Benzinga | Jan 25, 2021 07:32AM EST

Abeona Therapeutics Announces Successful Type B Meeting with FDA for Pivotal Phase 3 VIITAL Study of EB-101 in Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Abeona Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ:ABEO), a fully-integrated leader in gene and cell therapy, today announced that the company held a successful Type B meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to align with the Agency on the company's proposal regarding co-primary endpoints for the pivotal Phase 3 VIITAL(tm) study of EB-101 in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB). Following the meeting, Abeona is proceeding with its plan to enroll between 10 to 15 patients with RDEB, comprising approximately 35 large chronic wound sites treated in total.

"We appreciate the clarity provided by the FDA and we are pleased to be aligned with the Agency on the co-primary endpoints for the Phase 3 VIITAL(tm) study," said Michael Amoroso, Principal Executive and Chief Operating Officer of Abeona. "Following the successful completion of the FDA meeting, we continue with all necessary steps to enroll our next patient in the VIITAL(tm) study and aim to complete enrollment in 2021."

The co-primary endpoints of the study are: 1) the proportion of RDEB wound sites with greater than or equal to 50% healing from baseline, comparing treated with untreated wound sites at Week 24 (Month 6) as determined by direct investigator assessment; and 2) pain reduction associated with wound dressing change assessed by the mean differences in scores of the Wong-Baker FACES scale between treated and untreated wounds at Week 24 (Month 6).

As previously announced, data from a Phase 1/2a clinical trial presented at the 2020 Society for Pediatric Dermatology Annual Meeting showed that wound healing of 50% or greater following EB-101 treatment in patients with RDEB was associated with no pain at treated sites at three-, four- and five-years post-treatment, compared with presence of pain in 53% of wound sites at baseline.

Jodie Gillon, Vice President and Chief Patient Officer of Abeona commented, "We greatly appreciate the level of clarity we received from the FDA as we continue to work with our clinical study partners at Stanford University Medical Center and patient advocacy groups to enroll additional patients in the VIITAL(tm) study."

Investigators at Stanford University Medical Center are currently enrolling eligible patients into the VIITAL(tm) study. Additional information about the trial, including eligibility criteria, is available at https://www.abeonatherapeutics.com/clinical-trials/rdeb and https://clinicaltrials.gov/ (Identifier: NCT04227106).

About Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a rare connective tissue disorder characterized by severe skin wounds that cause pain and can lead to systemic complications impacting the length and quality of life. People with RDEB have a defect in the COL7A1 gene, leaving them unable to produce functioning type VII collagen which is necessary to anchor the dermal and epidermal layers of the skin. There is currently no approved treatment for RDEB.