FDA’s DMD Decisions: Glass Two-Thirds Full?

The outcome of an US advisory committee review of PTC’s ataluren was not surprising. That is bad news for PTC’s prospects of launching the drug in the near term – but given the recent history of the DMD class, it is probably good news for biopharma companies overall as a sign that FDA's neurology group is moving forward effectively.

glass half empty or half full
Half what? • Source: Kalyan Chakravarthy

In any other circumstance, the US FDA's Peripheral & CNS Drugs Advisory Committee’s Sept. 28 meeting on PTC Therapeutics Inc.’s ataluren would have been one that most sponsors could afford to skip since the briefing documents made clear the agency didn't believe ataluren’s efficacy had been demonstrated in the two trials completed by PTC to date.

PTC isn’t the first sponsor to try the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass to save an application by forcing...

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