Micrograph showing MM
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan designation to STRO-001 for the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM).
STRO-001 is an antibody-drug conjugate targeting CD74, a protein highly expressed in MM and other B-cell malignancies.
Sutro Biopharma, Inc., is currently studying STRO-001 in a phase 1 trial enrolling separate dose-escalation cohorts for MM and B-cell lymphoma.
Preclinical research of STRO-001 in MM was presented at the 2017 ASH Annual Meeting.
Researchers examined bone marrow samples from MM patients and detected CD74 expression in 35 of the 36 samples, including specimens from patients who were treatment-naïve and patients who had been heavily pretreated with chemotherapy and stem cell transplant.
The researchers then found that STRO-001 demonstrated cytotoxicity in MM cell lines.
STRO-001 also reduced tumor burden in two disseminated xenograft models (ARP-1 and MM.1S) and prolonged survival in one of them (MM.1S).
About orphan designation
The FDA grants orphan designation to products intended to treat, diagnose, or prevent diseases/disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.
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.