Two Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, Abbvie Inc.'s Rinvoq (upadacitinib) and Pfizer Inc.'s Cibinqo (abrocitinib), have won U.S. FDA approvals for the treatment of people with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. Reviews of both products for the indication were delayed due to FDA concerns about class risks. Accordingly, each is labeled with a boxed warning regarding risks of serious infection, mortality, malignancy, major adverse cardiovascular events and thrombosis.
Targeting VEGF and DLL4 at the same time in solid tumors is an approach that continues to entice researchers, with such firms as Abbvie Inc., Compass Therapeutics Inc. and Oncxerna Therapeutics Inc. working to come up with oncology solutions.
With licensed Humira (adalimumab) biosimilar competition a little more than a year away in the U.S., Abbvie Inc. is trying to fend off competitors that have not signed an agreement with the North Chicago-based company.
With the U.S. biosimilar pathway clearly developed, industry and the FDA are turning their attention to interchangeables in the third iteration of the biosimilar user fee agreement (BsUFA).
Abbvie Inc.’s FDA clearance of Vuity (pilocarpine HCl ophthalmic solution) 1.25% for the treatment of presbyopia in adults, could bring relief to about 128 million Americans: almost half of the U.S. population, the company said. It’s the first and only eye drop given U.S. regulators’ go-ahead for what’s known as age-related blurry near vision – but plenty more have generated clinical data.
With the FDA approval of Abbvie Inc.’s Qulipta (atogepant) to prevent episodic migraine in adults, the oral calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonist became the first specifically developed for preventing migraine.
Enacting provisions to control U.S. prescription drug prices remains a top priority with many members of Congress as they push through the Biden administration’s budget agenda – despite warnings that government price controls on drugs would come at the cost of innovation.
Abbvie Inc. and Regenxbio Inc. have announced a partnership to develop and commercialize RGX-314, a potential one-time gene therapy for the treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD), diabetic retinopathy and other chronic retinal diseases. Under the terms of the agreement, Abbvie will pay Regenxbio $370 million up front, plus up to $1.38 billion in additional development, regulatory and commercial milestones. The deal gives '314 – already the most advanced gene therapy in wet AMD – another potential edge against its nearest competitor, Adverum Biotechnologies Inc.’s ADVM-022.
In another cautionary tale for JAK inhibitors, the U.S. FDA is requiring updated boxed warnings for three drugs in the class that are approved to treat inflammatory conditions – Pfizer Inc.’s Xeljanz/Xeljanz XR (tofacitinib), Eli Lilly and Co.’s Olumiant (baricitinib) and Abbvie Inc.’s Rinvoq (upadacitinib).
Pfizer Inc. reported on Aug. 30, 2021, that its JAK inhibitor, abrocitinib, beat Dupixent (dupilumab, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc./Sanofi SA) in a head-to-head study of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. In the JADE DARE study, a higher percentage of patients taking abrocitinib had a 4-point improvement in the severity of Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Scale (PP-NRS4) from baseline to week two compared to Dupixent.
