CARY, N.C., Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Veloxis), a global specialty pharmaceutical company and an Asahi Kasei company, has announced that the United States Adopted Name (USAN) Council has approved the nonproprietary (generic) name “pegrizeprument” for its lead transplant candidate, VEL-101, a novel investigational maintenance immunosuppressive agent.
The USAN Council, which includes experts from the American Medical Association, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention and the Food and Drug Administration, provides clear, standardized drug names that facilitate communication among healthcare professionals, patients, and researchers worldwide.
Adopting pegrizeprument ensures consistent and reliable drug identification, helping reduce medication errors, enhance patient safety, and streamline drug identification for healthcare providers. This new generic name also highlights the importance of international drug recognition – ensuring clarity across markets regardless of the brand name under which the drug is intended to be marketed.
“The adoption of the name pegrizeprument marks another key milestone for our innovative investigational immunosuppressive therapy as we prepare to move to the next phase of development,” says Tunde Otulana, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Veloxis. “It reinforces our dedication to developing innovative therapies to improve the lives of transplant recipients worldwide.”
About pegrizeprument (formerly VEL-101)
Pegrizeprument is a pegylated monoclonal monovalent antibody fragment that binds to and blocks CD28-mediated effector-T cell costimulation, without blocking CTLA-4, an important protein found on T cells that naturally helps keep the body’s immune responses in check. Pegrizeprument is, therefore, expected to have a dual-mechanism of action where in a direct manner, it blocks CD28-mediated T cell activation, and indirectly, it allows for CTLA-4 mediated immunosuppressive functions. Also known as FR104, pegrizeprument was licensed by Veloxis from OSE Immunotherapeutics in April 2021. As part of the license agreement, Veloxis obtained worldwide rights to develop, manufacture, and commercialize pegrizeprument for all transplant indications. Pegrizeprument is being developed for the prevention of acute rejection in recipients of kidney transplants and potentially in recipients of other solid organs.About Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Veloxis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an Asahi Kasei company, is a global specialty pharmaceutical company committed to improving the lives of transplant patients. Headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, USA, Veloxis is focused on the global development and commercialization of medications utilized by transplant patients and by patients with serious related diseases. For further information, please visit Veloxis.com. The Asahi Kasei Group contributes to life and living for people around the world. Since its foundation in 1922 with ammonia and cellulose fiber business, Asahi Kasei has consistently grown through the proactive transformation of its business portfolio to meet the evolving needs of every age. With more than 49,000 employees worldwide, the company contributes to a sustainable society by providing solutions to the world’s challenges through its three business sectors of Material, Homes, and Health Care. Its Health Care operations include devices and systems for acute critical care, dialysis, therapeutic apheresis, and manufacture of biotherapeutics, as well as pharmaceuticals and diagnostic reagents. For further information, please visit Asahi-Kasei.com.
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SOURCE Veloxis Pharmaceuticals
