Pink Sheet reporter and editors discuss Moderna CEO’s Stéphane Bancel’s defense of his company and COVID-19 vaccine pricing at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the NIH denying a petition to use government march-in rights for Xtandi, and Tofersen receiving a positive US FDA advisory committee recommendation for use in ALS.

‘Clear signal’ in the ATLAS study of presymptomatic, SOD1 mutation carriers could provide evidence needed to confirm tofersen’s benefit in symptomatic ALS patients, FDA’s Teresa Buracchio says, adding that getting confirmatory evidence from the VALOR open-label extension 'could be a little more tricky.'

Advisory committee unanimously concludes that the reduction in plasma neurofilament light chain concentration is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit in SOD1-ALS, but majority of panelists say convincing evidence of efficacy to support regular approval has not been demonstrated.

FDA seeks advisory committee input on whether there is ‘convincing evidence’ to support regular approval for treatment of SOD1-ALS patients even though lone Phase III trial failed its primary endpoint; companies filed for accelerated approval on the basis that a reduction in plasma neurofilament light chain is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit.