Aptevo Therapeutics Receives Orphan Drug Designation for APVO436 for the Treatment of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia

SEATTLE, Dec. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. (Nasdaq: APVO), a biotechnology company focused on developing novel oncology and hematology therapeutics, announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Orphan Drug Designation to APVO436, a bispecific antibody candidate intended for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). APVO436 is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b clinical trial in patients with AML and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
The U.S. Orphan Drug Act is intended to encourage companies to develop safe and effective therapies for the treatment of rare diseases and conditions, specifically those expected to affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Orphan drug designation provides important benefits to companies such as eligibility for a special seven-year period of market exclusivity upon approval, potential tax credits for research, potential grant funding for research and development, reduced filing fees for marketing applications, and assistance with clinical trial protocol review.“We are making steady progress in our ongoing Phase 1/1b clinical trial of APVO436 and are pleased to have been granted orphan drug designation for APVO436, as this designation affords important benefits as we continue to advance APVO436 through clinical development,” said Marvin L. White, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aptevo. “We look forward to providing future updates on the APVO436 clinical development program as additional data from the Phase 1/1b clinical trial becomes available.”About APVO436
APVO436 is an optimized bispecific antibody candidate designed to simultaneously target CD123 and CD3 and redirect T-cell cytotoxicity to the tumor. It is currently being evaluated in a Phase 1/1b open-label, dose-escalation study evaluating safety and pharmacokinetics. APVO436 was built on Aptevo’s proprietary ADAPTIR™ protein therapeutic platform. Focused on generating novel, targeted bispecific antibody-based immunotherapies for cancer the ADAPTIR platform offers key advantages over other bispecific formats, derived in part from the flexible and modular nature of the ADAPTIR structure. These advantages include: (i) achieving potent biological activity and extended half-life while retaining desirable manufacturing characteristics; (ii) ability to achieve target-dependent induction of redirected T-cell cytotoxicity (RTCC) at lower concentrations than other bispecific antibody formats; and (iii) flexibility to build ADAPTIR candidates with diverse mechanisms of action, including RTCC and T-cell co-stimulation.About Aptevo Therapeutics Inc.Aptevo Therapeutics Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel oncology and hematology therapeutics to meaningfully improve patients’ lives. Aptevo has a commercial product, IXINITY^® coagulation factor IX (recombinant), approved and marketed in the United States for the treatment of Hemophilia B, and a versatile core technology – the ADAPTIR™ modular protein technology platform capable of generating highly-differentiated bispecific antibodies with unique mechanisms of action for the treatment of different types of cancer. For more information, please visit www.aptevotherapeutics.comSafe Harbor StatementThis press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements, other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential milestone payments, Aptevo’s outlook, financial performance or financial condition, Aptevo’s technology and related pipeline, collaboration and partnership opportunities, commercial portfolio, milestones, and any other statements containing the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “forecasts,” “estimates,” “will” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Aptevo’s current intentions, beliefs and expectations regarding future events. Aptevo cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statement will be accurate. Investors should realize that if underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could differ materially from Aptevo’s expectations. Investors are, therefore, cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and, except as required by law, Aptevo does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement to reflect new information, events or circumstances.There are a number of important factors that could cause Aptevo’s actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements, including a deterioration in Aptevo’s business or prospects; adverse developments in research and development; adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets or economies generally; and changes in regulatory, social and political conditions. Additional risks and factors that may affect results are set forth in Aptevo’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed on March 18, 2019 and its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. The foregoing sets forth many, but not all, of the factors that could cause actual results to differ from Aptevo’s expectations in any forward-looking statement.Source:
Aptevo Therapeutics
Stacey Jurchison
Senior Director, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications
206-859-6628
JurchisonS@apvo.com