The European Parliament this week formally agreed to delay the requirement for certain currently approved class 1 medical devices to comply with the new Medical Device Regulation (MDR) when it comes into force on May 26, 2020. Consequently, manufacturers of reusable surgical instruments and devices that have a measuring function will have an additional four years to meet the stricter requirements of MDR.
Though they made known their reservations about the patient sample size and queried front-line vs. second-line use of tazemetostat, members of the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 11-0 to recommend approval of the oral, first-in-class EZH2 inhibitor from Cambridge, Mass.-based Epizyme Inc.
BEIJING – Jinan, China-based Qilu Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has won the first approval for a China-developed biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab, Roche Holding AG). Its biosimilar QL-1101, to be sold under the trade name Ankada, has been approved to treat advanced, metastatic or recurrent non-small-cell lung cancer and metastatic colorectal cancer.
With two FDA meetings in its hip pocket to discuss maralixibat for treating pruritus associated with Alagille syndrome, Mirum Pharmaceuticals Inc. got a resounding boost from the market Monday as its stock (NASDAQ:MIRM) closed up 111%, at $17.28.
Boston Scientific Corp., of Marlborough, Mass., has won the U.S. FDA’s nod for the Exalt Model D single-use duodenoscope for use in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. It is the first single-use duodenoscope on the market and earlier secured breakthrough device designation. “Unlike duodenoscopes that are used on multiple patients, a fully disposable duodenoscope doesn’t need to be reprocessed, eliminating the risk of potential infection due to ineffective reprocessing,” said Jeff Shuren, director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.