Ellipses EP0031/A400 granted Orphan Drug Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration EP0031/A400, a next generation selective RET inhibitor (SRI), is currently being investigated as a treatment option for patients with RET altered tumours

Ellipses EP0031/A400 granted Orphan Drug Designation from the US Food and Drug Administration

EP0031/A400, a next generation selective RET inhibitor (SRI), is currently being investigated as a treatment option for patients with RET altered tumours

Ellipses Pharma (“Ellipses”), a global drug development company focused on accelerating the development of cancer treatments through an innovative drug development model, announces today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) to its compound, EP0031/A400, a potential treatment for tissue-agnostic RET fusion-positive solid tumours.

The FDA grants ODD for investigational treatments for rare diseases, such as RET fusion-positive solid tumours, defined as affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. ODD qualifies the developer for certain incentives with the goal of accelerating drug development for patients, including tax credits and seven years of market exclusivity in the US upon approval by the FDA.

In June 2022, the FDA approved EP0031/A400’s Investigational New Drug Application (IND), and EP0031 is currently being investigated in a global, modular Phase 1/2 trial to evaluate the safety, tolerability and efficacy in patients with advanced RET-altered tumours including patients who are naïve to, or have progressed on, first generation SRIs.^[i]

It is estimated that RET mutations and rearrangements may be responsible for ~2% of all solid tumours. EP0031/A400 is a potent next generation SRI and in preclinical studies, demonstrated favourable inhibitory activity against key RET kinases in-vitro and in-vivo with improved penetration of the blood brain barrier compared to first generation SRIs.

EP0031 is being developed in partnership with Kelun-Biotech Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. (Kelun-Biotech) and is also known as A400 when identified in conjunction with Kelun-Biotech’s ongoing regional development.

Dr Rajan Jethwa, Chief Executive Officer & Founder of Ellipses, commented:

“Orphan Drug Designation from the FDA is an important moment in the ongoing development of EP0031 and we are currently accelerating its development based on the very encouraging clinical data we have shared at recent major conferences. This FDA decision further focuses our vision as we continue our drive towards bringing EP0031 to patients.”

Professor Sir Christopher Evans, Chairman and Founder of Ellipses Pharma, said:

“Achievements such as this designation underline the vision and model we have developed at Ellipses - rapidly identifying and developing assets which we believe can have the most impact on patients around the world. “

Professor Tobias Arkenau, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, Ellipses Pharma commented:

“The FDA’s ODD approval is a significant milestone for EP0031 and we are excited by the considerable momentum we have in the clinical development of this drug, including rapid progress with the ongoing phase 1/2 trial following the encouraging clinical data  presented at ASCO² and the AACR-NCI-EORTC³ meeting.”

[i] https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05443126

² J Clin Oncol 2023, abstract 3007

³ EORTC-NCI-AACR2023, abstract B043

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