Drugs

FDA Approves Neuroblastoma Drug

FDA has approved a U.S. WorldMeds NDA for eflornithine for reducing the risk of relapse in adult and pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) who have demonstrated at least a partial response to prior multiagent, multimodality therapy including anti-GD2 immunotherapy.

Approval was based on data from two clinical trials (Study 3b and Study ANBL0032). The major efficacy outcome measures were event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS). “In the protocol-specified primary analysis, the EFS hazard ratio (HR) was 0.48 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.85) and OS HR was 0.32 (95% CI: 0.15, 0.70),” an agency release says. “Given the uncertainty in treatment effect estimation associated with the externally controlled study design, supplementary analyses in subpopulations or using alternative statistical methods were performed. In these analyses, the EFS HR ranged from 0.43 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.79) to 0.59 (95% CI: 0.28, 1.27), and the OS HR ranged from 0.29 (95% CI: 0.11, 0.72) to 0.45 (95% CI: 0.21, 0.98).”

Regarding safety, the most common adverse reactions, including laboratory abnormalities, were “otitis media, diarrhea, cough, sinusitis, pneumonia, upper respiratory tract infection, conjunctivitis, vomiting, pyrexia, allergic rhinitis, decreased neutrophils, increased ALT, increased AST, hearing loss, skin infection, and urinary tract infection,” FDA 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

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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