Given all the advances that have been made over the past decade, the U.S. FDA decided to issue a new draft guidance on developing antibacterial drugs to treat pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) rather than finalize the draft it issued in 2013. In releasing the new draft, the agency cited advancements made in nonclinical models, streamlined clinical development programs and growing interest in treatment-shortening combination regimens.
As the Feb. 28, 2023 PDUFA date for the compound nears, Cytokinetics Inc. CEO Robert Blum insisted that his firm is not mulling withdrawal of the marketing application for heart failure drug omecamtiv mecarbil, nor is the company now considering another study, after an unfavorable vote on the drug Dec. 13 by the U.S. FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee.
As largely expected, Mirati Therapeutics Inc.’s adagrasib gained U.S. FDA accelerated approval ahead of its Dec. 14 PDUFA date, cleared for second-line use in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring the KRAS G12C mutation, in which it will go up ahead Amgen Inc.’s Lumakras (sotorasib), which has the advantage of a year and a half head start.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Bittium, Quantumdx.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: 1st, AB, Boehringer, Carina, Cytokinetics, Erasca, Eyenovia, Mersana, Mirati, Mirum, Myrtelle, NMD, Panbela, Pharmajet, Remegen, Virpax.
The U.S. FDA’s use of remote regulatory assessments (RRAs) during the pandemic may have been inevitable, but a proposed continuation of the program in the endemic phase of the SARS-CoV-2 contagion hasn’t necessarily won over device manufacturers.
Even though Cytokinetics Inc. received applause for testing its heart failure drug, omecamtiv mecarbil, in the second largest global heart disease clinical trial ever, the drug didn’t get a standing ovation from the U.S. FDA’s Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee (CRDAC) Dec. 13.
Shionogi & Co. Ltd.’s orally administered COVID-19 antiviral, 3CL protease inhibitor Xocova (ensitrelvir/S-217622), scored emergency regulatory approval from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the Japanese government has agreed to purchase 1 million courses of Xocova for domestic supply of the antiviral.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Agilent, Axonics, Eyenovia, Mediwound, Qiagen.
China recently approved four COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use in a span of two days. The nods were granted to Clover Biopharmaceuticals Ltd., Sinocelltech Group Ltd., Beijing Wantai Biological Pharmacy Enterprise Co. Ltd. and Westvac Biopharma Co. Ltd. There is still no mRNA vaccine approved in the country.