BioArctic AB (publ) (Nasdaq Stockholm: BIOA B) announced today that the US FDA Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has granted orphan drug designation (ODD) to exidavnemab for the treatment of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), providing incentives for the development of treatments for rare diseases with a high medical need.
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a rapidly progressive and fatal rare disease affecting the central and autonomic nervous systems. MSA is characterized by pathological alpha-synuclein aggregation, that causes gradual damage to nerve cells in the brain. This affects balance, movement and the autonomic nervous system, which controls several basic functions, such as breathing, digestion and bladder control. Currently there is no cure and no available treatment to slow its progression.
Exidavnemab is being developed as a novel disease-modifying treatment for synucleinopathies such as MSA and Parkinson’s disease. It is a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that selectively targets soluble alpha-synuclein aggregates, such as oligomers or protofibrils. By promoting the clearance of aggregated alpha-synuclein, exidavnemab may reduce the spreading and the negative effects of alpha-synuclein. Thereby, neuronal function and survival may be preserved, and disease progression ultimately slowed down.
