Approvals

Amneal has marked its entry into China after receiving its first product approval in the market. Meanwhile, the firm has also outlined US approvals for two generics currently suffering from shortages.

In this week’s Digital Health Roundup, Medtech Insight’s Ryan Nelson highlights Click Therapeutics’ FDA-cleared digital therapeutics (DTx) for depression and Sinaptica Therapeutics’ personalized neuromodulation for Alzheimer’s patients. Marion Webb discusses her interview with MindMaze’s John Krakauer on their gaming-focused DTx to help people recover from serious brain injuries. Elizabeth Orr introduces new voting members of the new Digital Health Advisory Committee and Natasha Barrow discusses Hello Heart’s new symptom-tracking feature in their heart-focused app.

While Celltrion has delivered an unimpressive first quarter of 2021, the company has pointed to plans to launch high-margin products in new markets. The Korean firm said that it was looking to launch its subcutaneous Remsima SC infliximab formulation in Canada and Australia in 2021, while it is also aiming to launch its Yuflyma (adalimumab) in more than 70% of the EU adalimumab market.

The nod will help unlock a national market for the partners’ Dupert (fulzerasib) in which roughly 50,000 people are expected to be newly diagnosed with lung cancer harboring the KRAS G12C mutation in 2025. Meanwhile, two other homegrown rivals are also closing in on marketing clearances in China.

Ordspono, a bispecific antibody newly approved in the EU to treat follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, joins Libtayo in Regeneron’s growing oncology portfolio.

Nemluvio is a first-in-class IL-31 inhibitor that the US FDA approved for prurigo nodularis. 

Richard Lowenthal, co-founder, and CEO of ARS Pharma, highlights the crucial unmet need for needle-free injections. Challenging issues posed by current epinephrine injectors, In Vivo questions the current and future progression of Neffy.

<p>Executive Summary<p> <p>The Pink Sheet's list of EU centralized approvals of new active substances has been updated to add six new products, incl/ding Ixchiq, Valneva's chikungunya virus vaccine</p>

The UK MHRA has relied on the EU for its recent new drug approvals

This week, Neuralink announced it received US FDA breakthrough device designation for a device to restore sight; medtechs Discure and DeepLook secured new funding; FDA pump recalls from B. Braun Medical and Fresenius Kabi; Axonics prevails in patent infringement lawsuit with Medtronic; Merit Medical buys Cook Medical for $210m.

This week, two device testing labs in China landed FDA warning letters; refunds for 1Health.io clients; FDA AR/VR product list expands. 

The Pink Sheet Drug Review Profile explores the US FDA’s approval of vadadustat to treat anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis. A complete response letter cited the risk of drug-induced liver injury, but postmarketing data from Japan reassured reviewers.

The Pink Sheet’s Drug Review Profile looks at the timeline behind the development and US FDA approval of Akebia’s Vafseo, a treatment for anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis.

Merck & Co. won European Commission approval for Winrevair on top of other medicines for pulmonary arterial hypertension and expects an initial EU launch in Germany.

The Malaysian agency’s drug review mechanism that relies on assessments by overseas regulators is now being tested for applications seeking approval for additional indications.

US FDA’s 2015 accelerated approval called for confirmatory trial completion by 2018, but study initiation was delayed. Completed in 2022, the trial not only verified Bexsero’s clinical benefit, it also served as the pivotal study for GSK’s pentavalent meningococcal vaccine candidate.

Pipeline Watch is a weekly snapshot of selected late-stage clinical trial events and approvals announced by pharmaceutical and biotech companies at medical and industry conferences, in financial and company presentations, and in company releases and statements.

ARS will compete directly with EpiPen and other injectable products with inhaled neffy as the first needle-free epinephrine therapy for severe allergy attacks. EU approval is thought imminent.

Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna rapidly adapted Comirnaty and Spikevax for the 2024-2025 season to address the KP.2 variant after the US FDA had advised them to target JN.1 in June.

But 2024 will see a lull between two strong years.