Drugs

FDA Funding Rare Disease Data Platform Meeting

FDA is funding a 9/17 meeting hosted by The Critical Path Institute and the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) to formally launch development of a new rare disease data and analytics platform. The host organizations say the platform’s goal is to accelerate movement of therapies from bench to bedside for rare diseases. The platform will provide the infrastructure for a sustainable, cooperative scientific approach to clinical trial readiness in rare diseases by addressing vast knowledge gaps about the natural course of disease, the clinical evaluation of new treatments, and patients’ perspective on disease and treatment.

“The Rare Disease Cures Accelerator-Data and Analytics Platform will provide a centralized and standardized infrastructure to support and accelerate rare disease characterization with the goal of accelerating therapy development,” the groups say. “The robust integrated platform will include integrated rare disease data from various sources such as clinical trials, observational studies, real-world data, and patient registries, including those within NORD’s IAMRARE registry platform, and an analytics platform that will allow efficient and effective integration of that data to generate solutions to inform clinical trial design and regulatory review.”

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