Melanoma drug gets US approval boost.18:19 AEST Sun Jun 6...

Melanoma drug gets US approval boost.
18:19 AEST Sun Jun 6 2004
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The following is not 'new' news, but good PR all the same.
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A drug being developed in Queensland to treat malignant melanomas has been given a boost by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by being designated an "orphan drug".

Premier Peter Beattie said the term orphan drug was used to encourage the development of drugs to treat illnesses which most companies were not interested in because the market was not big enough.

Mr Beattie told a biotechnology industry dinner in San Francisco that the designation was a major win for Queensland company Progen Industries.

He said Progen's PI-88 was an anti-cancer drug being developed for the treatment of malignant melanoma, lung cancer, liver cancer and blood related cancers.

"Receiving orphan drug status is a significant step in helping the company gain the commercial and development benefits that it deserves," Mr Beattie said in a statement.

He said the FDA designation would potentially help patients get earlier access to PI-88 and give it seven years' market exclusivity for the treatment of malignant melanoma once it was approved.

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=9825