Drugs

World Cancer Day Treatment Virtual Discussion

FDA and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) will mark World Cancer Day with a 2/1 virtual public discussion spotlighting innovative cancer treatment advances for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia, multiple myeloma, and melanoma. An agency post says the program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

In the discussion, it says, U.S. and European patient advocates, scientific investigators, and regulators will exchange ideas about the pace of drug development for therapies that have an impact. “The discussion will provide an overview of regulatory programs that expedite access to patients, including FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation and accelerated approval, and EMA’s PRIME and conditional approval,” the post says. “The panel aims to highlight successes and lessons learned from development to approval.”

This will be the second such collaboration between FDA and EMA. The first virtual public discussion looked at international perspectives on living with metastatic breast cancer.

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