Cell Therapeutics Seeks EU Aid For Cancer Drug

SEATTLE (AP) — Cell Therapeutics Inc. on Tuesday said it has asked European Union regulators to grant orphan drug status to its cancer drug candidate pixantrone.

If pixantrone receives orphan drug status, it would receive 10 years of market exclusivity, along with regulatory aid in development, low fees and aid in designing clinical studies. Orphan drug status is given to drugs that treat rare conditions, or conditions for which there are no drugs on the market.

Cell Therapeutics has asked the Food and Drug Administration to approve pixantrone for the treatment of aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma that has not responded to other therapies, or has returned after previous treatments.

Shares of Cell Therapeutics fell 3 cents, to close at 2.4 percent, at $1.24.