The FDA Advisory Committee voted unanimously (14 yes, 0 no) that the efficacy and safety data for mepolizumab, an anti IL-5 monoclonal antibody delivered as a 100mg fixed dose via a subcutaneous injection every four weeks, supported approval in adults 18 years of age and older with severe asthma. The Committee also voted that the efficacy data provided substantial evidence of a clinically meaningful benefit in this population (14 yes, 0 no) and safety in adults with severe asthma had been adequately demonstrated (13 yes, 1 no).
The Committee voted against approval of mepolizumab for use in adolescents 12-17 years of age with severe asthma (4 yes, 10 no). The Committee voted that the efficacy (5 yes, 9 no) and safety (2 yes, 12 no) of mepolizumab had not been adequately demonstrated primarily due to the limited number of patients in the 12-17 age group in the overall database. It recommended that further data are needed in this sub-population where there is a high unmet need. Patrick Vallance, President, Pharmaceuticals R&D, said: “Our clinical development programme has demonstrated the potential of mepolizumab as a targeted treatment for difficult to treat adults with severe asthma, many of whom have been struggling to live with their condition for many years. These are patients who currently have very few treatment options and our belief in this medicine as a new treatment option has today been reinforced by the Advisory Committee’s decision. GSK will continue to work closely with the FDA to complete the review of the BLA for mepolizumab.”
The BLA for mepolizumabwas submitted to the FDA in November 2014 for approval as an add-on maintenance treatment for patients with severe asthma with eosinophilic inflammation, identified by a blood eosinophil count of at least 150 cells per microlitre at the start of treatment or 300 cells per microlitre in the past 12 months.
