USFDA

The health care system is integrating more effective ways to leverage electronic tools to gather and use vast amounts of health-related data. These tools offer new opportunities to use data collected during the routine care of patients to advance medical care. Leveraging such data – typically called real-world data (RWD) - to improve regulatory decisions is a key strategic priority for the FDA. Today, the FDA is announcing our new 2019 strategic Framework for how we’ll continue to advance these opportunities.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration took a significant step forward in driving the efficient development of novel diagnostic technologies that scan a person’s DNA to diagnose genetic diseases and guide medical treatments. For the first time, the agency has formally recognized a public database that contains information about genes, genetic variants and their relationship to disease.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Firdapse (amifampridine) tablets for the treatment of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) in adults. LEMS is a rare autoimmune disorder that affects the connection between nerves and muscles and causes weakness and other symptoms in affected patients. This is the first FDA approval of a treatment for LEMS.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Truxima (rituximab-abbs) as the first biosimilar to Rituxan (rituximab) for the treatment of adult patients with CD20-positive, B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) to be used as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy. Truxima is the first biosimiliar to be approved in the U.S. for the treatment of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration  approved Xospata (gilteritinib) tablets for the treatment of adult patients who have relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a FLT3 mutation as detected by an FDA-approved test. The FDA also approved an expanded indication for a companion diagnostic, to include use with Xospata. The LeukoStrat CDx FLT3 Mutation Assay, developed by Invivoscribe Technologies, Inc., is used to detect the FLT3 mutation in patients with AML.

EMA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are organising a workshop on 26 November 2018 to discuss how regulators can better guide and support medicine developers in generating quality and manufacturing data packages in the context of development support programmes, such as the PRIority MEdicines scheme (PRIME) in the EU and Breakthrough Therapy designation programme in the US. The goal is to help patients to benefit as early as possible from these therapies that target serious or life-threatening diseases or unmet medical needs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Daurismo (glasdegib) tablets to be used in combination with low-dose cytarabine (LDAC), a type of chemotherapy, for the treatment of newly-diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in adults who are 75 years of age or older or who have other chronic health conditions or diseases (comorbidities) that may preclude the use of intensive chemotherapy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Gamifant (emapalumab-lzsg) for the treatment of pediatric (newborn and above) and adult patients with primary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) who have refractory, recurrent or progressive disease or intolerance with conventional HLH therapy. This FDA approval is the first for a drug specifically for HLH.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted warning letter  issued to two companies for the illegal marketing of products labeled as dietary supplements that contain tianeptine, a chemical compound that companies are illegally claiming treats opioid use disorder (OUD), pain and anxiety, and other unlawful and unproven claims. These actions follow reports to the FDA of serious adverse events associated with the use of products containing tianeptine.

As Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, I remain committed to finding new ways to reduce the burden of chronic disease through improved nutrition. Using the FDA’s labeling tools to foster innovation toward healthier foods that consumers want is one of the primary goals of the FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy that I first announced in March.