Japanese drugmaker Chugai, which is majority owned by Roche, On Friday revealed that Zenyaku Kogyo has obtained regulatory approval from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), for an additional dosage and administration of an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Rituxan (rituximab) intravenous injection 100mg and 500mg, which is co-marketed by both companies, for chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in children. 23 November 2024
Zhongshan-based biopharma company Akeso will await the verdict of the Chinese medicines regulator on a penpulimab-based combo therapy. 22 November 2024
The nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr — known as RFK Jr — for the role of US Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) President-elect Donald Trump sent shares in vaccine companies sharply downwards. 22 November 2024
British pharma major AstraZeneca is facing challenges in its bid to secure full approval for its anticoagulant reversal therapy, Andexxa (andexanet alfa), in the USA. 22 November 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted accelerated approval of Ziihera (zanidatamab-hrii) 50mg/mL for injection for intravenous use, say the drug’s developer, Jazz Pharmaceuticals. 21 November 2024
Astellas Pharma has been hit by bad news from the US Food and Drug Administration, which will not currently approve the firm’s request to supplement the label for Izervay (avacincaptad pegol). 21 November 2024
Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) yesterday warned that health professionals and consumers are advised that the oral antihistamine promethazine hydrochloride, sold as Phenergan and other generic brands, should not be used in children under six years of age. 20 November 2024
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Monday approved the medicine Filspari (sparsentan) from Vifor France to treat primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). 19 November 2024
Following US approval in May this year, South Korea’s Samsung Bioepis and US biotech Biogen have now won approval from the European Commission (EC) for their Opuviz 40mg/mL solution for injection in a vial, a biosimilar referencing Regeneron and Bayer’s Eylea (aflibercept). 18 November 2024
Shanghai-based Junshi Biosciences has received UK regulatory approval for Loqtorzi (toripalimab) in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). 18 November 2024
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review the resubmission of the supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for Dupixent(dupilumab), Regeneron and partner Sanofi revealed late Friday. 18 November 2024
The Danish government’s newly-unveiled health reform has been praised for tackling chronic disease care and health inequalities while driving health innovation. 18 November 2024
Johnson & Johnson has taken legal action to defend a contentious rebate initiative, filing a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Columbia. 15 November 2024
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved an updated version of Novavax’s Nuvaxovid jab targeting the latest subvariant. 15 November 2024
The European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) human medicines committee (CHMP) made a number of recommendations at its November meeting, notable among which was a reversal of a previous rejection of Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi (lecanemab). 15 November 2024
AstraZeneca’s Calquence (acalabrutinib) has secured a new approval in Japan, for the treatment of adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), in the first-line setting. 28 December 2022
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Olpruva (sodium phenylbutyrate; ACER-001) for oral suspension for the treatment of certain patients living with urea cycle disorders (UCDs). 28 December 2022
South Korea’s Celltrion Healthcare has submitted a Biologics License Application (BLA) under the 351 (a) pathway of the Public Health Service Act for its lead product candidate, CT-P13 SC (also known as Remsima), which is the subcutaneous formulation of infliximab, to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 28 December 2022
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved anti-cancer agent/humanized anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody Gazyva (obinutuzumab [genetical recombination]) intravenous infusion for an additional indication of CD20-positive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (including small lymphocytic lymphoma). 27 December 2022
Following marketing authorization by the European Commission in August for the same indication, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Sunlenca (lenacapavir), a new type of antiretroviral medication for adult patients living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), whose HIV infections cannot be successfully treated with other available treatments due to resistance, intolerance, or safety considerations. 23 December 2022
Ahead of the expected December 29 action date, and adding to European approval in June, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday granted marketing authorization for Swiss pharma giant Roche subsidiary Genentech’s Lunsumio (mosunetuzumab-axgb). 23 December 2022
Following a previous rejection by the agency, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now accepted for review the Biologics License Application (BLA) resubmission for bimekizumab, filed by Belgium’s largest drugmaker UCB, for the treatment of adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. 23 December 2022
Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW) has approved Yescarta (axicabtagene ciloleucel), a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, which was developed by Kite pharma, now a subsidiary of US biotech Gilead Sciences. 23 December 2022
Indian generics major Zydus Lifesciences, formerly known as Cadila Healthcare, subsidiary Zydus Worldwide has received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to market Selexipag Tablets, 200mcg, 400mcg, 600mcg, 800mcg, 1,000mcg, 1,200mcg, 1,400mcg, and 1,600mcg. 22 December 2022
Roche company Genentech has won US approval for its intravenous Actemra (tocilizumab) product, for adults that have been hospitalized with COVID-19. 22 December 2022
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has authorized Sanofi’s SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (B.1.351 strain) vaccine for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in adults in Great Britain. 21 December 2022
UK pharma major AstraZeneca today announced two approvals from the European Commission for expanded indications for its blockbuster cancer drugs, one for Imfinzi (durvalumab) and the other for Lynparza (olaparib). 21 December 2022
The European Commission (EC) has granted conditional marketing authorization for the use of Zynlonta (loncastuximab tesirine) for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), Swedish Orphan Biovitrum, also known as Sobi, and Switzerland’s ADC Therapeutics announced today. 21 December 2022
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for Priority Review the supplemental Biologics License Applications (sBLAs) for Seagen and Astellas’ Padcev (enfortumab vedotin-ejfv) and Merck & Co’s Keytruda (pembrolizumab). 20 December 2022
Switzerland-based Idorsia today announced that it has submitted a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking approval for aprocitentan, the firm’s investigational, novel dual endothelin receptor antagonist, for the treatment of patients with difficult-to-control hypertension. 20 December 2022
The European Commission (EC), the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have published recommendations that aim to facilitate the conduct of decentralized clinical trials (DCTs). 20 December 2022
Chinese biopharma Hutchmed has started the filing of a rolling submission of a New Drug Application (NDA) to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for fruquintinib. 19 December 2022
The European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Ebvallo (tabelecleucel)vas a monotherapy for treatment of adult and pediatric patients two years of age and older with relapsed or refractory Epstein Barr virus positive post transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD) who have received at least one prior therapy. 19 December 2022
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Adstiladrin (nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg), a non-replicating (cannot multiply in human cells) adenoviral vector-based gene therapy indicated for the treatment of adult patients with high-risk Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) with carcinoma in situ (CIS) with or without papillary tumors. 19 December 2022
The European Medicines Agency’s human medicines committee (CHMP) recommended four novel medicines for approval at its December 2022 meeting. A final approval decision from the European Commission can be expected within the next two or three months. 16 December 2022