Benzinga | Jul 27, 2021 02:21PM EDT

Novartis' TGF Targeted Antibody Secures FDA Orphan Drug Tag For Pancreatic Cancer

* The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Novartis AG's (NYSE:NVS) NIS793 in combination with standard of care chemotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer.

* NIS793 is a fully human anti-TGF-? IgG2 monoclonal antibody designed to inhibit the TGF-? pathway in tumor cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment.

* A Phase 2 study is ongoing, and a Phase 3 trial in the first-line metastatic pancreatic ductal carcinoma is planned to start enrolling patients later in 2021.

* Price Action: NVS shares are up 0.27% at $91.21 during the market session on the last check Tuesday.

* Related content: Benzinga's Full FDA Calendar.