EU nod for blockbuster candidate Mayzent for adult patients with SPMS

The European Commission (EC) has approved Mayzent (siponimod) for the treatment of adult patients with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) with active disease evidenced by relapses or imaging features of inflammatory activity.

Although every patient’s MS journey is unique, up to 80% of relapsing remitting MS (RRMS) patients will eventually transition to SPMS, commented the drug’s developer, Swiss pharma giant Novartis (NOVN: VX). The approval follows a positive opinion in November last year from the European Medicines Agency’s scientific panel.

Refinitiv analysts have previously predicting revenue of $800 million for Mayzent by 2022, while the company and other analysts have forecast it would reach the blockbuster level of $1 billion in annual sales. Novartis has set a list price for the drug at $88,000 per year in the USA, but there has been no indication of a price in Europe at yet.