Mapreg spinal injury drug gets OD status

Mapreg, a French biotechnology company specialized in the development of novel drugs for the treatment of central nervous system diseases, says that the European Commission has granted its lead compound, MAP4343, Orphan Drug status for the treatment of spinal cord injury and has entered it in the European Community register of orphan drugs. This decision follows a favorable opinion from the Orphan Drugs Committee of the European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA).

MAP4343 is patent-protected and has an identified and validated molecular target, namely Microtubule Associated Protein type 2 (MAP2). The product's main advantage resides in its efficiency when administered by peripheral injection up to 24 hours after the trauma. The results of studies on animal models yielded so far are unmatched elsewhere. Regulatory preclinical trials will be completed shortly, the firm noted, adding that it has shown no significant signs of toxicity to date, and a Phase I clinical trial could be initiated towards the end of the year.