The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)’s Kickstart program has announced receipt of both U.S. orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations in support of work for congenital myasthenic syndrome caused by choline acetyltransferase (CHAT) gene deficiency. The FDA awarded the orphan drug designation to AVCHAT-01X (AAV serotype 9 human choline acetyltransferase).

The FDA has granted orphan drug designation to Modalis Therapeutics Corp.’s MDL-101, a novel epigenetic editing therapy being developed for the treatment of congenital muscular dystrophy type 1a (LAMA2-CMD), a severe, early-onset muscular dystrophy caused by the absence of the LAMA2 protein.

The FDA has awarded orphan drug designation to UP Oncolytics LLC’s oncolytic virus-based therapy (ZIKV-SJRP/2016) to treat malignant glioma.

The FDA has awarded orphan drug designation to Papillon Therapeutics Inc.’s PPL-002, an experimental gene-modified CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) therapy, for the treatment of Danon disease.

The FDA has awarded U.S. orphan drug designation to Eydisbio Inc.’s EYD-001 (formerly HS-276), a highly selective and potent, orally bioavailable TAK1 inhibitor for the treatment of systemic sclerosis. Eydisbio plans to initiate clinical trials in the near future.

Papillon Therapeutics Inc.’s PPL-001 has been awarded orphan drug designation by the FDA for Friedreich’s ataxia. PPL-001 is an experimental gene-corrected CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) therapy.

Somite Therapeutics Inc.’s lead program, SMT-M01, has been awarded orphan drug and rare pediatric disease designations by the FDA for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The program leverages the company’s proprietary Alphastem artificial intelligence (AI) platform to develop a novel cell replacement therapy for DMD.

The European Commission has granted EU orphan drug designation to Synerkine Pharma BV’s SK-01 to treat complex regional pain syndrome.

South Korean artificial intelligence-based drug developer Pharos Ibio Co. Ltd. said that the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) granted an orphan drug designation for PHI-101, a second-line therapy for acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Abdera Therapeutics Inc.’s ABD-147 has been granted U.S. orphan drug designation for the treatment of neuroendocrine carcinoma. ABD-147 is a next-generation precision radiopharmaceutical biologic therapy designed to deliver actinium-225 (225Ac) to solid tumors expressing DLL3.