Eli Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo drug to be reviewed

Eli Lilly and Daiichi Sankyo’s investigational antiplatelet drug is to be reviewed, the companies announced this week.

Prasugrel is an agent designed to treat patients who have acute coronary syndromes and are already using percutaneous coronary intervention, which is a procedure to open the arteries.

It is to be reviewed by the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee, which is part of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The committee’s role is to provide independent advice, Eli Lilly explained.

“We look forward to this next step in potentially bringing an important new alternative to the oral antiplatelet market,” added J Anthony Ware, vice-president and leader of the cardiovascular/acute care platform for prasugrel.

He remarked: “We have full confidence in the data submitted to the FDA.”

Prasugrel was awarded a positive opinion in December 2008 by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency.

This was then referred to the European Commission for further approval.

Eli Lilly said that if the agent was approved, it was likely to be marketed on the continent with the name of Efient.