EU/3/04/229 - orphan designation for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Doxorubicine polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles

Overview

Please note that this product was withdrawn from the Community Register of designated Orphan Medicinal Products in July 2019 on request of the sponsor.

On 21 October 2004, orphan designation (EU/3/04/229) was granted by the European Commission to BioAlliance Pharma, France, for doxorubicin polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma.

In October 2014, BioAlliance Pharma changed name to Onxeo.

For a list of the administrative updates to this public summary of opinion please refer to the PDF document below.

What is hepatocellular carcinoma?

Tumours that begin in the liver are known as liver tumours. Liver tumours that have the potential to infiltrate healthy tissues are called hepatocellular carcinomas. The most common factors known to be associated with this disease are the viral infections causing liver inflammations (the so-called hepatitis B and hepatitis C) and an alcohol-induced liver disease (the so-called liver cirrhosis). Hepatocellular carcinoma is a life-threatening condition.

What is the estimated number of patients affected by the condition?

At the time of designation, hepatocellular carcinoma affected approximately 1 in 10,000 people in the European Union (EU). This was equivalent to a total of around 46,000 people*, and is below the ceiling for orphan designation, which is 5 people in 10,000. This is based on the information provided by the sponsor and the knowledge of the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP).

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*Disclaimer: For the purpose of the designation, the number of patients affected by the condition is estimated and assessed on the basis of data from the European Union (EU 25), Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. At the time of designation, this represented a population of 464,200,000 (Eurostat 2004).

What treatments are available?

No medicinal products for the treatment of the condition had been authorised in the European Union at the time of submission of the application for orphan drug designation.

How is this medicine expected to work?

Doxorubicin is a drug to treat tumours. Doxorubicin interferes with the production of genetic material and can kill rapidly dividing cells such as tumour cells. In the designated product, doxorubicin is entrapped in nanoparticles of polyisohexylcyanoacrylate. Once administered to the patient, the nanoparticles are adsorbed to the surface of tumour cells and doxorubicin entrapped in these particles is subsequently released on the cancer cell. The nanoparticles degrade and release also polyisohexylcyanoacrylate, which may contribute to delivering doxorubicin into the cancer cells. This may increase the presence of the drug in the tumour cells and may enhance its activity.

What is the stage of development of this medicine?

The effects of doxorubicin polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles were evaluated in experimental models.

At the time of submission of the application for orphan designation, clinical trials in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were ongoing.

Doxorubicin polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles was not marketed anywhere worldwide for hepatocellular carcinoma or designated as orphan medicinal product elsewhere for this condition, at the time of submission.

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 141/2000 of 16 December 1999, the COMP adopted a positive opinion on 9 September 2004 recommending the granting of this designation.

Opinions on orphan medicinal product designations are based on the following three criteria:

• the seriousness of the condition;
• the existence of alternative methods of diagnosis, prevention or treatment;
• either the rarity of the condition (affecting not more than 5 in 10,000 people in the Community) or insufficient returns on investment.

Designated orphan medicinal products are products that are still under investigation and are considered for orphan designation on the basis of potential activity. An orphan designation is not a marketing authorisation. As a consequence, demonstration of quality, safety and efficacy is necessary before a product can be granted a marketing authorisation.

EU/3/04/229: Public summary of positive opinion for orphan designation of doxorubicin polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

Adopted Reference Number: EMEA/69677/2004 Rev. 2

Key facts

• Active substance:
  Doxorubicine polyisohexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles
• Intended use:
  Treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma
• Orphan designation status:
  Withdrawn
• EU designation number:
  EU/3/04/229
• Date of designation:
  21/10/2004
• Sponsor:

  Onxeo; 49, Bd Gal Martial Valin; F-75015 Paris; France; Tel. [phone]; Fax [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]

Review of designation

The Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products reviews the orphan designation of a product if it is approved for marketing authorisation.