USFDA requests additional data on Sanofi Dupixent for treating smoker's lung

"The FDA had requested additional efficacy analyses on the efficacy of Dupixent in the BOREAS and NOTUS pivotal trials. Based on the submission of these analyses earlier in May, the agency has now determined that this additional information constituted a major amendment to the sBLA and extended the target action date accordingly," the release stated.

"Sanofi and Regeneron are confident that the additional analyses strongly support the approval of Dupixent in COPD with evidence of type 2 inflammation, and are committed to working with the FDA to bring Dupixent to patients living with uncontrolled COPD as quickly as possible," both the companies stated.

Additionally, submissions for Dupixent in COPD are currently under review with regulatory authorities around the world, including the European Union and China. Recently, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) adopted a positive opinion and recommended the approval of Dupixent as an add-on maintenance treatment in adults with uncontrolled COPD characterized by raised blood eosinophils. The potential use of Dupixent in COPD is currently under clinical development, and the safety and efficacy have not been fully evaluated by any regulatory authority.

The sBLA is supported by data from the landmark BOREAS and NOTUS phase 3 studies evaluating the efficacy and safety of Dupixent in adults who were current or former smokers with uncontrolled COPD with type 2 inflammation (measured by blood eosinophils ≥300 cells/microliter). All patients were on background maximal standard-of-care inhaled therapy (nearly all on triple therapy). The primary endpoint was met in both studies, showing Dupixent significantly reduced annualized moderate or severe acute COPD exacerbations by up to 34%, compared to placebo. Dupixent rapidly and significantly improved lung function compared to placebo, with improvements sustained at 52 weeks.

Safety results in both studies were generally consistent with the known safety profile of Dupixent in its approved indications.

COPD is a respiratory disease that damages the lungs and causes progressive lung function decline. Symptoms include persistent cough, excessive mucus production and shortness of breath that may impair the ability to perform routine daily activities, which may lead to sleep disturbances, anxiety and depression. COPD is also associated with a significant health and economic burden due to recurrent acute exacerbations that require systemic corticosteroid treatment and/or lead to hospitalization. Smoking and exposure to noxious particles are key risk factors for COPD, but even individuals who quit smoking can still develop or continue having the disease. There have been no new treatment approaches approved for more than a decade. In the US, approximately 300,000 people live with uncontrolled COPD with evidence of type 2 inflammation.