Thursday February 28, 6:54 am Eastern Time
Entremed gets orphan status for melanoma drug
ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb 28 (Reuters) - Biotechnology company Entremed Inc. (NasdaqNM:ENMD - news) said on Thursday it received orphan drug status from U.S. regulators for its experimental treatment for malignant metastatic melanoma, a common and potentially deadly form of skin cancer.
Orphan drug designation entitles drug firms to exclusive marketing rights in the United States for their product for seven years following marketing approval and enables companies to apply for research funding, tax credits for certain research expenses, and a waiver from the FDA's application user fee.
Entremed's drug candidate, Endostatin, is being tested in various forms of cancer. In August of last year, the drug received orphan drug status for treating neuroendocrine tumors.
Endostatin is part of a class of experimental cancer treatments called anti-angiogenesis drugs. These drugs prevent tumors from growing little blood vessels to feed themselves, with the hope the tumors will eventually be eliminated.
Endostatin is still in early to mid-stage testing. Entremed said malignant melanoma is the eighth most common cancer in the
U.S.
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