ReviR Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation for RTX-117, its lead investigational therapy for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT). The Brisbane, California-based biotech company is preparing to launch a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers in early 2026 to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of RTX-117, with a Phase Ib/IIa study in CMT patients planned to follow.
Addressing a Significant Unmet Medical Need
CMT represents the most prevalent inherited peripheral neuropathy, affecting an estimated 125,000 to 150,000 individuals in the United States and more than 2.6 million patients worldwide. The progressive, debilitating genetic disorder currently has no approved treatment options, representing a significant unmet medical need in the neurological disease space.
"Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease represents one of the most prevalent inherited peripheral neuropathies in the world, yet effective disease-modifying therapies remain elusive," said Paul August, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of ReviR Therapeutics. "The progressive nature of CMT is characterized by distal muscle weakness, sensory loss, and significant mobility impairment creating an urgent need for therapeutic intervention."
Novel Mechanism of Action
RTX-117 is designed to activate eIF2B to restore translation of cap-dependent mRNAs to normalize protein expression, aiming to address an underlying cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease rather than just alleviating symptoms. This differentiated approach has the potential to slow or halt disease progression and improve neuromuscular function.
August emphasized that their preclinical work has demonstrated RTX-117's potential to target the dysregulated pathophysiology of CMT. "This FDA designation not only validates the scientific rationale behind our approach at ReviR, but also provides crucial regulatory support that will accelerate our clinical development timeline," he added.
Regulatory Benefits and Development Timeline
The FDA's Orphan Drug Designation program encourages development of drugs and biologics intended for treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of rare diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Benefits of the designation include tax credits for clinical research, exemption from certain FDA fees, and the potential for seven years of market exclusivity upon FDA approval.
"Receiving Orphan Drug Designation for RTX-117 represents a pivotal milestone in addressing this critical unmet medical need," August stated. The company remains committed to translating years of rigorous research into a therapeutic solution for the CMT patient community.
Company Pipeline and Vision
ReviR Therapeutics, founded in 2021 by leaders in computational biology, RNA biology, and drug discovery, focuses on creating disease-modifying therapies that are highly specific, efficacious, and safe. Beyond RTX-117, the company's pipeline includes other orally administered small molecules designed to modulate RNA function.
"We believe RTX-117 and our broader pipeline have the potential to deliver disease-modifying therapies to patients with serious conditions who currently have limited or no treatment options," added Peng Yue, Chief Executive Officer of ReviR Therapeutics.
