Orchard Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for OTL-200 for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD)

BOSTON and LONDON, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orchard Therapeutics (Nasdaq: ORTX), a global gene therapy leader, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for OTL-200, an autologous, hematopoietic stem cell, lentiviral vector-based gene therapy in development for the treatment of metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD). The company also has applied for Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation for OTL-200 to help facilitate additional dialogue with the FDA on this important therapy.

“MLD is a devastating and rapidly progressing disease, especially in its most severe form where it causes young children to lose skills they once had, such as the ability to walk, talk and engage with the world around them. Sadly, most of these children will pass away by the age of five, and their families are left with no real options other than palliative care,” said Bobby Gaspar, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer, Orchard Therapeutics. “We are committed to bringing OTL-200 forward as a potential treatment for children with this fatal neurodegenerative condition. The FDA’s allowance of the IND associated with OTL-200 to move forward represents an important milestone on our journey, especially given our recent receipt of a positive CHMP opinion from the European Medicines Agency recommending full marketing authorization for the therapy.”

As part of the IND filing, Orchard provided to the FDA data on 39 patients, including 9 patients from the U.S., who have received OTL-200 as part of clinical studies and compassionate use programs conducted at the San Raffaele-Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan, Italy. The company has post-treatment follow-up data of up to eight years in the earliest treated patients in these programs.

“Based on the extensive clinical data gathered to date, we believe that OTL-200 offers tremendous potential to transform the lives of many young patients with MLD,” Gaspar continued. “The IND provides an opportunity for open dialogue with the FDA, allowing us to share the comprehensive data set that we have already collected in the clinical development program and to determine a path to file a Biologics License Application for regulatory approval of OTL-200 in the U.S.”