Leap Therapeutics announces orphan drug designation of DKN-01 for the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer

Leap Therapeutics announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the Company orphan drug designation for DKN-01 for the treatment of gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer.

DKN-01 is a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to and blocks the activity of the Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) protein, a modulator of Wnt/Beta-catenin signaling.

“Orphan Drug Designation for DKN-01 in gastric and gastroesophageal junction cancer is another significant milestone in our DKN-01 development program and underscores the need for new treatment options for these indications,” said Douglas E. Onsi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Leap. “We believe DKN-01 has the potential to be an important new therapy for this patient population that remains an area of high unmet medical need.”

The FDA’s Office of Orphan Drug Products grants orphan status to support development of medicines for underserved patient populations, or rare disorders, that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S. Orphan drug designation provides to Leap certain benefits, including market exclusivity upon regulatory approval if received, exemption of FDA application fees and tax credits for qualified clinical trials.

DKN-01 is currently being evaluated in Phase 1/2 and Phase 2 clinical trials for gastroesophageal, gynecologic, hepatobiliary, and prostate cancers. Site initiation activities are now underway for the Company’s combination study of DKN-01 plus tislelizumab, BeiGene, Ltd.’s anti-PD-1 antibody, in patients with gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer with dosing of the first patients expected in the third quarter of 2020.