FDA Approves Genentech’s Evrysdi (risdiplam) for Use in Babies Under Two Months with Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, announces that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a label extension for Evrysdi (risdiplam) to include babies under two months old with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

The approval is based on interim efficacy and safety data from the RAINBOWFISH study in newborns, which showed that the majority of pre-symptomatic babies treated with Evrysdi achieved key milestones such as sitting and standing with half walking after 12 months of treatment. Evrysdi is now approved to treat SMA in children and adults of all ages.

Of the babies with 2 or 3 copies of the SMN2 gene (n=6), 100% were able to sit after one year of treatment with Evrysdi, 67% could stand and 50% of infants could walk independently. All infants were alive at 12 months without permanent ventilation.

“The approval of Evrysdi for pre-symptomatic babies is particularly important, as early treatment of SMA, before symptoms start to arise, can help babies to achieve motor milestones,” said Richard Finkel, MD, RAINBOWFISH Principal Investigator and Director of the Experimental Neuroscience Program at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. “With the inclusion of SMA in newborn screening programs, this approval provides the opportunity to start treating at home with Evrysdi soon after the diagnosis is confirmed.”

As part of the label extension, the Evrysdi prescribing information has also been updated to include recent two-year pooled data from Parts 1 and 2 of the FIREFISH study, which demonstrate long-term efficacy and safety in symptomatic infants with Type 1 SMA. The study enrolled babies aged 1-7 months and after two years of treatment with Evrysdi at the recommended dose (n=58), 60% of infants were able to sit without support* for 5 seconds, 40% for 30 seconds and 28% of infants were able to stand.** Without treatment, infants do not achieve these milestones in the natural history of the disease. There were no treatment-related adverse events leading to withdrawal. The most common adverse reactions were upper respiratory tract infection (including nasopharyngitis, rhinitis), lower respiratory tract infection (including pneumonia, bronchitis), constipation, vomiting and cough.

“The priority review and subsequent approval of Evrysdi for babies under two months of age speaks to the urgent ongoing need for additional treatment options for babies with SMA,” said Levi Garraway, MD, PhD, Genentech’s chief medical officer and head of Global Product Development. “Because of its efficacy in multiple settings, Evrysdi is now available for people with SMA from pre-symptomatic newborns to older adults. We are proud of this achievement, which has the potential to make a real difference to those living with SMA and their caregivers.”

Evrysdi is approved in 81 countries and the dossier is under review in a further 27 countries. More than 5,000 patients have now been treated worldwide with Evrysdi in clinical trials, compassionate use or real-world settings. Genentech leads the clinical development of Evrysdi as part of a collaboration with the SMA Foundation and PTC Therapeutics.

* Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition
** Hammersmith Infant Neurological Examination (HINE-2)

[Source(s): Genentech, Business Wire]