The START pilot program was launched by the FDA in September 2023 to further accelerate the pace of development, with an initial selection of up to six novel drugs, three by the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) and three by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), intended to treat a rare disease or other serious condition with high unmet medical need through an enhanced mechanism for communication with the FDA. Sponsors selected can benefit from more frequent and rapid ad-hoc interactions with the FDA to help facilitate the development of programs to the pivotal clinical study or pre-BLA meeting stage, and to generate high-quality and reliable data intended to support a BLA or New Drug Application (NDA).
Nomlabofusp is currently being evaluated in an ongoing open label extension (OLE) study to assess the long-term safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and frataxin levels in peripheral tissues in patients with FA. Interim data from the OLE study is expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.