Pharma News

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., a developer of innovative RNA-targeted therapeutics, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval for Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) as a once weekly intravenous infusion of 30 milligrams per kilogram for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients who have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene that is amenable to exon 51 skipping.

DBV Technologies announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for Viaskin Milk, the Company’s investigational treatment for pediatric patients two years of age and older with Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA), currently under clinical investigation in a Phase IIb trial. There are currently no approved treatments for CMPA, the most common food allergy in infants and young children. Fast Track is a process designed by the FDA to facilitate the development, expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need.

Baxter International Inc., a global leader in PN therapy, announced the European launch of NUMETA G13E 300 ml, the only ready-to-use parenteral (intravenous) nutrition (PN) product available to treat preterm infants (less than 37 weeks gestation age) who are at high risk for infection and malnutrition in the early hours and days of their lives. The announcement was made during the 38th ESPEN (The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism) Congress in Copenhagen, September 17-20, with recognition that the first preterm patients have received PN therapy on NUMETA G13E in Sweden.

Vical Incorporated and Astellas Pharma Inc. announced topline results from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 2 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine, ASP0113, versus placebo in kidney transplant patients receiving an organ from a CMV-seropositive donor. Results from the study demonstrated that the trial did not meet its primary endpoint, which was the proportion of patients having CMV viremia defined as a plasma viral load of = 1000 IU/ml by central laboratory assay through one year after first injection of study drug. Additionally, the secondary endpoints of CMV-associated disease and CMV-specific antiviral therapy, which were evaluated by an independent, blinded Adjudication Committee, were similar in both treatment groups.

Lannett Company, Inc. announced that it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets, 2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg, the therapeutic equivalent to the reference listed drug, Suboxone Sublingual Tablets, 2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg.  According to IMS, total U.S. sales in 2015 of Buprenorphine and Naloxone Sublingual Tablets, 2 mg/0.5 mg and 8 mg/2 mg, at Average Wholesale Price (AWP) were approximately $270 million.

Discovery of a novel, advanced technique to identify the rare cells where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) hides in patients taking antiretroviral therapy (ART). This is an important step forward in the search for a HIV/AIDS cure.

Viamet Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation to VT-1598, a novel candidate for the oral treatment of coccidioidomycosis, or valley fever. Valley fever is an invasive fungal infection found primarily in the southwest United States that affects an estimated 150,000 people annually.