Vaderis Therapeutics AG has received Fast Track designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for VAD044, an allosteric AKT-inhibitor, in the treatment of Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT). This designation aims to expedite the development and review process for drugs treating serious conditions with unmet medical needs.
HHT is the second most common inherited bleeding disorder, often leading to severe health issues, reduced lifespan, and diminished quality of life. Currently, there are no approved treatments for HHT worldwide. VAD044 is an oral, once-daily allosteric AKT-inhibitor being developed as the first therapy specifically for HHT.
Significance of Fast Track Designation
The FDA's Fast Track program is designed to facilitate the development and accelerate the approval of drugs that address serious conditions and fulfill unmet medical needs, potentially bringing important new treatments to patients sooner.
Dr. Hanny Al-Samkari, the Peggy S. Blitz Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, commented on the designation, stating, "The FDA's decision to designate VAD044 as a Fast Track product for the treatment of HHT underscores its potential to be the first ever approved treatment for this debilitating genetic disease."
About VAD044 and Vaderis' Approach
Vaderis is focused on developing treatments for rare and orphan diseases associated with vascular malformations. Many of these diseases, including HHT, involve overactivation of AKT due to upstream genetic mutations, leading to excessive vascular growth. VAD044 is currently being evaluated in a 12-month Open Label Extension study, following a clinical proof-of-concept study in HHT patients. Vaderis aims to be the first company to develop a medicine for HHT and other diseases related to vascular malformations.
