FDA

Brazilian authorities said the death was unlikely to have been caused by Elevidys and was instead more in line with severe infection exacerbated by immunosuppression.
The Commissioner’s National Priority Vouchers aim to offer accelerated pathways to drugs that meet certain criteria, perhaps including a low price-tag. But the policy is vaguely defined and was announced without public input, going against the FDA’s own published practices, experts say.
CBER is unanimously against Elevdiys’ return to the market without additional evidence, according to media reports citing an anonymous senior FDA official. Given Elevidys’ full approval, however, experts told BioSpace this path would set up a length legal battle between the regulator and Sarepta Therapeutics.
The Washington, D.C.–Baltimore area ranks in the top six for life sciences R&D and manufacturing talent, according to a CBRE report. The Maryland Department of Commerce’s director of life sciences discusses the workforce and how the state is adapting to changing needs.
FDA
While FDA Commissioner Marty Makary emphasizes learning and humility, the FDA has systematically removed the very experience that would make change possible.
The decision follows last month’s vote of the CDC’s revamped vaccine advisory committee. Thimerosal, mostly removed from vaccines decades ago, has long been a target of anti-vaccine advocates for unfounded links to autism and adverse health outcomes.
Sarepta Therapeutics faces serious FDA action after news broke of a third patient death, the FDA gets a new top drug regulator in George Tidmarsh, a handful of new drugs get turned away from the market and pharma companies continue to commit billions to reshoring manufacturing.
BMO Capital Markets pointed to FDA leadership, and CBER Director Vinay Prasad in particular, as potential factors in the agency’s decision to issue a complete response letter for Replimune’s viral treatment RP1 for advanced melanomas. Shares of the company tumbled 75% on Tuesday.
Otsuka and Lundbeck’s data are insufficient to establish significant efficacy of Rexulti plus sertraline in PTSD, according to the FDA’s outside experts.
Roche and Genentech were unable to sufficiently demonstrate the benefit of using Columvi in an earlier treatment setting for DLBCL in a U.S. population, according to the FDA.
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