The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted a second orphan drug designation to ES-3000 (an orally bioavailable small molecule) for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia. The drug previously received orphan drug designation for the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia.
ES-3000 will be used in conjunction with standard agents to target leukemic stem cells for more durable remissions, according to the drug's manufacturer. ES-3000 works by reducing β-catenin expression – a protein that is critical for the survival of leukemic stem cells.
Source: Escend Pharmaceuticals press release, December 28, 2016.
