AstraZeneca has three drugs recommended by EMA

AstraZeneca has had three of its drugs recommended by the EMA’s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP). The first was lesinurad, in combination with a xanthine oxidase inhibitor (XOI). This treats hyperuricemia, a symptom of gout in adults. The drug is already recommended for approval by an FDA committee in the US.

Another drug recommended for approval by the CHMP is Tagrisso (osimertinib). This is used to treat adults with locally advanced or metastatic epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer. It is already approved in the US, however, patients in the UK have been among the first in Europe to access the drug before the EMA’s decision. This has been through the Medicines and Health products Regulatory Agency Early Access to Medicines Scheme.

Brilinta (ticagrelor) is the third AstraZeneca medicine recommended by the EMA committee. It gave a positive opinion to expanding the licence for the 60mg dose of the drug for patients with a history of heart attack who are at high risk of having a further atherothrombotic event. The approval recommendation states that treatment may be started as continuation therapy after an initial one-year treatment with dual anti-platelet therapy.