Sebelipase alfa
Sebelipase alfa, sold under the brand name Kanuma, is a recombinant form of the enzyme lysosomal acid lipase that is used as a medication for the treatment of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency. It is administered via intraveneous infusion. It was approved for medical use in the European Union and in the United States in 2015.Medical uses
Sebelipase alfa is indicated for long-term enzyme replacement therapy in people of all ages with lysosomal acid lipase deficiency.History
Sebelipase was developed by Synageva that became part of Alexion Pharmaceuticals in 2015. For its production, chickens are genetically modified to produce the recombinant form of LAL in their egg white. After extraction and purification it becomes available as the medication. On December 8, 2015 the FDA announced that its approval came from two centers: The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research approved the human therapeutic application of the medication, while the Center for Veterinary Medicine approved the application for a recombinant DNA construct in genetically engineered chicken to produce rhLAL in their egg whites. At the time it gained FDA approval Kanuma was the first only drug manufactured in chicken eggs and intended for use in humans.
Sebelipase alfa is an orphan drug; its effectiveness was published after a phase 3 trial in 2015. The disease of LAL affects < 0.2 in 10,000 people in the EU.
According to an estimate by a Barclays analyst in 2015, the drug was expected to be priced at about US$375,000 per year.
