The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted priority review of Sanofi’s Biologics License Application (BLA) for sutimlimab for the treatment of hemolysis in adult patients with cold agglutinin disease (CAD). Sutimlimab, an investigational monoclonal antibody, targets the underlying cause of hemolysis in CAD by selectively inhibiting complement C1s.
If approved, sutimlimab would be the first and only approved treatment for these patients. The target action date for the FDA decision is November 13, 2020.
CAD is a chronic autoimmune hemolytic anemia that causes the body’s immune system to mistakenly attack healthy red blood cells and cause their rupture (hemolysis). CAD patients may experience chronic anemia, profound fatigue, acute hemolytic crisis, and other potential complications, including an increased risk of thromboembolic events and early death. An estimated 5,000 people in the U.S. live with CAD.
John Reed, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head of Research and Development at Sanofi
“Results from our 26-week pivotal Phase 3 study clearly demonstrated that sutimlimab had a clinically meaningful effect on complement-mediated hemolysis, which is the cause of anemia and fatigue. If approved, sutimlimab will be the first and only FDA-approved treatment to uniquely address C1-activated hemolysis and help alleviate the chronic disease burden for people with CAD.”