By Laura McIntyre 
Janssen’s Erleada (apalutamide) approval for expanded use in patients with metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer sparked excitement last month among healthcare professionals (HCP) online. They shared the news on social media often linking to Janssen’s press release on Business Wire. In total, Erleada’s approval was mentioned 34 times.
Great News: Janssen Announces EMA Approval for Expanded Use of Erleada® (apalutamide) for treatment of Patients with Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer @neerajaiims @scserendipity1 @Uroweb @AlixNivoit @ProfHadaschik @MRoupret https://t.co/s7YoQdJ7RO
— Axel S. Merseburger (@amerseburger) January 29, 2020
The second most mentioned product, relating to its EMA approval, was a conditional marketing authorization for Roche’s Polivy (polatuzumab vedotin), in combination with rituximab and bendamustine for treating patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Graham Collins, a lymphoma specialist in the Oxford Cancer and Haematology Centre, wondered how it will perform in the NICE appraisal process.
Polatuzumab + BR has received approval in Europe for relapsed / refractory DLBCL.
This also means the early access to medicines scheme (EAMS) is no longer active.
Will be interesting to see how it fairs in the NICE appraisal process. #lymsmhttps://t.co/WQ6FrvAbRm
— Graham Collins (@graham74GC) January 24, 2020
Besides the various medicines discussed, cardiologists also enthusiastically posted about Abbott’s world first transcatheter mitral valve, Tendyne. HCPs shared news of its approval, sharing the article by Diagnostic and Interventional Cardiology and reposting Abbott’s tweet.
ANNOUNCING: Our Tendyne* device – an innovative solution for severe #MR patients who aren’t eligible for open-heart surgery or #mitralrepair – has received CE Mark and is now approved for use in Europe. https://t.co/DBvD7cNX6c
*Investigational device only in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/JZvnkeoNU6
— Abbott (@AbbottNews) January 30, 2020
World's First Transcatheter Mitral Valve Approved in Europe | DAIC
Looking forward to this technology. #MitralValve #Transcatheter #MinimallyInvasive #ValvularHeartDisease https://t.co/LCNavr3SkQ
— Crystal Pietranton (@cpietranton) January 30, 2020
We are tracking the HCP reaction to EMA approvals and related topics each month. You can keep up to date with this and other pharmaceutical tracking updates, including FDA drug approvals, within the Tracking section of CREATION Knowledge or by signing up our monthly newsletter.
READ LAST MONTH’S EMA APPROVAL TRACKER:
Methodology notes:
- Data for this research was analysed from the online Twitter conversations of HCPs talking about EMA approvals in English language (all other languages are available), between 15 January and 14 February, 2020.
- Between 15 January and 14 February, 2020, 84 HCPs posted relating to EMA approvals 89 times all over the world.
