Aruvant gains Rare Pediatric status for sickle cell disease candidate ARU-1801

Clinical-stage USA-based biotech Aruvant Sciences says that the US Food and Drug Administration has granted Rare Pediatric Disease designation to ARU-1801, Aruvant’s investigational therapy for the treatment of sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder.

Launched in November 2018, Aruvant Sciences is part of the Roivant family of companies, which recently divested a number of its other ‘Vant’ assets to Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma  (TYO: 4506) in a $3 billion deal.

The FDA defines a rare pediatric disease as a serious or life-threatening disease that impacts fewer than 200,000 individuals in the United States and whose serious or life-threatening manifestations primarily affect individuals 18 years or younger.