European Medicines Agency (EMA) News Channel
EMA's human medicines committee (CHMP) is requesting as a matter of precaution that marketing authorisation holders for human medicines containing chemically synthesised active substances review their medicines for the possible presence of nitrosamines and test all products at risk. EMA's Executive Director has asked the human medicines committee (CHMP) to provide guidance for avoiding the presence of nitrosamine impurities in human medicines containing chemically synthesised active substances. EMA and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are aligned in more than 90% of marketing authorisation decisions for new medicines. This is one of the findings of a joint EMA/FDA analysis comparing decisions on 107 new medicine applications at the two agencies between 2014 and 2016. The study also looked at applications for which the agencies had differing outcomes in terms of type of approval and indication. The European Commission (EC), the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) have co-signed a letter reminding all sponsors of clinical trials conducted in the European Union of their obligation to make summaries of results of concluded trials publicly available in the EU Clinical Trials Database (EudraCT). EMA's safety committee (PRAC) has recommended that the marketing authorisations for fenspiride medicines be revoked, so the medicines can no longer be marketed in the EU. This follows a review that has confirmed that these cough medicines could cause heart rhythm problems. EMA has completed its assessment of the results of the ANNOUNCE study and concluded that Lartruvo (olaratumab) with doxorubicin does not prolong the lives of patients with soft tissue cancer more than doxorubicin alone. The Agency is therefore recommending that the marketing authorisation of the medicine be revoked. EMA has started a review of the multiple sclerosis medicine Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) following new reports of immune-mediated conditions (caused by the body’s defence system not working properly) and problems with the heart and blood vessels with the medicine, including fatal cases.