Industry News

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited  announced that it has initiated a Phase 3 pivotal study of CS-3150 (esaxerenone (r-INN)), its non-steroidal, selective novel mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) antagonist, for patients in Japan with essential hypertension.

Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited announced that safety and preliminary efficacy phase 1 data evaluating DS-8201a, a novel HER2-targeting antibody drug conjugate, will be presented during a late-breaking poster discussion session during the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) 2016 Congress from October 7 -11 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Medtronic plc  announced it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of its MiniMed® 670G system - the first Hybrid Closed Loop insulin delivery system approved anywhere in the world. Featuring the company's most advanced algorithm - SmartGuard(TM) HCL - the system is the latest innovation in Medtronic's phased approach toward developing a fully automated, closed loop system.

Medtronic plc announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance of StealthStation® Cranial Software as an aid for deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead placement. The software is fully integrated with Medtronic's latest O-arm® Imaging System, providing clinicians with a complete procedural solution for the planning and placement of DBS leads. The announcement was made at the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in San Diego.

Amgen announced top-line results of the Phase 3 CLARION trial, which evaluated an investigational regimen of KYPROLIS® (carfilzomib), melphalan and prednisone (KMP) versus Velcade® (bortezomib), melphalan and prednisone (VMP) for 54 weeks in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who were ineligible for hematopoietic stem-cell transplant. The trial did not meet the primary endpoint of superiority in progression-free survival (PFS) (median PFS 22.3 months for KMP versus 22.1 months for VMP, HR = 0.91, 95 percent CI, 0.75 - 1.10). While the data for overall survival, a secondary endpoint, are not yet mature, the observed hazard ratio (KMP versus VMP) was 1.21 (95 percent CI, 0.90 - 1.64). Neither result was statistically significant.

Amgen and UCB  announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) for romosozumab, an investigational monoclonal antibody for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women at increased risk of fracture.

BrainScope Company, Inc. announced that the United States Food and Drug  Administration (FDA) has cleared the company to market the Ahead 300, its most  advanced medical device for use in assessing traumatic brain injury (TBI). Developed in  partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Ahead 300 provides a multi-modal  device of clinically relevant measures, offering clinicians a comprehensive panel of data  to assist in their diagnosis of the full spectrum of TBI, including concussion. The Ahead  300 represents an evolution from the three BrainScope products that have previously  received FDA clearance, and with its substantial additional capabilities, will be the first  product the company will sell commercially. 

Pain Therapeutics, Inc.  announced that it has received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the resubmission of its new drug application (NDA) for REMOXY ER (oxycodone capsules CII).  The CRL informs that REMOXY ER cannot be approved in its present form and specifies additional actions and data that are needed for drug approval.

Janssen Research & Development, LLC announced that a supplemental New Drug  Application (sNDA) for ibrutinib (IMBRUVICA ® ) has been submitted to the U.S. Food and  Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of patients with marginal zone lymphoma  (MZL) who require systemic therapy. The filing is based on data from the multi-center, open-  label Phase 2 PCYC-1121 trial assessing the use of ibrutinib, a BTK inhibitor, in patients  with MZL who have received at least one prior therapy.