Pharmacy News Article

4 November 2009 - UK-based specialty biopharmaceutical company Shire plc (LON: SHP) said today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Priority Review for the New Drug Application (NDA) for velaglucerase alfa, its enzyme replacement therapy in development for the treatment of Type 1 Gaucher disease.

Priority Review designation is given to drugs that offer major advances in treatment, or provide a treatment where no adequate therapy exists, and accelerates the target review timing from ten to six months. The FDA has issued an action date for the NDA of 28 February 2010 under the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA).

The company said that in the United States, patients continue to be enrolled in an FDA-approved treatment protocol, under which Gaucher patients receive velaglucerase alfa prior to commercialisation. Shire has also engaged with national and regional authorities outside the US and patients are receiving velaglucerase alfa through pre-approval access programmes.

The company also confirmed that it is on track with its filing of the Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) in the EU for 2009.

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