Ariad initiates NDA filing for brigatinib

USA-base Ariad Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ARIA) today announced the initiation of a New Drug Application submission for its investigational anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitor, brigatinib, to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Ariad is seeking US marketing approval of brigatinib for patients with ALK+ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who are resistant to crizotinib. Brigatinib received Breakthrough Therapy designation from the FDA for the treatment of patients with ALK+ NSCLC whose tumors are resistant to crizotinib, and was granted orphan drug designation by the FDA for the treatment of ALK+ NSCLC. The company is seeking accelerated approval for brigatinib from the FDA and plans to request a priority review of the application.

“We are ahead of our previously announced schedule for initiating the submission of our brigatinib NDA to the FDA and we are grateful to have breakthrough status from the FDA, which provides the opportunity to utilize the rolling submission process,” stated Paris Panayiotopoulos, president and chief executive of Aria, adding: “If approved, we believe that brigatinib will become an important new medicine for ALK+ NSCLC patients who have become resistant or intolerant to prior crizotinib therapy and will offer additional hope to these patients and their families."