Confidence in working with Chinese biopharma companies has dropped by 30% to 50% for U.S.-based life sciences companies, with Chinese contract development and manufacturing organizations the hardest hit, according to a recent LEK survey of global life sciences companies on the impact of the pending U.S. Biosecure Act.
The problems with U.S. Medicare coverage for medical software are well known, but the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission recently indicated that these problems are largely manageable for services delivered via managed care plans.
The U.S. FDA granted Signum Surgical Ltd. de novo marketing clearance for its Biohealx technology as a treatment for anal fistula. Biohealx is a single use, bioabsorbable implant, designed to not only to treat the condition in a minimally invasive procedure but also promote healing, prevent fistula recurrence and protect patient continence.
Tracon Pharmaceuticals Inc. is shuttering all development of its subcutaneous PD-L1 antibody, envafolimab, after the pivotal trial failed to meet the primary endpoint in soft tissue sarcoma.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FDA already are getting a glimpse of the post-Chevron world and how the Supreme Court’s June 28 unwinding of the 40-year-old Chevron deference could rein in agency policies that defy Congress’ expressed intent.
China’s National Medical Products Administration authorized the country’s first cetuximab biosimilar with the approval of Simcere Zaiming’s Enlituo (CMAB-009, cetuximab beta injection) in combination with chemotherapy as first-line treatment for RAS/BRAF wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer. The biosimilar references originator drug Erbitux (cetuximab, Eli Lilly and Co.).
The U.S. FDA approved three biosimilar products from Samsung Bioepis Co. Ltd., Tanvex Biopharma Inc. and Formycon AG as follow-on biologics to Stelara (ustekinumab), Neupogen (filgrastim) and Eylea (aflibercept), respectively, on June 28.
The U.S. FDA posted notice of a recall of the system monitor for the Heartmate left ventricular assist device by Abbott Laboratories, an action necessitated by reports of a series of malfunctions that may lead to inadvertent operator error.
After snaring the U.S. FDA’s approval for the Evoque tricuspid valve device, Edwards Lifesciences Corp. petitioned the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for a national coverage determination for transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement devices.
Medipal Holdings Corp. and JCR Pharmaceuticals Co. Ltd. have announced the completion of the clinical trial notification review by Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) for a phase I/II study of JR-446 for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIB (MPS IIIB; Sanfilippo syndrome type B).