Candel Therapeutics Receives EMA Orphan Designation for CAN-2409 for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Core Viewpoint - Candel Therapeutics has received Orphan Designation from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for its investigational drug CAN-2409 for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, complementing its existing FDA designations, highlighting the significant unmet medical need in this area [1][5]. Group 1: Regulatory Designations - CAN-2409 has received Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation from the FDA for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [1][5]. - The EMA's Orphan Designation provides benefits such as reduced regulatory fees, clinical protocol assistance, and up to 10 years of market exclusivity in the EU if approved [4]. Group 2: Clinical Trial Results - In a phase 2a clinical trial, CAN-2409 plus valacyclovir showed a median overall survival (OS) of 31.4 months compared to 12.5 months in the control arm, indicating significant survival benefits [3]. - Three out of seven patients treated with CAN-2409 were alive at the data cut-off, with survival times of 66.0, 63.6, and 35.8 months, suggesting a long tail of survival [3]. Group 3: Mechanism of Action - CAN-2409 is a replication-defective adenovirus designed to deliver the HSV-tk gene to tumor cells, leading to immunogenic cell death and the release of tumor antigens [2][6]. - The treatment aims to induce a systemic immune response against multiple therapy-resistant solid tumors, including prostate cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) [2][7]. Group 4: Company Overview - Candel Therapeutics focuses on developing off-the-shelf multimodal biological immunotherapies to elicit individualized anti-tumor immune responses [8]. - The company has established two clinical-stage platforms based on genetically modified adenovirus and HSV gene constructs, with CAN-2409 being the lead candidate from the adenovirus platform [8].