VEGFb receives orphan drug status

PhiloGene Incorporated recently announced that their vascular endothelial growth factor “b” has been granted orphan drug status by the FDA for the treatment of advanced melanoma.

According to a July 24 press release, the drug is approved for a large subset of patients with melanoma and includes melanoma in stages IIb through IV.

VEGFb, a naturally occurring anti-angiogenic factor, causes regression of abnormal blood vessels, like those that aid in the growth and survival of tumors, according to the press release. The growth of new blood vessels generated by eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration is prevented by VEGFb.

The VEGFb has been shown to down-regulate in primary tumors of patients with malignant melanoma who developed metastases suggesting that low levels of VEGFb maybe a component of the metastatic process, according to the release.

VGEFb also decreased the formation of melanoma metastases over a period of 14 days in a preclinical model of human melanoma. Metastases were eliminated in at least one case.

VGEFb has also shown positive results in other preclinical cancer models such as colon, breast, bladder, renal, prostate, sarcoma and others. – by Stacey L. Adams