Breakthrough Therapy Designation is designed to expedite the development and review of medicines intended to treat serious or life-threatening diseases, and to help ensure people have access to them through FDA approval as soon as possible.
This is the 23rd Breakthrough Therapy Designation for Genentech’s portfolio of medicines.
Genentech global product development chief medical officer and head Sandra Horning said: “Food allergies can have a significant impact on the lives of children and adults, and they are a growing public health concern for which there are currently no FDA-approved treatments.
“We are committed to helping address this high unmet medical need and look forward to working with leaders in the field to further develop Xolair as a potential medicine to help people with this condition that can be life-threatening.”
Food allergies can be life-threatening, and result in an estimated 200,000 emergency room visits each year. Up to 8 percent of children and 4 percent of adults in the U.S. are affected by food allergies, and the incidence is increasing.
Breakthrough Therapy Designation was granted on the basis of data from seven clinical studies over the last decade assessing the efficacy and safety of Xolair against a range of food allergens including peanut, milk, egg and others.
These studies of Xolair, as monotherapy or in combination with oral immunotherapy (OIT), were supported by Genentech and independent sponsors including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Genentech and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation are working closely with NIAID and the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR) to initiate a potentially pivotal study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Xolair in multiple food allergies and will disclose details at a later date.
In the U.S., Genentech, Inc. and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation work together to develop and co-promote Xolair.
Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufacturers and commercializes medicines to treat patients with serious or life-threatening medical conditions.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation is an affiliate of Novartis which provides innovative healthcare solutions that address the evolving needs of patients and societies.
Source: Company Press Release