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Sanofi, Regeneron close PCSK9 race [Medical Marketing and Media](Medical Marketing and Media Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) DIABETES was a major sec- ond-quarter performer for drug- maker Sanofi, which announced that sales rose almost 1% to $10.8 billion compared to the same period last year. The performance beat Street expectations, which were further whetted by the announcement that Sanofi and partner Regen- eron were attaching a BLA pri- ority review voucher to their experimental cholesterol drug alirocumab. The partners paid BioMarin $67.5 million for the voucher, which lets the owner name a drug of choice it wants reviewed within six months of filing, as opposed to the standard 10. The Wall Street Journal notes BioMarin snagged the voucher when the FDA approved its rare disease drug Vimizim for Morquio A and that the sale is OK by FDA rules. Sanofi's move is important because it tightens the PCSK9 race between Amgen and Sanofi/Regeneron. Leerink analyst Seamus Fernandez wrote in a research note that Sanofi's cardiovas- cular risk information for the drug "should firm up" Sanofi and Regeneron's likelihood of a timely approval "with a rela- tively broad label in 2015." Sanofi diabetes sales rose just over 10% in Q2 compared to the same period last year, to almost $2.4 billion. Lantus sales jumped 10.5% during the quar- ter compared to the same period last year, to $2 billion. Diabetes medication Apidra also added some heft, kicking in $103 mil- lion-a 13% increase over the same period last year. Sales of MS drug Aubagio hit $130 million, up from $44 million during the same period last year. Sales of the company's rare-dis- ease drug Fabrazyme rose 35% to $165 million, compared to the same period last year. Sanofi attributed growth to new US patients and increasing Western European sales. Sales of patent-free blood- thinner Plavix continued to slide-this time by over 8%, to $568 million, compared to the same period last year. -Deborah Weinstein Sanofi and Regeneron paid $67.5M for a review voucher (c) 2014 Haymarket Media, Inc. |