Gilead Sciences and Galapagos announced that the Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) for filgotinib, an investigational, oral, selective JAK1 inhibitor, for the treatment of adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been validated and is now under evaluation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

“We are excited about the validation of this application which is an important milestone in our ongoing work to improve the lives of people living with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions,” said John Sundy, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Inflammation and Respiratory Diseases, Gilead Sciences.

The MAA for filgotinib is supported by 24-week data from the Phase 3 FINCH clinical trials in which once-daily treatment with filgotinib achieved improvements in clinical signs and symptoms, achievement of low disease activity and remission, and inhibition of structural damage for different sub-populations of patients living with RA. Across the FINCH program, safety data were consistent with previously reported results.

“We are very happy with the validation of the filgotinib MAA by the EMA, as this represents the latest step forward in our partnership with Gilead to bring filgotinib as a new treatment option to RA patients across Europe,” said Dr. Walid Abi-Saab, Chief Medical Officer at Galapagos.

The filgotinib filing will be reviewed by the EMA under the centralized licensing procedure for all 28 member states of the European Union, as well as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. In early July, Gilead announced plans to submit a New Drug Application (NDA) for filgotinib for the treatment of RA in the United States before the end of the year.

Filgotinib is an investigational agent and is not approved anywhere globally. Its efficacy and safety have not been established by any regulatory authorities.