The U.S. FDA approved 21 drugs in December, bringing the total for the year to 191, a 26% increase to the 151 U.S. approvals in 2022. New molecular entities (NMEs) fell from six in November to three in December, bringing the annual number of NMEs approved to 55.
In a boon to older women worldwide, Bone Health Technologies Inc. received U.S. FDA clearance for its Osteoboost device, which reduces loss of bone strength in postmenopausal women. It is the first device cleared for intervention to slow loss of bone density or osteopenia before it advances to osteoporosis.
Clarius Mobile Health Inc. received CE mark for its latest wireless hand-held whole-body ultrasound scanner, the Clarius PAL HD3. The scanner combines both phased and linear arrays on a single head which provides high image quality of superficial and deep anatomy allowing for better diagnostic capabilities and patient care.
The question of the U.S. FDA’s statutory authority to regulate lab-developed tests (LDTs) is still percolating, and the FDA and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued a joint statement that takes aim at that very question.
Synendos Therapeutics AG has received approval from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to initiate a first-in-human trial of its lead asset, SYT-510, a first-in-class inhibitor that modulates a newly identified drug target in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) to restore healthy brain physiology.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, is not taking no for an answer after the CEOs of Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and Merck & Co. Inc. declined an invitation to appear before the committee to explain their U.S. drug prices.
The U.S. FDA issued a complete response letter to Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories Ltd.’s U.S. subsidiary, Satsuma Pharmaceuticals Inc., for its NDA for dihydroergotamine nasal powder (STS-101) for acute treatment of migraine, with or without aura, in adults. Shin Nippon acquired Satsuma for $220 million in April 2023 and gained rights to STS-101.
Sometimes a small change of wording has a big effect on the implications of a U.S. FDA guidance, a notion that may apply to the U.S. FDA’s final guidance for the use of computational modeling in device premarket submissions.
The U.S. FDA’s Jan. 5 approval of Florida’s plan to import prescription drugs from Canada to take advantage of their lower price triggered ongoing communication between senior U.S. officials and Canada’s Ministry of Health over Canadian concerns about maintaining sufficient drug supplies.