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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Regeneron/Sanofi’s Dupixent (dupilumab) for the treatment of adult patients with prurigo nodularis (PN). Dupixent is the first medication approved for PN, a rare inflammatory skin condition that can cause severe itching and have a significant negative impact on sleep and quality of life.

• Dupixent is an anti–interleukin (IL)-4 and anti–IL-13 biologic that was first approved to treat moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in 2017 and has since gained additional indications to treat several other type 2 inflammatory-driven conditions, such as asthma.

• In the Phase 3 PRIME and PRIME2 clinical trials, patients receiving Dupixent experienced superior itch reduction and achieved higher rates of clear or almost clear skin at 24 weeks compared with patients receiving placebo.

• IPD Analytics recommends prior authorization (PA) for Dupixent in the treatment of PN with a step through at least one medium- to super high-potency topical corticosteroid (TCS). Additionally, the PA criteria should match the labeled age and indication for PN. IPD also recommends including certain inclusion criteria from the PRIME and PRIME2 trials in the PA criteria.

• Utilization management of Dupixent should be high on payers’ radar, as utilization of the drug is expected to continue to grow for at least the next 5 years and biosimilar competition likely will not reach the market until 2031.

Celltrion USA announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Vegzelma (bevacizumab-adcd), an anti-cancer monoclonal antibody treatment and a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab), for the treatment of six types of cancer: metastatic colorectal cancer; recurrent or metastatic non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer (nsNSCLC); recurrent glioblastoma; metastatic renal cell carcinoma; persistent, recurrent, or metastatic cervical cancer; and epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer.

Vegzelma is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody which binds to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the key driver of vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and thereby inhibits the binding of VEGF to its receptors Flt-1 (VEGFR-1), and kinase insert domain receptor (KDR) (VEGFR-2), on the surface of endothelial cells.

The FDA approval of Vegzelma was based on the totality of evidence, including the pivotal phase III trial in patients with metastatic or recurrent nsNSCLC. Results showed that as a first-line treatment, Vegzelma is highly similar to the reference product in terms of efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics.

FDA approves Xenoview (xenon Xe 129 hyperpolarized) for use with MRI for the Evaluation of Lung Ventilation

Polarean Imaging plc, the medical imaging technology company, announces that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has granted approval for its drug device combination product, Xenoview. Xenoview, prepared from the Xenon Xe 129 Gas Blend, is a hyperpolarized contrast agent indicated for use with magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) for the evaluation of lung ventilation in adults and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older. Xenoview has not been evaluated for use with lung perfusion imaging.

Xenoview expands the opportunity for pulmonary medicine to utilize the first and only inhaled MRI hyperpolarized contrast agent for novel visualization of lung ventilation without exposing patients to any ionizing radiation and its associated risks. The dose of Xenoview, created through the Polarean HPX hyperpolarization system, is administered in a single 10-15 second breath hold MRI procedure.

More than 30 million Americans suffer from a chronic lung disease, and there is a significant unmet need for non-invasive diagnostic technology. Xenoview can provide pulmonologists, surgeons, and other respiratory specialists with regional maps of ventilation in their patients’ lungs to assist them in managing their disease.

Xenoview is not approved for use in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age.

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Iyuzeh Ophthalmic Solution Approved for Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension

Thea Pharma, Inc. (“Thea”), the U.S. subsidiary of Europe’s leading independent pharmaceutical company, Laboratoires Théa, has announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the New Drug Application (NDA) of Iyuzeh™ (latanoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.005% for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT).

Iyuzeh is the first and only clinically proven formulation of latanoprost available in the United States that is preservative-free. Iyuzeh is formulated without any of the preservatives commonly used in topical ocular preparations, including benzalkonium chloride (BAK). Iyuzeh has demonstrated consistent IOPlowering effects and proven tolerability across multiple trials in the U.S. and Europe.

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