Vanda Pharmaceuticals gets FDA orphan drug status for VPO-227 in cholera

Vanda Pharmaceuticals has secured orphan drug designation for VPO-227 from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of cholera.

According to the Nasdaq-listed biopharma company, cholera continues to be a significant public health challenge and recognized unmet medical need in spite of public health efforts over many years.

Commenting on VPO-227 FDA orphan drug designation, Mihael H. Polymeropoulos — Vanda Pharmaceuticals President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, said: “This designation is an important milestone in the development of VPO-227 and highlights the need for potential new treatment options for patients who suffer from cholera and other conditions of water hyper-excretion.”

VPO-227 is a small-molecule designed to block the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) ion channel, said Vanda Pharmaceuticals.

CFTR is said to have a crucial role in intestinal fluid loss induced by cholera as it is affected by the cholera toxin.