Regulation & Policy

FDA approves Firazyr for hereditary angioedema

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Shire Plc’s new drug for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema, Firazyr (icatibant), the third treatment to be approved by the US regulator for this disease.

FDA approves antibody-drug conjugate

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved an antibody-drug conjugate for the treatment of Hodgkin lymphoma, the first approved treatment for this disease since 1977. The same drug was also approved for anaplastic large-cell lymphoma.

FDA approves new melanoma drug-diagnostic

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new personalised medicine, Zelboraf (vemurafenib), for metastatic melanoma that targets mutated forms of the BRAF protein, and a companion diagnostic. The developer is the Roche group.

Pharming and FDA agree on trial protocol

Country
Netherlands

Pharming Group NV has reached an agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration on the design of a Phase 3 trial for its prospective treatment for hereditary angioedema (HAE), Rhucin. Under the agreement, Pharming will amend the protocol of the study and introduce a new method for assessing its primary endpoint.

EMA agrees to recall of Vimpat

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency has agreed to a recall of Vimpat (lacosamide), a medicine used to treat epilepsy because of a quality defect in some batches. No adverse reactions have been reported. The developer, UCB SA, proposed the recall.

EMA recommends new HCV drug

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency is recommending approval of a new medicine for chronic hepatitis C in adults, Incivo (telaprevir). The developer is Janssen Pharmaceutical and the drug was approved by the FDA in May.

EMA recommends warning for pioglitazone

Country
United Kingdom

The European Medicines Agency is recommending that pioglitazone-containing medicines for diabetes, including Actos, carry a warning of a small increased risk of bladder cancer. However it said the benefit-risk of the drugs remains positive.

FDA approves Brilinta for heart disease

Country
United States

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Brilinta (ticagrelor), an oral antiplatelet medicine, to reduce the rate of cardiovascular death and heart attack in adult patients with acute coronary syndrome. The developer is AstraZeneca Plc.

FDA panel votes not to recommend dapagliflozin

Country
United States

A panel of the US Food and Drug and Administration voted narrowly not to recommend the approval of a first-in-class  therapy developed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Astra-Zeneca Plc for diabetes.

Pfizer withdraws application for Macugen indication

Country
United States

Pfizer Ltd has withdrawn an application from the European Medicines Agency to extend the indication of its eye medicine, Macugen (pegaptanib sodium) to include the treatment of visual impairment due to diabetic macular oedema, the EMA said.