Amylyx’s ALS Drug Should Wait For Phase III Results, US FDA Panel Says
Executive Summary
Six of 10 advisory committee members say Phase II CENTAUR trial cannot stand on its own to support approval at this time. However, patients and advocates say thousands will die if they have to wait for the Phase III PHOENIX trial to complete in 2024 before the drug becomes widely available.
You may also be interested in...
Regulatory Flexibility: US FDA Approves Amylyx’s Relyvrio For ALS Despite ‘Degree Of Residual Uncertainty’
The single positive Phase II CENTAUR study, along with confirmatory evidence of benefit on long-term survival in the open-label extension, demonstrate substantial evidence of effectiveness, the agency says, acknowledging a level of uncertainty that is acceptable in the disease context.
Tolerating False Positives: Amylyx, FDA, And The Legal Case For Broad Regulatory Flexibility
Amidst bipartisan congressional pressure to approve ALS drugs, Billy Dunn, head of FDA’s neuroscience division, told advisory committee members that the law ‘demands’ flexibility in review of Amylyx’s AMX0035, and he came prepared with the citations.
Second Time’s The Charm: Amylyx’s ALS Drug Wins US FDA Panel Nod
In switching their votes from the first panel review in March, advisory committee members cited supportive additional analyses of a survival benefit, framing of the issues in the context of unmet need and regulatory flexibility, and the company’s statement that it would withdraw AMX0035 if the Phase III PHOENIX trial does not succeed.