Extraneal - referral

Current status

European Commission final decision

Overview

The European Medicines Agency has completed an arbitration procedure for Extraneal 7.5% solution for peritoneal dialysis. The Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has concluded that the change to the marketing authorisation for Extraneal to include a peptidoglycan test can be granted, and that the use of the active substance icodextrin sourced from one of the currently approved manufacturers should cease.
The review was carried out under an 'Article 6(12)' referral¹

The European Commission issued a decision on 10 January 2010.

¹ Article 6(12) of Regulation (EC) 1084/2003 as amended, referral on a variation to a marketing authorisation

What is Extraneal?

Extraneal is a solution that is used in peritoneal dialysis. This is a blood clearance technique used in patients with long-term kidney failure, when a solution is pumped into the abdomen and an internal body membrane filters the blood.

Extraneal is a solution that contains icodextrin as the active substance, as well as sodium lactate, sodium chloride, calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. Icodextrin is a type of sugar that is used to keep blood glucose at the correct level. Extraneal is used in particular in patients who cannot be treated with solutions containing glucose.

Why was Extraneal reviewed?

Extraneal is authorised in the European Union under a mutual recognition procedure on the basis of the initial authorisation granted by the United Kingdom in 1997. The company applied for a change (variation) to the marketing authorisation to include a test to measure the level of an impurity called peptidoglycan during the medicine's production process. Peptidoglycans had been linked to cases of inflammation of the peritoneum (the lining of the abdomen) in some patients receiving Extraneal. This variation was to be recognised in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden (the concerned Member States). Because these Member States were not able to reach an agreement, the Dutch medicines regulatory agency referred the matter to the CHMP for arbitration on 9 July 2009.

The grounds for the referral were that more sensitive tests than those proposed by the company could be used to detect peptidoglycans in the medicine, and that one of the currently approved manufacturers of the active substance should modify the manufacturing process of icodextrin to ensure that peptidoglycans are removed.

What are the conclusions of the CHMP?

Based on evaluation of the currently available data and the scientific discussion within the Committee, the CHMP concluded that the variation to the marketing authorisation for Extraneal can be approved in all concerned Member States.

Questions and answers on the referral for Extraneal icodextrin 7.5% solution for peritoneal dialysis

AdoptedReference Number: EMEA/CHMP/683039/2009

Key facts

About this medicine

• Approved name:
  Extraneal
• International non-proprietary name (INN) or common name:
  icodextrin

About this procedure

• Current status:
  European Commission final decision
• Reference number:
  CHMP/683039/2009
• Type:
  Article 6(12) referrals (prior to January 2010)

  This type of referral was triggered for a medicine that had been authorised by mutual recognition or via the decentralised procedure when there was disagreement between Member States on a variation (type II). This referral has been replaced by Article 13 referrals.

Key dates and outcomes

• CHMP opinion date:
  22/10/2009
• EC decision date:
  20/01/2010

All documents

Extraneal - Article 6(12) referral - Annex I, II, III, IV

Adopted

Questions and answers on the referral for Extraneal icodextrin 7.5% solution for peritoneal dialysis

AdoptedReference Number: EMEA/CHMP/683039/2009

Description of documents published

Please note that some of the listed documents apply only to certain procedures.

• Overview - lay-language summary of the stage of the procedure
• Notification – a letter from a Member State, the European Commission or the marketing authorisation holder requesting the initiation of the procedure
• Scientific background – further background information from the triggering Member State on the issues leading to the initiation of the procedure (if applicable)
• List of questions – questions agreed by the Committee requesting further information from the marketing authorisation holder(s) / applicant(s) to evaluate the issues identified
• Timetable for the procedure – agreed timeframe to respond to the list of questions, to assess the issues and to adopt a conclusion
• List of medicines concerned by the procedure – medicine(s) / active substance(s) concerned, and marketing authorisation holder(s) / applicant(s)
• List of questions to be addressed by the stakeholders – call for data to be submitted by stakeholders (e.g. healthcare professionals, patient organisations, individual patients) (if applicable)
• Stakeholder submission form – form to be used by stakeholders to submit data (if applicable)
• Scientific conclusions – scientific conclusions of the PRAC and/or CHMP and/or CMDh
• Assessment report – PRAC or CHMP assessment and conclusions on the issues investigated, including divergent positions (if applicable)
• Divergent positions – divergent positions of the CHMP or CMDh members for pharmacovigilance procedures (if applicable)
• Changes to the summary of product characteristics, labelling and package leaflet (amended sections or fully revised version) (if applicable)
• Condition(s) to the marketing authorisation(s) – condition(s) for the safe and effective use of the medicine(s) (if applicable)
• Condition for lifting the suspension – condition to be fulfilled for the suspension of the marketing authorisation(s) to be lifted (if applicable)
• Timetable for implementation of CMDh position – agreed timeframe to submit and finalise the variation(s) implementing the outcome of the procedure (if applicable)

Note that older documents may have different titles.