Sue primarily covers US drug, biologic, vaccine and biosimilar regulation and policy across therapeutic areas, with an emphasis on advisory committee reviews, FDA approvals and use of expedited review pathways. Sue has reported on the prescription and over-the-counter drug industries since 1999 for various publications now under the Citeline umbrella, including Pink Sheet and Scrip. Previously she worked as an editor for Mealey's Litigation Reports (now part of Lexis-Nexis), writing about asbestos, toxic tort and fen-phen litigation. She grew up in South Jersey and spends her free time watching youth sports, gardening, walking and hiking, although she'd rather be at the beach.
Latest from Sue Sutter
At the advisory committee review of Stealth’s Barth syndrome treatment elamipretide, Office of New Drugs Director Peter Stein clarified the circumstances where clinical data in a related indication could serve as confirmatory evidence for a single adequate and well-controlled study.
Members of the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee repeatedly challenged Stealth’s assertion that a new randomized trial in Barth syndrome was not possible, but also said potential functional unblinding and other challenges could compromise a new study.
The Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted 10-6 that efficacy had been shown for the ultra-rare disease, but even panelists in the majority questioned whether the product satisfied the threshold requirement for an adequate and well-controlled study.
The Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee will consider whether open-label extension data from a randomized trial that failed its primary endpoint, along with a historical control comparison, are enough to support approval in the ultra-rare disease.
Draft guidance recommendations on setting enrollment goals lead PhRMA and BIO to seek assurances of FDA flexibility absent reliable disease prevalence data.
Industry organizations argued feedback should be expected and object to draft guidance language suggesting it may be optional. The agency also should apply waiver criteria flexibly and address potential consequences if enrollment goals are not met, stakeholders say.