A lot of development dollars are shed when the FDA withdraws approval or requests that a drug be withdrawn from the market because new potential risks have come to light. And it’s not just the brand company that feels the loss.
Eisai Co. Ltd. is removing Belviq (lorcaserin) from the U.S. market due to the FDA’s concerns about an increased occurrence of cancer in a long-term trial evaluating the cardiovascular effects associated with the weight-loss drug.
Guilford, Conn.-based Hyperfine Research Inc. has received the U.S. FDA’s nod for a bedside magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system and is eyeing this summer for shipments. The portable system can be wheeled directly to the patient’s bedside and plugs into a standard electrical wall outlet.
A half-day open meeting intended to examine “how the public perceives and values pharmaceutical quality,” convened by the Robert J. Margolis Center for Health Policy at Duke University in cooperation with the FDA, included a rundown of the agency’s oversight program, results of surveys to measure viewpoints of patients and providers – and tart commentary from a two-member “reactant panel.”
The Dec. 9, 2019, FDA draft guidance spelling out performance criteria for magnetic resonance coils seemed to take up a relatively simple matter, but industry’s response suggested otherwise. The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA) recommended that the agency undertake nearly two dozen changes to the draft, including a change to the title to indicate that the scope of the guidance is limited to receive-only MRI coils.
Pediatric gene editing specialist Logicbio Therapeutics Inc. has revealed an FDA clinical hold on a planned phase I/II trial of its lead candidate, LB-001, an investigational therapy for rare inherited metabolic disorder methylmalonic acidemia (MMA).
Palo Alto, Calif.-based Varian Medical Systems Inc. has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for its Ethos therapy, an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven holistic solution that is aiming to transform cancer care. This solution is designed to deliver an entire adaptive treatment in a typical 15-minute slot and is intended to put the patient at the center of care, noted Chris Toth, president of Varian Oncology Systems.
In a budget proposal sure to spark opposition, the Trump administration has proposed to provide the National Institutes of Health with only $38 billion in fiscal 2021, several billion dollars short of the agency’s funding for the current fiscal year. The proposal also calls for funding of less than $95 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, a 10% reduction in funding that includes an adjustment for drug pricing proposals and a $5 million cut to FDA monies for the 21st Century Cures Act.
Brisbane, Calif.-based Caption Health Inc. received good news from the U.S. FDA, which has given a thumbs up to Caption Guidance. This software aims to assist medical professionals in the acquisition of cardiac ultrasound images and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real-time guidance.
The FDA has granted over-the-counter (OTC) clearance to the first noninvasive wearable to treat stress urinary incontinence. The device, known as Innovo, uses electrical stimulation to strengthen pelvic floor muscles and is integrated into fitted shorts. It was already available by physician prescription in the U.S. since an FDA clearance in early 2019.
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