EU/3/22/2707 - orphan designation for treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome

Eculizumab

Overview

This medicine was designated as an orphan medicine for the treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome in the European Union on 11 October 2022.

This means that the developer will receive scientific and regulatory support from EMA to advance their medicine to the stage where they can apply for a marketing authorisation.

Orphan designation does not mean the medicine is available or authorised for use. All medicines, including designated orphan medicines, must be authorised before they can be marketed and made available to patients in the EU.

During the medicine's development, doctors may be able to enrol patients in clinical trials investigating the medicine. For information on ongoing clinical trials in the EU, see:

• EU Clinical Trials Register
• ClinicalTrials.gov

How the medicine is expected to work

This medicine belongs to the class of Complement C5 inhibitors. 

Eculizumab is a monoclonal antibody, a type of protein that has been designed to recognise and attach to the C5 complement protein, which is a part of the body’s defence system called the ‘complement system’. In patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome, the complement proteins are overactive and attack the patient’s own nerve cells, resulting in their damage. 

By attaching to and blocking the C5 complement protein, eculizumab is expected to prevent part of the immune system from becoming activated, thereby reducing the inflammation and nerve damage linked to attacks by immune cells.

Based on description provided by sponsor 
 

Stage of development at time of orphan designation

At the time of submission of the application for orphan designation:

• The effects of the medicine had been evaluated in experimental models.
• No clinical trials with the medicine in patients with sickle cell disease had been started. 

More information on how potential new medicines are tested during their development is available on Authorisation of medicines.

About orphan designation

Medicines intended for rare diseases can be granted an orphan designation during their development.

The orphan designation allows the developer to benefit from:

• scientific and regulatory support to advance their medicine to the stage where they can request marketing authorisation;

• market exclusivity once the medicine is on the market.

To qualify for orphan designation, a medicine must meet a number of criteria:

• it must be intended for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a disease that is life-threatening or chronically debilitating;

• the prevalence of the condition in the EU must not be more than 5 in 10,000 or it must be unlikely that marketing of the medicine would generate sufficient returns to justify the investment needed for its development;

• there are no satisfactory alternative methods for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of the condition or, if such a method exists, the medicine is of significant benefit to those affected by the condition.

EMA's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP) is responsible for issuing opinions on applications for orphan designations.

The Agency sends the COMP opinion to the European Commission, which is responsible for granting the orphan designation. The full list of orphan designations is available in the Community register of orphan medicinal products for human use.

For more information, see:

• Orphan designation: Overview

• Rare diseases, orphan medicines - Getting the facts straight

Minutes of the COMP meeting 6-8 September 2022

Adopted Reference Number: EMA/COMP/772376/2022

Key facts

• Active substance:
  Eculizumab
• Intended use:
  Treatment of Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Orphan designation status:
  Positive
• EU designation number:
  EU/3/22/2707
• Date of designation:
  11/10/2022
• Sponsor:

  Alexion Europe S.A.S.