Go or no go? Biogen and Astellas head towards key Pdufas

Two of this year’s biggest FDA approval decisions are due next month, that of Astellas’s Zimura and Biogen/Sage’s zuranolone. The latter is filed in major depressive disorder and postpartum depression and is expected to be approved. Zuranolone is forecast to be Biogen's biggest growth driver but questions remain on its commercial prospects given its short two-week course of therapy. Biogen needs to reinvigorate investor sentiment after announcing job cuts on its recent second quarter call, today it disclosed a hefty buyout of Reata. For Astellas, Zimura was gained through its $5.9bn acquisition of Iveric Bio, and is intended to treat geographic atrophy. On a cross-trial basis Zimura, a complement factor C5 inhibitor, looks fairly similar to Apellis’s approved Syfovre that targets C3. Syfovre got off to a strong launch in March but confidence in the therapy was knocked recently after six cases of retinal vasculitis were reported. The safety issue was not evident in clinical studies and could be related to manufacturing or delivery, noted TD Cowen analysts, leaving room for Zimura to pile on the pressure. More safety details are expected at this weekend's American society of retina specialists meeting.