PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. — INOVIO (NASDAQ: INO), a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing DNA medicines to help treat and protect people from HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, today announced that the FDA has notified INOVIO that it agrees with its rolling submission timeline for the BLA for INO-3107 as a treatment for adults with Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (RRP.) INOVIO anticipates completing its submission to the FDA in the coming months and requesting priority review, with the goal of file acceptance by the FDA by the end of 2025.
“We are pleased the FDA agreed to our rolling submission plan. We are also encouraged by their recent activity in recognizing the importance of accelerating the full approval of new technologies that can bring life-changing therapeutic options to patients suffering from rare diseases such as RRP,” said Dr. Jacqueline Shea, President and Chief Executive Officer of INOVIO. “Based on the totality of our data, we believe INO-3107 has the potential to become the preferred product for the treatment of RRP by patients and providers. We are leveraging our Breakthrough Therapy designation for INO-3107 to continue discussions with the FDA on the pathway to approval as we aim to bring our positively differentiated therapeutic option to patients as quickly as possible.”
About RRP
RRP is a debilitating and rare disease caused primarily by HPV-6 and/or HPV-11. RRP is characterized by the development of small, wart-like growths, or papillomas, in the respiratory tract. While papillomas are generally benign, they can cause severe, life-threatening airway obstruction and respiratory complications. RRP can also significantly affect quality of life for patients by affecting the voice box, limiting the ability to speak effectively. Surgery to remove papillomas is the standard of care for RRP; however, the papillomas often grow back. INOVIO’s market research to date with patients and healthcare professionals indicates that a reduction of even one surgery matters, because every surgery poses a significant risk of causing permanent damage to the vocal cords and comes with potential costs to the patient, including adverse impacts to both quality of life and finances. The most widely cited U.S. epidemiology data published in 1995 estimated that there were 14,000 active cases and about 1.8 per 100,000 new cases of RRP in adults each year.
About INO-3107
INO-3107 is an investigational DNA medicine designed to elicit an antigen-specific T cell response against both HPV-6 and HPV-11 proteins. These targeted T cells seek out and kill HPV-6 and HPV-11 infected cells, with the aim of potentially preventing or slowing the growth of new papillomas. In a Phase 1/2 trial of 32 participants (RRP-001), 72% of patients saw a 50-to-100% reduction in the number of surgeries after starting treatment with INO-3107 at the end of the first year. A retrospective study involving 28 of the original trial participants (RRP-002) showed this number increasing to 86% at the end of the second 12-month period with no additional dosing. Half of those patients required no surgeries at all. Patients in RRP-001 had a median of 4 surgeries (range: 2-8) in the year prior to dosing. At the outset of the trial (Day 0), patients had a clinically warranted procedure to have papillomas surgically removed, but any surgery performed after Day 0 was counted against the efficacy endpoint. Treatment with INO-3107 generated a strong immune response in the trial, inducing activated CD4 T cells and activated CD8 T cells with lytic potential. T cell responses were also observed at Week 52, indicating a persistent cellular memory response. INO-3107 was well tolerated, with trial participants experiencing mostly low-grade (Grade 1) treatment-emergent adverse effects such as injection site pain and fatigue. Like other DNA medicines, INO-3107 has shown the ability to generate antigen-specific T cells that is not affected by anti-vector immunity impacting immunogenicity, either before administration or after the first dose, unlike other T cell generating platforms such as viral vectors. This feature of DNA medicines is anticipated to allow INO-3107 to maintain T cell response and overall efficacy, which could make it an important therapeutic option for a majority of RRP patients.
The FDA has granted INO-3107 both Orphan Drug and Breakthrough Therapy designations and has advised INOVIO that it can submit a BLA under the FDA’s accelerated approval program using data from INOVIO’s completed Phase 1/2 trial. The European Commission granted INO-3107 Orphan Drug designation. In addition, INOVIO has CE-marked its CELLECTRA® delivery device in the EU, which allows INOVIO to commercialize the device in the EU and other geographies that recognize CE-marking. The United Kingdom awarded INO-3107 the Innovation Passport. This designation serves as the entry point to the Innovative Licensing and Access Pathway (ILAP), which aims to accelerate time to market and facilitate patient access to medicines.
About INOVIO’s DNA Medicines Platform
INOVIO’s DNA medicines platform has two innovative components: precisely designed DNA plasmids, delivered by INOVIO’s proprietary investigational medical device, CELLECTRA. INOVIO uses proprietary technology to design its DNA plasmids, which are small circular DNA molecules that work like software the body’s cells can download to produce specific proteins to target and fight disease. INOVIO’s proprietary CELLECTRA delivery devices are designed to optimally deliver its DNA medicines to the body’s cells without requiring chemical adjuvants or lipid nanoparticles and without the risk of the anti-vector response historically seen with viral vector platforms.
About INOVIO
INOVIO is a biotechnology company focused on developing and commercializing DNA medicines to help treat and protect people from HPV-related diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases. INOVIO’s technology optimizes the design and delivery of innovative DNA medicines that teach the body to manufacture its own disease-fighting tools. For more information, visit www.inovio.com.
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