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Formycon's Ranivisio Becomes First Lucentis Biosimilar Approved in Brazil

  • Brazil's regulatory authority ANVISA has granted marketing authorization for Ranivisio (FYB201), marking the first approved Lucentis biosimilar in the country with launch expected in Q4 2025.
  • Formycon has established a commercialization partnership with Brazilian pharmaceutical company Biomm to distribute the ranibizumab biosimilar in Brazil's BRL 374 million annual anti-VEGF therapy market.
  • The approval initiates a phased Latin American rollout, with marketing authorizations already secured in Peru, El Salvador, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, and further launches planned through early 2027.

Daiichi Sankyo's New CEO Charts Course for ADC Expansion Beyond Enhertu Success

  • Hiroyuki Okuzawa assumed leadership of Daiichi Sankyo two months ago, inheriting a company strengthened by three major pharmaceutical licensing deals worth up to $27 billion based on ADC technology.
  • Enhertu demonstrated potential as frontline therapy for advanced breast cancer at ASCO 2025, continuing the drug's track record of clinical success since 2022.
  • The company plans to have five ADCs approved across more than 30 tumor types by 2030, targeting treatment of nearly 400,000 cancer patients annually.
  • Okuzawa faces the challenge of identifying next-generation growth drivers while navigating development setbacks and potential trade policy impacts on global supply chains.

FDA Approves First Drug-Free Wearable Device for Pediatric Nasal Congestion Treatment

  • The FDA has approved an expanded pediatric indication for the SONU Band, making it the first FDA-approved, drug-free solution for nasal congestion and allergies in children aged 12 years and older.
  • The AI-enabled wearable device uses personalized acoustic vibrational energy to reduce nasal swelling and open passages, providing relief in 15 minutes or less without medications or steroids.
  • The device received FDA De Novo authorization, establishing a new regulatory pathway for this novel medical technology that addresses significant unmet needs for safe pediatric congestion treatment alternatives.

Vadadustat Phase 3 Data Reveals Geographic Differences in CKD Anemia Treatment Outcomes

  • The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology published pre-specified analyses from vadadustat's global phase 3 program, comparing U.S. and non-U.S. patient outcomes in chronic kidney disease-related anemia treatment.
  • Among dialysis-dependent CKD patients, vadadustat showed similar safety and efficacy to darbepoetin alfa both within and outside the United States.
  • For non-dialysis-dependent CKD patients in the U.S. subgroup, vadadustat demonstrated higher cardiovascular risk compared to darbepoetin alfa when used outside the United States.
  • The analyses highlight how regional differences in patient characteristics, hemoglobin targets, and healthcare practices can influence treatment outcomes in global clinical trials.

Fresenius Kabi Launches First Generic Iodixanol Contrast Agent in Canada, Addressing Critical Supply Shortages

  • Fresenius Kabi Canada launched Iodixanol Injection 270 and 320, marking the first generic injectable iodinated contrast media available in the Canadian market.
  • Health Canada granted Notice of Compliance approval on December 17, 2024, based on pharmaceutical equivalence to reference drug Visipaque®.
  • The launch addresses critical supply shortages that previously forced healthcare agencies to ration contrast media and reduce dosages for patients.
  • Iodixanol injection was classified as a tier 3 drug shortage in June 2022, indicating significant potential impact on Canada's healthcare system.

Moderna Agrees to Placebo-Controlled Trial for New COVID-19 Vaccine Following FDA Approval

  • Moderna has agreed to conduct a placebo-controlled trial of its newly approved second-generation COVID-19 vaccine mNexspike, as announced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
  • The FDA required this future placebo-controlled study as a condition for approving the new vaccine, specifically targeting adults ages 50 to 64 without high-risk conditions.
  • The new vaccine received limited approval for adults 65 and older and anyone 12 and over with at least one risk factor for severe disease, marking a narrower approval than previous COVID-19 vaccines.
  • This requirement represents an unusual regulatory approach that has raised ethical concerns about exposing participants to preventable illness by administering placebo instead of existing vaccines.

FDA Approves Darolutamide for Metastatic Castration-Sensitive Prostate Cancer Based on ARANOTE Trial Results

  • The FDA has approved darolutamide (Nubeqa) for treating patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer, expanding its approved indications beyond the previously approved combination with docetaxel.
  • The approval was based on the phase 3 ARANOTE trial, which demonstrated that darolutamide significantly improved radiographic progression-free survival compared to placebo when combined with androgen deprivation therapy.
  • In the 669-patient study, median radiographic progression-free survival was not reached with darolutamide versus 25.0 months with placebo, representing a 46% reduction in disease progression risk.
  • The safety profile remained consistent with previous darolutamide studies, with hypertension and anemia being the most common grade 3/4 adverse events observed in the treatment arm.
NCT04395677Active, Not RecruitingPhase 2
AnHeart Therapeutics Inc.
Posted 7/7/2020
NCT04919811RecruitingPhase 2
Nuvation Bio Inc.
Posted 9/1/2021

Biocon Receives CDSCO Approval for Liraglutide Diabetes Drug in India

  • Biocon has received regulatory approval from India's Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for its diabetes drug liraglutide, marking a significant milestone for the company's pharmaceutical portfolio.
  • The approval enables Biocon to market and distribute liraglutide in the Indian market, expanding treatment options for diabetes patients in the country.
  • Following the regulatory clearance, Biocon shares have come into focus among investors, reflecting market confidence in the company's drug development capabilities.

Bayer Submits Low-Dose MRI Contrast Agent Gadoquatrane for Global Regulatory Approval

  • Bayer has submitted marketing authorization applications for gadoquatrane, an investigational MRI contrast agent that delivers 60% lower gadolinium dosing compared to standard agents while maintaining diagnostic efficacy.
  • The pivotal Phase III QUANTI studies involving 808 patients across 15 countries demonstrated non-inferior efficacy to comparator agents in visualization parameters and lesion detection with similar safety profiles.
  • Gadoquatrane represents the first low-dose macrocyclic contrast agent targeting the $3.5 billion global MRI contrast market, with particular benefits for pediatric patients and those requiring multiple lifetime scans.
  • Japan's submission marks the first regulatory application, with further global submissions planned as Bayer positions the agent to address growing safety concerns about gadolinium retention in tissues.

Five-Year Data Show Lasting Survival Benefits from Single-Dose TIL Therapy in Advanced Melanoma

  • Long-term follow-up data from the C-144-01 Phase 2 trial demonstrate that lifileucel TIL therapy achieved tumor shrinkage in 79.3% of patients with treatment-refractory advanced melanoma.
  • Nearly one in five patients (19.7%) remained alive at five years following a single infusion, with 31.4% of responders maintaining their response at the five-year mark.
  • The therapy represents the first FDA-approved cellular treatment for solid tumors and is currently under regulatory review in Europe and the UK for broader clinical use.

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