What comes down must go up seems to be the rule of thumb these days, even for U.S. FDA fees. The cost of using a priority review voucher (PRV) to shave four months off an FDA standard 10-month drug review has dropped drastically over the past several years. But come Oct. 1, biopharma companies will have to pay nearly 89% more than on the previous day to use a PRV.
Clearly frustrated by the U.S. FDA’s rejection of tradipitant to treat gastroparesis, Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. CEO Mihael Polymeropoulos said the agency is discouraging drug development for the serious gastric emptying condition for which there has been no new treatment in 40 years. The complete response letter (CRL) issued on the Sept. 18 PDUFA date for the neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, which Vanda licensed from Eli Lilly and Co. in 2012, requested additional studies that the company said are not in line with the advice of experts in the field.
After disclosing data from the phase II Herald study, Aligos Therapeutics Inc. may sign a partner to help advance ALG-055009, a thyroid hormone receptor (THR) beta agonist, in subjects with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH, formerly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH).
Positive data from two studies boosted Edgewise Therapeutics Inc.’s market share and elevated analyst enthusiasm for the company and its treatment of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Top-line data from the phase I and phase II studies of EDG-7500 in treating the genetic disease that results in thickened heart muscles showed the therapy was well-tolerated in healthy volunteers and produced meaningful improvements in those with the disease.
Avicenna.ai SAS received U.S. FDA clearance for its Cina-Cspine algorithm, which uses machine learning technology to detect and triage cervical spine fractures from computed tomography images. The tool automatically flags imaging findings that are compatible with acute cervical spine fractures, which can cause serious neurological damage or paralysis.
Scientists and doctors are getting much better at developing treatments for cancer. More than 18 million people with a history of cancer were alive in the U.S. at the beginning of 2022, up from just 3 million in 1971, according to the 14th edition of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Cancer Progress Report. And that number is expected to rise to 26 million by 2040.
Investors reading into the U.S. FDA’s decision to skip an advisory committee meeting to discuss the NDA for Applied Therapeutics Inc.’s govorestat, seeking approval as the first therapy for treating classic galactosemia, clearly saw reasons for optimism, as shares of Applied (NASDAQ:APLT) jumped 69% to close Sept. 18 at $7.85.
Artificial intelligence is beginning to make its way into the world of medical device design, but Gregg Van Citters, senior consultant at Medicept, told BioWorld that there are both opportunities and tripwires on the road ahead.
Epitomee Ltd. happily swallowed the news of U.S. FDA clearance for its capsule for weight management, an ingestible medical device for adults who are overweight or obese. Designed for use along with diet and exercise, the capsule expands in the stomach to create a feeling of fullness that lasts up to six hours.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported the winners of the Leading Edge Acceleration Projects in Health Information Technology program, with a couple of key areas of interest.