SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Nov. 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Molecular Transport Inc. (Nasdaq: AMTI) (AMT) today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted Orphan Drug Designation for AMT-101 in patients with pouchitis, an indication with significant unmet medical need and no current FDA-approved products. AMT-101 is an investigational, once-daily, GI-selective, oral fusion of IL-10 and AMT’s proprietary carrier molecule, which is also in development for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
“Pouchitis is a severe end-stage complication of ulcerative colitis with serious symptoms that have a tremendous negative impact on quality of life, including excessive stool frequency, urgency, fecal incontinence and chronic pain,” said Bittoo Kanwar, M.D., chief medical officer of AMT. “Following the results observed in our FILLMORE trial demonstrating compelling activity of AMT-101 in pouchitis, we look forward to continued collaboration with the FDA as we remain focused on Phase 3 advancement in this patient population. If ultimately approved, AMT-101 may be the first product approved in the U.S. to treat pouchitis and potentially improve the lives of patients suffering from this condition.”
Earlier this year, AMT completed the FILLMORE trial, a randomized, double-blinded Phase 2 trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of orally administered AMT-101 monotherapy, over 12 weeks, in patients with chronic pouchitis. Results from the trial demonstrated that 36.4% (8/22) of patients achieved stool frequency response, defined as a reduction of ≥ 3 stools and ≥ 30% from baseline, OR ≤ post-colectomy normal. Rapid onset of stool frequency response was demonstrated as early as week 2 in both dosage groups and was maintained through the duration of treatment. Top-line interim data demonstrated additional symptomatic improvements in fecal urgency, incontinence and abdominal cramps. In addition, 22.7% (5/22) of patients met the pre-specified histologic healing response of Geboes score ≤ 3.1, an objective assessment of disease improvement. FILLMORE patients had a median baseline Geboes score of 5.1, representing severe pouchitis with ulceration and tissue destruction. AMT-101 appeared safe and well-tolerated. Treatment emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were mostly mild to moderate, with only one serious adverse event (SAE) observed, cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, which was determined to be unrelated to study drug.
Orphan Drug Designation is granted by the FDA to drugs or biologics intended to treat a rare disease or condition, defined as one that affects fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Orphan Drug Designation provides certain financial incentives to support clinical development, and the potential for up to seven years of marketing exclusivity for the product for the designated orphan indication in the U.S. if the product is ultimately approved for its designated indication.
About Pouchitis
Approximately 30% of patients with UC eventually require total colectomy. Ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the surgical treatment of choice as it avoids permanent ileostomy and is associated with better quality of life outcomes. Up to 60,000 patients in the U.S. alone experience pouchitis, inflammation in the lining of the pouch, after IPAA surgery. Acute pouchitis often responds to antibiotic treatment but up to 50% of pouchitis patients develop chronic pouchitis where patients often relapse on or do not respond to antibiotic therapy. Pouchitis is characterized by clinical symptoms of excessive stool frequency, urgency, fecal incontinence, nocturnal seepage and lower abdominal pain. Pouchitis is an orphan indication with no current FDA-approved products.
About AMT-101
AMT-101 is a novel GI-selective, oral fusion of IL-10 and AMT’s proprietary carrier molecule, currently in development in four Phase 2 clinical trials for chronic pouchitis, UC and RA. AMT-101 is designed to cross the intestinal epithelial (IE) barrier with limited entry into the bloodstream, thereby focusing IL-10 at the primary site of inflammation in IBD, along the intestinal tissue lamina propria, potentially avoiding the side effects observed with systemic administration.
About FILLMORE
FILLMORE is a Phase 2 double-blinded trial that evaluated the safety and efficacy of orally administered AMT-101 monotherapy, over 12 weeks, in patients with chronic pouchitis. The FILLMORE trial randomized 22 patients to 3mg or 10mg of oral AMT-101. The trial was conducted across 33 sites and 11 countries in patients with daily stool frequency ≥ 6 (and > 3 stools per day more than baseline), Modified Pouchitis Disease Activity Index (mPDAI) score ≥ 5, and histological evidence of pouchitis (Geboes ≥ 3.1), among other entry criteria. Patients must have failed at least one round of antibiotic therapy and no lead-in or rescue antibiotic therapy was allowed.
About Applied Molecular Transport Inc.
AMT is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel oral biologic product candidates, by leveraging its technology platform to design and advance a multi-product pipeline to treat autoimmune, inflammatory, metabolic and other diseases. AMT is developing its oral biologic product candidates in patient-friendly oral dosage forms that are designed to either target local intestinal tissue or enter systemic circulation to precisely address the relevant pathophysiology of disease. AMT’s proprietary technology platform allows it to exploit existing natural cellular trafficking pathways to facilitate the active transport of diverse therapeutic modalities across the IE barrier. Active transport is an efficient mechanism that uses the cell’s own machinery to transport materials across the IE barrier.
AMT’s headquarters, internal GMP manufacturing and lab facilities are located in South San Francisco, CA. For additional information on AMT, please visit www.appliedmt.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release are forward-looking statements including statements relating to AMT’s plans, expectations, forecasts and future events. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the potential of, and expectations regarding AMT’s technology platform, statements regarding scaling our organization, growth of clinical activities, or pipeline expansion, statements regarding the optimization or expansion of our product development plans or the design of future clinical trials, statements regarding the potential of AMT-101 or regarding AMT-101 clinical trials, including the timing of data readouts from such trials including top-line results from the MARKET trial in combination with anti-TNFα for UC, the LOMBARD trial as a monotherapy for UC and the CASTRO trial in combination with anti-TNFα for RA, statements regarding the market potential of AMT’s product candidates, advancing product candidates to future phases of development, statements regarding our ability to obtain regulatory approval for AMT’s product candidates, and program updates, milestones for such trials, and our ability to replicate past clinical development strategies, statements regarding the potential for AMT’s product candidates to treat or provide clinically meaningful outcomes for certain medical conditions or diseases, assumptions regarding the mechanism of action of our product candidates and the potential to avoid side effects with our product candidates, statements regarding the market opportunity for our product candidates and statements by AMT’s chief medical officer. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potentially,” “will,” “expect,” “enable,” “likely” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Actual events, trends or results could differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations disclosed in these forward-looking statements based on various factors. Information regarding the foregoing and additional risks may be found in the section entitled “Risk Factors” in AMT’s Annual and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and AMT’s future reports to be filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and AMT assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Investor Relations Contact:
Andrew Chang
Head, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications
achang@appliedmt.com
Media Contacts:
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Wheelhouse Life Science Advisors
asantos@wheelhouselsa.com
Aljanae Reynolds
Wheelhouse Life Science Advisors
areynolds@wheelhouselsa.com
