Pink Sheet - News And Expert Analysis On Pharma Policy And Regulation since 1939

Regulatory Trackers


US FDA Performance Trackers

US FDA Performance Trackers

EU Performance Trackers

EU Performance Trackers

Pink Sheet Global Guidance Tracker

Global Guidance Tracker

Trump Administration Begins


Pathways & Standards


First Lassa Fever Vaccine Wins EMA PRIME Designation; Advanced Therapies Dominate 2024 Entries

 

Two investigational products have made it onto the European Medicines Agency’s priority medicines scheme so far this year. Meanwhile, of the 14 products that entered the scheme last year, six were advanced therapies.

Rapidly Rising RMAT Designations Crack CBER’s Communication Freeze

 

The US FDA is receiving more requests for regenerative medicine advanced therapy designation and granting more of them, according to recently reported agency data.

Could PDUFA VIII Align With Trump’s Efficiency Emphasis?

 
• By 

Given the Trump Administration’s intense focus on cutting costs and increasing efficiency, industry and the FDA should focus on what is and is not working in PDUFA VII when negotiating the next agreement, lobbyists said at the BIO CEO and Investor Conference.

EU Pharmacopoeia Meets New Milestone: Ends General Animal Safety Tests

 

General chapters on pyrogens, histamine and depressor substances – involving tests on rabbits, guinea pigs and cats – are being removed from the Ph. Eur, marking another step in the European Pharmacopoeia Commission’s ongoing efforts to replace, reduce and refine the use of animals for monograph requirements.

Regional Comparisons


AstraZeneca Says Andexxa Will Not Convert To Full Approval, Quietly Reveals Complete Response

 

Whether the FDA will seek withdrawal of the anticoagulant-reversal agent or request additional confirmatory data is unclear.

How The UK, EU, Canada, Australia And Japan Are Tackling Diversity In Clinical Trials

 
• By 

As efforts to improve diversity in clinical trials gain momentum globally, the Pink Sheet asked regulators in the UK, the EU, Canada, Australia and Japan about their efforts to support representative enrolment. 

EU Revokes Intercept/Advanz’s Ocaliva Approval As Moment Of Reckoning Nears in US

 
• By 

The EU marketing authorization for the primary biliary cholangitis treatment has now been revoked. Meanwhile the drug's approval is in jeopardy in the US, where an advisory committee will opine on whether the accelerated approval drug has confirmed clinical benefit.

England Lags Behind Eight European Countries On Innovative Drug Availability

 

In this third article of a series on new drug reimbursement recommendations by the HTA body NICE, the Pink Sheet finds that fewer innovative medicines are reimbursed in England than in eight other European nations.

Drug Review Profiles


US FDA Review Of Akebia’s Vafseo Informed By Roxadustat, Daprodustat Safety Concerns

 
• By 

Vadadustat's review overlapped with two other oral HIF-PH class drugs. Safety issues with FibroGen/AstraZeneca’s roxadustat drew attention during vadadustat's first-cycle review, while GSK’s Jesduvroq labeling and postmarketing requirements informed the second-cycle approval.

Akebia’s Vafseo: Japanese Postmarketing Data, Narrowed Indication Eased Liver Toxicity Worries

 
• By 

The Pink Sheet Drug Review Profile explores the US FDA’s approval of vadadustat to treat anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis. A complete response letter cited the risk of drug-induced liver injury, but postmarketing data from Japan reassured reviewers.

Vafseo Chronology: Complete Response Letter, Dispute Resolution And A Second-Cycle Approval

 
• By 

The Pink Sheet’s Drug Review Profile looks at the timeline behind the development and US FDA approval of Akebia’s Vafseo, a treatment for anemia in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis.

Biosimilars: US FDA’s Updated Scientific Thinking Led To Interchangeability For Amgen's Wezlana

 
• By 

Pink Sheet’s Drug Review Profile explores Amgen’s Wezlana, an interchangeable biosimilar to Janssen’s Stelara. FDA determined late in the review that switching studies generally would not be needed for interchangeable ustekinumab products, prompting Amgen to seek the designation.

Interviews


PICO Exercises: A Glimpse Into Future Joint Clinical Assessments Under EU HTA Regulation

 

The European Commission has released three exercises to help pharma companies prepare for joint clinical assessments under the new EU Health Technology Assessment Regulation. Experts explain how manufacturers should interpret these and what their limitations are.

Navigating the Unknown: EU HTA Regulation’s Impact On Commercial Confidentiality

 

Company dossiers submitted for EU-level joint clinical assessments under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation will be made public. This could conflict with other strategic business decisions and should be planned for in advance, experts say.

Retiring CDER Deputy Director: Misconception That US FDA Regulators Cannot Change

 

Retiring CDER Deputy Director Douglas Throckmorton spoke to the Pink Sheet ahead of his early 2025 retirement about regulatory flexibility, AI and other topics.

Clinical Trials: US Diversity Action Plans Could Benefit From EQBMED Pilot Program

 
• By 

The Equitable Breakthroughs in Medicine Development initiative, funded with a PhRMA grant, provides sites in historically under-represented communities with support to conduct clinical research. In an interview, EQBMED’s Tesheia Johnson Harris talks about the local sites selected, therapeutic areas for research, and learnings to date.