The Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan designation to BI-1206 for the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
BI-1206 is a monoclonal antibody being developed by BioInvent International.
The company says BI-1206 works by inhibiting FcgRIIB (CD32B), which is associated with poor prognosis in MCL and other non-Hodgkin lymphomas. By inhibiting FcgRIIB, BI-1206 is expected to enhance the activity of rituximab or other anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies.
BioInvent is conducting a phase 1/2a study (NCT03571568) of BI-1206 in combination with rituximab in patients with indolent, relapsed/refractory B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, including MCL. The first patient began receiving treatment with BI-1206 in September 2018.
The FDA grants orphan designation to products intended to treat, diagnose, or prevent diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Orphan 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.