AstraZeneca and MSD's Koselugo (selumetinib) has been granted conditional approval in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of symptomatic, inoperable plexiform neurofibromas (PN) in pediatric patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) three years of age and older.

NF1 is a debilitating genetic condition affecting one in 3,000 individuals worldwide. In 30-50% of people with NF1, tumors develop on the nerve sheaths (plexiform neurofibromas) and can cause clinical issues such as disfigurement, motor dysfunction, pain, airway dysfunction, visual impairment and bladder or bowel dysfunction.

The SPRINT trial showed Koselugo reduced the size of inoperable tumors in children, reducing pain and improving quality of life. This is the first approval of a medicine for NF1 PN in the EU and follows the positive recommendation by the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency in April 2021. Safety and efficacy data from the SPRINT Phase II trial with longer follow-up will be provided as one of the conditions of approval.

Brigitte C. Widemann, MD, Principal Investigator of the SPRINT trial and Chief, NCI Pediatric Oncology Branch, said: "For children with neurofibromatosis type 1, plexiform neurofibromas can grow and develop so significantly that, in some cases, it becomes debilitating. In the SPRINT trial, selumetinib shrank NF1-associated PNs in 66% of patients and showed clinically meaningful improvements in PN-related symptoms."

Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President, Oncology Business Unit, said: "As the first medicine approved in the EU for patients with neurofibromatosis type 1, Koselugo has the potential to transform the way plexiform neurofibromas are managed and treated.”

Roy Baynes, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Clinical Development, Chief Medical Officer, MSD Research Laboratories, said: "Before this approval, surgery was the only treatment option for children in the EU with neurofibromatosis type 1 plexiform neurofibromas. This approval marks a significant step forward in addressing the debilitating impact of these tumours."

Koselugo is approved in the US and several other countries for the treatment of pediatric patients with NF1 and symptomatic, inoperable PN. Further regulatory submissions are underway. Clinical trials of Koselugo in adult patients with NF1 PN, including an alternative age-appropriate formulation for pediatric patients, are scheduled to begin this year.