On June 29, 2022 ALX Oncology Holdings Inc., ("ALX Oncology") (Nasdaq: ALXO) a clinical-stage immuno-oncology company developing therapies that block the CD47 checkpoint pathway, reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") granted orphan drug designation ("ODD") to evorpacept, a next-generation CD47 blocker, for the treatment of patients with acute myeloid leukemia ("AML") (Press release, ALX Oncology, JUN 29, 2022, View Source [SID1234616353]).
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"Receiving orphan drug designation in AML, and previously in gastric cancer, from the FDA is an important regulatory milestone and reflects the FDA’s recognition of evorpacept’s potential to improve clinical outcomes in patients with these advanced cancers," said Sophia Randolph, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer, ALX Oncology. "In our ongoing Phase 1/2 ASPEN-05 study (NCT04755244), we are excited to evaluate the combination of evorpacept with venetoclax and azacitidine in patients with previously untreated AML who are not candidates for intensive induction therapy or with relapsed/refractory AML."
The FDA’s Office of Orphan Products Development grants ODD status to drugs and biologics intended for the safe and effective treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. ODD provides benefits to drug developers designed to support the development of drugs and biologics for small patient populations with unmet medical needs. These benefits include assistance in the drug development process, tax credits for qualified clinical costs, exemptions from certain FDA fees and seven years of marketing exclusivity.
About Acute Myeloid Leukemia
AML is an aggressive blood cell cancer that can rapidly progress and lead to death if not treated promptly. AML is the most common form of acute leukemia in adults, with an estimated 20,050 new cases and 11,540 deaths from AML in the United States in 2022. Due to advanced age and comorbidities at the time of diagnosis, a significant number of patients are not considered eligible for intensive and potentially curative therapies. Despite advances in available care, the estimated 5-year survival for patients in the United States with AML remains only 31%.