USFDA

Ipsen announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Dysport® (abobotulinumtoxinA) for injection for the treatment of pediatric lower limb (PLL) spasticity in children two years of age and older. 

Shire plc  announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for SHP626 (volixibat) for an investigational treatment of adults who have nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with liver fibrosis. Shire is developing SHP626 as a once daily, orally-administered inhibitor of the apical sodium dependent bile acid transporter (ASBT), a protein which is primarily responsible for recycling bile acids from the intestine to the liver. NASH is a serious, chronic liver disease for which there are currently no approved drugs. 

Caladrius Biosciences, Inc., a cell therapy company combining an industry-leading development and manufacturing services provider, PCT, with a select therapeutic development pipeline, announces that its product candidate CLBS03 (autologous expanded polyclonal regulatory T cells, or Tregs) was granted Fast Track designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of type 1 diabetes mellitus (TID), making it the first known therapeutic candidate for treatment of T1D to receive the designation. 

Zealand Pharma (Zealand), a biotechnology company, announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval of lixisenatide for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes. Lixisenatide, a once-daily prandial GLP-1 receptor agonist, was invented by Zealand and global development and commercial rights are licensed to Sanofi. 

Claris Lifesciences Limited has received the Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) approval for bupivacaine hydrochloride in 8.25% dextrose injection USP, 7.5 mg/ml, single-dose ampules with 2ml fill volumes, in the United States of America (US).

GenVec, Inc., a clinical-stage gene delivery company, announced that it was notified by its collaborator, Novartis, that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted the clinical hold on the phase 1/2 clinical trial of CGF166 in patients with severe to profound hearing loss.

Merck, known as MSD outside the United States and Canada, announced two regulatory milestones for the company’s investigational vaccine for Ebola Zaire, V920 (rVSV∆G-ZEBOV-GP, live attenuated): the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the vaccine candidate Breakthrough Therapy Designation, and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has granted PRIME (PRIority MEdicines) status.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc., USA (Glenmark) has been granted final approval by the United States Food & Drug Administration (U.S. FDA) for Rosuvastatin Calcium Tablets, 5 mg (base), 10 mg (base), 20 mg (base), and 40 mg (base), the generic version of Crestor® Tablets, 5 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg of IPR Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (IPR).

Amgen and UCB announced the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for romosozumab, an investigational monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at increased risk of fracture. Romosozumab works by binding and inhibiting sclerostin, a protein naturally occurring in the bone, thereby increasing bone formation and decreasing bone resorption.