Bionovo receives CMC approval for Menerba

EMERYVILLE, Calif. The Food and Drug Administration has approved a manufacturing plan for a drug to treat hot flashes in menopausal women.

Bionovo said Thursday that the FDA had accepted its chemistry, manufacturing and controls plan for the drug Menerba. The decisions and agreements are considered binding on the company and the FDA.

“This CMC approval represents a revolutionary set of ‘firsts,’” Bionovo chairman and CEO Isaac Cohen said. “This is the first time that the FDA’s botanical drug development CMC guidance has been applied to an oral drug in a major indication.”