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COVID Vaccine BLA Review ‘Sprint’: Elevating Marks Role Could Have Drawbacks

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

US FDA veterans offered varying opinions as to the benefits and risks of the CBER director taking on a more hands-on role in reviewing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. The move was called unusual, but not inappropriate; some said it should be monitored closely to ensure review staff’s judgements are not pushed aside.

sprinter
FDA is kicking off a sprint to finish reviewing Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine BLA. • Source: Alamy

Reports that US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Biologic Evaluation and Research Director Peter Marks is assuming leadership of Pfizer Inc./BioNTech SE’s COVID-19 biologics license application raises some potential red flags the agency should be sure to handle carefully.

“I think it's great to have the center director engaged

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Safety Review Prompts EMA to Suspend Ixchiq Chikungunya Vaccine For Seniors

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The European Medicines Agency is investigating whether Valneva’s Ixchiq is safe to use in the elderly, following reports of 17 serious adverse events, including two cases resulting in death, in people aged 62 to 89 years who received the vaccine. This follows actions by US and French authorities last month regarding Ixchiq’s use in people over 65.

FDA Adcomms Are Back: Four Cancer Drugs, COVID-19 Vaccine Formulations To Get Reviews

 
• By Sue Sutter and Bridget Silverman

The Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee will meet for two days in mid-May, followed by a Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee’s review of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine formulation.

Tougher Approval Standards May Follow Vinay Prasad’s Appointment To Lead US FDA’s CBER

 
• By Sarah Karlin-Smith

Industry is concerned that Prasad may make regulatory flexibility tougher to obtain for cell and gene therapy, while vaccine and public health advocates are angry about Prasad’s criticisms of US COVID-19 policies.

Moderna Pivots To Increase Focus On Cancer Amid US Vaccine Policy Changes

 
• By Joseph Haas

During its first quarter earnings call, Moderna avoided criticizing vaccine policy changes, but de-emphasized its flu/COVID-19 vaccine for those under age 50 and prioritized cancer programs.

More from Pink Sheet

EU Wants Industry To Define ‘Trade Secrets’ Under Health Data Sharing Regulation

 
• By Eliza Slawther

The European Health Data Space Regulation is deliberately “vague” when it comes to defining trade secrets because the EU wants the pharma industry to make recommendations on safeguarding intellectual property, a policy officer for the European Commission says.

Safety Review Prompts EMA to Suspend Ixchiq Chikungunya Vaccine For Seniors

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The European Medicines Agency is investigating whether Valneva’s Ixchiq is safe to use in the elderly, following reports of 17 serious adverse events, including two cases resulting in death, in people aged 62 to 89 years who received the vaccine. This follows actions by US and French authorities last month regarding Ixchiq’s use in people over 65.

US FDA’s Expanded Surprise Foreign Inspections: Impact And Enforcement Hoops

 
• By Anju Ghangurde

As the US FDA expands unannounced foreign inspections building on pilots in India and China, experts expect higher scrutiny of overseas sites and perhaps even an industry shakeout in the longer term, though staffing and enforcement challenges could slow things down.