BPG BLOG (65)

LG Chem’s New Drug for Obesity Receives Additional Orphan Drug Designation by the US FDA


LG Chem announced on 16th that the FDA recently granted ODD to ‘LB54640’ for the treatment of ‘POMC (Proopiomelanocortin) deficiency.’

‘LB54640’ also received ODD back in September of 2020 by the FDA for ‘LEPR (leptin receptor) deficiency’.

The FDA operates the ODD system to encourage and support the development of rare and difficult-to-treat disease drugs with prevalence rates of less than 200,000 people. It is estimated that there are about 120,000 people suffering from rare genetic obesity in the US.

With this designation, LG Chem will receive benefits such as exclusive sales rights in the US market for seven years, subsidies and tax cuts for clinical trial expenses in the US, and preliminary consulting support related to development.

Click here to read the full article at Business Wire

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with unmet medical needs. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

02-24-2022

Celularity Receives Orphan Drug Designation from FDA for its NK Cell Therapy for the First-Line Treatment of Advanced HER2/neu Positive Gastric and Gastroesophageal Junction Cancers

Celularity Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing placental-derived off-the-shelf allogeneic cell therapies, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation for its investigational natural killer (NK) cell therapy, CYNK-101, for treatment of gastric/gastroesophageal junction cancer. CYNK-101 is being developed as a first-line treatment in combination with standard chemotherapy, trastuzumab and pembrolizumab in patients with locally advanced unresectable or metastatic HER2/neu positive gastric or gastroesophageal junction (G/GEJ) adenocarcinoma. CYNK-101 is an investigational genetically modified NK cell therapy designed to synergize with approved antibody therapeutics through enhanced antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

“This designation underscores the significant unmet need for these patients and CYNK-101’s potential in a new first-line treatment strategy,” said Robert Hariri, M.D., Ph.D., Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Celularity. “We are grateful for the FDA’s recognition of this potential treatment paradigm through Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track designation, which we received earlier this year. At Celularity, we are committed to forging new treatment strategies that leverage the unique properties of placental-derived cellular therapies to improve the lives of patients with this difficult-to-treat cancer.”

Read the Complete Article at BioSpace Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with unmet medical needs. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designationFast Track designationBreakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-29-2021

Drug development and working with specialised Rare Disease networks

There are currently an estimated 300 million people living with one or more Rare Diseases across the world. There are over 7,000 Rare Diseases that have been identified, yet only 5% have treatments.

However, despite the work still left to be done, there are now a growing number of treatments in the pipeline and 2020 proved to be a remarkable year for orphan drug approvals, with the US FDA approving more orphan designated treatments than non-orphan drugs.

In a recent webinar held by pharmaphorum, in partnership with IQVIA, a discussion was held looking at how to make academic and commercial medical research more efficient, while also looking at the opportunity of genomic data to bring benefits to patients and healthcare systems.

Dr Jeff Keefer, VP and Head of the Pediatric and Rare Disease Center of Excellence at IQVIA, was one of the three panellists present at the webinar, and he stated that what makes the space unique is the “strength and depth of the relationships that form within the Rare Disease community.”

Read the Complete Article at pharmaphorum Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-23-2021

Syndax Announces Orphan Drug Designation Granted to SNDX-5613 by European Commission for the Treatment of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Syndax Pharmaceuticals Inc.   (“Syndax,” the “Company” or “we”) (Nasdaq: SNDX), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing an innovative pipeline of cancer therapies, today announced that the European Commission has granted Orphan Drug Designation to SNDX-5613, the Company’s highly selective oral menin inhibitor, for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

“Supported by a growing body of clinical data, we firmly believe that SNDX-5613 is ideally positioned to serve as a best-in-class, meaningful intervention for patients with NPM1 and MLLr acute leukemias,” said Briggs W. Morrison, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Syndax. “Receipt of Orphan Drug Designation from the European Commission further validates the important role that SNDX-5613 could play in the treatment of this highly underserved patient population, and we are fully committed to ensuring that it is able to reach as many of these patients as possible.”

The European Commission grants Orphan Drug Designation for medicinal products intended to treat life-threatening or chronically debilitating conditions that affect fewer than five in 10,000 people in the European Union (EU) and when no satisfactory method of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of the condition can be authorized. The designation provides certain benefits and incentives in the EU, including protocol assistance, fee reductions, and ten years of market exclusivity once the medicine is on the market.

Read the Complete Article at BioSpace Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-21-2021

Mitotech Granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA for Visomitin in LHON

Mitotech S.A, a Luxembourg-based clinical-stage biotechnology company in ophthalmology, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation (ODD) for the company’s topical cardiolipin peroxidation inhibitor, Visomitin, for the treatment of Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON), a rare inherited condition that can lead to blindness. Mitotech is planning to start a Phase 2 with Visomitin in LHON in 2022 in collaboration with the LHON clinic at the Doheny Eye Institute at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

Visomitin demonstrated consistent improvement in visual acuity over several years in LHON patients involved in a three-year open-label Phase 2a study conducted outside the United States. Improvements were seen in patients with a range of underlying mutations, including those with variants such as G11778A where the chances of improvement are low. Mitotech’s planned Phase 2 study aims to develop Visomitin as a convenient and potentially high impact treatment for LHON.

“The US Orphan Drug Designation is highly encouraging for our efforts to bring Visomitin to young people whose lives have been radically affected by LHON,” said Natalia Perekhvatova, Chief Executive Officer of Mitotech S.A. “Visomitin has an outstanding safety profile and our preliminary human studies have demonstrated effectiveness in LHON. We are looking forward to progressing the drug in LHON as part of our wider ophthalmology pipeline.”

Read the Complete Article at GlobeNewswire Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-14-2021

European Medicines Agency Grants Jaguar Health Orphan Drug Designation for Crofelemer to Treat Short Bowel Syndrome

Jaguar Health (NASDAQ:JAGX) and its majority owned Italian subsidiary, Napo EU S.p.A. (soon to be renamed Napo Therapeutics), today announced that the European Commission has adopted the decision to grant Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for crofelemer for the indication of short bowel syndrome (SBS) in the European Union following review of the ODD application Napo EU submitted to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) this past September.

SBS affects approximately 10,000 to 20,000 people in the U.S.1, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, and it is estimated that the population of SBS patients in Europe is approximately the same size.2 Despite limited treatment options, the global SBS market exceeded $568 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $4.6 billion by 2027, according to a report by Vision Research Reports.

“Following this very welcome decision from the EMA, Napo EU is initiating efforts to plan and commence a pivotal clinical trial of crofelemer in both adult and pediatric SBS patients in support of our key focus on pursuing the EMA’s accelerated conditional marketing authorization pathway in Europe for this debilitating rare disease,” said Massimo Mineo, General Manager of Napo EU.

“SBS is a devastating disease. The mortality rate of SBS patients on home parenteral nutrition is about 30% after 5 years3, and it is estimated that approximately 70% of SBS patients in Europe are pediatric,” stated Lisa Conte, Jaguar’s president and CEO and Napo EU board member. “The accelerated approval regulatory pathway in Europe is key to our strategy underlying the exclusive license Jaguar Health has provided to Napo EU for crofelemer and to our efforts to make crofelemer’s novel mechanism of action available to patients suffering from rare diseases like SBS in the most rapid manner. Additionally, Jaguar Health has the right to utilize any clinical or regulatory data generated by Napo EU for SBS on a global basis, which provides us with another potential and important ‘shot on goal’ for crofelemer.”

Read the Complete Article at Jaguar Health Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-07-2021

Longeveron Granted Orphan Drug Designation by FDA for Lomecel-B to Treat Infants with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Longeveron Inc. (NASDAQ: LGVN) (“Longeveron” or “Company”), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing cellular therapies for chronic aging-related and certain life-threatening conditions, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) for Lomecel-B for the treatment of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), a rare and life-threatening congenital heart defect in infants.

ODD is intended to assist and encourage companies to develop safe and effective therapies for the treatment of rare diseases or conditions. ODD positions Longeveron to be able to potentially leverage a range of financial and regulatory benefits, including government grants for conducting clinical trials, waiver of FDA user fees for the potential submission of a marketing application, and certain tax credits. Receiving ODD may also result in the product receiving seven years market exclusivity upon approval for use in the rare disease or condition for which the product was designated if all of the statutory and regulatory requirements are met.

“Adding to the Rare Pediatric Disease (RPD) designation already granted to Lomecel-B for treatment of HLHS, the FDA’s decision to grant ODD to Lomecel-B for this indication indicates the ongoing and unmet need for new therapies to treat infants with HLHS,” said Geoff Green, Chief Executive Officer at Longeveron. “Building on results from our completed Phase 1 safety-focused trial, we believe Lomecel-B has potential to improve outcomes for these severely impacted infants by way of repairing cardiac tissue and improving ventricular function. The combination of both RPD and ODD allows us to potentially move more efficiently through clinical development and regulatory review, and Lomecel-B may be eligible for a period of marketing exclusivity upon approval for this indication.”

To Read the Complete Article at BioSpace News Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-06-2021

Soligenix Granted Pediatric Investigational Plan Waiver for HyBryte™ in CTCL in the United Kingdom

Soligenix (Nasdaq: SNGX) (Soligenix or the Company), a late-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing products to treat rare diseases where there is an unmet medical need, announced today that it has been granted a Pediatric Investigation Plan (PIP) product-specific waiver from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for HyBryte™ (SGX301 or synthetic hypericin), which has successfully concluded a Phase 3 pivotal clinical study for the treatment of early stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL).

The waiver was provided for all subsets of the pediatric population from birth to less than 18 years of age on the grounds that clinical studies in this rare population are not feasible. Earlier this year the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also granted a waiver to the Pediatric Investigational Plan requirements for the European Union (EU). With the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the EU effective January 1, 2021, the MHRA became the UK’s standalone medicines and medical devices regulator.

“This achievement is an important regulatory milestone as we move forward with marketing applications worldwide,” stated Christopher J. Schaber, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of Soligenix. “The PIP waiver allows us to work towards advancing a marketing authorization application (MAA) in the UK in a more cost-effective manner since we will not need to expend resources to conduct a pediatric clinical study.”

To Read the Complete Article at BioSpace News Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-03-2021

Reata Pharmaceuticals Receives Fast Track Designation From the FDA for Omaveloxolone for the Treatment of Friedreich’s Ataxia

Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: RETA), (“Reata,” the “Company,” “our,” “us,” or “we”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) has granted Fast Track Designation for omaveloxolone for the treatment of Friedreich’s ataxia.

“We are pleased to receive Fast Track Designation as it highlights the potential of omaveloxolone to address a significant unmet medical need for the treatment of patients with Friedreich’s ataxia, a severe and devastating disease,” said Warren Huff, Reata’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain committed to submitting our New Drug Application during the first quarter of 2022 and continue working with the FDA to secure regulatory approval as quickly as possible.”

The Fast Track program is designed to accelerate the development and review of products such as omaveloxolone, which are intended to treat serious diseases and for which there is an unmet medical need. Fast Track Designation enables more frequent communication with the FDA and eligibility for FDA programs such as priority review and rolling review, if relevant criteria are met.

About Friedreich’s Ataxia

Friedreich’s ataxia is a rare, genetic, life-shortening, debilitating, and degenerative neuromuscular disorder, which is normally diagnosed during adolescence. Friedreich’s ataxia is caused by a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the frataxin gene, which encodes the mitochondrial protein frataxin. Pathogenic repeat expansions can lead to impaired transcription and reduced frataxin expression, which can result in mitochondrial iron overload and poor cellular iron regulation, increased sensitivity to oxidative stress, and impaired mitochondrial ATP production. Patients with Friedreich’s ataxia experience symptoms in childhood, including progressive loss of coordination, muscle weakness, and fatigue that commonly results in motor incapacitation with patients requiring a wheelchair in their teens or early 20s. Patients with Friedreich’s ataxia may also experience visual impairment, hearing loss, diabetes, and cardiomyopathy. Based on literature and proprietary research, we believe Friedreich’s ataxia affects approximately 5,000 children and adults in the United States and 22,000 individuals globally. There are currently no approved therapies for the treatment of patients with Friedreich’s ataxia.

To Read the Complete Article at BioSpace News Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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12-02-2021

U.S. FDA Grants Bionomics Fast Track Designation to BNC210 for the Acute Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder and Other Anxiety Related Disorders

Bionomics Limited (ASX:BNO, OTCQB:BNOEF) (Bionomics or Company), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to the BNC210 development program for the acute treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) and other anxiety-related disorders. In November 2019, the FDA granted Fast Track designation to the BNC210 development program for the treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related and stressor-related disorders.

Fast Track designation is a FDA program intended to facilitate and expedite development and review of new drugs that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical need in the treatment of a serious or life-threatening disease or condition. A drug that receives Fast Track designation is eligible for some, or all, of the following:

  • more frequent meetings with FDA to discuss the drug’s development plan and ensure collection of appropriate data needed to support drug approval;
  • more frequent written communication from FDA about such things as the design of the proposed clinical trials and use of biomarkers;
  • eligibility for priority review and accelerated approval, if relevant criteria are met; and
  • possible review of the New Drug Application (NDA) on a rolling basis. NDA review usually does not begin until a company has submitted the entire drug application to the FDA. When an NDA is eligible for rolling review, FDA begins reviewing completed sections of an NDA before the entire NDA is submitted.

BNC210 is an oral proprietary selective negative allosteric modulator of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor in development for the acute treatment of SAD and chronic treatment of PTSD. Following encouraging results in a previous Phase 2a study in Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) patients where a single oral dose administration of BNC210 showed significantly reduced threat-avoidance behaviour and significantly reduced connectivity between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex, a network involved in regulating anxious responses to aversive stimuli, BNC210 will be evaluated as an acute, or single-dose, treatment for patients with SAD in a planned Phase 2 clinical trial named the PREVAIL Study that we expect to initiate by the end of 2021.

To Read the Complete Article at BioSpace News Click Here

Disclaimer: BioPharma Global is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. Content available through the site may contain links and information to other websites. Links from BioPharma Global to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by BioPharma Global of the mentioned parties.

BioPharma Global is a mission-driven corporation, operating like a not-for-profit, dedicated to using our FDA and EMA regulatory expertise and knowledge of various therapeutic areas to help drug developers advance treatments for the disease communities with a high unmet medical need. If you are a drug developer seeking regulatory support for Orphan Drug designation, Fast Track designation, Breakthrough Therapy designation, other FDA/EMA expedited programs, type A, B (pre-IND, EOPs), or C meeting assistance, or IND filings, the BioPharma Global team can help. Contact us today to arrange a 30-minute introductory call.

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