BERKELEY, Calif., Nov. 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Biotech, Inc. (Nasdaq:ADRO) today announced that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) granted Orphan Drug Designation to CRS-207 for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).
“The receipt of Orphan Drug Designation in the European Union (EU) for CRS-207 for the treatment of MPM marks a significant regulatory milestone for Aduro, as we expand our operations in Europe and advance our therapies closer to the commercial marketplace,” said Stephen T. Isaacs, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Aduro. “We look forward to working with the EMA to expeditiously advance CRS-207 through development with the goal of bringing this potential therapy to patients throughout Europe suffering from mesothelioma.”
To receive Orphan Drug Designation from the EMA, a therapy must be intended for the treatment of a life-threatening or chronically debilitating rare condition with a prevalence of less than five in 10,000 in the European Union. Orphan Drug Designation provides incentives designed to facilitate development, including protocol assistance and scientific advice and importantly, may provide up to ten years of market exclusivity in the EU following product approval.
Aduro is conducting a Phase 1b study of CRS-207 in combination with standard of care chemotherapy in patients with unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma. The company plans to advance directly to a Phase 3 clinical trial with CRS-207 in combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy in patients with unresectable MPM in the first half of 2016. In addition to the newly granted Orphan Drug Designation from the EMA, CRS-207 received Orphan Status for the treatment of mesothelioma from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in March 2015.
About CRS-207
CRS-207 is one of a family of product candidates based on Aduro’s live-attenuated, double-deleted (LADD) Listeria monocytogenes immunotherapy platform that induces a potent innate and T cell-mediated adaptive immune response. CRS-207 has been engineered to express the tumor-associated antigen mesothelin, which is over-expressed in many cancers including mesothelioma and pancreatic, non-small cell lung, ovarian, endometrial and gastric cancers.
About Aduro
Aduro Biotech, Inc. is a clinical-stage immunotherapy company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapies that transform the treatment of challenging diseases. Aduro’s technology platforms, which are designed to harness the body’s natural immune system, are being investigated in cancer indications and have the potential to expand into autoimmune and infectious diseases. Aduro’s LADD technology platform is based on proprietary attenuated strains of Listeria that have been engineered to express tumor-associated antigens to induce specific and targeted immune responses. Based on compelling clinical data in advanced cancers, this platform is being developed as a treatment for multiple indications, including pancreatic, lung and prostate cancers, mesothelioma and glioblastoma. Aduro’s cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) platform is designed to activate the intracellular STING receptor, resulting in a potent tumor-specific immune response. Aduro’s B-select monoclonal antibody platform includes a number of immune modulating assets in research and preclinical development. Aduro is collaborating with leading global pharmaceutical companies to expand its products and technology platforms. For more information, please visit www.aduro.com.
