Uses for Gohibic
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the emergency use of GOHIBIC for the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in hospitalized adults when initiated within 48 hours of receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). However, GOHIBIC is not FDA-approved for this use.
Justification For Emergency Use Of Drugs During The COVID-19 Pandemic
There is currently an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus. The Secretary of HHS has:
- Determined that there is a public health emergency, or significant potential for a public health emergency, related to COVID-191.
- Declared that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of drugs and biological products for the prevention or treatment of COVID-192.
An EUA is a FDA authorization for the emergency use of an unapproved product or unapproved use of an approved product (i.e., drug, biological product, or device) in the United States under certain circumstances, including, but not limited to, when the Secretary of HHS declares that there is a public health emergency, or significant potential for a public health emergency that affects the national security or the health and security of United States citizens living abroad, and that involves biological agent(s) or a disease or condition that may be attributable to such agent(s). Criteria for issuing an EUA include:
- The biological agent(s) can cause a serious or life-threatening disease or condition;
- Based on the totality of the available scientific evidence (including data from adequate and well-controlled clinical trials, if available), it is reasonable to believe that:
- The product may be effective in diagnosing, treating, or preventing the serious or life-threatening disease or condition; and
- The known and potential benefits of the product – when used to diagnose, prevent or treat such disease or condition – outweigh the known and potential risks of the product, taking into consideration the material threat posed by the biological agent(s)
- There is no adequate, approved, and available alternative to the product for diagnosing, preventing, or treating the serious or life-threatening disease or condition.
1 See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Determination of a Public Health Emergency and Declaration that Circumstances Exist Justifying Authorizations Pursuant to Section 564(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3. February 4, 2020; https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/02/07/2020- 02496/determination-of-public-health-emergency. See also U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Amended Determination of a Public Health Emergency or Significant Potential for a Public Health Emergency Pursuant to Section 564(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b). March 15, 2023 (“Amended Determination”); https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/03/20/2023-05609/covid-19- emergency-use-authorization-declaration.
2 See U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Declaration that Circumstances Exist Justifying Authorizations Pursuant to Section 564(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3, 85 FR 18250 (April 1, 2020); https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/01/2020-06905/emergency-use-authorizationdeclaration. See also Amended Determination (“The declarations issued pursuant to section 564(b)(1) of the FD&C Act that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of certain in vitro diagnostics, personal respiratory protective devices, other medical devices and drugs and biological products, as set forth in those declarations, and that are based on the February 4, 2020 determination, remain in effect until those declarations are terminated in accordance with section 564 of the FD&C Act.”).
Information Regarding Available Alternatives For The EUA Authorized Use
Veklury (remdesivir), a SARS-CoV-2 nucleotide analog RNA polymerase inhibitor, is an FDA-approved alternative for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults when initiated within 48 hours of receiving IMV, or ECMO. Veklury has demonstrated antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2; whereas GOHIBIC acts by binding to C5a to block its interaction with the C5a receptor, both of which are components of the complement system thought to contribute to inflammation and worsening of COVID-19, offering a different mechanism of action.
Olumiant (baricitinib), a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor, is an FDA-approved alternative for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults when initiated within 48 hours of requiring IMV, or ECMO. As noted, GOHIBIC offers a different mechanism of action. In addition, GOHIBIC has an intravenous route of administration; whereas, Olumiant is available as tablets, offering an alternative route of administration to adult patients who are mechanically ventilated or on ECMO.
Actemra, an interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist, is also an FDA-approved alternative for the treatment of COVID-19 in hospitalized adults when initiated within 48 hours of receiving IMV, or ECMO. As noted, GOHIBIC offers a different mechanism of action.
Other therapeutics are currently authorized for the same use as GOHIBIC. For additional information on all products authorized for the treatment of COVID-19, please see https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/mcm-legal-regulatory-and-policy-framework/emergency-use-authorization.
For information on clinical studies of GOHIBIC and other therapies for the treatment of COVID-19, see www.clinicaltrials.gov.