RedHill Biopharma: RHB-204 receives FDA Fast Track designation for treatment of NTM disease

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Jan 6 2021

RedHill Biopharma Ltd. ("RedHill" or "the Company"), a specialty biopharmaceutical company, today announced that RHB-204 has been granted Fast Track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its development as a potential first-line, stand-alone, oral treatment of pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease caused by Mycobacterium avium Complex (MAC) - a rare disease for which there is no FDA-approved first-line therapy.

The FDA's Fast Track designation is designed to help progress development and speed up the review of novel therapies for serious conditions for which there is an unmet medical need - with the aim of getting important new therapies to patients more quickly. With the Fast Track designation, RedHill will have access to early and frequent communications with the FDA, to expedite the RHB-204 development program, and to a rolling review of a New Drug Application (NDA). Having already been granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation, RHB-204 is also eligible for NDA Priority Review and Accelerated Approval.

RHB-204 was also recently granted Orphan Drug designation, extending U.S. market exclusivity for RHB-204 to a potential total of 12 years upon FDA approval.

RedHill recently initiated a Phase 3 study evaluating the safety and efficacy of RHB-204 as a first-line treatment for pulmonary NTM disease, to be conducted at up to 40 sites across the U.S.

Given the urgent need to improve therapeutic options for patients with NTM disease, we welcome this Fast Track designation and the regulatory support it provides in expediting the ongoing Phase 3 development program for RHB-204 and any subsequent potential approvals. NTM disease is thankfully rare but its prevalence is increasing in many areas of the world. It is a notoriously difficult to treat disease and, if not effectively treated, can cause scarring and fibrosis in the lungs - potentially leading to respiratory failure. Many patients fail current therapies, and more than half will have either recurring disease or a new infection after completing treatment."

Patricia Anderson, RedHill's Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

RHB-204 may be eligible for use under the RedHill expanded access policy - more details of which can be found here: https://www.redhillbio.com/expandedaccess. The Phase 3 study of RHB-204 is registered on http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov, a web-based service by the U.S. National Institute of Health, which provides public access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies.