Cell & Gene Therapies

Sarepta’s Elevidys: Boxed Warning On Cardiotoxicity Events Not Needed, US FDA Says

 
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However, the agency updated warnings on myocarditis risk and mitigation for the gene therapy, including more specific information about its severity and timeframe for occurrence in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients.

AI Boosts Parkinson’s Disease Cell Therapy Development

 

Aspen Neurosciences and BlueRock Therapeutics see hope for artificial intelligence to improve the quality of cell therapies to replace dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson's disease.

EU HTA Regulation Brings Alignment – But National ‘Recipes’ Still Rule Reimbursement

 

While there is a general shift towards alignment and collaboration in health technology assessments in the EU under the new HTA Regulation, member states still have “their own recipe” when it comes to making reimbursement decisions.

EU HTA Regulation: PICO Consolidation Going Well, Analysis Feasibility A Challenge

 

While the volume of questions that companies have received from the EU member states under the Health Technology Assessment Regulation has been lower than expected, some firms are struggling with the comparator analysis required to answer some questions, an expert says.


England Becomes First In Europe To Reimburse Autolus’ CAR-T Aucatzyl

 

England is set to become the first market outside of the US where Autolus’ CAR-T therapy Aucatzyl is reimbursed for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, after the country’s health technology assessment institution, NICE, recommended its use for certain patients.

CBER Poised for Research Shakeup As Prasad Makes Unproven Claims About ‘Polluted Science’

 

In an email to staff filled with unsupported accusations about the quality of the center’s research, CBER Director Vinay Prasad said no resources or time should be spent on ongoing projects started before he joined the FDA until discussed with him.

Sarepta’s Elevidys Limited To Ambulatory DMD Patients; Study In Non-Ambulatory Patients Planned

 
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After two deaths tied to the gene therapy, Sarepta and the FDA agreed to new labeling for Elevidys, adding a black box warning about liver injury along with suggested liver and cardiac monitoring.

UniQure Is Latest Gene Therapy Sponsor Surprised By US FDA Reversal

 

UniQure’s Huntington's disease filing plans are in disarray after the FDA reversed course on the company's regulatory strategy employing real-world evidence and accelerated approval.


UK’s ‘Bold’ New Rare Disease Rulebook Has Novel Licensing Pathway And Provisional Approvals

 

The UK drug regulator is planning to introduce a “flexible, proportionate” licensing and registration model for rare diseases, which could see drugs granted provisional approvals based on “appropriate, albeit limited” evidence.

China Eyes First-In-Class Blockbuster Drugs In Display of ‘Strategic Purpose’

A new 10-year, government-supported R&D program in China will focus on new targets and emerging technologies which can be translated into first-in-class drugs and give birth to top players in the global pharma industry.

US Advanced Health Projects Agency Launches Personalized Medicine Push

 

The ARPA-H program is making individualized genetic therapies a new research priority, including the “THRIVE” grant program, which will seek genetic platforms beyond AAV and CRISPR, and “GIVE,” which will support bedside manufacturing for RNA therapies.

US FDA Cell And Gene Therapy Regulation “Must Evolve,” OTP Acting Director Kumar Says

 

The FDA cannot “rest on its laurels” when it comes to advancing cell and gene therapy regulatory advances, the acting head of the Office of Therapeutic Products said. Leveraging knowledge across programs could be a key.


Gene Therapy Sponsors Seek More US FDA ‘Platform’ Guidance, Offer Master File Idea

 

One clear message from a US FDA listening session on leveraging knowledge across cell and gene therapy products is sponsors want more guidance on how the FDA’s new platform therapy pathway will function.

Cell & Gene Therapies: US FDA Broadens Acceptable Use of RWD, Registries and AI

 
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The guidance on post-market surveillance is one among a trio of new guidelines related to cell and gene therapies in the post-Peter Marks era.

FDA Leadership Philosophies: CBER Promotions Spark Concerns; Tidmarsh Says He’s Not A Destroyer

 

New promotions and social media posts may offer some hints as to the philosophies guiding agency leaders. One CBER appointee stands out for her connections to Arnold Ventures.

‘We Are Not The Dark Side Of The Force’ – EU Regulator Urges ATMP Firms To Use Advice Services

 

While drug regulators are “conservative” by nature, the European Medicines Agency wants to help companies rather than rip their dossiers “into little pieces,” a senior regulatory assessor says.


Homework Avoidance: US FDA’s Upfront Effort For CMC Pilot Dissuades Participation

 

The clarity on quality topics provided by the CMC Readiness Pilot (CDRP) is worth the work of preparing a comprehensive development review and multiple meetings, participants from Intellia, Bicycle Therapeutics and Bristol Myers Squibb said during a Duke Margolis meeting.

US FDA Review Teams Face ‘Herculean’ Shift to Two-Month Timelines With New Voucher

 
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The FDA is talking with cell and gene therapy staff about the importance of review timeline alignment for products accepted into the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher program, CBER’s Katherine Szarama said.

Regenerative Medicine Expedited Pathways Need CMC To Keep Pace With Clinical Development

 
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Sponsors may need to pursue more rapid CMC development to accommodate the faster pace of the clinical program, the FDA said in a new expedited pathways guidance, which also addresses product changes after RMAT designation and the use of real-world evidence to confirm clinical benefit.

UK MHRA: Gene Therapy Manufacturing Methods Need ‘Urgent Harmonization’

 

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is pushing for harmonized methods in gene therapy manufacturing, focusing on AAVs and CRISPR-Cas9 safety. Collaboration across academia, regulators and industry will be key to addressing emerging challenges, the agency’s gene therapy head says.