Citing what it called poor study design and execution coupled with a lack of follow-up data, the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 13-2 against recommending approval of Steba Biotech SA’s NDA for Tookad (padeliporfin dipotassium) for injection in men with localized early stage prostate cancer.

While the staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is currently all hands-on-deck in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, some of the agencies in the department may have to divert resources to get sponsors of drug and device clinical trials to fill in nearly a decade-long data gap on Clinicaltrials.gov. That’s if a judge’s decision handed down this week stands.

H. Lundbeck A/S’ antibody-based migraine therapy, Vyepti (eptinezumab-jjmr), which just received FDA approval as the first and only intravenous preventive treatment for adults, enters a market forecast to grow to $7 billion by 2027. While some analysts placed Vyepti’s earnings potential at about $800 million annually, the drug itself is positioned to become a possible blockbuster, earning $1 billion annually.

Valrox (valoctocogene roxaparvovec) from San Rafael Calif-based Biomarin Pharmaceutical Inc. moved one step closer to entering the U.S. market, with the company reporting that that the FDA had accepted for priority review the BLA for its investigational AAV5 gene therapy for adults with hemophilia A.

During a conference call with investors, Baudax Bio Inc. CEO Gerri Henwood let out an exuberant “woohoo!” to celebrate the FDA’s approval – after two turndowns and much haggling over data – of Anjeso (meloxicam) for moderate to severe pain. Echoing her sentiment was Piper Sandler analyst David Amsellem. “It’s nice to see the pain division finally get this one right,” he said.

With deeming day a little more than a month away, the FDA is taking final steps to ease the transition of simple proteins approved as new drug applications (NDAs) to biologic license applications (BLAs). The March 23 change will open drugs such as insulin and various hormones to new competition, likely bringing in the next wave of biosimilars. And this time, interchangeability could be riding the crest.