Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Receives Orphan Drug Designation from U.S. FDA for Resveratrol in Mitochondrial Disorder, MELAS Syndrome

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRT - News), a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing small molecule drugs to treat diseases of aging, announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration has granted the company orphan-drug designation for resveratrol in the treatment of MELAS syndrome (Mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes). Orphan-drug designation for resveratrol in MELAS syndrome provides Sirtris with seven years of marketing exclusivity upon receipt of FDA approval.