemoglobin polymerisation, red blood cells become sickled, crescent-shaped and rigid.2,13-14 The recurrent sickling process causes destruction of the red blood cells and haemolytic anaemia (low haemoglobin due to red blood cell destruction) and blockages in capillaries and small blood vessels, which impede the flow of blood and oxygen delivery throughout the body. The diminished oxygen delivery to tissues and organs can lead to life-threatening complications, including stroke and irreversible organ damage.2,14-16 Complications of SCD begin in early childhood and can include neurocognitive impairment, acute chest syndrome, and overt stroke, among other serious issues.17
About Voxelotor Tablets
Voxelotor is an oral, once-daily therapy that works by increasing haemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen. Since oxygenated sickle haemoglobin does not polymerise, voxelotor inhibits sickle haemoglobin polymerisation and the resultant sickling and destruction of red blood cells leading to haemolysis and haemolytic anaemia, which are pathologies faced by every single person living with sickle cell disease (SCD). Through addressing haemolytic anaemia and improving oxygen delivery throughout the body, GBT believes that voxelotor has the potential to modify the course of SCD. In November 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval for Oxbryta (voxelotor) tablets for the treatment of SCD in adults and children 12 years of age and older, and in December 2021, the U.S. FDA expanded the approved use of Oxbryta for the treatment of SCD in patients 4 years of age and older.10
In recognition of the critical need for new SCD treatments, voxelotor has been granted Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA). Voxelotor was designated by the European Commission (EC) as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of patients with SCD. In addition, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the UK granted voxelotor a Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designation.
About Global Blood Therapeutics
Global Blood Therapeutics, Inc. (GBT) is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery, development and delivery of life-changing treatments that provide hope to underserved patient communities. Founded in 2011, GBT is delivering on its goal to transform the treatment and care of sickle cell disease (SCD), a lifelong, devastating inherited blood disorder. The company has introduced Oxbryta (voxelotor) tablets and tablets for oral suspension, the first FDA-approved medicine that directly inhibits sickle haemoglobin (HbS) polymerisation, the root cause of red blood cell sickling in SCD. GBT is also advancing its pipeline programme in SCD with inclacumab, a P-selectin inhibitor in Phase 3 development to address pain crises associated with the disease, and GBT021601 (GBT601), the company’s next generation HbS polymerisation inhibitor. In addition, GBT’s drug discovery teams are working on new targets to develop the next generation of treatments for SCD. To learn more, please visit www.gbt.com.
References
Contacts:
Claudia Nabaie (media Europe)
+41 79 906 5814
cnabaie@gbt.com