Kamada Ltd. (TASE: KMDA) has obtained US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) orphan drug status for its intravenous AAT treatment for type 1 (juvenile) diabetes, provisionally named D1-AAT.
In June, Kamada began a Phase I/II clinical trial of D1-AAT treatment at two medical centers in Israel. The company expects to publish interim results in early 2012, and the final reports later in the year.
Intravenous AAT is marketed in the US for the treatment of congenital emphysema and other respiratory diseases under the name Glassia, where sales amount to tens of millions of dollars a year. Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the distributor in the US.
AAT is a protein replacement therapy for autoimmune diseases, which include type 1 diabetes, for people with congenital Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency.
Kamada's share price rose 1.9% in morning trading to NIS 25.03, giving a market cap of NIS 677 million.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on August 3, 2011
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2011