Industry News
WHO Head Reiterates Call for Two-Month COVID-19 Booster Moratorium
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is concerned booster shots could limit supply for countries struggling to get first and second vaccine doses.
UK Regulator MHRA Approves Moderna COVID-19 Jab for Adolescents
MHRA has approved Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine for use in 12–17-year-olds.
ICMRA Sets Out Recommendations on Regulation of Future Therapies Using AI
ICMRA has published a report setting out recommendations on how regulators should address the issues that the use of AI poses to global medicines regulation.
EMA Commences Evaluation of RoActemra as COVID-19 Treatment
EMA has started evaluating RoActemra (tocilizumab), an anti-inflammatory medicine, as a potential treatment for hospitalized adult patients with severe COVID-19.
FDA User Fees to Rise and Fall as New Fee Agreements Move Forward
The user fees set for fiscal year 2022 are noteworthy, as their announcement comes as FDA and industry are finalizing agreements for new five-year user fee programs.
Industry Responds to the Latest NICE Methods Review
UK's ABPI responds to the latest revisions being made to NICE methods for assessment of drugs and devices.
WHO’s Solidarity Plus Trial to Assess Three Drugs for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
WHO’s solidarity plus trial will enroll hospitalized patients to test artesunate, imatinib, and infliximab in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities Affecting Drug Manufacturing Equipment
BlackBerry’s QNX real-time operating system may create cybersecurity vulnerabilities, according to FDA.
Patent Office Grants BlueAllele Patent for Advanced Gene Editing Technology
BlueAllele has been granted a US patent for its advanced gene-editing technology, PALIDON, which is compatible with existing gene editing nucleases and delivery systems.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Named IndustryWeek Best Plants Award Winner 2021
Thermo Fisher’s manufacturing site in Greenville, NC was recognized for manufacturing excellence.
FDA Grants First of its Kind Indication for Idiopathic Hypersomnia Treatment
FDA has granted its first approval for an idiopathic hypersomnia treatment.
FDA Solicits Comments on Drug Products Approved Ahead of Hatch-Waxman Amendments
FDA has opened a public docket soliciting feedback on the regulation process surrounding PANDAs.
FDA Authorizes Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Dose for Certain Individuals
The agency has amended the emergency use authorizations for the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines to allow certain immunocompromised people to receive an additional dose of the vaccine.
Biden Highlights Drug Pricing Reforms to Advance Legislative Agenda
The President calls for granting Medicare authority to negotiate drug prices and penalties for pharma companies that raise prices faster than inflation.
KGI Team Adapts Vaccine Development Work to Address COVID-19
A research team at the Keck Graduate Institute will work to adapt its decade-long low-cost vaccine R&D for developing countries into a COVID-19 vaccine.
European Commission Approves AstraZeneca’s Forxiga for Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease
The EC has approved the drug in the EU for treatment of chronic kidney disease in adults with or without type-2 diabetes.
GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex Approved by MHRA for Seizure Treatment
The MHRA has approved GW Pharmaceuticals’ Epidiolex for the treatment of seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis complex.
EMA Endorses Track-and-Trace Recommendations
The agency is endorsing recommendations for global track-and-trace systems developed by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities.
EMA’s PRAC Requests Additional Data on Guillain-Barré Syndrome in COVID-19 Vaccine
EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee has requested more data for its evaluation of reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome after vaccination.
EMA Recommends Including Adverse Reaction Warning to Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine
The agency’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee recommended updating the product information for Janssen’s COVID-19 vaccine to list immune thrombocytopenia as an adverse reaction.
Emergent Approved to Export Vaccines in Latest COVID-19 Update
Emergent BioSolutions has been granted approval from FDA to ship certain lots of their AstraZeneca vaccine.
FDA Approves New Treatment for Pompe Disease
FDA has approved the intravenous medication Nexviazyme for treatment of Pompe Disease.
FDA Issues NIR Guidance
The guidance aids in the development, validation, and use of near infrared-based analytical procedures.
Analysis Demonstrates No Increased Incidence of Thrombosis with TTS After Vaxzevria Second Dose
A global safety database analysis has demonstrated no increased incidence of thrombosis with TTS after the second dose of Vaxzevria.
EC Confirms Go-Live Date for Clinical Trials Information System
EC has confirmed that the entry into application of the Clinical Trials Regulation and, as such, the go-live date for the Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) will be Jan. 31, 2022.
University of Sheffield and CGT Catapult Launch Innovative Gene Therapy Program
The University of Sheffield has launched an innovative gene therapy program that could pave the way for novel treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.
FDA Approves AstraZeneca’s Lupus mAb, Saphnelo
FDA has approved AstraZeneca’s Saphnelo, a type I interferon receptor antibody for treating systemic lupus erythematosus.
FDA Launches New Crowdsourcing Challenge for Pediatric Research Questions
FDA is launching a new crowdsourcing challenge to solicit ideas for pediatric research.
Regeneron Receives Expanded Authorized Use from FDA for Antibody COVID-19 Treatment
The expanded authorization from FDA enables the use of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals’ REGEN-COV antibody cocktail therapy for post-exposure prophylaxis in certain people exposed to SARS-CoV-2.
FDA Approves Interchangeable Biosimilar Insulin
FDA has approved Mylan Pharmaceuticals’ Semglee, the first interchangeable biosimilar insulin product for treating diabetes.