bluebird bio, Inc. announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) accepted the company’s marketing authorization application (MAA) for its investigational LentiGlobin™ gene therapy for the treatment of adolescents and adults with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia (TDT) and a non-β0/β0 genotype.

LentiGlobin was previously granted an accelerated assessment by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA in July 2018, potentially reducing the EMA’s active review time of the MAA from 210 days to 150 days.

“People living with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia require frequent blood transfusions that are life-saving but may lead to complications, including organ failure due to iron overload,” said David Davidson, M.D., chief medical officer, bluebird bio. “The acceptance of our marketing authorization application for LentiGlobin is a milestone that advances us toward our goal of providing to patients the first one-time gene therapy that addresses the underlying genetic cause of TDT. We share this important milestone with the patients, families and healthcare providers who made it possible through their participation in our pioneering clinical studies of LentiGlobin.”

The MAA for LentiGlobin is supported by data from the completed Phase 1/2 Northstar (HGB-204) study and the ongoing Phase 1/2 HGB-205 study as well as available data from the Phase 3 Northstar-2 (HGB-207) study and the long-term follow-up study LTF-303.

Following a successful long-term manufacturing relationship, apceth Biopharma and bluebird bio entered a commercial drug product manufacturing agreement in 2016. apceth Biopharma is bluebird bio’s clinical and commercial manufacturing partner for Europe for LentiGlobin along with product candidate Lenti-D for cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy. 
 

“We congratulate our partner bluebird bio on this recent success”,  said Dr Christine Guenther, chief executive officer of apceth Biopharma. “These are exciting times also for apceth, as we are now in the position to become one of the very few companies worldwide to manufacture a cell-based gene therapy for commercial use.” apceth has supported and will continue to support bluebird bio for obtaining the market authorization for LentiGlobin™.