Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. issued the following announcement on June 26.
- FDA provides very specific guidelines to study iPSC-derived MSCs
- Company intends to submit an IND application for its iMSC therapy for patients with ARDS associated with COVID-19
Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc. ("Citius" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CTXR), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing critical care drug products, announced today that the Company has received a written response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in regards to its pre-investigational new drug (PIND) application for its induced mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs) to treat and reduce the severity of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with COVID-19.
The FDA acknowledged that the Company could apply for fast track designation and also provided Citius with the chemistry, manufacturing, and control (CMC) requirements for the proposed trials. The Company plans to initiate actions on the FDA's recommendations and follow up with the FDA with an Investigational New Drug (IND) application under the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP).
Myron Holubiak, Chief Executive Officer of Citius, commented, "We appreciate the FDA's thoughtful guidance on our unique, allogenic mesenchymal stem cells derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We understand that iPSC-derived stem cells are not the same as adult-donor derived cells and, therefore, would require different proof of concept studies. Since we believe in the advantages of iPSC MSCs over donor-derived cells, we intend to develop assays recommended by the FDA and demonstrate the safety of these MSCs in our preclinical studies. We are committed to the successful completion of the required clinical trials to provide an effective and safe therapy for ARDS due to COVID-19."
About Citius Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Citius is a late-stage specialty pharmaceutical company dedicated to the development and commercialization of critical care products, with a focus on anti-infectives and cancer care. For more information, please visit www.citiuspharma.com.
About Citius iMSC
Citius's mesenchymal stem cell therapy product is derived from a human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line generated using a proprietary mRNA-based (non-viral) reprogramming process. The iMSCs produced from this clonal technique are differentiated from adult donor-derived MSCs (bone marrow, placenta, umbilical cord, adipose tissue, or dental pulp) by providing genetic homogeneity. In in-vitro studies, iMSCs exhibit superior potency and high cell viability. The iMSCs secrete immunomodulatory proteins that may reduce or prevent pulmonary symptoms associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in patients with COVID-19. The Citius iMSC is an allogeneic (unrelated donor) mesenchymal stem-cell product manufactured by expanding material from a master cell bank.
About Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)
ARDS is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. ARDS is a rapidly progressive disease that occurs in critically ill patients – most notably now in those diagnosed with COVID-19. ARDS affects approximately 200,000 patients per year in the U.S., exclusive of the current COVID-19 pandemic, and has a 30% to 50% mortality rate. ARDS is sometimes initially diagnosed as pneumonia or pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs from heart disease). Symptoms of ARDS include shortness of breath, rapid breathing and heart rate, chest pain (particularly while inhaling), and bluish skin coloration. Among those who survive ARDS, a decreased quality of life is relatively common.
About Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP)
In response to the pandemic, the FDA has created an emergency program called the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP) to accelerate the development of treatments for COVID-19. By redeploying staff, the FDA is responding to COVID-19-related requests and reviewing protocols within 24 hours of receipt. The FDA said CTAP "uses every available method to move new treatments to patients as quickly as possible, while at the same time finding out whether they are helpful or harmful." In practice, that means developers of potential treatments for COVID-19 would benefit from an unusually faster track at the FDA to shorten wait times at multiple steps of the process.
Original source can be found here.
