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FDA approves first drug Spinraza (nusinersen), for spinal muscular atrophy
FDA approves first drug for spinal muscular atrophy
New therapy addresses unmet medical need for rare disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Spinraza (nusinersen), the first drug approved to treat children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and often fatal genetic disease affecting muscle strength and movement. Spinraza is an injection administered into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.
For Immediate Release
December 23, 2016
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Spinraza (nusinersen), the first drug approved to treat children and adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a rare and often fatal genetic disease affecting muscle strength and movement. Spinraza is an injection administered into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord.
“There has been a long-standing need for a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy, the most common genetic cause of death in infants, and a disease that can affect people at any stage of life,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “As shown by our suggestion to the sponsor to analyze the results of the study earlier than planned, the FDA is committed to assisting with the development and approval of safe and effective drugs for rare diseases and we worked hard to review this application quickly; we could not be more pleased to have the first approved treatment for this debilitating disease.”
SMA is a hereditary disease that causes weakness and muscle wasting because of the loss of lower motor neurons controlling movement. There is wide variability in age of onset, symptoms and rate of progression. Spinraza is approved for use across the range of spinal muscular atrophy patients.
The FDA worked closely with the sponsor during development to help design and implement the analysis upon which this approval was based. The efficacy of Spinraza was demonstrated in a clinical trial in 121 patients with infantile-onset SMA who were diagnosed before 6 months of age and who were less than 7 months old at the time of their first dose. Patients were randomized to receive an injection of Spinraza, into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord, or undergo a mock procedure without drug injection (a skin prick). Twice the number of patients received Spinraza compared to those who underwent the mock procedure. The trial assessed the percentage of patients with improvement in motor milestones, such as head control, sitting, ability to kick in supine position, rolling, crawling, standing and walking.
The FDA asked the sponsor to conduct an interim analysis as a way to evaluate the study results as early as possible; 82 of 121 patients were eligible for this analysis. Forty percent of patients treated with Spinraza achieved improvement in motor milestones as defined in the study, whereas none of the control patients did.
Additional open-label uncontrolled clinical studies were conducted in symptomatic patients who ranged in age from 30 days to 15 years at the time of the first dose, and in presymptomatic patients who ranged in age from 8 days to 42 days at the time of first dose. These studies lacked control groups and therefore were more difficult to interpret than the controlled study, but the findings appeared generally supportive of the clinical efficacy demonstrated in the controlled clinical trial in infantile-onset patients.
The most common side effects found in participants in the clinical trials on Spinraza were upper respiratory infection, lower respiratory infection and constipation. Warnings and precautions include low blood platelet count and toxicity to the kidneys (renal toxicity). Toxicity in the nervous system (neurotoxicity) was observed in animal studies.
The FDA granted this application fast track designation and priority review. The drug also received orphan drug designation, which provides incentives to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.
The sponsor is receiving a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher under a program intended to encourage development of new drugs and biologics for the prevention and treatment of rare pediatric diseases. A voucher can be redeemed by a sponsor at a later date to receive priority review of a subsequent marketing application for a different product. This is the eighth rare pediatric disease priority review voucher issued by the FDA since the program began.
Spinraza is marketed by Biogen of Cambridge, Massachusetts and was developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals of Carlsbad, California.
CAS1258984-36-9
MFC234H340N61O128P17S17
ISIS-396443, ISIS-SMNRx, IONIS-SMNRx
RNA, (2′-0-(2-methoxyethyi))(p-thio)(m5u-c-a-c-m5u-m5u-m5u-c-a-m5ua- a-m5 u-g-c-m5u-g-g)
RNA, (2′-0-(2-METHOXYETHYI))(P-THIO)(M5U-C-A-C-M5U-M5U-M5U-C-A-M5UA- A-M5 U-G-C-M5U-G-G)
All-P-ambo-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiocytidylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioadenylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiocytidylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiocytidylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioadenylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioadenylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioadenylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioguanylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiocytidylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-5-methyl-P-thiouridylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)-P-thioguanylyl-(3’¨5′)-2′-O-(2-methoxyethyl)guanosine
ISIS-SMNRx is a drug that is designed to modulate the splicing of the SMN2 gene to significantly increase the production of functional SMN protein. The US regulatory agency has granted Orphan Drug Designation with Fast Track Status to nusinersen for the treatment of patients with SMA. The European regulatory agency has granted Orphan Drug Designation to nusinersen for the treatment of patients with SMA.
Nusinersen (formerly, IONIS-SMNRx, ISIS-SMNRx), intended to be marketed as Spinraza,[1] is an investigational drug for spinal muscular atrophy developed by Ionis Pharmaceuticals and Biogen with financial support from SMA Foundation and Cure SMA. It is a proprietary antisense oligonucleotide that modulates alternate splicing of the SMN2 gene, functionally converting it into SMN1 gene.
The drug is administered directly to the central nervous system using intrathecal injection once every 3–4 months.
Nusinersen has orphan drug designation in the United States and the European Union.[2]
In August 2016, a phase III trial in type 1 SMA patients was ended early due to positive efficacy data, with Biogen deciding to file for regulatory approval for the drug.[3]Consequently, the company submitted a New Drug Application to the FDA in September 2016[4] and a marketing authorisation application to the European Medicines Agency, under the centralised procedure,[5] in the following month. The company also announced an expanded access programme of nusinersen in type 1 SMA in selected countries.
In November 2016, a phase III clinical trial in type 2 SMA patients was halted after an interim analysis indicated the drug’s efficacy also in this SMA type.[6]
References
- Jump up^ “Regulatory Applications for SMA Therapy Nusinersen Accepted in US, EU”. BioNews Services, LLC. Retrieved 2016-11-15.
- Jump up^ “nusinersen”. NHS New Drugs Online Database. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
- Jump up^ “Biogen and Ionis Pharmaceuticals Provide Important Update on First Ever SMA Regulatory Filings”. CureSMA. 1 August 2016.
- Jump up^ “Biogen Completes Rolling Submission of New Drug Application to FDA for Nusinersen as a Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy”. Yahoo! Finance News. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2016-10-09.
- Jump up^ “Biogen & Ionis submit Nusinersen application to EMA for marketing authorisation”. SMA Europe.
- Jump up^ “Positive Trials of Spinal Muscular Atrophy Bode Well for Antisense Approach”. alzforum.org.
P.S. : The views expressed are my personal and in no-way suggest the views of the professional body or the company that I represent.
//////////spinraza, nusinersen, fda 2016, Biogen, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ionis Pharmaceuticals of Carlsbad, California. spinal muscular atrophy, ISIS-396443, ISIS-SMNRx, IONIS-SMNRx, 1258984-36-9
FDA grants accelerated approval to first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Structure credit http://lgmpharma.com/eteplirsen-still-proves-efficacious-duchenne-drug/
FDA grants accelerated approval to first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
New therapy addresses unmet medical need
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) injection, the first drug approved to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Exondys 51 is specifically indicated for patients who have a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 51 skipping, which affects about 13 percent of the population with DMD.
FDA grants accelerated approval to first drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy
September 19, 2016
Release
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) injection, the first drug approved to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Exondys 51 is specifically indicated for patients who have a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 51 skipping, which affects about 13 percent of the population with DMD.
“Patients with a particular type of Duchenne muscular dystrophy will now have access to an approved treatment for this rare and devastating disease,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In rare diseases, new drug development is especially challenging due to the small numbers of people affected by each disease and the lack of medical understanding of many disorders. Accelerated approval makes this drug available to patients based on initial data, but we eagerly await learning more about the efficacy of this drug through a confirmatory clinical trial that the company must conduct after approval.”
DMD is a rare genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle deterioration and weakness. It is the most common type of muscular dystrophy. DMD is caused by an absence of dystrophin, a protein that helps keep muscle cells intact. The first symptoms are usually seen between three and five years of age, and worsen over time. The disease often occurs in people without a known family history of the condition and primarily affects boys, but in rare cases it can affect girls. DMD occurs in about one out of every 3,600 male infants worldwide.
People with DMD progressively lose the ability to perform activities independently and often require use of a wheelchair by their early teens. As the disease progresses, life-threatening heart and respiratory conditions can occur. Patients typically succumb to the disease in their 20s or 30s; however, disease severity and life expectancy vary.
Exondys 51 was approved under the accelerated approval pathway, which provides for the approval of drugs that treat serious or life-threatening diseases and generally provide a meaningful advantage over existing treatments. Approval under this pathway can be based on adequate and well-controlled studies showing the drug has an effect on a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit to patients (how a patient feels or functions or whether they survive). This pathway provides earlier patient access to promising new drugs while the company conducts clinical trials to verify the predicted clinical benefit.
The accelerated approval of Exondys 51 is based on the surrogate endpoint of dystrophin increase in skeletal muscle observed in some Exondys 51-treated patients. The FDA has concluded that the data submitted by the applicant demonstrated an increase in dystrophin production that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit in some patients with DMD who have a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 51 skipping. A clinical benefit of Exondys 51, including improved motor function, has not been established. In making this decision, the FDA considered the potential risks associated with the drug, the life-threatening and debilitating nature of the disease for these children and the lack of available therapy.
Under the accelerated approval provisions, the FDA is requiring Sarepta Therapeutics to conduct a clinical trial to confirm the drug’s clinical benefit. The required study is designed to assess whether Exondys 51 improves motor function of DMD patients with a confirmed mutation of the dystrophin gene amenable to exon 51 skipping. If the trial fails to verify clinical benefit, the FDA may initiate proceedings to withdraw approval of the drug.
The most common side effects reported by participants taking Exondys 51 in the clinical trials were balance disorder and vomiting.
The FDA granted Exondys 51 fast track designation, which is a designation to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs that are intended to treat serious conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address an unmet medical need. It was also granted priority review and orphan drug designation.Priority review status is granted to applications for drugs that, if approved, would be a significant improvement in safety or effectiveness in the treatment of a serious condition. Orphan drug designation provides incentives such as clinical trial tax credits, user fee waiver and eligibility for orphan drug exclusivity to assist and encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases.
The manufacturer received a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher, which comes from a program intended to encourage development of new drugs and biologics for the prevention and treatment of rare pediatric diseases. This is the seventh rare pediatric disease priority review voucher issued by the FDA since the program began.
Exondys 51 is made by Sarepta Therapeutics of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Systematic (IUPAC) name | |
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(P-deoxy-P-(dimethylamino)](2′,3′-dideoxy-2′,3′-imino-2′,3′-seco)(2’a→5′)(C-m5U-C-C-A-A-C-A-m5U-C-A-A-G-G-A-A-G-A-m5U-G-G-C-A-m5U-m5U-m5U-C-m5U-A-G),5′-(P-(4-((2-(2-(2-hydroxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)carbonyl)-1-piperazinyl)-N,N-dimethylphosphonamidate) RNA
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Clinical data | |
Routes of administration |
Intravenous infusion |
Legal status | |
Legal status |
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Identifiers | |
CAS Number | 1173755-55-9 |
ATC code | None |
ChemSpider | 34983391 |
UNII | AIW6036FAS ![]() |
Chemical data | |
Formula | C364H569N177O122P30 |
Molar mass | 10305.738 |
///////////Exondys 51, Sarepta Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, eteplirsen, Orphan drug designation, Priority review, fast track designation, Duchenne muscular dystrophy, этеплирсен , إيتيبليرسان ,
FDA approves new medication for dry eye disease, Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution)
lifitegrast
Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution)

FDA approves new medication for dry eye disease
July 12, 2016
Release
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Xiidra (lifitegrast ophthalmic solution) for the treatment of signs and symptoms of dry eye disease, on Monday, July 11, 2016. Xiidra is the first medication in a new class of drugs, called lymphocyte function-associated antigen 1 (LFA-1) agonist, approved by the FDA for dry eye disease.
“Normal tear production is needed for clear vision and eye health,” said Edward Cox, M.D., director of the Office of Antimicrobial Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “This approval will provide a new treatment option for patients with dry eye disease.”
Dry eye disease includes a group of conditions in which the eye does not produce an adequate volume of tears or when the tears are not of the correct consistency. The chance of experiencing dry eye increases with age, affecting approximately five percent of the adult population age 30-40 and 10 to 15 percent of adults over age 65, and is more common among women. When severe and left untreated, this condition can lead to pain, ulcers or scars on the part of the eye called the cornea. Dry eye can make it more difficult to perform some activities, such as using a computer or reading for an extended period of time, and it can decrease tolerance for dry environments, such as the air inside an airplane.
The safety and efficacy of Xiidra was assessed in over a thousand patients, in four separate, randomized, controlled studies. These studies included patients 19–97 years of age, of which the majority were female (76 percent). Patients were randomized equally to receive either Xiidra eyedrops or placebo eyedrops, which were used twice a day for twelve weeks. The studies found that groups treated with Xiidra demonstrated more improvement in both the signs and the symptoms of eye dryness than the groups treated with placebo.
The most common side effects of Xiidra include eye irritation, discomfort or blurred vision and an unusual taste sensation (dysgeusia).
Dry eye disease does not routinely occur in children. Safety and efficacy in pediatric patients below the age of 17 years has not been studied.
Xiidra is manufactured by Shire US Inc., of Lexington, Massachusetts.
Common name: Lifitegrast, SAR 1118
Molecular Formula: C29H24Cl2N2O7S
CAS Registry Number: 1025967-78-5
Molecular Weight: 615.49
Activity: SAR 1118 is a potent novel small molecule lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1/ICAM-1) antagonist for a broad range of ocular inflammatory conditions including dry eye and diabetic macular edema.
Intermediates: