Biopharmaceutical company, Cellceutix Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Qualified Infectious Disease Product (QIDP) designation for Brilacidin as a new treatment for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections (ABSSSI) ahead of its meeting this month with Cellceutix regarding Cellceutix’s planned Phase 3 trial of Brilacidin for ABSSSI. Brilacidin, the Company’s lead drug in a new class of antibiotics called defensin-mimetics, completed a Phase 2b trial in September showing, amongst other things, a single dose of Brilacidin to be as effective in treatment of ABSSSI as a FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin.
The QIDP designation was established as part of the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in July 2012, for the purpose of encouraging pharmaceutical companies to develop new antimicrobial drugs to treat serious and life-threatening infections. Receiving QIDP designation means that Brilacidin is now eligible for additional FDA incentives in the approval and marketing path, including Fast Track designation and Priority Review for development and a five-year extension of market exclusivity.
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GO CTIX!!!