Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Astellas, Galera, Genprex, Janssen, Oricell.
Developers of medical technology have many concerns about the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) handling of coverage and reimbursement, but those controversies have typically revolved around process. A new report sponsored by industry steers a somewhat different tack, however, arguing that while there are issues of process, one key issue is that of funding, a problem that only Congress can remedy.
Venostent Inc. has completed $16 million in series A financing to support a U.S. pivotal trial for bioabsorbable wraps designed to improve outcomes for hemodialysis patients suffering from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This comes after Venostent was granted an FDA investigational device exemption (IDE) to begin its U.S. Selfwrap-assisted arteriovenous fistula study and breakthrough device designation of its technology awarded last year.
Genprex Inc. announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to the company's lead drug candidate, Reqorsa immunogene therapy (quaratusugene ozeplasmid, GPX-001), for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Reqorsa contains a plasmid that expresses the tumor suppressor gene TUSC2, the expression of which is reduced or not present in SCLC.
A complete response letter (CRL) from the U.S. FDA for GC-4419 (avasopasem) is causing Galera Therapeutics Inc. to dramatically change course to survive, with the company laying off about 70% of its workforce. That layoff, which will reach across several company departments, is designed to extend the cash runway into the second quarter of 2024. The adjustment comes after Galera expanded its commercial leadership in May to prep for a potential launch of avasopasem before the end of 2023.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Futura, Georgiamune, Lemonex, Precigen, Virios.
Accuray Inc. offered a classic good news-bad news set-up for investors on Wednesday, with a notable FDA 510(k) clearance balanced by a miss on fourth quarter revenue and projections for fiscal year 2024 significantly below consensus expectations. Still, the takeaway is generally positive, with several strong catalysts expected to build momentum for the company in the coming year and much of the underperformance attributable to foreign exchange headwinds that have plagued many med-tech companies.
Theranica Bio-Electronics Ltd. received expanded CE mark approval for Nerivio, a therapy that can both prevent and treat acute migraine in adults and adolescents. The Netanya, Israel-based company is now partnering with a large, publicly traded, pharmaceutical firm to launch the device later this year, first in Germany and then roll out commercial operations in several other European countries in 2024, Alon Ironi, CEO and co-founder of Theranica, told BioWorld.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Accuray, Motus GI Holdings, Nevro.
The accelerated clearance won by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) from the U.S. FDA for Talvey (talquetamab-tgvs) for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma (r/r MM) in adults brings to the market the bispecific antibody that takes aim at G protein-coupled receptor class C group 5 member D, a target of interest to other developers as well.