Najdroższy na świecie lek Zolgensma na rdzeniowy zanik mięśni (SMA) został zatwierdzony przez FDA. Koszt pięcioletniej terapii to ponad 2 mln dol. Producentem leku jest spółka biotechnologiczna AveXis od 2018 roku należąca do Novartis. Novartis poinformował, że prowadzi rozmowy z kilkunastoma towarzystwami ubezpieczeniowymi, by umożliwić pacjentom korzystanie z leczenia.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved May 25th Zolgensma (onasemnogene abeparvovec-xioi), the first gene therapy approved to treat children less than two years of age with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), the most severe form of SMA and a leading genetic cause of infant mortality.
The FDA granted this application Fast Track, Breakthrough Therapy, and Priority Review designations. Zolgensma also received Orphan Drug designation, which provides incentives to encourage the development of drugs for rare diseases. The FDA also awarded the manufacturer a rare pediatric disease priority review voucher, under a program intended to encourage the development of new drugs and biological products for the prevention and treatment of certain rare pediatric diseases.
“Today’s approval marks another milestone in the transformational power of gene and cell therapies to treat a wide range of diseases,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. “With each new approval, we see this exciting area of science continue to move beyond the concept phase into reality. The potential for gene therapy products to change the lives of those patients who may have faced a terminal condition, or worse, death, provides hope for the future. The FDA will continue to support the progress in this field by helping to expedite the development of products for unmet medical needs through the use of review pathways designed to advance innovative, safe and effective treatment options.”
Zolgensma is indicated for the treatment of children less than two years of age with SMA. The product is an adeno-associated virus vector-based gene therapy that targets the cause of SMA. The vector delivers a fully functional copy of human SMN gene into the target motor neuron cells. A one-time intravenous administration of Zolgensma results in expression of the SMN protein in a child’s motor neurons, which improves muscle movement and function, and survival of a child with SMA. Dosing is determined based on the weight of the patient.
The safety and effectiveness of Zolgensma is based on an ongoing clinical trial and a completed clinical trial involving a total of 36 pediatric patients with infantile-onset SMA between the ages of approximately 2 weeks and 8 months at study entry. The primary evidence of effectiveness is based on results from the 21 patients treated with Zolgensma in the ongoing clinical trial. In this trial, there are 19 remaining patients, who range in age from 9.4 to 18.5 months; 13 of these 19 patients are at least 14 months of age. Compared to the natural history of patients with infantile-onset SMA, patients treated with Zolgensma also demonstrated significant improvement in their ability to reach developmental motor milestones (e.g., head control and the ability to sit without support).
/ emzdrowie
