Partnering
On November 12, 2021 we announced a strategic decision to halt the clinical development of MarzAA, report data to date, and seek a buyer for our hemophilia assets.
Partnering Opportunities
Hemostasis
Overview
Hemophilia is a rare and serious bleeding disorder that results from a genetic or an acquired deficiency of a factor required for normal blood coagulation. Hemophilia A occurs in approximately 1 in 5,000 male births, and Hemophilia B in approximately 1 in 20,000 male births. The estimated number of patients with hemophilia worldwide is 1.1 million, of whom 418,000 are estimated to have severe hemophilia. The prevalence of severe Hemophilia A and Hemophilia B in the United States is approximately 20,000 patients. Patients with hemophilia suffer from spontaneous and traumatic bleeding episodes that can become limb- or life-threatening. In cases of severe hemophilia, spontaneous bleeding into muscles or joints is frequent and often results in disabling irreversible joint damage. Currently there is no cure for hemophilia.
Opportunities for a New Paradigm with SQ Therapy
We believe SQ dosing is the future for the treatment of hemophilia and other rare benign hematology indications. Our nonclinical and clinical studies have shown that MarzAA is nine-fold more potent than NovoSeven RT and that DalcA is 22-fold more potent than BeneFIX. The enhanced potency of MarzAA and DalcA allows for SQ dosing using a small volume, which we believe will provide for more effective, durable and convenient treatments of spontaneous bleeds with MarzAA and prophylactic protection with MarzAA and DalcA, especially for children and adults with difficult IV access.
Click or tap the “Expand” buttons below to learn more about our programs.
MarzAA
Our most advanced product candidate is MarzAA, a next-generation SQ FVIIa. In December 2020, we announced that the FDA had granted Fast Track designation for MarzAA. The Fast Track program is designed to facilitate and expedite the development and review of drug candidates that have demonstrated the potential to address an unmet medical need in treating serious diseases or conditions. A drug candidate with Fast Track designation is eligible for greater access to the FDA as well as a priority review and rolling review of the marketing application. We believe the FDA Fast Track designation validates MarzAA’s potential to improve patient care. As the only SQ delivered therapy in development for episodic treatment of bleeding events, MarzAA is uniquely positioned to become an important addition to the treatment landscape.
DalcA is a next-generation SQ Factor IX product candidate for the prophylactic treatment of individuals with Hemophilia B. In 2020, we completed an open-label Phase 2b study to evaluate the ability of DalcA to maintain steady state protective Factor IX levels above 12% in six individuals with severe hemophilia B.
We reported that 28 days of daily SQ dosing of DalcA at 100 IU/kg achieved protective target FIX levels of >12% in all participants, with FIX levels of up to 27% and a half-life of 2.5 to 5.1 days. No bleeds were reported during the 28 days of dosing and the 5 day wash-out, demonstrating effective prophylaxis and the potential for lower or less frequent dosing.
Our Factor IX gene therapy construct CB 2679d-GT has demonstrated a 2-fold to 3-fold higher activity resulting in improved clotting time and blood loss in a preclinical Hemophilia B mouse model compared with the Padua variant of Factor IX. By its increased activity, CB 2679d-GT has the potential to reach higher Factor IX activity levels at lower vector doses which could improve tolerability of the vector as well as efficacy of the transgene, and ultimately lower manufacturing costs.
We recently collaborated with Stanford University on non-human primate studies using an optimized vector for delivery of
