Rare diseases
The draft guidance supports the agency’s new pathway designed to speed up the development of custom gene therapies.
The FDA has greenlit Travere Therapeutics’ Filspari as the only available treatment for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis despite the drug’s loss to Sanofi’s Avapro in a Phase 3 study.
GSK discontinued Wellcovorin in 1999, but the FDA in September last year asked the pharma to refile an application, pointing to its potential to treat cerebral folate deficiency with “autistic features.”
If the Trump administration’s proposal passes, the FDA’s budget will be more than $200 million bigger in 2027, with plans to launch new programs that expedite drug development, boost national security and promote “radical transparency.”
While an acquisition is a good exit for Soleno Therapeutics, the company’s acceptance of Neurocrine Biosciences’ $53-per-share offer came as a surprise to Stifel analysts given the potential growth of Vykat XR, approved last year for extreme hunger in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome.
With CBER director Vinay Prasad set to depart the agency at the end of the month, a coalition of patient groups and biotech executives penned a letter imploring the Trump administration to “restore regulatory clarity” for rare disease therapies. Experts on a BioSpace panel last week also acknowledged the challenges faced by a more stringent FDA.
The FDA in January asked Amgen to pull Tavneos from the market, citing liver toxicity issues that affected the drug’s overall risk-benefit profile. The pharma refused.
PepGen’s lead candidate for myotonic dystrophy type 1 barely beat the placebo in a Phase 2 trial in terms of fixing incorrect gene splicing, but the biotech attributed the poor result to an outlier.
The FDA has some big verdicts lined up in the second quarter, including one for a closely watched obesity drug that many anticipate will further intensify competition in weight loss.
While the accelerated approval unlocks only a small market opportunity for Rocket Pharmaceuticals, it will give the biotech a chance to prepare for future product launches, according to Jefferies.
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