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Chugai's Vabysmo Becomes First Approved Treatment for Angioid Streaks in Japan

Drug ApprovalRare Disease
  • Chugai Pharmaceutical has received Japanese regulatory approval for Vabysmo as the first-ever treatment for choroidal neovascularization associated with angioid streaks, a rare eye disease that can lead to vision loss.
  • The approval follows positive Phase III NIHONBASHI study results showing statistically significant visual acuity improvement of +5.8 letters at week 12 and a reduction in central retinal thickness of -106.4 μm.
  • Vabysmo, a bispecific antibody targeting both VEGF-A and Ang-2 pathways, was generally well-tolerated with no new safety concerns identified during the clinical trial.

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Secures USFDA Approvals for Carbamazepine and Amlodipine-Atorvastatin Generics

Drug Approval
  • Alembic Pharmaceuticals has received final USFDA approval for generic Carbamazepine 200 mg tablets, an anticonvulsant used for seizure disorders and neuropathic pain with a US market size of approximately $32 million.
  • The company also secured approval for Amlodipine-Atorvastatin combination tablets in multiple strengths, expanding its portfolio in the cardiovascular therapeutic area.
  • With these recent approvals, Alembic now holds a total of 223 ANDA approvals from the USFDA, strengthening its position in the US generics market across CNS and cardiovascular segments.

Bayer Secures FDA Approval for Nubeqa in Metastatic Prostate Cancer, Targeting €3 Billion Peak Sales

OncologyDrug Approval
  • Bayer received FDA approval for Nubeqa (darolutamide) in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, expanding beyond its initial non-metastatic indication.
  • The ARASENS trial demonstrated a 33% reduction in death risk when Nubeqa was added to standard androgen deprivation therapy plus docetaxel compared to placebo.
  • Bayer has tripled its peak sales forecast for Nubeqa from €1 billion to €3 billion following positive clinical data in the metastatic setting.
  • The approval positions Nubeqa to compete directly with established androgen receptor inhibitors Xtandi and Erleada in the advanced prostate cancer market.

Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks Tops Pharma Executive Compensation at $29.2 Million in 2024

Drug Approval
  • Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks earned $29.2 million in 2024, surpassing Johnson & Johnson's Joaquin Duato to become the highest-paid pharmaceutical executive with a 10% increase from 2023.
  • Ricks' compensation reflects Lilly's exceptional performance, including 32% revenue growth to $45 billion and successful launches of weight loss drug Zepbound and Alzheimer's treatment Kisunla.
  • The top six highest-paid pharma CEOs all earned over $23 million, with Pfizer's Albert Bourla receiving a 14% pay increase to $24.6 million following the company's cost realignment program.
  • Executive compensation packages are primarily driven by stock options, with Ricks receiving $19.7 million in stock awards as part of his total compensation package.

FDA Approves First Lupus Nephritis Treatment: GSK's Benlysta Autoinjector for Pediatric Patients

Drug ApprovalMonoclonal Antibody
  • GSK received FDA approval for Benlysta's 200 mg/mL autoinjector for subcutaneous injection in patients five years and older with active lupus nephritis, marking the first FDA-approved treatment specifically for this severe kidney complication.
  • The approval provides pediatric lupus nephritis patients with a first-of-its-kind at-home subcutaneous treatment option, expanding beyond the previously available intravenous formulation.
  • Benlysta demonstrated clinical efficacy in the BLISS-LN trial, with 43% of patients achieving significant kidney function improvement compared to 32% in the control group.
  • The lupus nephritis indication is expected to drive Benlysta sales above the $1 billion blockbuster threshold, with GSK estimating around 60% of severe SLE patients in the US suffer from lupus nephritis annually.

FDA Approves Datopotamab Deruxtecan for Previously Treated EGFR-Mutated NSCLC

Drug ApprovalOncology
  • The FDA granted accelerated approval to datopotamab deruxtecan-dlnk (Dato-DXd; Datroway) for patients with previously treated EGFR-mutated non-small cell lung cancer who have progressed on both EGFR-targeted therapies and chemotherapy.
  • Clinical trials TROPION-Lung05 and TROPION-Lung01 demonstrated a 45% overall response rate and median duration of response of 6.5 months in this patient population.
  • The approval addresses a significant unmet medical need in a treatment setting with limited therapeutic alternatives for patients with advanced EGFR-mutated NSCLC.
  • While the drug requires monitoring for adverse effects including stomatitis and interstitial lung disease, the safety profile is considered manageable by oncologists.

Study of NXC-201 CAR-T in Patients With Light Chain (AL) Amyloidosis

NCT06097832RecruitingPhase 1
Nexcella Inc.
Posted 6/5/2024

A Study Evaluating the Efficacy and Safety of Inavolisib + Palbociclib + Fulvestrant vs Placebo + Palbociclib + Fulvestrant in Participants With PIK3CA-Mutant, Hormone Receptor-Positive, HER2-Negative, Locally Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

NCT04191499Active, Not RecruitingPhase 2
Hoffmann-La Roche
Posted 1/29/2020

Study to Compare the Combination of Ribociclib Plus Goserelin Acetate With Hormonal Therapy Versus Combination Chemotherapy in Premenopausal or Perimenopausal Patients With Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer

NCT03839823CompletedPhase 2
Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Posted 2/25/2019

Study of DS-1062a in Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With Actionable Genomic Alterations (TROPION-Lung05)

NCT04484142Active, Not RecruitingPhase 2
Daiichi Sankyo
Posted 3/30/2021

Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax in Subjects With Treatment-naive Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia /Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (CLL/SLL)

NCT02910583CompletedPhase 2
Pharmacyclics LLC.
Posted 9/28/2016

Study of DS-1062a Versus Docetaxel in Previously Treated Advanced or Metastatic Non-small Cell Lung Cancer With or Without Actionable Genomic Alterations (TROPION-LUNG01)

NCT04656652Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Daiichi Sankyo
Posted 12/21/2020

Systemic Therapy With or Without Local Consolidative Therapy in Treating Patients With Oligometastatic Solid Tumor

NCT03599765Active, Not RecruitingPhase 2
M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Posted 7/31/2018

A Study of the Combination of Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax Versus Chlorambucil Plus Obinutuzumab for the First-line Treatment of Participants With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL)/Small Lymphocytic Lymphoma (SLL)

NCT03462719Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Janssen Research & Development, LLC
Posted 4/17/2018

A Study of Nivolumab, Nivolumab Plus Ipilimumab, or Investigator's Choice Chemotherapy for the Treatment of Participants With Deficient Mismatch Repair (dMMR)/Microsatellite Instability High (MSI-H) Metastatic Colorectal Cancer (mCRC)

NCT04008030Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Posted 8/5/2019

A Study to Evaluate the Safety, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics and Clinical Activity of Imetelstat in Combination With Ruxolitinib in Participants With Myelofibrosis

NCT05371964RecruitingPhase 1
Geron Corporation
Posted 5/4/2022

Relacorilant in Combination With Nab-Paclitaxel in Advanced, Platinum-Resistant, High-Grade Epithelial Ovarian, Primary Peritoneal, or Fallopian-Tube Cancer

NCT05257408Active, Not RecruitingPhase 3
Corcept Therapeutics
Posted 6/29/2022

Tirzepatide Emerges as Most Effective GLP-1 Agonist for Diabetes and Weight Loss, Rapidly Overtaking Traditional Therapies

Drug Approval
  • Tirzepatide, a dual GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist, ranked first among FDA-approved agents for both glycemic control and weight loss in a meta-analysis of 76 randomized trials involving 39,000 adults with type 2 diabetes.
  • The drug demonstrated superior efficacy with mean reductions of 2.1% in HbA1c, 3.11 mmol/L in fasting blood glucose, and 8.5 kg in body weight compared to placebo, outperforming semaglutide which ranked second.
  • Following its May 2022 market launch, tirzepatide achieved rapid uptake, reaching 12.3% of all glucose-lowering medication use by December 2023 and surpassing traditional therapies like metformin in incident prescriptions.
  • The medication's swift adoption represents a significant shift in diabetes and obesity treatment patterns, with implications for clinical practice guidelines and healthcare policy.

CMS Policy Changes Create New Reimbursement Challenges for 505(b)(2) Oncology Drugs

Drug ApprovalOncology
  • CMS has begun issuing unique J-codes to 505(b)(2) drugs as of January 2023, fundamentally changing how these medications are reimbursed and potentially affecting 943 approved drugs dating back to 2003.
  • The policy shift stems from a 2022 CMS reevaluation that now considers 505(b)(2) drugs that are not therapeutically interchangeable as sole-source products requiring individual billing codes.
  • This regulatory change creates significant operational challenges for oncology infusion centers while providing pharmaceutical manufacturers with competitive advantages including potential 7-year market exclusivity.
  • The transformation affects numerous oncology drugs approved through the 505(b)(2) pathway, including albumin-bound paclitaxel, bendamustine, bortezomib, and pemetrexed.

South Korea Approves World's First Recombinant Anthrax Vaccine BARYTHRAX

Drug Approval
  • The Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved BARYTHRAX, the world's first recombinant protein-based anthrax vaccine developed by GC Biopharma and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
  • The vaccine eliminates toxin exposure risks associated with traditional anthrax vaccines by using protective antigen proteins produced through genetic recombination techniques.
  • BARYTHRAX demonstrated high safety and efficacy in clinical trials, with vaccinated subjects generating sufficient neutralizing antibodies and maintaining high survival rates in animal studies.
  • The approval enables South Korea to achieve self-sufficiency in anthrax vaccine production, ending reliance on imports and potentially opening export markets globally.

Once-Nightly Sodium Oxybate Shows Safety Profile in Narcolepsy Patients with Sleep Apnea Concerns

Drug Approval
  • Post-hoc analysis of the phase 3 REST-ON trial demonstrates that once-nightly sodium oxybate (Lumryz) does not worsen apnea-hypopnea index in narcolepsy patients with mild or no sleep apnea.
  • The study found minimal respiratory-related adverse drug reactions, with only 0.9% of treated patients experiencing sleep apnea and 0.9% reporting snoring.
  • Mean apnea-hypopnea index values remained consistently low throughout the 13-week treatment period, with no significant differences between treatment and placebo groups.
  • Additional analysis revealed the drug effectively reduced hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations, with significant improvements observed across multiple time points compared to placebo.

An Open Label Study of FT218 in Subjects With Narcolepsy

NCT04451668CompletedPhase 3
Avadel
Posted 6/12/2020

Once-Nightly Sodium Oxybate for Treatment of Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Cataplexy in Narcolepsy

NCT02720744CompletedPhase 3
Avadel
Posted 11/17/2016

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