LONDON (Reuters) – Sanofi won the backing of European regulators for two new drugs against diabetes and cancer on Friday, a shot in the arm for the French company’s drive to bring new products to market.
New diabetes drug Lyxumia was recommended for treating type 2 diabetes and Zaltrap was endorsed for the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) said.
Recommendations from the EMA are normally endorsed by the European Commission within a couple of months.
Lyxumia, which Sanofi licensed from Denmark’s Zealand Pharma, is part of a new class of diabetes treatments called GLP-1 analogues which prompt the body to release insulin when a diabetic’s blood sugar level climbs too high.
It is one of several new medicines Sanofi is banking on to drive growth after patent losses on former top-selling drugs.
Rivals in the GLP-1 space include Novo Nordisk’s Victoza, and Byetta and Bydureon, from Amylin, the U.S. drugmaker acquired earlier this year by Bristol-Myers Squibb and AstraZeneca.
Zaltrap, developed with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, is a so-called anti-angiogenic agent, designed to starve tumours of blood. It was approved in the United States in August.
Sanofi plans for submit Lyxumia for approval with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year.
(Reporting by Ben Hirschler; editing by Chris Wickham)
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EU watchdog endorses Sanofi diabetes and cancer drugs
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EU watchdog endorses Sanofi diabetes and cancer drugs
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EU watchdog endorses Sanofi diabetes and cancer drugs
