As expected, the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee voted near-unanimously on Dec. 17, with one abstention, that available evidence shows the benefits of Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine, mRNA-1273, outweigh its risks for people 18 and older. The vote bolsters the likelihood that the regulator will grant the vaccine an emergency use authorization (EUA), which could come as soon as Friday. Not the same as an approval, the authorization would allow for the vaccine's use for the prevention of COVID-19 in the U.S. even as further trials and regulatory evaluation remains underway ahead of a company BLA submission.
The U.S. FDA’s intended use rule has been in flux for the past half-decade, with yet another draft rule making the rounds for comment. Despite any concerns that speech regarding off-label use might again be seen as a primary driver of prosecution, Sara Bloom, senior litigation counsel at the U.S. Department of Justice’s District of Massachusetts office, said distribution of the product in question is frequently the key feature where federal prosecutors are concerned. Bloom said communication of off-label use often serves primarily as a confirmatory element of the manufacturer’s intent rather than as the decisive part of the prosecution’s case.
Regulatory snapshots, including global drug submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Avadel, Daiichi, Esperion, Durect, Hemoshear, Kite, Novartis, Regeneron, Thetis.
A new FDA assessment of the data behind an emergency use authorization filing for Moderna Inc.'s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, issued in advance of a Dec. 17 meeting of the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee, affirmed efficacy claims for the product and identified "no specific safety concerns that would preclude issuance of an EUA."
Christmas arrived early for Athenex Inc. as the FDA approved Klisyri (tirbanibulin) for treating actinic keratosis on the face or scalp nearly two weeks before the treatment’s PDUFA date.
DUBLIN – Bowing to public and political pressure, the EMA has brought forward its review of BNT-162b2, the mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer Inc. and Biontech SE, to Dec. 21, more than a week ahead of its originally scheduled date of Dec. 29.
Several hospital and pharmacy groups, including the American Hospital Association, filed suit last week in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in an effort to force the Department of Health and Human Services to stop drug companies from “undermining” the 340B prescription drug discount program.