LIFE - ATyr Pharma therapy for lung disorder gets orphan drug status in EU

• European Commission (EC) granted orphan drug designation to aTyr Pharma's ( NASDAQ: LIFE ) efzofitimod to treat sarcoidosis.
• Sarcoidosis is a disorder characterized by the growth of tiny collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) in any body part, commonly the lungs and lymph nodes.
• The EC decision, which was based on the opinion of the European Medicines Agency, was backed by data from preclinical and clinical proof-of-concept data, including data from a phase 1b/2a study, the company added.
• The drug is currently being evaluated in a global phase 3 trial in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, the main form of the disease, according to the company.
• The orphan drug status in the EU is aimed at therapies for treating or preventing diseases which affect fewer than five in 10,000 people in the EU. The designation provides incentives, including 10 years' of market exclusivity for the drug, if approved.
• LIFE +0.44% to $2.30 premarket Jan. 18

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