Joenja (Leniolisib) Receives MHRA Approval for Children Aged 4–11 Years Weighing at Least 27 kg with APDS

Pharming announced that the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved an extension of the marketing authorization of Joenja, an oral, selective phosphoinositide 3-kinase delta (PI3Kδ) inhibitor, to include children aged 4 to 11 years weighing at least 27kg with activated PI3K delta syndrome (APDS), a rare primary immunodeficiency.

The approval includes 40 mg and 50 mg twice-daily dosing for eligible pediatric patients in this weight group, making Joenja the first treatment approved in the U.K. specifically for children with APDS.

The approval also expands the existing U.K. indication for Joenja, which was previously authorized for eligible adults and adolescents aged 12 years and older. Joenja is expected to become available to patients covered by the expanded indication in February. Pharming will work closely with the NHS and relevant stakeholders to support timely access for eligible patients.

“This approval is the latest step in our continued expansion of Joenja across age groups and geographies, giving eligible children in the U.K. aged 4 to 11 with APDS an approved treatment option. We will work closely with the NHS to support timely access for younger patients.” – Leverne Marsh, interim Co-CEO and Chief Commercial Officer of Pharming.

“The extension of the marketing authorization for leniolisib to children as young as four years old represents a significant step forward for children and families living with APDS. For families facing the devastating diagnosis of APDS, this extension provides an important new option: access to a targeted treatment supported by clinical data, without having to wait until their child reaches an older age.” – Dr Austen Worth, Pediatric Immunology Consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) for Children and Associate Professor in Molecular Immunology at University College London, U.K.

The MHRA decision was supported by data from Pharming’s pediatric clinical program, conducted as part of the MHRA-agreed Pediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) for leniolisib, together with additional clinical pharmacology and safety assessments supporting the approved dosing regimen. Leniolisib was generally well-tolerated in patients of 4 years and above, supporting a positive benefit: risk profile in this age group.

Joenja is a registered trademark owned by Pharming Group N.V. or its affiliates.