FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation for TNFerade

GenVec, Inc, announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to TNFerade for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

TNFerade is an adenovector, or DNA carrier, which contains the gene for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, an immune system protein with potent and well-documented anticancer effects, for direct injection into tumors. After administration, TNFerade stimulates the production of TNF-alpha in the tumor. TNFerade has been granted Fast Track product designation by the FDA for its proposed use in the treatment of locally advanced pancreatic cancer.