External Controls: Sarepta’s DMD Gene Therapy Not In the Same Boat As Zolgensma, US FDA Says

Sarepta conducted study-level and integrated-level comparison analyses of SRP-9001-treated patients and external controls. However, heterogeneous nature of DMD and potentially moderate treatment effect of SRP-9001 distinguish it from Novaritis' spinal muscular atrophy treatment, where natural history data were used to support single-arm trial results, the FDA said.

Looking out window
Sarepta looked outside the SRP-9001 clinical program to contextualize the gene therapy's clinical efficacy results. • Source: Shutterstock

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.’s bid to use external control data to contextualize the clinical efficacy results for SRP-9001 in Duchenne muscular dystrophy fell flat with the US Food and Drug Administration review team that is assessing the gene therapy, but found a receptive audience with some advisory committee members.

More from US FDA Performance Tracker

US FDA’s Review Performance Held Steady Despite Stormy First Quarter

 

Organizational turmoil has not yet affected reviews of novel agent applications, with Q1 2025 approvals coming in low, but the first quarter share of the entire year is variable.

‘Pipeline In A Pill’ Or Pipe Dream? US FDA’s April Goal Dates Test Expansion Strategies

 

Sanofi’s Dupixent, Amgen’s Uplizna, and Bristol’s Opdivo seek new indications, while J&J hopes to start a franchise with nipocalimab and Stealth’s day of reckoning approaches.

US FDA’s March Approval Candidates Take Aim At Established Markets

 

March features nearly 20 user fee goal dates, including a crowd of novel candidates for crowded areas like hemophilia, heart disease and urinary tract infections, as well as the potentially first therapies for a rare eye disease and hyperphagia of Prader-Willi syndrome.

GSK’s Penmenvy, Bavarian Nordic’s Vimkunya Clear US FDA, Will CDC Follow?

 

The US FDA approval of new meningococcal and chikungunya vaccines arrived in time for the 26-28 February meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee On Immunization Practices, if political developments allow.

More from Regulatory Trackers

Global Pharma Guidance Tracker – February 2025

 

Stay up to date on regulatory guidelines from around the world with the Pink Sheet's Guidance Tracker. The complete Global Pharma Guidance Tracker, with sortable and searchable listings going back to 2014, is available online.

EU CHMP Opinions And MAA Updates

 

This is an update of recommendations from the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use on the authorization of new medicines in the EU, and updates on EU marketing authorization changes recommended by the CHMP.

US FDA’s March Approval Candidates Take Aim At Established Markets

 

March features nearly 20 user fee goal dates, including a crowd of novel candidates for crowded areas like hemophilia, heart disease and urinary tract infections, as well as the potentially first therapies for a rare eye disease and hyperphagia of Prader-Willi syndrome.