FDA grants designations for novel stem cell gene therapy
Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today announced that the company has received both orphan drug designation and rare pediatric disease designation from the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OTL-203, an ex vivo autologous hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy in development for the treatment of mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I).
“We are pleased by the FDA’s acknowledgement of the critical and urgent need to develop additional treatments for MPS-I given the severe, life-limiting nature of the disease,” said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., PhD., chief executive officer of Orchard. “The underlying causes of lysosomal storage disorders such as MPS-I have been notably difficult to address, and we are encouraged by the early evidence of our hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy’s approach to potentially treating this condition. The orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations provide important momentum for the OTL-203 clinical program, which we remain committed to advancing as quickly as possible for patients in need.”
The FDA grants orphan designation, also referred to as orphan status, to drugs intended for the treatment of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.1 This designation affords Orchard certain benefits, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, waiver or partial payment of FDA application fees and seven years of market exclusivity, if approved.2 Separately, rare pediatric disease designations are granted for rare diseases that primarily affect children under 18 years old with recipients of this designation being awarded a priority review voucher, upon approval.3 The priority review voucher may be redeemed, transferred, or sold.4
Orchard recently announced new interim data from an ongoing proof-of-concept clinical trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of OTL-203. The first primary outcome measure was met with all eight patients achieving hematologic engraftment. Additionally, improved motor skills compared to baseline, stable cognitive scores, and normal growth was seen in the first two patients with at least one year of follow-up. Orchard expects to release full proof-of-concept results and initiate the registrational study for OTL-203 in 2021.
About OTL-203 and MPS-I
Mucopolysaccharidosis type I (MPS-I) is a rare, inherited neurometabolic disease caused by a deficiency of the alpha-L-iduronidase (IDUA) lysosomal enzyme, which is required to break down sugar molecules called glycosaminoglycans (also known as GAGs). The accumulation of GAGs across multiple organ systems results in symptoms including neurocognitive impairment, skeletal deformity, loss of vision and hearing, and cardiovascular and pulmonary complications. MPS-I occurs at an overall estimated frequency of one in every 100,000 live births. There are three subtypes of MPS-I; approximately 60 percent of children born with MPS-I have the most severe subtype, called Hurler syndrome, and rarely live past the age of 10 when untreated.
Treatment options for MPS-I include hematopoietic stem cell transplant and chronic enzyme replacement therapy, both of which have significant limitations. Though early intervention with enzyme replacement therapy has been shown to delay or prevent some clinical features of the condition, it has only limited efficacy on neurological symptoms. OTL-203 is an ex vivo autologous hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy being studied for the treatment of MPS-I. Orchard was granted an exclusive worldwide license to intellectual property rights to research, develop, manufacture and commercialize the gene therapy program for the treatment of MPS-I developed by the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy.
