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Akeso's Ligufalimab (CD47 mAb) Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
Akeso Inc. (9926.HK) today announced that its proprietary next-generation humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting CD47, ligufalimab (AK117), has been granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
About this update from Akeso, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"HONG KONG, Sept. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akeso Inc. (9926.HK) today announced that its proprietary next-generation humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody targeting CD47, ligufalimab (AK117), has been granted Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).","length":301,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The Orphan Drug Designation is a program established by the FDA to incentivize the development of therapies for rare diseases. Drugs with this designation benefit from comprehensive FDA guidance during development, tax incentives, and up to seven years of market exclusivity upon approval.","length":289,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Akeso is actively advancing the international clinical development for ligufalimab, which is being evaluated in both hematologic malignancies and solid tumors. In addition to its application in AML, patient enrollment has been completed in a randomized, double-blind, multicenter Phase II study assessing ligufalimab combined with azacitidine in higher-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (HR-MDS).","length":393,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Ligufalimab is also the first CD47 monoclonal antibody to enter registrational Phase III trials in solid tumors. Two Phase III studies are currently ongoing: one evaluating the combination of ligufalimab and ivonescimab as first-line treatment for PD-L1-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and another study assessing this combination as first-line therapy for pancreatic cancer.","length":399,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous hematologic malignancy characterized by the clonal proliferation of myeloid blasts in the bone marrow, peripheral blood, and extramedullary tissues. It is the most common type of acute leukemia in adults. Treatment strategies for AML, as outlined in the NCCN Guidelines®, are primarily based on whether patients are eligible for intensive induction chemotherapy. For those ineligible for such chemotherapy, treatment options remain limited.","length":488,"tagName":"p"},{"type":"text","content":"The FDA has currently approved venetoclax in combination with azacitidine, decitabine, or low-dose cytarabine for newly diagnosed AML patients aged 75 years or older, or for those with comorbidities that preclude intensi...