Caelum Biosciences Granted Orphan Medicinal Product Designation from the European Commission for CAEL-101 for the Treatment of AL Amyloidosis
BORDENTOWN, NJ – December 2, 2019 – Caelum Biosciences, Inc. (“Caelum”), a company focused on developing treatments for rare and life-threatening diseases, today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted orphan medicinal product designation to CAEL-101 (previously known as 11-1F4), a light chain fibril-reactive monoclonal antibody (“mAb”), for the treatment of amyloid light chain (“AL”) amyloidosis. CAEL-101 is a first-in-class amyloid fibril targeted therapy designed to improve organ function by reducing or eliminating amyloid deposits in patients with AL amyloidosis. AL amyloidosis is a rare systemic disorder that causes misfolded immunoglobulin light chain protein to build up in and around tissues, resulting in progressive and widespread organ damage, most commonly to the heart and kidneys. CAEL-101 previously received orphan drug designation (“ODD”) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) as a therapy for patients with AL amyloidosis, and as a radio-imaging agent in AL amyloidosis.
Orphan Medicinal Product Designation in the European Union (“EU”) is based upon a positive opinion from the European Medicines Agency’s (“EMA”) Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products and provides regulatory and financial incentives for companies to develop and market therapies to treat serious disorders affecting no more than five in 10,000 persons in the EU. Companies that obtain orphan medicinal product designation benefit from a number of incentives, including ten-year marketing exclusivity in the EU upon approval, as well as eligibility for protocol assistance, reduced fees and access to the EU’s centralized marketing authorization procedure.
About AL Amyloidosis
AL amyloidosis is a rare systemic disorder caused by
an abnormality of plasma cells in the bone marrow. Misfolded immunoglobulin
light chains produced by plasma cells aggregate and form fibrils that deposit
in tissues and organs, gradually affecting their function. This can cause
progressive and widespread organ damage and high mortality rates, with death
most frequently occurring as a result of cardiac failure. Current standard of
care includes plasma cell directed chemotherapy and autologous stem cell
transplant, but these therapies do not address the organ dysfunction caused by
amyloid deposition, and up to 80 percent of patients are ineligible for
transplant.
AL amyloidosis is a rare disease but is the most common form of amyloidosis. There are approximately 22,000 patients across the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom. AL amyloidosis has a one-year mortality rate of 47 percent, 76 percent of which is caused by cardiac amyloidosis.
About CAEL-101 (mAb 11-1F4)
CAEL-101 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody (mAb) designed to improve organ function by reducing or eliminating amyloid deposits in the tissues and organs of patients with AL amyloidosis. The antibody is designed to bind to insoluble light chain amyloid protein, including both kappa and lambda subtypes. In a Phase 1a/1b study, CAEL-101 demonstrated improved organ function, including cardiac and renal function, in 27 patients with relapsed and refractory AL amyloidosis who had previously not had an organ response to standard of care therapy. CAEL-101 has received Orphan Drug Designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a therapy for patients with AL amyloidosis, and as a radio-imaging agent in AL amyloidosis.
About Caelum Biosciences
Caelum Biosciences, Inc. (“Caelum”) is a
clinical-stage biotechnology company developing treatments for rare and
life-threatening diseases. Caelum’s lead asset, CAEL-101 (mAb 11-1F4), is a
novel antibody for the treatment of patients with amyloid light chain (“AL”)
amyloidosis. For more information, visit www.caelumbio.com.
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Contact:
Caelum Biosciences, Inc.
Michael Spector, President & Chief Executive Officer
mspector@caelumbio.com