The U.S. FDA posted an update on the early alert for the Novum IQ infusion pump by Baxter International Inc., which includes a suggestion that the administration set be moved half an inch farther down the line before doubling the bolus infusion rate.
While U.S. government cost-cutting seems to be the Trump administration’s priority that consumes all others, some Republican senators are pushing back – at least when it comes to the NIH. Fourteen senators wrote to Russell Vought, head of the White House Office of Management and Budget, to voice their concerns about the administration’s slow disbursement rate of the NIH’s fiscal 2025 funds.
Pharmaceutical exports from the EU to the U.S. are facing a leap in tariffs from zero duty to 15%, following the trade deal between EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump sealed in Scotland July 27.
The U.S. FDA has cleared Zymeworks Inc.’s IND application for ZW-251, a novel glypican-3 (GPC3)-targeted antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) incorporating the company’s proprietary topoisomerase 1 (TOPO1) inhibitor payload, ZD-06519, for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Cryofocus Medtech (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. received U.S. FDA breakthrough device designation on July 24 for its cryoablation system for asthma. The Chinese med-tech’s stock (HKEX:6922) rose near 20% over two consecutive days on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange with the news, increasing from HK$5.00 ($.64) July 23 to HK$5.98 nearing the close of trading on July 25.
After a tough few weeks for Sarepta Therapeutics Inc., the EMA dealt another blow on July 25, announcing it will not be approving the Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec). Re-examination of the file led to a happier outcome for another drug that has attracted considerable controversy, Eli Lilly and Co. Inc.’s Kisunla (donanemab) for treating the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
Roche Holding AG received CE mark for its Elecsys pTau181 test to help rule out Alzheimer’s disease. The minimally invasive blood test, developed in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Co., measures phosphorylated Tau 181 protein, a biomarker indicative of amyloid pathology, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s.
Becoming the first approved treatment for chronic hand eczema in the U.S., Leo Pharma A/S’s Anzupgo (delgocitinib) received FDA clearance for an indication that affects 10% of adults worldwide. The cream, dosed at 20 mg/g and applied topically, will treat moderate to severe cases in those not responsive to, or unable to take, topical corticosteroids.
South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety signed a confidentiality agreement with Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency to boost bilateral regulatory cooperation in the field of medical devices.
There are times when a casual observer can’t tell whether the medical device industry’s messaging is getting through to policymakers, but a July 17 announcement by the Trump administration clearly signals the effectiveness of at least one med tech messaging strategy.