Orca Bio Announces FDA Acceptance and Priority Review of the Biologics License Application (BLA) for Orca-T® to Treat Hematological Malignancies

MENLO PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orca Bio, a late-stage biotechnology company committed to transforming the lives of patients through high-precision cell therapy, today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for Priority Review the Biologics License Application (BLA) seeking approval for Orca-T, its lead investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy, for the treatment of hematological malignancies including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS).

Orca Bio announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for priority review the BLA seeking approval for Orca-T.

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The FDA granted the BLA Priority Review with a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) target action date of April 6, 2026.

“A stem cell transplant has been the only potentially curative option for many people with AML, ALL or MDS, however treatment-related toxicities too often hinder patient recovery. Acceptance of the Orca-T BLA marks a pivotal moment in our ability to deliver a first-in-class therapy designed to improve survival free from complications like graft versus host disease,” said Nate Fernhoff, Ph.D., co-founder and chief executive officer at Orca Bio. “Supported by positive Phase 3 clinical data, today’s regulatory milestone reflects important recognition of the transformative potential of Orca-T. We look forward to working collaboratively with the FDA on the review of our application with the goal of advancing Orca-T and making it available to patients in need.”

The BLA submission for Orca-T is supported by positive results from the pivotal Phase 3 study, Precision-T (NCT04013685), a randomized, open-label multi-center study that evaluated the safety, efficacy and tolerability of Orca-T compared to conventional allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (alloHSCT) in patients with AML, ALL and MDS. The study met its primary endpoint of a statistically significant improvement in survival free of moderate-to-severe chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD) with Orca-T versus alloHSCT.

About Orca-T

Orca-T is an investigational allogeneic T-cell immunotherapy being evaluated for the treatment of multiple hematological malignancies including acute leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes. Orca-T is composed of highly purified regulatory T-cells, hematopoietic stem cells and conventional T-cells derived from peripheral blood from either related or unrelated matched donors. Orca-T has received Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) and Orphan Drug Designation for the prevention of graft versus host disease or death in patients eligible for hematopoietic stem cell transplant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

About Orca Bio

Orca Bio is a late-stage biotechnology company developing high-precision cell therapies for the treatment of blood cancer and autoimmune diseases. The company’s manufacturing platform uses single-cell precision to create proprietary, uniquely-defined products designed to replace a patient’s diseased blood and immune system with a healthy one. At Orca Bio, we are on a mission to redefine what’s possible for patients by transforming the field of curative allogeneic cell therapy. For more information, visit www.orcabio.com.

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