Date: 27-Nov-2019

US FDA grants priority review status to PTC Therapeutics' Risdiplam to treat spinal muscular atroph

PTC Therapeutics, Inc announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review for the New Drug Application (NDA) for risdiplam (RG7916) for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for a decision by the FDA is May 24, 2020. The filing acceptance by the FDA triggers a US$15M milestone payable to PTC by Roche. "The FDA's acceptance of the NDA is an important step towards making risdiplam available to SMA patients in the US," said Stuart W. Peltz, Ph.D, chief executive officer of PTC Therapeutics. "We are proud that risdiplam, the first oral small molecule targeting splicing, was produced from our proprietary splicing platform. Risdiplam's NDA submission includes results from a broad SMA patient population, including type 1, type 2 and type 3 SMA patients demonstrating improvements in motor functions and developmental milestones, and a compelling safety profile. We believe that an oral therapeutic that reaches all affected tissues in the body would mark a significant advancement in the treatment for SMA patients and their families." The FDA has granted risdiplam priority review status, which is designated to drugs that, if approved, would represent significant improvements in the safety or effectiveness of the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of serious conditions when compared to standard applications. The NDA filing is based on 12-month data from the dose-finding portion of the pivotal FIREFISH and SUNFISH studies, and clinical and preclinical pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data. FIREFISH is an open-label, two-part clinical trial of risdiplam in infants with SMA type 1. SUNFISH is a double-blind, two-part, placebo-controlled trial of risdiplam in patients with type 2 or 3 SMA aged 2-25 years. SUNFISH part 2 recently met its primary endpoint of change from baseline in the Motor Function Measure 32 scale. Results from the study will be presented at an upcoming medical congress. The SMA program is a collaboration between PTC, the SMA Foundation and Roche. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic neuromuscular disorder that is the leading genetic cause of mortality in infants and toddlers caused by deletion or mutation in the survival of motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, which results in reduced levels of SMN protein. The related SMN2 pre-mRNA is alternatively spliced producing only small amounts of functional SMN protein. Insufficient levels of SMN protein result in the progressive loss of motor neurons leading to muscle atrophy and death in its most severe form. It is estimated that 1 in every 11,000 newborn children will develop SMA. Risdiplam is an investigational medicine being studied in a broad range of patients with SMA from birth to 60 years of age. It is designed to provide sustained increase in SMN protein centrally and peripherally through daily dosing and is being evaluated for its potential ability to help the SMN2 gene produce more functional SMN protein throughout the body. Risdiplam is being studied in a clinical trial for patients with type 1 SMA, called FIREFISH, in pre-symptomatic babies, RAINBOWFISH, in patients who have been in previous clinical trials for SMA, JEWELFISH and in SUNFISH, a placebo-controlled study in people aged 2-25 years with type 2 or 3 SMA.

Date: 12-Feb-2020

US FDA grants priority review status to Novartis' MET inhibitor capmatinib to treat METex14 mutated advanced NSCLC

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted and granted Priority Review status to Novartis' New Drug Application (NDA) for capmatinib (INC280). Capmatinib is a MET inhibitor being evaluated as a treatment for first-line and previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic MET exon 14 skipping (METex14) mutated non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). If approved, capmatinib will be the first therapy to specifically target METex14 mutated advanced lung cancer, a type of lung cancer with a particularly poor prognosis. Priority Review is granted to therapies that the FDA determines have the potential to provide significant improvements in the treatment, diagnosis or prevention of serious conditions. This designation shortens the FDA review period following the acceptance of the NDA to six months compared to ten months under Standard Review. Novartis was previously granted Breakthrough Therapy designation for capmatinib. There are currently no approved therapies that specifically target METex14 mutated advanced NSCLC. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer diagnoses4. METex14 mutations occur in 3-4% of newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC cases and is a recognized oncogenic driver. As part of the continued collaboration between Novartis and Foundation Medicine, Inc., companion diagnostics for capmatinib are in development for both tumor tissue and liquid biopsies to be included on FoundationOneCDx and the forthcoming version of Foundation Medicine’s liquid biopsy platform, which is currently under review with the FDA. Foundation Medicine is a leading provider of comprehensive genomic profiling solutions for patients with advanced cancer, including NSCLC. “We are extremely encouraged by the FDA’s Priority Review designation for capmatinib, a MET inhibitor that may be a major treatment advance for patients with this particularly aggressive form of lung cancer,” said John Tsai, M.D, head of Global Drug Development and chief medical officer, Novartis. “Results of the GEOMETRY mono-1 trial clearly identify METex14 as an oncogenic driver and we are inspired to bring capmatinib, potentially the first METex14 targeted therapy, to patients and to reimagine medicine and outcomes for people with lung cancer.” The NDA submission for capmatinib is supported by results from the GEOMETRY mono-1 phase II study, which demonstrated an overall response rate of 67.9% (95% CI, 47.6 - 84.1) and 40.6% (95% CI, 28.9 - 53.1) among treatment-naďve and previously treated patients, respectively, based on the Blinded Independent Review Committee (BIRC) assessment per RECIST v1.1. The study also demonstrated that capmatinib provided durable responses among all patients: median duration of response was 11.14 months (95% CI, 5.55 - NE) in treatment-naďve patients and 9.72 months (95% CI, 5.55 - 12.98) in previously treated patients. All results were based on independent assessment by the BIRC, and all tumor CT scans were evaluated in parallel by two radiologists to confirm the response1. The most common treatment-related adverse events (AE) (= 10% all grades) across all cohorts (N=334), were peripheral edema (42%), nausea (33%), creatinine increase (20%), vomiting (19%), fatigue (14%), decreased appetite (13%) and diarrhea (11%). The majority of the AEs were grades 1/21. Lung cancer is the most common cancer worldwide, accounting for 2.1 million new cases and 1.8 million deaths in 2018. There are two main types of lung cancer – small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)9. NSCLC accounts for approximately 85% of lung cancer diagnoses, inclusive of known oncogenic mutations. The MET exon 14 skipping mutation occurs in 3-4% of newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC cases. There are currently no approved therapies specifically targeted to treat METex14 mutated advanced lung cancer. Capmatinib (INC280) is an investigational, oral, potent and selective MET inhibitor licensed to Novartis by Incyte Corporation in 2009. Under the Agreement, Incyte granted Novartis worldwide exclusive development and commercialization rights to capmatinib and certain back-up compounds in all indications.

Date: 20-Nov-2020

US FDA Grants Priority Review Status To Sanofi’s BLA For Avalglucosidase Alfa To Treat Pompe Disease

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for priority review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for avalglucosidase alfa for long-term enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of patients with Pompe disease (acid a-glucosidase deficiency). The target action date for the US FDA decision is May 18, 2021.

Avalglucosidase alfa is an investigational enzyme replacement therapy designed to improve the delivery of acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) enzyme to muscle cells, and if approved, would offer a potential new standard of care for patients with Pompe disease.

In October, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted for review the Marketing Authorization Application for avalglucosidase alfa for long-term enzyme replacement therapy for the treatment of patients with Pompe disease. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the UK has granted Promising Innovative Medicine designation for avalglucosidase alfa.

“The hallmarks of Pompe disease are the relentless and debilitating deterioration of the muscles, which causes decreased respiratory function and mobility,” said Karin Knobe, head of development for rare diseases and rare blood disorders at Sanofi. “Avalglucosidase alfa is specifically designed to deliver more GAA enzyme into the lysosomes of the muscle cells. We have been greatly encouraged by positive clinical trial results in patients with late-onset and infantile-onset Pompe disease.”

Pompe disease is a rare, degenerative muscle disorder that can impact an individual’s ability to move and breathe. It affects an estimated 3,500 people in the US and can manifest at any age from infancy to late adulthood.

The BLA is based on positive data from the pivotal phase 3, double-blind, global comparator-controlled trial (COMET), which evaluated the safety and efficacy of avalglucosidase alfa compared to alglucosidase alfa (standard of care) in patients with late-onset Pompe disease. And the Phase 2 (mini-COMET) trial evaluated the safety and exploratory efficacy of avalglucosidase alfa in patients with infantile-onset Pompe disease previously treated with alglucosidase alfa. Results from this trial were presented at the WORLDSymposium, in February 2020.

Pompe disease is caused by a genetic deficiency or dysfunction of the lysosomal enzyme GAA, which results in build-up of complex sugars (glycogen) in muscle cells throughout the body. The accumulation of glycogen leads to irreversible damage to the muscles, including respiratory muscles and the diaphragm muscle supporting lung function, and other skeletal muscles that affect mobility.

To reduce the glycogen accumulation caused by Pompe disease, the GAA enzyme must be delivered into the lysosomes within muscle cells. Research led by Sanofi has focused on ways to enhance the delivery of GAA into the lysosomes of muscle cells by targeting the mannose-6-phosphate (M6P) receptor that plays a key role in the transport of GAA.
Avalglucosidase alfa is designed with approximately 15-fold increase in M6P content, compared to standard of care alglucosidase alfa, and aims to help improve cellular enzyme uptake and enhance glycogen clearance in target tissues. The clinical relevance of this difference has not been confirmed.

Avalglucosidase alfa is currently under clinical investigation and its safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority worldwide

 

Date: 19-Jul-2021

US FDA Grants Priority Review For The Biologics License Application For Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) and BioNTech SE (Nasdaq: BNTX) announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Priority Review designation for the Biologics License Application (BLA) for their mRNA vaccine to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. The Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) goal date for a decision by the FDA is in January 2022.

Pfizer and BioNTech completed the rolling submission of the BLA in May 2021. The application includes clinical data from the pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial of the vaccine, where the vaccine’s efficacy and favorable safety profile were observed up to six months after the second dose.

On May 10, 2021, the FDA expanded the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to include individuals 12 through 15 years of age. The companies intend to submit a supplemental BLA to support licensure of the vaccine in this age group once the required data six months after the second vaccine dose are available.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, which is based on BioNTech proprietary mRNA technology, was developed by both BioNTech and Pfizer. BioNTech is the Marketing Authorization Holder in the European Union, and the holder of emergency use authorizations or equivalent in the United States (jointly with Pfizer), Canada and other countries in advance of a planned application for full marketing authorizations in these countries.

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) for use in individuals 12 years of age and older. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of the medical product under Section 564 (b) (1) of the FD&C Act unless the declaration is terminated or authorization revoked sooner. Please see Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) Fact Sheet for Healthcare Providers Administering Vaccine (Vaccination Providers) and Full EUA Prescribing Information available at www.cvdvaccine-us.com.

 

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