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  1. Home
  2. Medicines
  3. DepoCyte - withdrawal of application for variation to marketing authorisation

DepoCyte - withdrawal of application for variation to marketing authorisation

Application withdrawn

The application for a change to this medicine's authorisation has been withdrawn.

cytarabine
Post-authorisationHuman

Page contents

  • Overview
  • Key facts
  • Documents
  • Related information on withdrawals
  • News on DepoCyte
  • More information on DepoCyte

Overview

On 28 June 2006, SkyePharma PLC officially notified the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) that they wish to withdraw their application for a new indication for DepoCyte 50 mg suspension for injection, in the intrathecal treatment of solid tumour neoplastic meningitis.

DepoCyte is a suspension for injection that contains 50 mg of the active substance cytarabine. DepoCyte is used to treat lymphomatous meningitis: this is a condition where lymphoma tumour cells have spread to the membranes that surround the nervous system (meninges). DepoCyte helps control the symptoms of the disease. DepoCyte is injected directly into the nervous system, in the space between the lining of the spinal cord and brain (intrathecal injection).

DepoCyte was to be used in the treatment of solid tumour neoplastic meningitis: this is a disease where cancer cells, originally from a solid tumour (such as lung or breast cancer), spread to the membranes of the nervous system. DepoCyte was to be injected intrathecally.

The active substance in DepoCyte, cytarabine, is an anti-cancer agent. It is a cytotoxic (a medicine that kills cells that are dividing, such as cancer cells) that belongs to the group of anti-metabolites. Cytarabine has been used as an anti-cancer medicine since the 1970s. DepoCyte contains cytarabine in a special formulation: the active substance is contained in liposomes (small fatty particles) from which it is slowly released.

The company presented the results of two studies, involving 164 patients with solid tumour neoplastic meningitis. DepoCyte was compared with methotrexate (another anti-cancer medicine), both medicines being administered intrathecally. The studies measured how long it would take before the disease would progress.

The application was at day 90 when the company withdrew. The evaluation was finished and the CHMP would have given a negative opinion.

The CHMP normally takes up to 90 days to adopt an opinion after it has received an application for a change to a marketing authorisation. Following CHMP opinion, it usually takes around 6 weeks for the European Commission to update the licence.

Based on the review of the data at the time of the withdrawal, the CHMP had concerns and was of the provisional opinion that DepoCyte could not be approved for the intrathecal treatment of solid tumour neoplastic meningitis.

The CHMP had concerns that the studies presented by the Company had not sufficiently shown that Depocyte was as effective as, or more effective than intrathecal methotrexate. They had concerns with the way the data were analysed.

Therefore, at the time of the withdrawal, the CHMP's view was that it had not been shown that the benefits of DepoCyte in the treatment of solid tumour neoplastic meningitis were greater that its risks.

The letter from the company notifying the EMEA of the withdrawal of DepoCyte is available under the tab 'All documents'.

The company has informed the CHMP that the decision has no consequences for patients enrolled in clinical trials or compassionate use programmes. If you are in a clinical trial or compassionate use programme and need more information about your treatment, contact the doctor who is giving it to you.

There are no consequences for DepoCyte's use in the indications for which it is already authorised, where the known benefit and risk remain unchanged.

Questions and answers on the withdrawal of the application for a change to the marketing authorisation for DepoCyte

Reference Number: EMEA/349192/2006

English (EN) (37.45 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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Other languages (17)

español (ES) (42.95 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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čeština (CS) (146.15 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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dansk (DA) (43.27 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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Deutsch (DE) (161.15 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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eesti keel (ET) (42.63 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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français (FR) (42.51 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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italiano (IT) (42.52 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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latviešu valoda (LV) (171.2 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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lietuvių kalba (LT) (145.29 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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magyar (HU) (140.46 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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Nederlands (NL) (42.86 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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polski (PL) (151.06 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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português (PT) (42.67 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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slovenčina (SK) (144 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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slovenščina (SL) (138.47 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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Suomi (FI) (42.59 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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svenska (SV) (42.58 KB - PDF)

First published: 29/06/2006Last updated: 29/06/2006
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Key facts

Name of medicine
DepoCyte
EMA product number
EMEA/H/C/000317
Active substance
cytarabine
International non-proprietary name (INN) or common name
cytarabine
Therapeutic area (MeSH)
Meningeal Neoplasms
Anatomical therapeutical chemical (ATC) code
L01BC01
Marketing authorisation holder
Pacira Limited
Date of issue of marketing authorisation valid throughout the European Union
11/07/2001
Date of withdrawal
28/06/2006

Documents

Withdrawal letter : DepoCyte

English (EN) (17.89 KB - PDF)

First published: 28/06/2006Last updated: 28/06/2006
View

Skye Pharma PLC withdraws its application to extend the marketing authorisation for DepoCyte

Reference Number: EMEA/245584/2006

English (EN) (100.72 KB - PDF)

First published: 30/06/2006Last updated: 30/06/2006
View

Related information on withdrawals

The question-and-answer (Q&A) document provides a summary of the CHMP's evaluation of the application at the time of the withdrawal, and includes a link to the company's formal withdrawal letter.

An assessment report is published when the application is withdrawn after the first stage of the CHMP's evaluation is completed ('day 90').

News on DepoCyte

European Medicines Agency gives recommendations to deal with sterility assurance concerns for DepoCyte
24/08/2012
Skye Pharma PLC withdraws its application to extend the marketing authorisation for DepoCyte
21/07/2006

More information on DepoCyte

  • DepoCyte
This page was last updated on 30/06/2006

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