SAN DIEGO, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Sangart, Inc., a global biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing life-saving medicines specifically designed to enhance the perfusion and oxygenation of ischemic (oxygen deprived) tissues through targeted oxygen and other gas delivery, today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted orphan medicinal product designation for MP4CO for the treatment of sickle cell disease. This designation provides ten years of market exclusivity in the European Union (EU) following marketing authorization.
The EC regulation for orphan medicinal products is designed to promote the development of drugs for rare diseases. Orphan medicinal product designation can confer numerous benefits to companies developing such treatments, including regulatory assistance, reduced regulatory fees associated with applying for marketing approval, and assistance with clinical trial design.
About MP4CO
Sangart’s product platform is based on the MP4 molecule, an investigational biopharmaceutical product designed to enhance the perfusion of oxygen-deprived (ischemic) tissues and provide targeted oxygen delivery in the capillaries. Carbon monoxide (CO) at very low doses stabilizes hemoglobin S and acts as a messenger to cells, reducing inflammation, reducing oxygen requirements and preventing programmed cell death. The MP4 molecule can be modified to carry CO and other gases to enhance therapeutic benefit for certain patients. MP4CO is designed to deliver therapeutic, non-toxic levels of CO providing an immediate metabolic signal to cells and reducing inflammation. Once the CO is released from the compound, the MP4 molecule is oxygenated in the lung and then delivers oxygen to the ischemic tissues.
About Sickle Cell Disease
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder that affects red blood cell circulation in millions of people around the world, including approximately 70,000 people in the United States and between 40,000 and 50,000 people in the European Union.
The number of crises a sickle cell disease patient experiences varies. Most sickle cell disease patients experience at least one sickle crisis at some point during their lives; some may suffer 15 or more crises each year. Patients suffering from a sickle crisis experience severe pain and are at risk of stroke, heart attack or even death.
To learn more about Sangart, please visit the company’s website at www.sangart.com.
CONTACT: Rachel Martin of Edelman Public Relations, +1-323-202-1031, cell,
+1-323-373-5556, Rachel.Martin@edelman.com, for Sangart, Inc.
Web site: http://www.sangart.com/
