The FDA has awarded orphan drug designation to Ocelot Bio Inc.'s lead candidate OCE-205 for the treatment of ascites due to all etiologies except cancer. Ocelot Bio plans to initiate clinical studies of OCE-205 in refractory ascites next year.
Iama Therapeutics Srl has obtained clinical trial application (CTA) clearance from the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) to initiate a first-in-human phase I study of IAMA-6, an orally administered small-molecule therapeutic targeting NKCC1 for the treatment of autism and epilepsy.
Given the challenges of generating chemistry, manufacturing and control information on the compressed timelines used in the EMA’s Priority Medicines scheme and the U.S. FDA’s breakthrough therapy designation program, the two regulators published a joint question-and-answer document discussing quality and good manufacturing practice aspects of applications for both programs, which are aimed at speeding development of innovative products to address unmet medical needs.
In an effort to standardize prescription practices across Canada, help Canadians afford their medicines and improve access to health data, the government is investing an additional $89.5 million over the next five years to establish the Canadian Drug Agency.
In 2023, Japan has faced mounting criticism from the pharma industry for its annual price reductions. Ahead of the G7 summit hosted in Japan in May 2023, a delegation of 24 CEOs from the Biopharmaceutical CEO Roundtable met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss global priorities and to flag concerns over drug pricing policies in Japan. Meanwhile, in 2023, China agreed to add 126 drugs to its National Reimbursement Drug List, in a negotiation process that has become more transparent and predictable than ever before. South Korea faces drug pricing reform, while Australia’s government has started an overhaul of its health technology assessment process.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) charged Laura Tyler Perryman, the former CEO and co-founder of Stimwave Technologies Inc., with defrauding investors out of approximately $41 million by making false and misleading statements about one of the company’s products. According to the SEC’s complaint, the Stimwave device comprised several components, one of which was a fake, non-functional component that was implanted into patients’ bodies.
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Perfuze, Vivos.
The data package for Filsuvez (birch triterpenes), a topical gel aimed at treating partial thickness wounds, satisfied U.S. reviewers the second time around. Chiesi Group said the FDA approved the treatment Dec. 19 for use in patients 6 months and older with rare blistering skin diseases junctional epidermolysis bullosa and dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.
With the use of artificial intelligence (AI) increasing in both biopharma R&D and the regulatory science used to evaluate new drug candidates in member states, the EMA and Heads of Medicines Agencies have laid out a five-year workplan to ensure that the European medicines regulatory network remains at the forefront in benefiting from AI in medicines regulation.
Chinese patients will soon have wider access to newly approved cancer drugs following the publication of the 2024 National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL) that added 126 new drugs to the list. Price cuts to drugs averaged 61.7%. The additions and cuts are in line with the previous year.
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