PHARMA TECH
BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. | March 08, 2023
On March 7, 2023, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc., a global biotech company focused on improving lives via genetic discovery, announced that the US FDA has accepted its supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for VOXZOGO® (vosoritide) for injection to expand the treatment of achondroplasia in children under the age of 5.
Achondroplasia is a common form of disproportionate short stature. The FDA has set an action date of October 21, 2023, for the sNDA. The sNDA is supported by data from a Phase 2 double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which showed similar safety and efficacy profiles in children under five years of age compared to those aged five years and older.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) also validated BioMarin's application for VOXZOGO in January to treat children under the age of 2. If approved, VOXZOGO could be prescribed for over 1,000 additional children from birth for achondroplasia.
VOXZOGO is the first EMA and FDA-approved treatment for achondroplasia with open bone growth plates. The treatment uses a new class of therapy, C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) analog, which promotes bone growth by acting as a positive regulator of the signaling pathway downstream of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 gene (FGFR3).
The drug is approved in the EU, Brazil, and Australia for children aged two years and above with epiphyses (bone growth plates) and in Japan for children from birth who have achondroplasia with open growth plates. BioMarin has enrolled 250 children with achondroplasia in seven clinical studies in eight countries to evaluate the safety and efficacy of VOXZOGO.
About BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.
BioMarin is a leading biotechnology firm established in 1997 with a mission to transform people's lives by using genetic discovery. The company creates targeted therapies that address the underlying cause of genetic disorders to improve the quality of life for individuals with rare genetic diseases. It has developed eight first or best-in-class treatments and has a range of product candidates to address various genetic disorders using the same science-based approach. As BioMarin continues to create new and innovative solutions, it has the potential to impact the lives of even more people. The company is committed to prioritizing patients and their needs in its approach to drug development.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Businesswire | May 10, 2023
AustinPx, a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) specializing in analytical and formulation development services and cGMP manufacturing for small molecule drugs, today announced the expansion of its capabilities to meet industry demand for the Company’s services and expertise. The Company has added new spray drying and encapsulation capabilities and has also expanded its GMP manufacturing capacity for high shear and fluid bed granulation.
AustinPx has installed and validated a Dott. Bonapace INCAP capsule filler, a Freund-Vector VFC3 model fluid bed, and a Freund-Vector GMXB-Pilot model granulator. The INCAP rounds out the Company’s solid dose manufacturing capabilities, while the fluid bed and granulator supplement the Company’s manufacturing scale.
“The investments are a key component of AustinPx’s larger strategy to expand our oral dose development and manufacturing capabilities to better serve our clients’ increasing demand,” said Justin Keen, PhD, senior vice president operations. “The additions demonstrate our ongoing commitment to providing our clients with the best possible service and support."
In line with the Company’s mission of providing science-driven formulation development, AustinPx has installed a PROCEPT modular 4M8-Trix for the development of spray dried amorphous solid dispersions. The addition supplements AustinPx’s current portfolio of bioavailability enhancement technologies, including KinetiSol® Technology - the Company’s proprietary fusion-based amorphous dispersion manufacturing platform.
“We are excited to add spray drying to our portfolio,” said Dave Miller, PhD, chief scientific officer. “When combined with our existing formulation capabilities, the addition enables us to provide a comprehensive suite of bioavailability enhancement solutions to identify the optimal formulation pathway for poorly soluble compounds and address a greater number of our clients’ challenges.”
The expanded capabilities are now available for use. These additions are the first of several strategic investments planned for the Company in the immediate future, as AustinPx continues to position itself as a leading CDMO in the pharmaceutical industry.
About AustinPx
AustinPx, Pharmaceutics and Manufacturing, is a contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) providing analytical and formulation development services and cGMP manufacturing for small molecule drugs. We specialize in phase-appropriate development strategies, speed to clinic and market strategies, and bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble molecules - including our next generation amorphous dispersion platform, KinetiSol® Technology.
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BUSINESS INSIGHTS, PHARMACY MARKET
Businesswire | April 10, 2023
Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. a clinical-stage biotechnology company dedicated to creating small molecule drugs for viral infections, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for EDP-323, Enanta’s L-protein inhibitor in development for the treatment of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).
"Receiving Fast Track designation from the FDA underscores EDP-323’s potential as a once-daily, oral therapeutic for the treatment of this deadly virus and reflects the pressing need for a highly potent, direct antiviral to treat RSV, particularly for high-risk populations,” said Scott T. Rottinghaus, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Enanta Pharmaceuticals. “Given that EDP-323 has shown sub-nanomolar potency against several RSV-A and RSV-B strains in vitro and is not expected to have cross-resistance to other classes of inhibitors, we believe it could be used as a monotherapy or in combination with other RSV mechanisms to potentially broaden the addressable RSV patient populations or the treatment window. We believe this designation will be a valuable component of our clinical and regulatory strategy as we progress EDP-323 in development.”
The Fast Track program is designed to accelerate the development and review of products such as EDP-323, which are intended to treat serious diseases and for which there is an unmet medical need. Fast Track designation enables more frequent communication with the FDA and eligibility for FDA programs such as priority review and rolling review, if relevant criteria are met.
EDP-323 is being evaluated in a Phase 1 double-blind, placebo-controlled study designed to assess its safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics (PK). Enanta plans to present new preclinical PK data at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in April and expects to report topline data from the Phase 1 study this quarter.
EDP-323 is supported by in vitro data demonstrating a significant reduction in RSV replication with picomolar potency in primary human bronchial epithelial cells against RSV A and B, with consistent potency across a range of RSV clinical isolates in various cell types. In a mouse model of RSV infection, EDP-323 treatment was associated with dose-dependent decreases in viral load in the lung, reduced lung immunopathology and decreases in pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IFNγ, TNFα, and IL1β. Additionally, EDP-323 has favorable oral bioavailability with good plasma exposures across preclinical species and pharmacokinetic properties supporting once-daily, oral dosing in humans. These data indicate that EDP-323 is a potent inhibitor of RSV replication and has the potential to be a best-in-class, once daily, oral antiviral treatment for RSV.
About Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Enanta is using its robust, chemistry-driven approach and drug discovery capabilities to become a leader in the discovery and development of small molecule drugs for the treatment of viral infections. Enanta’s research and development programs include clinical candidates for the following disease targets: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2 and hepatitis B virus. Enanta is also conducting research on a single agent targeting both RSV and human metapneumovirus.
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