Biogen/Ionis’ Tofersen Wins Accelerated Approval In ALS Subgroup – A Significant But Narrow Precedent

US FDA designates ongoing ATLAS trial in presymptomatic individuals with SOD1 mutation as confirmatory study. ‘Classic Biogen’ approval is first in ALS under the expedited pathway and could lead to more drugs reaching market on basis of a reduction in plasma neurofilament light chain concentration.

Footsteps on beach
Other ALS drug developers will look to follow Biogen/Ionis' lead in using reduction in neurofilament concentration as the basis for accelerated approval. • Source: Shutterstock

The US Food and Drug Administration opted for accelerated approval, rather than regular approval, for Biogen, Inc. and Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.’s Qalsody (tofersen) in a genetically defined subset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients, banking that clinical benefit will be confirmed in an ongoing trial of presymptomatic individuals.

More from Approvals

New EU Approvals

 

The Pink Sheet's list of EU centralized approvals of new active substances has been updated to include four new products, one of which is Vimkunya, Bavarian Nordic's chikungunya vaccine.

New EU Filings

 

Levodopa/carbidopa (ND0612), Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma’s investigational drug-device combination therapy for the treatment of motor fluctuations in people with Parkinson’s disease, is among the latest products that have been filed for review by the European Medicines Agency for potential EU marketing approval.

Japan Recommends Beyonttra, Raises Enhertu Price

 
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Japan recommends eight new drugs for approval, including two for cardiomyopathy, and will also raise prices for multiple products, including Enhertu, on 1 April.

Generic Approvals Maintained Pace In December And January, But Is A Slow-Down Coming?

 

Unofficial January results showed the US FDA continued to issue full and tentative ANDA approvals in line with previous months, but recent layoffs may not help the agency maintain that pace.

More from Product Reviews

EMA Considers Whether Intrathecal Zolgensma Deserves Fast Tracking

 

Novartis is planning to file EU and US marketing applications for an intrathecal formulation of its spinal muscular atrophy gene therapy, Zolgensma, in H1 2025.

Sponsors Of Two Orphans And An Acne Treatment To Defend Marketing Authorization Applications At EMA

 

Sponsors of three drugs that are in the final stages of the EU regulatory review cycle are due to make the case for marketing approval before the European Medicines Agency.

EU Marketing Approval Gap Between Lilly’s Donamemab and Eisai’s Leqembi Could Narrow

 

The European Medicines Agency is this week set to issue an opinion on whether pan-EU marketing should be granted to Lilly’s Alzheimer’s disease drug donanemab.