AP Pharma, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, has received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding its New Drug Application (NDA) for its lead product candidate, APF530, for the prevention of chemotherapy - induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). The CRL describes the following issues that must be addressed.
With respect to chemistry, manufacturing and controls (CMC), the FDA has requested the refinement of one product quality analytical test method, and that certain deficiencies identified during facility pre - approval inspections be addressed.
The FDA has requested that a human factors validation study evaluating the usability of the APF530 syringe system together with its proposed product labelling and instructions for use be conducted with product assembled using a validated, commercial process.
With respect to clinical, the FDA has requested a re-analysis of the existing phase III clinical data that reclassifies patients into those receiving moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (MEC) and highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC) according to the recently modified ASCO 2011 Guideline. The FDA did not request any new clinical studies.
“We appreciate the FDA’s thorough review of the APF530 NDA,” stated John B Whelan, AP Pharma’s president and chief executive officer. “While disappointed in today’s notification, we believe that the issues raised in the CRL are addressable, and we remain firmly committed to the successful development of APF530, which we believe will fulfill an important unmet need and improve the lives of patients suffering from CINV. In order to allow us time to carefully address the issues raised in the CRL, we are now projecting product launch for the first half of 2014, versus our prior guidance of the second half of 2013.”
APF530, is being developed for the prevention of both acute - and delayed - onset chemotherapy - induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). One of the most debilitating side effects of cancer chemotherapy, CINV is a leading cause of premature discontinuation of treatment. There is only one injectable 5 - HT3 antagonist approved for the prevention of delayed - onset CINV, so this indication represents an area of particular unmet medical need. APF530 contains the 5 - HT3 antagonist granisetron formulated in the Company’s proprietary Biochronomer drug delivery system, which allows therapeutic drug levels to be maintained for five days with a single subcutaneous injection. Currently available intravenous and oral formulations of granisetron are approved only for the prevention of acute - onset CINV. Granisetron was selected for APF530 because it is widely prescribed by physicians based on a well - established record of safety and efficacy.