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DATA COMPILATION #PharmaFlow

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FDA approvals slump 19% in H1 2024; NASH, COPD, PAH get new treatment options
The first half of 2024 saw a significant slowdown in approvals of new drugs and biologics by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compared to the same period last year.FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 21 drugs in H1 2024, reflecting a 19 percent decrease from the 26 approvals granted in H1 2023.  Of them, 81 percent (17) were first-in-class drugs (therapies that use a new and unique mechanism of action), while small molecules made up for 67 percent (14) of the total drugs approved.Similarly, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) granted approvals to only eight biologics, as compared to 10 in H1 2023.Health Canada also saw a drop in drug approvals as only 10 drugs were okayed in H1 2024, as opposed to 13 approvals in H1 2023.The European Medicines Agency (EMA) saw a marginal rise in drug authorizations at 15 for H1 2024 as compared to 14 approvals in H1 2023. Interestingly, the EMA also saw a surge in pending decisions (applications under review) — from two in H1 2023 to 14 in H1 2024.View New Drug Approvals in H1 2024 with Estimated Sales (Free Excel Available)Merck, Madrigal, Verona bag approvals for breakthrough meds; Lilly’s donanemab okayedThe first half saw some closely watched drugs win regulatory approvals. FDA approved a breakthrough therapy from Merck — Winrevair (sotatercept) — that treats adults with hypertension caused by the constriction of arteries in the lungs, known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).Merck had acquired Winrevair through its US$ 11.5 billion acquisition of Acceleron Pharma in 2021. The therapy is set to generate nearly US$ 3 billion in global peak sales by 2028. Another breakthrough therapy approved in H1 2024 is Madrigal’s Rezdiffra (resmetirom), the first FDA-approved treatment for adults with the common fatty liver disease — nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Rezdiffra is expected to touch sales of US$ 2.1 billion by 2028.The agency also approved the first maintenance treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in over 20 years — Verona’s Ohtuvayre. The drug has a novel mechanism of action and is the first inhaled maintenance treatment for COPD. Approved in June by the FDA, Ohtuvayre is forecast to bring in global sales of US$ 1.5 billion by 2030.The approval of Eli Lilly’s donanemab was surprisingly delayed, and finally came through on July 2 after an FDA advisory committee voted unanimously in favor of its benefits outweighing its risks. To be sold as  Kinsula, the Alzheimer's drug is estimated to bring in US$ 2.2 billion in sales by 2028.Across the pond, EMA approved Novo Nordisk’s weekly insulin injection Awiqli (insulin icodec). The replacement insulin in Awiqli acts in the same way as the body’s own insulin and helps glucose enter cells from the blood. Meanwhile, FDA rejected this once-a-week insulin earlier this month and has requested information related to the manufacturing process.View New Drug Approvals in H1 2024 with Estimated Sales (Free Excel Available) ImmunityBio, Geron, Day One win approvals for their oncology drugsIn what marks the first approval for ImmunityBio, FDA greenlit Anktiva (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln) as part of a combination therapy to treat a type of bladder cancer. Anktiva is a next-generation immunotherapy that creates long-term immunity by activating the so-called natural killer (NK) cells and T-cells. It will compete with Merck’s Keytruda. Anktiva’s yearly sales by 2030 are expected to be around US$ 1.7 billion.BeiGene’s PD-1 blocker Tevimbra (tislelizumab) got the go-ahead from the FDA as the treatment for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior systemic chemotherapy that did not include a PD-(L)1 inhibitor. Tevimbra’s 2028 global sales are forecast to bring in US$ 1.6 billion.FDA signed off on Geron’s Rytelo (imetelstat) for treating transfusion-dependent anemia in patients with low- to intermediate-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood cancers. This was Geron’s maiden approval and Rytelo is expected to bring in US$ 1.3 billion by 2030.Day One Biopharmaceuticals’ Ojemda (tovorafenib) was granted FDA’s accelerated approval to treat certain types of pediatric brain cancer. This is the first FDA approval of a systemic therapy for treating what is the most common form of childhood brain tumor, including fusions. Ojemda is forecast to bring in US$ 1 billion in sales by 2030.FDA granted accelerated approval to Amgen’s Imdelltra (tarlatamab-dlle) for adults in advanced stages of small cell lung cancer (SCLC) that has proven to be hard to treat or has worsened despite platinum-based chemotherapy. Imdelltra is expected to bring in annual sales of US$ 975 million by 2030.View New Drug Approvals in H1 2024 with Estimated Sales (Free Excel Available) Infectious disease drugs from Basilea, Merck, rare disease med from Ipsen bag  approvalsAfter oncology, infections and infectious diseases, and rare diseases were the two therapeutic areas that saw the second and third most approvals, respectively. FDA approved Basilea Pharmaceutica’s Zevtera (ceftobiprole medocaril sodium for injection), an antibiotic for bacterial infections including multidrug-resistant strains.The US agency also approved Merck’s next-generation vaccine designed to protect adults from pneumococcus bacteria that causes serious illnesses and pneumonia. The jab, known as Capvaxive, helped produce an immune response against all 21 variations (serotypes) of the bacteria that it targeted. These 21 strains account for about 85 percent of invasive pneumococcal disease cases in adults aged 65 and above. FDA also approved Moderna’s mRESVIA, a messenger RNA-based (mRNA) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, to protect adults aged 60 years and older from lower respiratory tract disease caused by the syncytial virus. This is the first non-Covid mRNA vaccine to be approved in the US.The agency granted accelerated approval to Ipsen’s Iqirvo (elafibranor) to treat primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), a rare liver disease. This is the first new medicine approved in nearly a decade for the treatment of PBC. Orchard Therapeutics’ Lenmeldy secured FDA approval to become the first gene therapy in the US for a rare pediatric disorder, known as metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The debilitating hereditary disease affects the brain and the nervous system and causes loss of cognitive and motor functions and early death.View New Drug Approvals in H1 2024 with Estimated Sales (Free Excel Available) Our viewThe increased momentum of drug approvals witnessed after the pandemic appears to have slowed down, but what’s encouraging is the increase in first-in-class therapies, cancer drugs and promising new treatment options for a range of conditions such as PAH, NASH, and COPD.The second half has already kicked off with the approval of Lilly’s donanemab. And there are several pathbreaking drugs likely to be approved soon, such as Karuna Therapeutics’ schizophrenia drug KarXT and BridgeBio’s heart drug acoramidis. There is every possibility that new drug approvals will spring back up in H2 2024. 

Impressions: 1924

https://www.pharmacompass.com/radio-compass-blog/fda-approvals-slump-19-in-h1-2024-nash-copd-pah-get-new-treatment-options

#PharmaFlow by PHARMACOMPASS
25 Jul 2024

STOCK RECAP #PipelineProspector

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Pipeline Prospector March 2024: FDA approves pathbreaking NASH drug from Madrigal, two meds for PAH
March was clearly a month of drug approvals, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) went on an overdrive, green-lighting several therapies before the close of the first quarter (Q1 2024). Amongst them was the first drug to treat non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and a breakthrough therapy that treats pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).However, the buoyancy in drug approvals didn’t play out in the stock markets and most pharma indices witnessed a marginal dip. The Nasdaq Biotechnology index (NBI) fell marginally (-0.43 percent) to 4,429.97 from 4,449. The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF index (XBI) dropped 4.6 percent to 94.89 after ending February at 99.44. And the S&P Biotechnology Select Industry index (SPSIBI) was down by 3.4 percent from 7,662.14 to 7,402.47 in March.In deals, AstraZeneca bought two companies, shoring up its cancer and rare disease pipelines. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker first bought France’s Amolyt, which focuses on rare endocrine diseases, for a total of US$ 1.05 billion and then acquired next-generation cancer drugmaker Fusion Pharmaceuticals for around US$ 2 billion. AstraZeneca’s stock was up 4.6 percent in March. Novo Nordisk (stock up 4.8 percent) agreed to acquire Cardior Pharmaceuticals for up to US$ 1.1 billion in order to boost its pipeline for cardiovascular diseases.Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel)FDA okays first drug for NASH; Wegovy approved as med to reduce heart risksFor quite some time, the drug development field for the liver condition non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has been a graveyard for failed programs. In March, the field celebrated a hurrah moment when Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (stock up 6 percent) won the race to have the first NASH treatment approved by the FDA. Madrigal’s oral drug Rezdiffra (resmetirom) treats adults with NASH, a disease that causes histologic liver damage and occurs in patients who are not alcoholics and are often obese or have type 2 diabetes. The approval has opened a multi-billion dollar opportunity for Madrigal.The GLP-1 agonist drugs that are used to treat diabetes and obesity have shown heart-related benefits too in clinical trials. Last month, FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in obese or overweight adults with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The move makes Wegovy the first weight-loss medication that is also approved to help prevent life-threatening cardiovascular events. The approval was hailed as a major advancement in public health.Another significant FDA approval was granted to Akebia’s anemia drug, vadadustat. After being turned down in March 2022, Akebia has now been approved to treat anemia caused by chronic kidney disease (CKD) in dialysis patients.Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel) FDA okays two meds for PAH; Italfarmaco’s Duvyzat approved for DMDFDA approved a breakthrough therapy from Merck, known as Winrevair (sotatercept-csrk), to treat adults with hypertension that is caused by constriction of the arteries in the lungs, known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The agency also approved Johnson & Johnson’s Opsynvi – a single-tablet combination of macitentan and tadalafil – for the chronic treatment of adults with PAH. With this approval, Opsynvi became the only once-daily combination therapy for PAH.Apart from PAH, there was another significant approval for hypertension. FDA okayed Idorsia’s once-daily treatment Tryvio (aprocitentan) in combination with other antihypertensive drugs, to lower blood pressure in adult patients who are not able to adequately control their BP on other drugs. Idorsia’s stock was up 50 percent in March. Tryvio is the first oral anti-hypertensive therapy, which works via a new therapeutic pathway, to be approved in almost 40 years.The US agency also approved Italfarmaco Group’s oral medication Duvyzat (givinostat) for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in patients six years of age and older. Duvyzat is the first nonsteroidal drug approved to treat patients with all variants of DMD, a genetic disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration.Orchard Therapeutics’ Lenmeldy was also greenlit by the FDA as the first gene therapy in the US for a debilitating and rare pediatric disorder, known as metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD).Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel) Breyanzi okayed for complex leukemia; Tevimbra approved for esophageal cancerAmong cancer treatments, FDA granted an accelerated approval to BMS’ Breyanzi, making it the first and only CAR-T cell therapy for adults with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). BMS’ stock was up 6 percent in March.BeiGene’s PD-1 blocker Tevimbra (tislelizumab) finally got the go ahead from the FDA as a treatment for adult patients with unresectable or metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) after prior systemic chemotherapy that did not include a PD-(L)1 inhibitor.FDA also granted accelerated approval to Takeda’s Iclusig (ponatinib) to be used with chemotherapy for newly diagnosed patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL), a type of blood cancer of the bone marrow and blood.Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel) Pfizer-Takeda’s Adcetris posts trial win in DLBCL; FDA defers donanemab approvalIn clinical trials, there was some positive news from a phase 3 trial on Pfizer and Takeda’s drug Adcetris, which is known as a standard of care in classical Hodgkin lymphoma. The med has now shown to be efficacious in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), a common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, when used in combination with two other drugs — lenalidomide and rituximab.In a late-stage trial, Novo Nordisk’s broadly used blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic (semaglutide) slashed the risk of kidney disease progression and death from cardiovascular or kidney complications by 24 percent in diabetic patients with CKD. In negative news from the trials, the much anticipated approval of Eli Lilly’s donanemab scheduled for March was deferred as FDA opted to convene a panel of independent experts to assess the drug’s safety and efficacy. Similarly, Amylyx’s Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate and taurursodiol), a promising investigational treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease, failed to demonstrate it works better than a placebo in a 48-week long trial. ALS is a fatal motor neuron disease characterized by progressive degeneration of nerve cells.Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel) Our viewWith so many drug approvals, March was a good month for the biopharma industry. While it may look like the markets didn’t cheer the approvals, all the three indices — the NBI, XBI, and SPSIBI — ended the quarter in the green, growing 2.1 percent, 7.3 percent, and 6.4 percent, respectively, between January 2 and March 28. As we enter the second quarter of 2024, we hope the buoyancy in drug approvals and the indices is maintained.Access the Pipeline Prospector Dashboard for March 2024 Newsmakers (Free Excel) 

Impressions: 2078

https://www.pharmacompass.com/pipeline-prospector-blog/march-sees-approvals-of-pathbreaking-nash-drug-from-madrigal-two-meds-for-pah

#PharmaFlow by PHARMACOMPASS
04 Apr 2024

NEWS #PharmaBuzz

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https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pantherxrare-partnering-with-itf-therapeutics-llc-for-us-distribution-of-duvyzat-302207067.html

PR NEWSWIRE
25 Jul 2024

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/quva-pharma-completes-acquisition-of-logicstream-health-combination-creates-integrated-platform-of-compounded-medications-distribution-services-and-ai-powered-data-solutions-302206607.html

PR NEWSWIRE
25 Jul 2024

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/fda-greenlights-italfarmacos-drug-rare-muscular-dystrophy-2024-03-21/

Mariam E Sunny REUTERS
22 Mar 2024

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fda-approves-nonsteroidal-treatment-for-duchenne-muscular-dystrophy-302096571.html

PR NEWSWIRE
21 Mar 2024

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240319626593/en

BUSINESSWIRE
19 Mar 2024

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230905089037/en

BUSINESSWIRE
05 Sep 2023