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Leqembi Clinical Development: Aduhelm Opened The Door For Accelerated Approval

 
• By Sue Sutter

Timeline of lecanemab’s clinical development shows how, almost three years after telling Eisai and Biogen that their Phase II results did not support regular or accelerated approval, the FDA review division reversed course following its decision to approve aducanumab on a surrogate endpoint.

Drug Review Profile: Leqembi Chronology
FDA reversed course on Leqembi's approvability after giving Aduhelm the nod. • Source: Pink Sheet/Shutterstock/Alamy

The accelerated approval Biogen, Inc. and Eisai Co., Ltd.’s amyloid-targeting antibody Aduhelm (aducanumab-avwa) for Alzheimer’s disease was a seminal moment in the development of the companies’ Leqembi (lecanemab-irmb) for the same population.

In comments prior to and during an October 2018 meeting, the US Food and Drug Administration’s Division of Neurology Products told the companies in no uncertain terms that the results from Study 201 did not provide substantial evidence to support either regular approval

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Potency Assay Issues Delayed US FDA Approval Of Mesoblast’s Ryoncil For Years

 
• By Sue Sutter

The company’s failure to show its potency assays measured attributes directly related to the mesenchymal stromal cell product’s therapeutic effect highlights the importance of a robust CMC program for complex cell therapies.

Mesoblast’s Ryoncil: US FDA Changed Its Mind On Need For A Randomized Trial

 
• By Sue Sutter

Agency staff repeatedly said the BLA based on a single-arm study in 55 patients lacked substantial evidence of effectiveness in steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease and a randomized trial was needed, but changed course “based on additional consideration” after a second CRL.

Ryoncil Chronology: Three Review Cycles, Two CRLs, One Dispute Resolution Request

 
• By Sue Sutter

The Pink Sheet’s Drug Review Profile looks at the timeline for the clinical development and US FDA review of Mesoblast’s remestemcel for graft-versus-host disease.

Testosterone, TRAVERSE, And A Label Change 15 Years In The Making

 
• By Bridget Silverman

The Pink Sheet drug review profile investigates the long and rigorous process behind the FDA’s recent relaxation of the cardiovascular safety warning for testosterone products.

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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.

Unlocking Opportunities: How To Engage With The EMA On Animal Testing Alternatives

 
• By Neena Brizmohun

The European Medicines Agency, like its counterpart in the US, is increasingly focusing on the use of alternatives to animal testing.

Opioid Safety: US FDA Hears Mixed Messages On Adding Posmarketing Studies To Labeling

 
• By Sue Sutter

Some advisory committee members said adding quantitative data on misuse, abuse, opioid use disorder and overdose to labeling would be helpful, but others worried the two epidemiological studies were not sufficiently generalizable to a broader population.