As more COVID-19 antibody testing becomes available, one question has been on everybody’s mind: Does the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the global pandemic, mean that people are protected from future infection? To that end, Genscript Biotech Corp., of Piscataway, N.J., has applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) with the U.S. FDA to market a test that specifically recognizes neutralizing antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
TORONTO – Toronto-based Epineuron Technologies Inc. reported the completion of a financing round to develop and clinically validate neuroregenerative technology intended for the recovery of patients suffering from peripheral nerve injuries. Designated a breakthrough device by the U.S. FDA, the “nerve bandage” uses brief bioelectronic stimulation of injured nerves to “upregulate” associated genes that accelerate nerve regeneration.
The COVID-19 pandemic has demanded much of the FDA, and commissioner Stephen Hahn said on a June 1 conference call that “there have been hiccups along the way” as the enormity of the threat came into view. The agency’s use of emergency use authorizations (EUAs) has drawn criticism, but Hahn defended those EUAs and other regulatory flexibilities even has he declared that the FDA is not “walking away from” randomized, controlled clinical trials as the gold standard for premarket review.
The U.S. FDA granted an emergency use authorization (EUA) for Quest Diagnostics Inc.’s self-collection kit for COVID-19. The kit allows individuals to collect their own specimens at home or in a health care setting.
New York-based at-home testing startup Letsgetchecked said Friday that the U.S. FDA has granted emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 Sure-track Test for signs of active SARS-CoV-2 infection. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nasal swab test is for use by at-risk individuals in the home and delivers results within 24 hours of a sample being received by the company’s CLIA-certified laboratory.
The number of tests of various types for the SARS-CoV-2 virus are still growing, but the emergency use authorization (EUA) program is not the only option for developers. Timothy Stenzel, director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiology, said on the agency’s May 27 town hall that the agency would like to see test developers file for a 510(k) for their tests when the data are sufficient to support an application, adding that any such clearances will not affect the U.S. FDA’s interest in keeping plenty of similar tests on the market via the EUA mechanism.
Intravenous artesunate, the international standard of care to treat severe malaria, has finally won full FDA approval for the condition, which affects about 300 of the approximately 2,000 people diagnosed with malaria in the U.S. each year.
As the FDA continues to shift its limited resources to the development and review of COVID-19 therapies and vaccines, other drugs in the pipeline may be delayed. In a question-and-answer guidance released late Tuesday, the agency acknowledged that, going forward, it may not be able to sustain its current performance level in meeting all its goal dates for new drugs and biologics.
Nearly four years after differences between U.S. and Russian clinical results derailed an NDA for its pregnancy prevention candidate, Phexxi, San Diego-based Evofem Biosciences Inc. has prevailed, winning FDA approval today for the vaginal pH regulator.
The U.S. FDA reported that 28 serology tests for antibodies for the SARS-CoV-2 virus either have been withdrawn from the market by the sponsor or delisted by the agency for failure to comply with its notification process for emergency use authorization (EUA). The agency said the list of unavailable tests will be updated over time. For his part, Commissioner Stephen Hahn said the move was undertaken “to ensure that Americans have access to trustworthy tests.”
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