The European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has given a thumbs up to Bristol Myers Squibb's Abecma and a thumbs down to Apellis' geographic atrophy drug Syfovre.
On the positive side of the ledger, the European Medicines Agency committee recommended marketing authorizations for four productsApellisdigeographic atrophy (GA)r BrisSyfovrers Squibb's multiple myeloma CAR-T Abecma. The thumbs down for Apellis' groundbreakEuropean Medicines Agency first treatment for GA upon its approval by the FDA in February of last year—was not a surprise. LBristol Myers Squibbevemultiple myelomal of experts voted down the treatment after an “oral explanation meeting,” triggering a 17% slide in the company’s share price. Apellis' drug stumblApellis after its U.S. launch because of reports of vascular retinitis. The CHMP determined thFDAthe benefits of using Syfovre don't outweigh the risks.Apellis Apellisgh the studies showed that Syfovre slowed the growth of geographivascular retinitis this did not lead to clinically meaningful benefSyfovre patients,” the CHMP concluded. “It was noted that benefits of a treatment should impact patients’ everyday functioning, and this was not demonstrated in the studies.” For its part, the Massachusetts-baSyfovrepany pointed to resultgeographic atrophy lesionswhich showed that the treatment reduced GA lesion growth, with treatment benefits accumulating over time. “We are very disappointed in this outcome on behalf of the millions of Europeans with GA who currently have no treatment options for this irreversible form of blindness,” Jeffrey Eisele, Ph.D., Apellis’ chief development officer, said in a statement. “We plan to promptly initiate the re-examination of our application and address CHMP questions.”
Meanwhile, the CHMP’s positive opinion on BMS’s Abecma is the first in earlier lines of treatment for a CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma, according to the drugmaker.
CHMP specifically recommended the drug for patients who've tried two prior therapies, as opposed to the CAR-T celltial EU nod imultiple myelomae of treatment. Samit Hirawat, M.D., BMS’s chief medical officer, called the endorsement an “important milestone.”
“(It) moves us closer to offering a first-in-class, personalized therapy to patients in Europe battling this incurable disease after exhausting prior treatment options with the three standards of care.”
Also gaining recommendations for label extensions were Apellis and Sobi's PNH drug Aspaveli, Pfizer's pneumococcal vaccine Prevnar 20 and Eli Lilly's thyroid cancer drug Retsevmo.
The CHMP recommended a marketing authorization for Allecra’s Exblifep (cefepime/enmetazobactam) for urinary tract infections accompanied by hospital-acquired pneumonia and for the treatment of patients with bacteria in the bloodstream. The antibiotic combination treatment also is under review by the FDA.
Minoryx Therapeutics’ Nezglyal (leriglitazone) got a negative recommendation from the committee. The drug is for the treatment of the genetic condition cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, which damages the brain and spinal cord. The Spanish company gained FDA fast-track designation for the treatment in 2020.