Supernus Pharmaceuticals has won US approval for its wearable pump Onapgo (apomorphine hydrochloride) to treat symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.
Supernus’ regulatory path for Onapgo has been marked by multiple setbacks over nearly five years, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rejecting three prior applications before securing approval.
The company acquired Onapgo, previously known as SPN-830, from US WorldMeds in 2020. Soon after, Supernus submitted its first application for FDA review. However, in 2020, the agency issued a refusal-to-file (RTF) letter, determining that the submission was incomplete and not ready for formal review.
Supernus resubmitted the application twice, receiving complete response letters (CRLs) both times. The first 2022 rejection required further analysis of the infusion device and drug product, while the most recent CRL, issued in April 2023, cited product quality concerns and deficiencies in the master file for the proprietary pump.
The company resubmitted its fourth application in August, leading to the current approval. Onapgo will now be available for adult Parkinson’s disease patients experiencing motor fluctuations. The wearable pump is designed to provide a continuous subcutaneous infusion of Supernus’ apomorphine (Apokyn). The drug is intended for patients experiencing “off” periods, where medication wears off and symptoms return or worsen.
The approval is based on a Phase III, 12-week study (NCT02006121) involving 107 patients. Onapgo led to a drop in daily “off” time and an increase in daily good “on” time, defined as periods without dyskinesia and the patient’s global impression of change (PGIC). Supernus plans to launch Onapgo in the second quarter of 2025, supported by a team of specialists, a nurse education programme, and access support services.
The approval adds Onapgo to a growing list of infusion-based Parkinson’s treatments. AbbVie’s Vyalev (foscarbidopa and foslevodopa), a continuous subcutaneous infusion therapy combining prodrugs of carbidopa and levodopa, was approved in October 2024 after three regulatory attempts. The FDA’s initial rejection of Vyalev did not involve efficacy or safety concerns but requested additional information on the pump device. The second rejection followed findings of issues at a third-party manufacturer.
AbbVie set a precedent in 2015 with its Parkinson’s disease infusion pump therapy Produodopa (foslevodopa foscarbidopa), sparking innovation in drug delivery systems as companies looked for alternatives for conventional oral treatments.
