But I do not despond! Because it's summer now. And I have not pain.
My name is Monika Lemeshonok, I am painter from Belarus. From born I have rare disease of the spinal cord - Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2. From this disease, I can’t walk and move, I'm in a wheelchair. But I love life and around the world. I express my love for life through painting artwork, I have art exhibitions throughout Europe and many art lovers appreciate my works.
Friday, June 23, 2017
Thursday, June 15, 2017
AveXis Announces Alignment with the FDA on Company's GMP Commercial Manufacturing Process for AVXS-101
AveXis today announced alignment with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the company’s Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) commercial manufacturing process for AVXS-101 following the receipt of minutes from the Type B Chemistry Manufacturing and Controls (CMC) meeting.
This alignment includes support for the proposed commercial manufacturing process, the proposed analytical methods and corresponding qualification and validation plans – inclusive of key release assays such as potency, purity and identity – and the proposed comparability protocol, which helps assess how similar the product derived from the GMP process is to the original product used in the Phase 1 trial of AVXS-101 in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
Overall, the company believes there is alignment with the FDA on its panel of analytical methods and the proposed assay qualification/validation plans. Analytical methods are used to assess how reliably and consistently the key product characteristics can be determined in order to ensure patients receive safe and effective product.
In the meeting minutes, the FDA made a request that the company complete implementation of its potency assay qualification plan, presented in the meeting, prior to initiation of upcoming clinical studies.
The company has already initiated the work necessary to address this request and expects to have the data ready to submit to the FDA in the August timeframe. AveXis plans to initiate a pivotal study trial of AVXS-101 in SMA Type 1 in the U.S. and a Phase 1/2a trial of AVXS-101 in SMA Type 2 in the U.S. later in the third quarter of 2017, pending agreement from the FDA that these data are sufficient.
“The goal of the CMC meeting was to align with FDA on our commercial manufacturing process, analytical methods and comparability protocol, all three of which we believe were achieved in this collaborative and constructive discussion,” said Sean Nolan, President and Chief Executive Officer of AveXis. “The team has already made progress toward addressing the FDA’s request regarding potency assay qualification, and we anticipate only a modest impact to timelines. We are pleased with the outcomes of the meeting and the progress we have made at the AveXis facility, and, most importantly, believe we have a scalable GMP commercial process in place to fulfill future patient demand and a path forward to potentially utilize the Phase 1 data in our regulatory pathway.”
Additionally, FDA is aligned with the company’s proposed comparability protocol to assess the similarity of key characteristics of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) product, used in the Phase 1 SMA Type 1 study, with the product derived from the new GMP manufacturing process. Data from this comparability work is ongoing and will include the above-mentioned potency qualification data, which will be incorporated into the data package along with the full Phase 1 clinical data, that will be reviewed and discussed at the upcoming end-of-Phase 1 meeting, likely to be requested later in August. This meeting will help further inform the regulatory pathway options for AVXS-101. The company anticipates providing an update on the outcome of that meeting once the official minutes are available, which is anticipated to be in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The company has previously stated that having its own manufacturing facility is a key strategic capability necessary to be successful in gene therapy. The company today reported that the AveXis manufacturing facility is now fully operational for on-going GMP production.
Product for the planned SMA Type 1 pivotal trials and the Type 2 Phase 1/2a trial using intrathecal delivery has been produced at the AveXis-owned facility, and will be used to initiate the trials, pending FDA review of the potency assay qualification described above and FDA agreement that designated batches of the product are appropriate for a Phase 3 clinical study.
The AveXis facility will be the primary production site to meet projected commercial demand, and the company will use contract manufacturing organizations to supplement production.
Full text: http://www.curesma.org/news/avexis-fda-alignment.html
This alignment includes support for the proposed commercial manufacturing process, the proposed analytical methods and corresponding qualification and validation plans – inclusive of key release assays such as potency, purity and identity – and the proposed comparability protocol, which helps assess how similar the product derived from the GMP process is to the original product used in the Phase 1 trial of AVXS-101 in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) Type 1.
Overall, the company believes there is alignment with the FDA on its panel of analytical methods and the proposed assay qualification/validation plans. Analytical methods are used to assess how reliably and consistently the key product characteristics can be determined in order to ensure patients receive safe and effective product.
In the meeting minutes, the FDA made a request that the company complete implementation of its potency assay qualification plan, presented in the meeting, prior to initiation of upcoming clinical studies.
The company has already initiated the work necessary to address this request and expects to have the data ready to submit to the FDA in the August timeframe. AveXis plans to initiate a pivotal study trial of AVXS-101 in SMA Type 1 in the U.S. and a Phase 1/2a trial of AVXS-101 in SMA Type 2 in the U.S. later in the third quarter of 2017, pending agreement from the FDA that these data are sufficient.
“The goal of the CMC meeting was to align with FDA on our commercial manufacturing process, analytical methods and comparability protocol, all three of which we believe were achieved in this collaborative and constructive discussion,” said Sean Nolan, President and Chief Executive Officer of AveXis. “The team has already made progress toward addressing the FDA’s request regarding potency assay qualification, and we anticipate only a modest impact to timelines. We are pleased with the outcomes of the meeting and the progress we have made at the AveXis facility, and, most importantly, believe we have a scalable GMP commercial process in place to fulfill future patient demand and a path forward to potentially utilize the Phase 1 data in our regulatory pathway.”
Additionally, FDA is aligned with the company’s proposed comparability protocol to assess the similarity of key characteristics of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) product, used in the Phase 1 SMA Type 1 study, with the product derived from the new GMP manufacturing process. Data from this comparability work is ongoing and will include the above-mentioned potency qualification data, which will be incorporated into the data package along with the full Phase 1 clinical data, that will be reviewed and discussed at the upcoming end-of-Phase 1 meeting, likely to be requested later in August. This meeting will help further inform the regulatory pathway options for AVXS-101. The company anticipates providing an update on the outcome of that meeting once the official minutes are available, which is anticipated to be in the fourth quarter of 2017.
The company has previously stated that having its own manufacturing facility is a key strategic capability necessary to be successful in gene therapy. The company today reported that the AveXis manufacturing facility is now fully operational for on-going GMP production.
Product for the planned SMA Type 1 pivotal trials and the Type 2 Phase 1/2a trial using intrathecal delivery has been produced at the AveXis-owned facility, and will be used to initiate the trials, pending FDA review of the potency assay qualification described above and FDA agreement that designated batches of the product are appropriate for a Phase 3 clinical study.
The AveXis facility will be the primary production site to meet projected commercial demand, and the company will use contract manufacturing organizations to supplement production.
Full text: http://www.curesma.org/news/avexis-fda-alignment.html
Saturday, June 3, 2017
SPINRAZA (Nusinersen) Approved in the European Union as First Treatment for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
It is cool news for all patient with SMA.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The European Commission (EC) has granted a marketing authorization for SPINRAZA® (nusinersen) for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) announced today. 5q SMA is the most common form of the disease and represents approximately 95% of all SMA cases. SPINRAZA is the first approved treatment in the European Union (EU) for SMA, a leading genetic cause of death in infants that is marked by progressive, debilitating muscle weakness. SPINRAZA was reviewed under the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) accelerated assessment program, intended to expedite access to patients with unmet medical needs.
“Today we join individuals and families affected by SMA across Europe in celebrating the approval of SPINRAZA. Based on the robust efficacy and safety profile demonstrated in the clinical trials, we believe SPINRAZA will have a meaningful impact on infants, children and adults living with this devastating disease,” said Michel Vounatsos, chief executive officer at Biogen. “As part of our mission to improve the lives of those affected by SMA, we remain steadfast in our commitment to work with healthcare professionals, advocacy groups and government agencies to ensure people who could benefit from SPINRAZA receive access to this important treatment as quickly as possible.”
The approval of SPINRAZA is primarily based on results from two pivotal multicenter, controlled studies, including end of study data from ENDEAR (infantile-onset SMA) and an interim analysis of CHERISH (later-onset SMA), both of which demonstrated the clinically meaningful efficacy and favorable benefit-risk profile of SPINRAZA. The approval was also supported by open-label data in pre-symptomatic and symptomatic individuals with, or likely to develop, Types 1, 2 and 3 SMA.
In the ENDEAR end of study analysis, a statistically significant greater percentage of patients achieved the definition of motor milestone responder in the SPINRAZA group (51%) compared to the sham-control group (0%) (p<0.0001). Some infants in the SPINRAZA group achieved motor milestones including full head control, ability to roll, sitting, and standing. Additionally, infants treated with SPINRAZA demonstrated a statistically significant reduction (47%) in the risk of death or permanent ventilation (p=0.0046). In the CHERISH pre-specified interim analysis, there was a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in motor function in children with later-onset SMA (most likely to develop Type 2 or Type 3) treated with SPINRAZA compared to untreated children. Improvements were measured by the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and demonstrated a treatment difference of 5.9 points in the mean change from baseline to Month 15 in the HFMSE score (p=0.0000002). The HFMSE is a reliable and validated tool specifically designed to assess motor function in children with SMA. The Phase 3 end of study data were consistent with the interim analysis and presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston, Mass., April 2017. “The overall clinical findings support the efficacy and safety of SPINRAZA in a broad range of individuals with SMA, including significant improvements in motor development and reduction in risk of death in infants,” said Prof. Dr. Jan Kirschner from the Medical Center University of Freiburg, Germany. “These unprecedented improvements bring new hope to a community where there previously were no approved treatments available to address the loss of motor function over time. We are now seeing motor improvements with SPINRAZA that are never seen in the natural course of the disease.” SPINRAZA must be administered via intrathecal injection, which delivers therapies directly to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the spinal cord,3 where motor neurons degenerate in individuals with SMA due to insufficient levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein.4 SPINRAZA demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk profile. Thrombocytopenia, renal toxicity and coagulation abnormalities, including acute severe thrombocytopenia, have been observed after administration of other subcutaneously or intravenously administered antisense oligonucleotides. There is a risk of adverse reactions occurring as part of the lumbar puncture procedure (e.g. headache, backpain, vomiting). The timing of SPINRAZA availability in the EU will vary by country, per local reimbursement and access pathways. Biogen has been working with health systems and government agencies across the EU to help patients secure access to SPINRAZA. In 2016, in response to the urgent need for treatment for the most severely affected individuals living with SMA, Biogen sponsored one of the largest, pre-approval Expanded Access Programs (EAP) in rare disease free of charge. The EAP has led to the initiation and ongoing treatment of more than 350 eligible individuals with infantile-onset SMA (most likely to develop Type 1) in 17 European countries. Full text:http://newsroom.biogen.com/press-release/investor-relations/spinraza-nusinersen-approved-european-union-first-treatment-spinal-
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The European Commission (EC) has granted a marketing authorization for SPINRAZA® (nusinersen) for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Biogen (NASDAQ:BIIB) announced today. 5q SMA is the most common form of the disease and represents approximately 95% of all SMA cases. SPINRAZA is the first approved treatment in the European Union (EU) for SMA, a leading genetic cause of death in infants that is marked by progressive, debilitating muscle weakness. SPINRAZA was reviewed under the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) accelerated assessment program, intended to expedite access to patients with unmet medical needs.
“Today we join individuals and families affected by SMA across Europe in celebrating the approval of SPINRAZA. Based on the robust efficacy and safety profile demonstrated in the clinical trials, we believe SPINRAZA will have a meaningful impact on infants, children and adults living with this devastating disease,” said Michel Vounatsos, chief executive officer at Biogen. “As part of our mission to improve the lives of those affected by SMA, we remain steadfast in our commitment to work with healthcare professionals, advocacy groups and government agencies to ensure people who could benefit from SPINRAZA receive access to this important treatment as quickly as possible.”
The approval of SPINRAZA is primarily based on results from two pivotal multicenter, controlled studies, including end of study data from ENDEAR (infantile-onset SMA) and an interim analysis of CHERISH (later-onset SMA), both of which demonstrated the clinically meaningful efficacy and favorable benefit-risk profile of SPINRAZA. The approval was also supported by open-label data in pre-symptomatic and symptomatic individuals with, or likely to develop, Types 1, 2 and 3 SMA.
In the ENDEAR end of study analysis, a statistically significant greater percentage of patients achieved the definition of motor milestone responder in the SPINRAZA group (51%) compared to the sham-control group (0%) (p<0.0001). Some infants in the SPINRAZA group achieved motor milestones including full head control, ability to roll, sitting, and standing. Additionally, infants treated with SPINRAZA demonstrated a statistically significant reduction (47%) in the risk of death or permanent ventilation (p=0.0046). In the CHERISH pre-specified interim analysis, there was a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in motor function in children with later-onset SMA (most likely to develop Type 2 or Type 3) treated with SPINRAZA compared to untreated children. Improvements were measured by the Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded (HFMSE) and demonstrated a treatment difference of 5.9 points in the mean change from baseline to Month 15 in the HFMSE score (p=0.0000002). The HFMSE is a reliable and validated tool specifically designed to assess motor function in children with SMA. The Phase 3 end of study data were consistent with the interim analysis and presented at the American Academy of Neurology annual meeting in Boston, Mass., April 2017. “The overall clinical findings support the efficacy and safety of SPINRAZA in a broad range of individuals with SMA, including significant improvements in motor development and reduction in risk of death in infants,” said Prof. Dr. Jan Kirschner from the Medical Center University of Freiburg, Germany. “These unprecedented improvements bring new hope to a community where there previously were no approved treatments available to address the loss of motor function over time. We are now seeing motor improvements with SPINRAZA that are never seen in the natural course of the disease.” SPINRAZA must be administered via intrathecal injection, which delivers therapies directly to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the spinal cord,3 where motor neurons degenerate in individuals with SMA due to insufficient levels of survival motor neuron (SMN) protein.4 SPINRAZA demonstrated a favorable benefit-risk profile. Thrombocytopenia, renal toxicity and coagulation abnormalities, including acute severe thrombocytopenia, have been observed after administration of other subcutaneously or intravenously administered antisense oligonucleotides. There is a risk of adverse reactions occurring as part of the lumbar puncture procedure (e.g. headache, backpain, vomiting). The timing of SPINRAZA availability in the EU will vary by country, per local reimbursement and access pathways. Biogen has been working with health systems and government agencies across the EU to help patients secure access to SPINRAZA. In 2016, in response to the urgent need for treatment for the most severely affected individuals living with SMA, Biogen sponsored one of the largest, pre-approval Expanded Access Programs (EAP) in rare disease free of charge. The EAP has led to the initiation and ongoing treatment of more than 350 eligible individuals with infantile-onset SMA (most likely to develop Type 1) in 17 European countries. Full text:http://newsroom.biogen.com/press-release/investor-relations/spinraza-nusinersen-approved-european-union-first-treatment-spinal-
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