On March 21, 2014 Merck and Endocyte reported that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued positive opinions for the Conditional Marketing Authorisations of VYNFINIT (vintafolide) and companion imaging components, imaging agent FOLCEPRI (etarfolatide), and NEOCEPRI (intravenous (IV) folic acid), for the treatment of adult patients with folate receptor-positive, platinum-resistant, ovarian cancer, in combination with pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) (Press release Merck & Co, MAR 21, 2014, View Source [SID:1234500311]).
Vintafolide is proposed for use in combination with PLD for the treatment of adult patients with platinum-resistant ovarian cancer who express the folate receptor on all target lesions. Folate receptor status should be assessed by a diagnostic medicinal product approved for the selection of adult patients for treatment with vintafolide, using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) imaging, in combination with Computed Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
The applications for Conditional Marketing Authorisation for vintafolide, etarfolatide and IV folic acid were submitted based on results in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer patients who express the folate receptor on all target lesions as evaluated in the PRECEDENT Phase 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00722592).
The CHMP positive opinions will be reviewed by the European Commission (EC). If approved, the EC grants a centralized marketing authorization with unified labeling that is valid in the 28 countries that are members of the European Union, as well as European Economic Area members Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EC usually issues a final legally binding decision within three months of a CHMP opinion.