PHARMA/BIO-TECH UPDATE: Ligand & BSK Gain FDA Breakthrough Therapy Status
February 5th, 2014; Posted by: WeBleed staff
Ligand Pharmaceuticals announced this week that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted its partner GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Breakthrough Therapy designation for its drug Promacta/Revolade (eltrombopag) for the treatment of patients with severe aplastic anemia who have had insufficient response to immunosuppressive therapy.
“Promacta continues to be the basis of ground breaking and promising science in important areas with significant unmet medical needs” said John Higgins, President and CEO of Ligand said in a press release. “We congratulate the global Promacta/Revolade development team at GSK, and commend them for their continued scientific and regulatory progress.”
[New Zealand’s PHARMAC adds Eltrombopag to its Pharmaceutical Schedule]
Marketed as Promacta in the US (Revolade in Europe) the drug has already been used to treat patients with chronic hepatitis C and idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP).
Image credit: Ligand Pharmaceuticals
