CANbridge Gets Orphan Drug Status for Myasthenia Gravis Drug

The FDA has granted Orphan Drug designation to CANbridge Pharmaceuticals’ CAN106 for the treatment of myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune neuromuscular disorder that leads to muscle weakness.

CAN106 is a monoclonal antibody treatment that binds to and neutralizes the C5 enzyme in the  complement system to block the cell destruction that leads to disease progression.

CAN106 is currently being evaluated in an ongoing phase 1b/2 clinical trial in China, examining the treatment in paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a rare disease that leads to red blood cells breaking apart.

The company is confident in CAN106’s potential to effectively inhibit C5 in patients with certain complement-mediated diseases. There is currently no cure for myasthenia gravis.