WARRINGTON, Pa., May 11, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Discovery Laboratories, Inc. (Nasdaq:DSCO) has received written notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that an end-of-review meeting has been scheduled for June 2, 2009 at the FDA offices in Rockville, Maryland. The purpose of this meeting is to determine the resolution of the remaining primary issue necessary for Discovery Labs to gain U.S. marketing approval of Surfaxin(r) (lucinactant) for the prevention of Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) in premature infants.
On April 17, 2009, Discovery Labs received a Complete Response letter from the FDA for Surfaxin for RDS. In its letter, the FDA focused primarily on certain aspects of a Surfaxin biological activity test (BAT, a quality control stability and release test) that must be addressed before Surfaxin can be approved. The FDA questioned whether the BAT can adequately distinguish change in Surfaxin drug product over time and whether Discovery Labs has adequately validated the BAT and determined its final acceptance criteria. Discovery Labs intends to rely on data already submitted to the FDA, as well as limited existing data, to support the comparability of Surfaxin clinical drug product to commercial Surfaxin drug product and demonstrate that the BAT can adequately distinguish change in Surfaxin over time and is an appropriate test for monitoring Surfaxin biological activity throughout shelf-life.
Following the meeting and receipt of formal written minutes from the FDA, Discovery Labs intends to provide an update regarding the outcome and anticipated timeline to potential approval of Surfaxin.
DISCLOSURE NOTICE: The information in this press release includes certain "forward-looking" statements relating, among other things, to Discovery Labs' understanding of the approach and timing required to address the remaining questions identified in the Complete Response letter dated April 17, 2009 to gain FDA approval of Surfaxin for the prevention of RDS in premature infants and the timing of the anticipated FDA review period. Although Discovery Labs currently is hopeful that it will succeed in gaining approval of its NDA for Surfaxin for the prevention of RDS in premature infants within the timeline outlined above, these activities and the ultimate outcomes are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different.
