SINGAPORE, 28 February 2023 – Prestige Biopharma Limited, a Singapore-based biopharmaceutical company, announced that the company requested Fast Track designation to US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for its first-in-class anti-PAUF monoclonal antibody ‘PBP1510 (INN-ulenistamab)’ for pancreatic cancer treatment. FDA will review the request and decide within sixty days. In June 2022, the company was granted approval for phase 1/2a clinical trial of PBP1510 in the US by FDA. The company plans to further expedite the development through FDA’s approach.
PBP1510 has been recognized as a promising new drug for pancreatic cancer treatment. The drug targets and neutralizes PAUF (Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Up-regulated Factor), a protein that plays a critical role in tumor growth and rapid progression of pancreatic cancer. In 2020, PBP1510 was granted Orphan Drug designation by the US FDA, the European Medicines Agency (EMA), and Korea Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. In addition, the company has applied for patent for the first-in-class antibody in 24 countries, which has been successfully registered in 10 countries as of now including the US, Korea, and Singapore.
Fast track is a process designed to facilitate the development and expedite the review of drugs to treat serious conditions and fill an unmet medical need. To receive Fast Track designation, it must be determined that a drug treats or prevents a serious condition with no current therapy or show some advantage over available therapy in a serious condition. Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate among major cancers and is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the US. The company aims to pave the express way for PBP1510 by seeking close consultation and support from FDA through Fast Track designation.
Upon receiving Fast Track designation, the company will have more frequent meetings with FDA to discuss the drug’s development plan and ensure collection of appropriate data needed to support drug approval. In addition, it can have more frequent written communication from FDA on such matters as the design of the proposed clinical trials and use of biomarkers. These benefits lead to higher efficiency and stability in development. Moreover, the company is eligible for Rolling Review, which means that a drug company can submit completed sections of its New Drug Application (NDA) for review by FDA, rather than waiting until every section of the NDA is completed before the entire application can be reviewed which is the usual case.
Dr. Lisa S. Park, CEO of Prestige Biopharma, commented: “We are making all round efforts to ensure the success of our first-in-class antibody PBP1510 through patent registration, clinical studies and development, and preparation for market authorization and commercialization. In addition to the Fast Track designation request, we also plan to request for FDA’s Breakthrough Therapy designation for PBP1510, as soon as we confirm preliminary clinical evidence on significant endpoint, to secure intensive guidance on efficient drug development program and organizational commitment involving senior managers.”
