On April 20, 2026 Orion Corporation (Orion Pharma) reported that its investigational drug ODM-212 has received Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of mesothelioma, which is a rare and difficult to treat cancer. The FDA grants orphan drug designation to investigational therapies addressing rare diseases or conditions that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the US.
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ODM-212 is an oral small-molecule pan-TEAD (Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain) inhibitor being tested in a Phase 2 clinical study (TEADES) for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) and other solid tumors with dysfunction in Hippo pathway. The trial includes patients who have progressed after receiving standard treatments and have no further treatment options. The primary endpoints of the study are safety and tolerability with secondary endpoints including Overall Response Rate, Progression Free Survival and Overall Survival. This is a global trial conducted at leading oncology centers in the US and Europe.
"Receiving orphan drug designation for mesothelioma is an important milestone for the ODM-212 program. It underscores the importance of developing urgently needed innovative therapies for patients living with mesothelioma" said Praveen Aanur, MD, MPH, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Oncology Therapy Area, Orion Pharma.
About Orphan Drug Designation
Orphan Drug Designation is granted by FDA to therapies intended to prevent, diagnose, or treat rare diseases or conditions. With this designation for ODM-212, Orion Pharma, the sponsor, is now qualified for incentives including tax credits, exepmption from user fees, and eligibility for a 7-year period of market exclusivity following approval. Orphan Drug Designation neither shortens the development time or regulatory review time of a drug nor gives the drug any advantage in the regulatory review or approval process.
About ODM-212
ODM-212 is an oral small-molecule pan-TEAD (Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain) inhibitor developed by Orion Pharma. It targets the Hippo signaling pathway, which regulates cell growth and organ size. Dysregulation of this pathway—particularly through YAP/TAZ activation—can lead to uncontrolled tumor growth and resistance to cancer therapies. ODM-212 works by blocking TEAD transcription factors, disrupting YAP-TEAD protein-protein interactions, and inhibiting TEAD auto-palmitoylation, which is essential for TEAD activity.
(Press release, Orion, APR 20, 2026, View Source [SID1234664582])