Moleculin Receives Orphan Drug Designation for Annamycin

Moleculin Biotech, Inc., a preclinical pharmaceutical company focused on the development of anti-cancer drug candidates, some of which are based on license agreements with The University of Texas System on behalf of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, today announced its lead candidate, Annamycin (also known as “Liposomal Annamycin”), an anthracycline, has received Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Moleculin’s Chairman and CEO, Walter Klemp, commented, “We are pleased to report this key milestone and the FDA’s decision to grant Annamycin orphan drug designation. We look forward to announcing additional milestones in regard to our clinical pathway as we make further progress.”

The FDA grants orphan drug designation to drugs and biologics that are intended for the treatment of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Orphan drug status is intended to facilitate drug development for rare diseases and may provide several benefits to drug developers, including tax credits for qualified clinical trials costs, exemptions from certain FDA application fees, and seven years of market exclusivity upon regulatory product approval.