Regulatory
The biopharma industry would do well to re-embrace the 505(b)(2) path, which allows sponsors to draw on previous findings around an existing drug even as they propose modifications to it.
If approved, Dyne Therapeutics’ zeleciment rostudirsen could “capture the majority” of the exon-51 Duchenne muscular dystrophy market, given its better efficacy and dosing profile versus Sarepta Therapeutics’ exon-skipping therapy Exondys 51, the current standard of care, according to Oppenheimer.
Having started to publish CRLs without consulting the public, the FDA is under pressure to change course amid concerns it failed to openly and fully evaluate a complex issue.
The FDA is currently reviewing Vertex Pharmaceuticals’ povetacicept, with a target action date of Nov. 30. If approved, the drug could benefit from campaigns from Novartis and Vera Therapeutics for their recently approved IgAN therapies Fabhalta and Trutakna.
Journal publications that suggested changes in FDA guidelines do not “communicate FDA policy or interpretation of a regulatory issue,” acting director Kyle Diamantas wrote in a letter to House Energy & Commerce committee ranking member Diana DeGette.
Merck’s once-daily pill is the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor to hit the market for high cholesterol, beating AstraZeneca in the race to develop more accessible treatment options.
Biogen’s new data, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, supports a tau-focused approach to the intractable neurodegenerative disease; psychedelics are back in the news with more positive data from Compass Pathways and final guidance from the FDA; and the ATTR-CM space got a major shakeup with the late-stage failure of AstraZeneca and Ionis’ antisense therapeutic.
An inspection of a facility making Elevar’s rivoceranib uncovered deficiencies, leading the FDA to reject a combination therapy that includes the drug. The rebuff is the third strike for the partners after the agency issued manufacturing-related denials for the other drug in the combo.
Celcuity’s first approved drug, Revtorpyk, is indicated for the second-line treatment of advanced HER2- breast cancer patients without PIK3CA mutations—a key use distinction that sets it apart from other PIK3/AKT blockers in the space, according to Jefferies.
The agency’s finalized recommendations for clinical testing of psychedelic compounds for mental health could pave the way for companies like Compass Pathways, whose psilocybin-based therapy for treatment-resistant depression could win approval as early as this year.
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