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Fovea receives European orphan drug designation for potential retinitis pigmentosa treatment
PARIS — Fovea Pharmaceuticals has received orphan drug designation from the European Commission for its recombinant human rod-derived cone viability factor, or rh-RdCVF, for treating retinitis pigmentosa, according to a release from the company.
If Fovea becomes the first company to receive marketing approval for this type of drug therapy, the orphan drug designation would grant Fovea exclusive marketing rights in Europe for 10 years and would entitle it to apply for research funding, tax exemption for certain research expenses and protocol assistance, according to the release.
Fovea is currently conducting pre-clinical studies of rh-RdCVF, which have shown efficacy in animal models. The company plans to commence clinical trials of rh-RdCVF in 2009, the release said.
Similar orphan drug designation is currently being assessed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.