Cellphire Therapeutics announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation for CLPH-511, its frozen activated platelet product designed to treat acute hemorrhage when conventional platelets are unavailable or in short supply.
The designation, awarded under section 506(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, recognizes CLPH-511's potential to address a serious unmet medical need and will expedite its development and regulatory review process.
"This Fast Track designation recognizes CLPH-511's potential to address the unmet need of acute hemorrhage and Cellphire looks forward to continued collaboration with FDA to get this product to patients that need it as soon as possible," said Damien Bates, CMO of Cellphire Therapeutics.
Addressing Critical Limitations in Platelet Transfusion
Acute hemorrhage remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma, surgery, and critical care settings. While platelet transfusions are essential for managing severe bleeding, they face significant logistical challenges that limit their effectiveness in emergency situations.
Conventional platelet products have a short shelf life of just 5-7 days and require specialized storage conditions, creating availability issues particularly in remote or resource-limited settings. CLPH-511 aims to overcome these limitations by providing a readily available, longer-lasting alternative.
The cryopreserved platelet product is designed for deployment in both civilian healthcare facilities and military field operations, potentially transforming emergency care for hemorrhagic conditions.
Clinical Development Progress
CLPH-511 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 2/3 adaptive design clinical trial known as CRYPTICS (Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Dimethyl Sulfoxide Cryopreserved Platelets to Liquid Stored Platelets in Patients Undergoing Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery). The study, identified as NCT04709705 on ClinicalTrials.gov, is assessing the product's safety and efficacy compared to standard platelet transfusions.
The Fast Track designation provides Cellphire with several advantages in the development process, including:
- More frequent communication with the FDA
- Potential eligibility for Rolling Review of its Biologics License Application (BLA)
- Possible Priority Review qualification if clinical data demonstrates significant improvements in safety or efficacy
Military and Civilian Applications
Cellphire's technology has garnered interest from both civilian healthcare systems and military medical services. The company's development work has received support from the US Army Medical Research and Development Command under Contract No. W81XWH20C0030, highlighting the product's potential strategic importance.
"Hemorrhage control remains a critical challenge in both battlefield and civilian trauma settings," noted a hematology specialist familiar with the technology. "A product with extended shelf life and simplified logistics could significantly improve outcomes in situations where minutes matter."
Company Pipeline
Rockville, Maryland-based Cellphire Therapeutics is focused on developing next-generation allogeneic, platelet-derived cellular therapeutics. Beyond CLPH-511, the company's pipeline includes CLPH-211, part of its freeze-dried platelet-derived hemostatic agent family.
The company's vision statement—"No one should die from controllable hemorrhage"—underscores its mission to address significant unmet medical needs in acute bleeding scenarios, including surgery, trauma, and traumatic brain injury.
With the Fast Track designation now secured, Cellphire plans to accelerate CLPH-511's development timeline, potentially bringing this innovative therapy to patients sooner than would otherwise be possible.
