Biologics

Capricor's Duchenne Cell Therapy Set for Advisory Committee Review

FDA has told Capricor Therapeutics that it has scheduled a meeting of the Cellular, Tissue, and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee to review the company's BLA resubmission for deramiocel, an investigational cell therapy for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The panel will meet on 7/29, less than a month before the submission’s user fee review action target date of 8/22.

The BLA resubmission follows Capricor’s submission of additional clinical data from its HOPE-3 trial after FDA issued a complete response letter on the original BLA 7/2025. According to the company, HOPE-3 met its primary endpoint, demonstrating a statistically significant improvement in Performance of the Upper Limb, as well as its key secondary cardiac endpoint measuring left ventricular ejection fraction. The trial also met all Type I error-controlled secondary endpoints.

Deramiocel is described as an investigational, first-in-class allogeneic cell therapy designed to preserve cardiac and skeletal muscle function in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal genetic disease marked by progressive muscle degeneration. The therapy consists of cardiosphere-derived cells that act primarily through exosomes, which are believed to modulate immune responses and reduce fibrosis, the company says.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

Read more

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome