On March 29, 2023 EpicentRx, Inc. ("EpicentRx"), reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Fast Track Designation to RRx-001, a direct NLRP3 inhibitor and Nrf2 upregulator with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, for the prevention/attenuation of severe oral mucositis in chemotherapy and radiation-treated head & neck cancer patients (Press release, EpicentRx, MAR 29, 2023, View Source [SID1234629494]). The FDA also accepted the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application to initiate a follow-on phase 2b clinical trial, called KEVLARx, in the same head & neck cancer patient population.

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According to the FDA, Fast Track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drug candidates to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and fulfill an unmet medical need so that they reach approval, and patients, sooner. In this case, the unmet medical need is severe oral mucositis (SOM), for which no treatment is currently available. SOM is not only a debilitatingly painful side effect of chemotherapy and radiation, but it is also potentially life-threatening because of concomitant infections. The benefits of Fast Track Designation include a "rolling review" of completed sections of the New Drug Application (NDA), more frequent interaction with the FDA to expedite the review process, and potential eligibility for accelerated approval and priority review.

"The Fast Track Designation is great news for EpicentRx, and it puts us one step closer to a potential treatment for this critical unmet need of oral mucositis with RRx-001," said EpicentRx CEO, Dr. Tony Reid.

About RRx-001
RRx-001 is a highly selective NLRP3 inhibitor under investigation in a Phase 3 trial for the treatment of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), and a planned Phase 2b trial for protection against oral mucositis in first line head and neck cancer. It is also under development as a medical countermeasure for nuclear and radiological emergencies and as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS/MND.