ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARQL) today announced that the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has designated ARQ 197 as an orphan medical product for the treatment of soft tissue sarcoma.
Under the guidelines of the EMEA, medicinal products are designated as orphan drugs when they are used to treat illnesses affecting small numbers of patients, such as soft tissue sarcoma. Such designation provides for incentives for investment in the research and development of such drugs, including exclusive distribution rights throughout the European Union for ten years, during which period no other product with the same active ingredient would be authorized for use for the same therapeutic application.
ArQule is conducting a Phase 2 clinical trial with ARQ 197 in a sub-group of soft tissue sarcoma known as MiT (Microphthalmia Transcription Factor)-associated tumors. The designation of ARQ 197 as an orphan medical product in soft tissue sarcoma, combined with the evaluation of clinical data from this trial expected to be available in early 2010, will inform the decisions related to the advancement of the program.
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