New EMA approval in rheumatoid arthritis catches HCP attention

The most discussed EMA approval this month

Heading towards Christmas, the level of conversation online from healthcare professionals (HCP) relating to EMA approvals went down. Out of 102 HCP posts, 16 referred to products, compared with over 150 product related posts between October 15th – November 14th.

Among the four discussed products, HCPs gave most attention to Celltrion’s EU approval for Remsima SC, the first injectable biosimilar of infliximab (Remicade) for rheumatoid arthritis.

A post sharing the Remsima approval news and expectations for IBD approval in 2020 was shared by eight HCPs. Fernando Gomollón, a gastroenterologist from Italy, commented saying that ‘if approved for #RA, I see no reason for not using it in #IBD’.

💉The first injectable biosimilar of infliximab (Remicade) has been approved for #RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) by the European Commission.💉

🔹️Remsima SC is a subcutaneous form of Remsima/Inflectra.

🔹️Decision re: approval for #IBD expected in 2020.https://t.co/atoiW0lJIT

— Dan Sharp (@DanSharpIBD) November 27, 2019

Other EMA approvals mentioned by HCPs included Merck’s pembrolizumab (Keytruda) as First-Line Treatment for Metastatic or Unresectable Recurrent Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma , Novartis’s siponimod (Mayzent) for active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis and a label extension for ivacaftor (Kalydeco) for infants with cystic fibrosis who are between the ages of six months and one year.

#EMA approved #siponimod (#Mayzent) for active secondary progressive #MultipleSclerosis, SPMS!
Now, there are 15 #DMT for all forms of #MS in Europe!
Though, I prefer #FDA approach: siponimod get label for RRMS as well@MS_Platforma https://t.co/EfVWv31961

— Dragana Obradovic (@DraganaObrado20) November 17, 2019

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.

Read last month’s EMA approval tracker:

‘A historic milestone after decades of research’

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 November 15th and December 14th 2019.
• Between November 15th and December 14th, 98 HCPs posted relating to EMA approvals more than 100 times all over the world.