US Orphan status for Bexion’s brain tumour drug BXQ-350
SDVYCEVCEFLVKEVTKLIDNNKTEKEILDAFDKMCSKLPKSLSEECQEVVDTYGSSILSILLEEV SPELVCSMLHLCSG [SEQ ID NO: 2].
BXQ-350
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital ……..innovator
Bexion Pharmaceuticals……….under license
In February 2015, the US FDA granted saposin C Orphan designation for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme
SAPOCIN C
Recombinant human Saposin C (SapC) bound to a liposomal formulation of the dioleoylphosphatidylserine
Bexion’s Saposin C – the active ingredient in the brain tumour therapy BXQ-350 – has been awarded Orphan Drug status by US regulators.
Read more at: http://www.pharmatimes.com/Article/15-02-17/US_Orphan_status_for_Bexion_s_brain_tumour_drug.aspx#ixzz3S3zXdHlO
Bexion Pharmaceuticals, under license from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, is investigating a human saposin C (SapC)/liposomal dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) conjugate, SapC-DOPS (BXQ-350), a nanovesicle-formulated pro-apoptotic sphingomyelinase activating molecular imaging agent and anticancer agent, for the potential diagnosis and treatment of cancer , . In October 2013, Bexion was planning a phase I first-in-human trial for the therapy of glioblastoma multiforme
Bexion Pharmaceuticals LLC announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the company Orphan Drug designation for Saposin C, active ingredient in its proprietary drug BXQ-350 for the potential treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.
The FDA’s Office of Orphan Drug Products Development reviews applications for Orphan Drug status to support development of medicines for underserved patient populations, or rare disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The successful application submitted by Bexion and the FDA granting of Orphan Drug status entitles the company to a seven-year period of marketing exclusivity in the United States for BXQ-350, if it is approved by the FDA for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme. Orphan Drug status also enables the company to apply for research grant funding for Phase I and II Clinical Trials, tax credits for certain research expenses, and a waiver from the FDA’s application user fee, as well as additional support from FDA and a potentially faster regulatory process.
Bexion was previously awarded a prestigious Phase II Bridge Award (Small Business Innovation Research Grant; SBIR) from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to support the manufacture and clinical testing of BXQ-350.
“Orphan Drug status for BXQ-350 is an important milestone in the development of this new treatment modality,” stated Dr. Ray Takigiku, founder and CEO of Bexion. “Few treatment options are available for patients suffering from glioblastoma multiforme and this designation recognizes the unmet need that exists with this disease, as well as the unique attributes of BXQ-350. In addition, orphan designation allows Bexion to benefit from important financial, regulatory and commercial considerations and we have seen recently that products with orphan designation have become sought after assets.”
About Orphan Drug DesignationOrphan Drug designation is a status assigned to a medicine intended for use in rare diseases. In the U.S., the Orphan Drug Designation program confers Orphan Drug status to successful applicants for medicines intended for the safe and effective treatment, diagnosis or prevention of rare diseases or disorders that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. or that are not expected to recover the costs of developing and marketing a treatment.1
The approval of an orphan designation request does not alter the standard regulatory requirements and process for obtaining marketing approval for investigational use. Sponsors must establish safety and efficacy of a compound in the treatment of a disease through adequate and well-controlled studies. However, the FDA review process may be speedier for Orphan Drugs than those which do not receive Orphan Drug designation.
About BXQ-350In pre-clinical studies, Bexion’s first-in-class biologic, BXQ-350 has shown promising results in selectively inducing cell death in the laboratory. BXQ-350 is a proprietary nanovesicle formulation of Saposin C (sphingolipid activator protein C, or SapC) and the phospholipid dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS).
About Bexion Pharmaceuticals
Bexion Pharmaceuticals is a privately held biotech company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative cures for cancer. Initial products are based on a proprietary platform technology licensed from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The technology has demonstrated potential for development as a therapeutic, diagnostic and surgical imaging reagent, and as a carrier for other pharmaceutical agents, such as oligonucleotides. For more information, visit www.bexionpharma.com or contact Margaret van Gilse atmvangilse@bexionpharma.com.
Bexion Pharmaceuticals is a privately held biotech company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative cures for cancer. Initial products are based on a proprietary platform technology licensed from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. The technology has demonstrated potential for development as a therapeutic, diagnostic and surgical imaging reagent, and as a carrier for other pharmaceutical agents, such as oligonucleotides. For more information, visit www.bexionpharma.com or contact Margaret van Gilse atmvangilse@bexionpharma.com.
1 U.S. Food and Drug Administration web site. “Regulatory Information: Orphan Drug Act.”http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/legislation/federalfooddrugandcosmeticactfdcact/significantamendmentstothefdcact/orphandrugact/default.htm.
Margaret van Gilse859-757-1652mvangilse@bexionpharma.com
SOURCE Bexion Pharmaceuticals LLC
Glioblastoma is the most common primary CNS malignant neoplasm in adults, and accounts for nearly 75% of the cases. Although there has been steady progress in their treatment due to improvements in neuro-imaging, microsurgery, and radiation, glioblastomas remain incurable. The average life expectancy is less than one year from diagnosis, and the five-year survival rate following aggressive therapy, including gross tumor resection, is less than 10%. Glioblastomas cause death due to rapid, aggressive, and infiltrative growth in the brain. The infiltrative growth pattern is responsible for the un-resectable nature of these tumors. Glioblastomas are also relatively resistant to radiation and chemotherapy, and therefore post-treatment recurrence rates are high. In addition, the immune response to the neoplastic cells is mainly ineffective in completely eradicating residual neoplastic cells following resection and radiation therapy.
One problem in treating glioblastoma is the tumor’s protection behind the blood-brain tumor barrier (BBTB). A significant obstacle in the development of therapeutics for glioblastoma is the inability of systemic therapies to efficiently cross the BBTB. Saposin C (SapC) is a sphingolipid- activating protein that functions to catabolize glycosphingolipids. SapC-DOPS forms stable nanovesicles which can efficiently cross the blood-brain tumor barrier and fuse with GBM cells inducing cell death.
Rapamycin is a macrolide antibiotic produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus, which was discovered first for its properties as an antifungal agent. Streptomyces hygroscopicus has also been implicated as a cancer agent.
There remains a need in the art for new therapeutics for the treatment of glioblastoma.
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Example 1Purification of Recombinant Saposin C
[0106] Recombinant saposin C was overexpressed in E. coli cells by using the isopropyl-1-thio-β-D-galactopyranoside inducing pET system (Qi et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:16746-16753, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety). Expressed polypeptides with a His-tag were eluted from nickel columns. After dialysis, the polypeptides were further purified by HPLC chromatography as follows. A C4 reverse phase column was equilibrated with 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) for 10 minutes. The proteins were eluted in a linear (0-100%) gradient of 0.1% TFA in acetonitrile over 60 minutes. The major protein peak was collected and lyophilized. Protein concentration was determined as previously described (Qi et al. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269:16746-16753).
Example 2Bath Sonication of Sanosin C and Dioleoylphosphatidylserine
[0107] Dioleoylphosphatidylserine (DOPS) was obtained from Avanti Polar Lipids (Alabaster AL). Twenty to thirty imoles of DOPS in chloroform were dried under N2 and vacuum to lipid films. Five to ten μmoles saposin C polypeptide was added to the dried films and suspended in 50 μl McIlvanine buffer (pH 4.7). The suspension was then brought to a 1 ml volume with either cell culture medium or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) (Ausubel et al. (2002) Current Protocols in Molecular Biology. John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York, herein incorporated by reference). The mixture was sonicated in a bath sonicator for approximately 20 minutes. Ice was added as needed to prevent overheating the samples.
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The SapC-DOPS composition comprises a phospholipid, an isolated saposin C-related polypeptide, wherein the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence at least 75% identical to the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 2, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, wherein the phospholipid forms a nano vesicle incorporating the polypeptide. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence at least 85% identical to the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 2. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence at least 95% identical to the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 2. In certain embodiments, the polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence at least 99% identical to the entire length of SEQ ID NO: 2.
The Sequence Listing, filed electronically and identified as SEQ_LIST_OSIF-2013- 102.txt, was created on November 12, 2013, is 5,548 in size, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
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BEXION PHARMA
- Russell Street, Covington, KY 41011, United States
$2.9 Million Grant Awarded to Covington-Based Bexion for Next Step in Cancer Fight
921 Spring Street Covington, Kentucky 41016 United States
112 East 4th Street, Covington, KY 41011.
1182 Riverhouse Way Covington KY : 427657
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