European Commission approves conditionally, Roctavian, the first gene therapy for adults with severe hemophilia A.

The EC also endorsed EMA's recommendation for Roctavian to maintain orphan drug designation, thereby granting a 10-period of market exclusivity.

The EMA recommendation noted that, even in light of existing treatments, Roctavian may potentially offer a significant benefit to those affected with severe Hemophilia A. The one-time infusion is the first approved gene therapy for hemophilia A and works by delivering a functional gene that is designed to enable the body to produce Factor VIII on its own without the need for continued hemophilia prophylaxis, thus relieving patients of their treatment burden relative to currently available therapies. People with hemophilia A have a mutation in the gene responsible for producing Factor VIII, a protein necessary for blood clotting.

"This approval in the EU represents a medical breakthrough in the treatment of patients with severe hemophilia A that expands the conversation between a patient and physician on treatment choices to now include a one-time infusion that protects from bleeds for several years," said Professor Johannes Oldenburg, Director of the Institute of Experimental Haematology and Transfusion Medicine and the Haemophilia Centre at the University Clinic in Bonn, Germany. "It is exciting to imagine the possibilities of this approved gene therapy, which has demonstrated a substantial and sustained reduction in bleeding for patients, who potentially could be freed from the burden of regular infusions."

The EC based its decision on a significant body of data from the Roctavian clinical development program, the most extensively studied gene therapy for hemophilia A, including two-year outcomes from the global GENEr8-1 Phase III study. The GENEr8-1 Phase III study demonstrated stable and durable bleed control, including a reduction in the mean annualized bleeding rate (ABR) and the mean annualized Factor VIII infusion rate. In addition, the data included five and four years of follow-up from the 6e13 vg/kg and 4e13 vg/kg dose cohorts, respectively, in the ongoing Phase I/1II dose escalation study. BioMarin has committed to continue working with the broader community and the EMA to monitor the long-term effects of treatment.