On April 15, 2024 Norgine B.V. reported its first marketing authorisation application submissions on 10 April 2024, seeking approval for eflornithine in high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB), via Project Orbis in Australia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Press release, Norgine, APR 15, 2024, View Source [SID1234642078]). This milestone supports Norgine’s efforts to deliver patient access to eflornithine and bring a further treatment option in the field of paediatric oncology.
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Norgine and USWM, LLC (dba US WorldMeds), a Kentucky-based specialty pharmaceutical company, have an exclusive licensing agreement by which Norgine will register and commercialise eflornithine, also referred to as DFMO, in Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
On 13 December 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eflornithine as the first oral maintenance therapy for high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB), indicated to reduce the risk of relapse in adult and paediatric patients who have received certain prior therapies.1 The approval decision was based on findings from a trial comparing outcomes from Study 3b (NCT02395666; investigational arm)2,4 and Study ANBL0032 (NCT00026312; clinical-trial-derived external control arm)3,4, where use of eflornithine resulted in improved event-free survival and overall survival when compared to outcomes for patients with high-risk neuroblastoma treated with the standard of care (SoC) without the drug.1
Dr David Gillen, Chief Medical Officer at Norgine, added, "These submissions via Project Orbis represent an important first step in the regulatory process for eflornithine and re-emphasise Norgine’s passion and commitment in attempting to secure additional treatment options for patients living with HRNB, a condition with a high level of unmet medical need."
Project Orbis
Project Orbis is an initiative (since May 2019) of the US FDA Oncology Center of Excellence (OCE) and provides a framework for concurrent submission and collaborative review of innovative oncology products among international regulatory authorities. It was created with the overarching goal to speed worldwide patient access to innovative cancer therapies. Project Orbis is coordinated by the FDA, and its partners include United Kingdom Medicines and Healthcare Products regulatory Agency (UK MHRA), Australia Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Canada (Health Canada), Singapore (Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Switzerland (Swissmedic), Brazil (Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA), Israel (Ministry of Health).
HRNB background
Children diagnosed with HRNB undergo an intense SoC regimen that still leaves them vulnerable to relapse and death, a risk that is particularly acute during the first two years.5 Approximately 30% of patients who attain remission following upfront therapy will relapse, resulting in a poor prognosis and low likelihood of long-term survival (e.g. estimates as low as 15% of patients will live for five years after relapsing).6 Avoiding relapse is key to long-term survival, yet outside of the United States there are no approved therapies for sustaining remission following SoC treatment. The data with eflornithine demonstrate using it as maintenance therapy extends remission and reduces risk of relapse in patients with HRNB.