Photo by Chad McNeeley
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant preparation
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to OCU300 (brimonidine tartrate) for the treatment of ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) occurring after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Brimonidine tartrate is an alpha adrenergic agonist that is already FDA-approved to lower intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.
Ocugen Inc. is repurposing the drug as OCU300 for the treatment of oGVHD under the FDA’s 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway.
“We are very excited to receive the first-ever orphan drug designation by the FDA for oGVHD, emphasizing the unmet medical need for patients with this disease,” said Shankar Musunuri, PhD, chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder of Ocugen Inc.
“This is a significant milestone that will allow us to further advance the clinical development of OCU300, with a proprietary nanoemulsion, into a phase 3 clinical trial in the near future.”
According to Ocugen, OCU300 produced a beneficial effect in 90% of patients with oGVHD in an observational study, and the drug did not produce significant side effects.
About orphan designation
The FDA grants orphan designation to drugs and biologics intended to treat, diagnose, or prevent diseases/disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.
The designation provides incentives for sponsors to develop products for rare diseases. This may include tax credits toward the cost of clinical trials, prescription drug user fee waivers, and 7 years of market exclusivity if the product is approved.
