eFFECTOR Therapeutics Granted Orphan Drug Status

FDA has granted eFFECTOR Therapeutics an orphan drug designation for lead product candidate eFT508 and its use for treating diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. eFT508 is described by the company as a potent, highly selective inhibitor of MNK1 and MNK2, two enzymes that are critical for tumor growth and survival. “MNK1 and 2 are kinases acting as signal integrators at the convergence of multiple oncogenic pathways to regulate production of disease-driving proteins, including checkpoint proteins,” the company says.

eFFECTOR also announced that it has dosed the first subject in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial of eFT508 in patients with B-cell hematological malignancies. The open-label, dose-escalation and cohort-expansion study is evaluating a maximum tolerated dose and recommended dose for further evaluation. The company is also conducting a Phase 1/2 dose escalation trial of eFT508 in patients with solid tumors.