SAN FRANCISCO, June 21, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FibroGen, Inc. (NASDAQ:FGEN), a science-based biopharmaceutical company, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation status to pamrevlumab, the company’s first-in-class antibody, for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.
“This is an important regulatory milestone for FibroGen, as pamrevlumab continues to show promise in the treatment of pancreatic cancer,” said Tom Neff, Chief Executive Officer of FibroGen. “Phase 2 clinical studies of pamrevlumab have produced initial positive data on median and one-year survival for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (88% metastatic). An ongoing study in locally advanced non-resectable pancreatic cancer has shown promise in converting pancreatic cancer from non-resectable to surgically viable. In this current open-label Phase 2 randomized trial, we are evaluating pamrevlumab in combination with chemotherapy standard-of-care versus chemotherapy alone. We look forward to sharing results by early next year.”
Orphan Drug Designation qualifies the sponsor for various development incentives of the Orphan Drug Act, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, to advance the evaluation and development of products that demonstrate promise for the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases or conditions. Orphan Drug Designation can also convey up to seven years of marketing exclusivity if the compound receives regulatory approval from the FDA. FibroGen previously received Orphan Drug Designation for pamrevlumab for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
About Pamrevlumab
Pamrevlumab (formerly FG-3019) is an investigational therapeutic antibody developed by FibroGen to inhibit the activity of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), a common factor in chronic fibrotic and proliferative disorders characterized by persistent and excessive scarring that can lead to organ dysfunction and failure. FibroGen is currently conducting clinical studies of pamrevlumab in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pancreatic cancer, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). In desmoplastic or fibrotic cancers, such as pancreatic cancer, CTGF in the extensive fibrous stroma associated with the tumor promotes abnormal proliferation of stromal cells and tumor cells. For information about pamrevlumab studies currently recruiting patients, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
About FibroGen, Inc.
FibroGen, Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, CA with subsidiary offices in Beijing and Shanghai, PRC, is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company discovering and developing a pipeline of first-in-class therapeutics. The company applies its pioneering expertise in fibrosis and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) biology and clinical development to advance innovative medicines for the treatment of anemia, fibrotic disease, and cancer. Roxadustat, the company’s most advanced product candidate, is an oral small molecule inhibitor of HIF prolyl hydroxylase activity in Phase 3 clinical development for the treatment of anemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is entering Phase 3 development for anemia in lower risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Pamrevlumab, a fully-human monoclonal antibody that inhibits the activity of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), is in Phase 2 clinical development for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), pancreatic cancer, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). FibroGen is also developing a biosynthetic cornea in China. For more information, please visit www.fibrogen.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements regarding our strategy, future plans and prospects, including statements regarding the development of the Company's product candidate pamrevlumab, the potential safety and efficacy profile of our product candidates, and our clinical plans. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions and are not historical facts and typically are identified by use of terms such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. Our actual results may differ materially from those indicated in these forward-looking statements due to risks and uncertainties related to the continued progress and timing of our various no programs, including the enrollment and results from ongoing and potential future clinical trials for pamrevlumab, and other matters that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the risk factors set forth therein. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement in this press release, except as required by law.