ZIOPHARM, Inc. Receives Positive Opinion for Orphan Drug Designation for Darinaparsin from European Medicines Agency

(BUSINESS WIRE)--ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ZIOP), announced today that The Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) within the European Medicines Agency (EMA) adopted a positive opinion for darinaparsin (Zinapar™ or ZIO-101) designation as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL). A positive opinion by the COMP immediately precedes official designation of darinaparsin as an orphan drug by the European Commission (EC). Intravenous darinaparsin has demonstrated evidence of activity in lymphoma, in particular PTCL. ZIOPHARM expects to initiate a registration-directed study of darinaparsin in patients with PTCL by the end of 2011.