SOM Biotech Granted Orphan Drug Status for Treating Huntington’s-Linked Chorea

Spanish drugmaker SOM Biotech has received an Orphan Drug designation from the FDA for SOM3355 (bevantolol hydrochloride), an experimental drug for treating a movement disorder in patients with Huntington’s disease.

The company identified the potential of the common blood pressure treatment using an artificial intelligence-based analysis platform, finding that it could be re-configured to treat chorea in Huntington’s patients but with fewer side effects than the standard-of-care.

Huntington’s disease is a mostly inherited condition caused by progressive damage to brain centers, including those involved in movement, and may induce chorea, which is characterized by involuntary and random movements.