Scholar Rock Plans BLA Resubmission for Apitegromab
Scholar Rock says it is planning to resubmit this year its BLA seeking approval of apitegromab, a first-in-class muscle-targeted therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). In 9/2025, FDA issued a complete response letter that cited observations made during an FDA inspection of Catalent Indiana, a third-party fill-finish facility acquired by Novo Nordisk in late 2024, according to the company. The issues were described as general site deficiencies and not specific to apitegromab’s efficacy, safety, or the manufacturing of its drug substance, it adds.
Catalent Indiana submitted a corrective action plan to FDA in 8/2025, and remediation efforts remain ongoing. Scholar Rock says it will resubmit the BLA once the facility’s compliance issues are resolved, noting that agency officials have scheduled a meeting with Catalent this quarter to discuss progress of the remediation efforts.
Apitegromab is described by the company as a monoclonal antibody that blocks myostatin activation in skeletal muscle. SMA is a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder marked by progressive muscle weakness and motor function decline. Existing treatments largely focus on preserving motor neurons but do not directly address muscle deterioration, according to the company.