GUILFORD, Conn., Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OrphAI Therapeutics Inc. (“OrphAI”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for rare diseases, announced today that it has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) in the European Union (EU) for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). AIT-101 previously received ODD from the U.S. FDA in June 2023 for the treatment of ALS.
“OrphAI Therapeutics now has orphan designation for AIT-101 both in the US and the EU for the treatment of ALS, an important step toward bringing the drug to patients suffering from this neurodegenerative disorder,” said Dr. Brigette Roberts, CEO and Director of OrphAI. “AIT-101 has demonstrated compelling activity in its ability to clear toxic aggregates, which are a hallmark of ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. We look forward to moving AIT-101 into the next stage of clinical development."
About AIT-101
AIT-101 is a first-in-class, potent and highly selective inhibitor of the lipid kinase PIKfyve. Inhibition of PIKfyve leads to activation of the transcription factor TFEB which drives the increased clearance of toxic protein aggregates via the lysosomal autophagy pathway. AIT-101 has now been demonstrated to reduce aggregates in human subjects, to improve the survival of motor neurons in in vitro models of familial and sporadic ALS, and to ameliorate functional deficits in a mutant TDP-43 animal model of ALS. AIT-101 is the most clinically advanced PIKfyve inhibitor in development.
About OrphAI Therapeutics
OrphAI Therapeutics’ mission is to transform the lives of patients with rare diseases. The company is currently developing three investigational therapies across multiple orphan indications: AIT-101, a first-in-class PIKfyve inhibitor, which recently completed a Phase 2a clinical trial in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); LAM-001, a proprietary inhaled form of rapamycin, currently in Phase 2 for Group 1 and 3 pulmonary hypertension and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS); and AIT-102, a proprietary analogue of mithramycin, in preclinical development, for the treatment of SWI/SNF mutated or dysregulated tumors. To learn more, please visit: OrphAI-Therapeutics.com
