Electra Therapeutics announced that its lead drug candidate ELA026 has received both U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Breakthrough Therapy designation and European Medicines Agency (EMA) Priority Medicines (PRIME) designation for the treatment of secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH). ELA026 represents the first investigational therapy to achieve both regulatory designations for this life-threatening hyperinflammatory disease with significant unmet medical need.
Compelling Clinical Results Drive Regulatory Recognition
The regulatory designations are supported by positive results from a completed Phase 1b study of ELA026 in sHLH patients. Among patients with malignancy-associated HLH (mHLH), the subgroup with the poorest prognosis, frontline treatment with ELA026 achieved remarkable outcomes: 100% overall survival at 8 weeks, 100% overall response rate by week 4, and 100% hospital discharge rates.
These results represent a substantial improvement over existing therapies. Historical data shows that mHLH patients have a mortality rate of approximately 50% at two months with available treatments, highlighting the significant therapeutic advance that ELA026 may represent.
"Receiving FDA BTD and EMA PRIME designations reinforces ELA026's potential to deliver meaningful benefit for patients with sHLH, a disease with limited treatment options and a devastating prognosis," said Kim-Hien Dao, DO, PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Electra Therapeutics. "These recognitions reflect the compelling Phase 1b results demonstrating substantial improvement over available therapies."
Novel Mechanism Targets Pathological Immune Cells
ELA026 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody that targets signal regulatory proteins (SIRP) on immune cells to selectively deplete pathological myeloid cells and T lymphocytes. The drug works by binding SIRP-α on these immune cells, leading to their depletion, which is beneficial in conditions like HLH where excessive immune activation causes tissue damage.
Pharmacodynamic and HLH-related biomarkers demonstrated that ELA026 rapidly attenuated inflammation in correlation with clinical improvement, providing mechanistic support for the observed clinical benefits.
Pivotal Trial Underway with Strong Financial Support
Electra has initiated the SURPASS study, a global pivotal Phase 2/3 trial of ELA026 in sHLH, which is enrolling at research sites across the U.S. and Europe and has begun dosing patients (NCT05416307). The company recently raised $183 million in Series C financing led by EQT Life Sciences and Zurich Next Invest Ltd, with participation from Sanofi, HBM Healthcare Investments, Mubadala Capital, and existing investors including OrbiMed, Redmile Group, and RA Capital Management.
Addressing Critical Unmet Need
Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis is a rare, life-threatening hyperinflammatory disease that can be triggered by cancer, infection, autoimmune disease, or immunotherapy. The condition is associated with a severe inflammatory response requiring immediate intervention, and without effective treatment, patients may experience multiorgan failure and death. sHLH is characterized by high mortality early in the disease course, with limited treatment options currently available.
The FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation is intended to expedite development and review of medicines for serious or life-threatening conditions where preliminary clinical evidence indicates substantial improvement over available therapies. The EMA Priority Medicine designation provides early and proactive support to innovative therapies addressing conditions with significant unmet need, offering enhanced interaction and potential accelerated assessment.
Broader Pipeline Development
Beyond sHLH, Electra is advancing ELA026 in additional indications and developing a second SIRP-targeted program, ELA822, designed to selectively deplete activated T lymphocytes with broad potential across immunology and inflammation applications.
