Lemtrada resubmitted to FDA
pharmafile | June 2, 2014 | News story | Sales and Marketing | FDA, Lemtrada, MS, Sanofi
Sanofi has resubmitted its application for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) to the US Food and Drug Administration.
The regulator’s response is expected later this year and the six-month review period offers a chink of light for Sanofi and its subsidiary Genzyme, following Lemtrada’s rejection by the FDA last year. Relapsing remitting MS is the most common form of the disease.
The agency said the drug, made by Sanofi and originally developed by Genzyme, has “serious and potentially fatal safety issues”, which include the risk of autoimmune and thyroid diseases.
For Sanofi this was hard to swallow since 2011’s $20.1 billion purchase of Genzyme hinged on the approval and success of Lemtrada – which had been expected by analysts to generate annual sales of around $700 million by 2018.
Sanofi worked out a complex deal that involved making payments to shareholders based on sales and regulatory targets – including the expected milestone of a US approval of Lemtrada by 31 March this year – being met by the drug.
In its complete response letter, the FDA told Sanofi that it must carry out further clinical trials using different designs and methods prior to approval.
Sanofi says it has based the resubmission on data from the same studies included in the original application but has included “supplemental analyses and additional information to specifically address issues” raised by the FDA in December.
The French manufacturer said it had ‘constructive discussions’ with the FDA. Last year an FDA committee appeared to dash hopes of an approval for Lemtrada after saying its benefits may not outweigh its serious safety risks.
This may make the treatment too dangerous to approve unless there is substantial clinical benefit shown, the US agency said in a report.
Just as seriously, the FDA committee also questioned whether the French firm conducted adequate trials to prove the annual infusion of its treatment actually works.
Genzyme holds the worldwide rights to Lemtrada and is responsible for its development and commercialisation in MS, while Bayer HealthCare is to co-promote it in the US.
Adam Hill
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