– First Reported Large-Scale Analysis of FNAIT
Risk Across Broad Population of Diverse Ancestries –
– Topline Results Suggest a Significant
Increase in the Number of Pregnancies at Higher Risk for FNAIT
Annually and the RLYB212 Addressable Market –
– Rallybio On Track to Initiate RLYB212 Phase 2
Dose Confirmation Study in Pregnant Women at Higher Risk for FNAIT
in 2H 2024 –
Rallybio Corporation (Nasdaq: RLYB), a clinical-stage
biotechnology company translating scientific advances into
transformative therapies for patients with devastating rare
diseases, today reported topline results from an epidemiological
analysis of large genomic datasets evaluating the frequency of
fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) risk in
diverse ancestries. Data from this analysis confirmed Caucasian
populations as having the greatest proportion of women with the
genetic markers for higher FNAIT risk (HPA-1a negative,
HLA-DRB3*01:01 positive). Additionally, data from this analysis
provides, for the first time, robust evidence quantifying the
proportion of women in non-Caucasian ancestries that carry the
genetic markers for higher FNAIT risk.
These data indicate that the proportion of pregnant women at
higher risk for FNAIT annually has been significantly
underestimated. For example, in key geographies of North America
and major European countries, it is estimated that more than 30,000
pregnancies each year are at higher risk for FNAIT, representing a
40% increase from prior estimates. Full data from the
epidemiological analysis are expected to be presented at a
scientific conference in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“This epidemiological analysis leverages the availability of
large-scale, diverse genomic datasets, and provides the first clear
evidence of the extent to which ancestries beyond the Caucasian
population can carry a higher risk for FNAIT,” said Stephen Uden,
MD, Chief Executive Officer of Rallybio. “These data indicate that
FNAIT risk is more prevalent than previously estimated and
highlights the importance of screening. Unlike many other rare
diseases, we believe that screening for FNAIT risk could be
seamlessly incorporated into standard prenatal care for all
mothers. This would ensure all women at higher risk for FNAIT could
then be offered prophylactic treatment with RLYB212, if
approved.”
Dr. Uden continued, “Based on this new information, we now
believe RLYB212 represents a commercial opportunity of greater than
$1.6 billion. We thank HealthLumen for their partnership in this
endeavor to expand our understanding of FNAIT risk across diverse
ancestries.”
Topline results from this analysis demonstrate that the
proportion of women at higher risk of alloimmunization and FNAIT
was greatest in European Caucasian populations, consistent with
published literature. Additionally, the results demonstrate a
comparable proportion of women at higher risk in Hispanic White
populations, as well as a relatively moderate proportion of women
at higher risk in Hispanic Black and Non-Hispanic Black
populations. Proportions of women at higher risk in South Asian,
East Asian, and Amerindigenous populations were found to be low
relative to the European Caucasian populations.
The analysis was conducted by Rallybio in partnership with
HealthLumen, a leader in epidemiological modeling of rare genetic
diseases. Allele frequencies for HPA-1a were obtained from gnomAD
v4, which contains exome and genome sequencing data from
approximately 810,000 individuals. Allele frequencies for HLA
DRB3*01:01, which is associated with approximately 25-fold higher
risk of alloimmunization, were obtained from the US National Marrow
Donor Registry (NMDR), which includes data from approximately
2,700,000 individuals.
Rallybio is developing RLYB212, a novel human monoclonal
anti-HPA-1a antibody, to prevent alloimmunization in pregnant women
and thereby, eliminate the risk of FNAIT and its potentially
devastating consequences in their fetuses and newborns. Rallybio
expects to initiate a Phase 2 dose confirmation study of RLYB212 in
pregnant women at higher risk for HPA-1a alloimmunization and FNAIT
in the second half of 2024. The Company is also conducting a
non-interventional FNAIT natural history study that is designed to
provide a contemporary dataset for HPA-1a alloimmunization
frequency in a racially and ethnically diverse population. As of
May 1, 2024, Rallybio had screened approximately 10,000 pregnant
women.
About FNAIT
Fetal and Neonatal Alloimmune Thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) is a
potentially life-threatening rare disease that can cause
uncontrolled bleeding in fetuses and newborns. FNAIT can arise
during pregnancy due to an immune incompatibility between an
expectant mother and her fetus in a specific platelet antigen
called human platelet antigen 1, or HPA-1.
There are two predominant forms of HPA-1, known as HPA-1a and
HPA-1b, which are expressed on the surface of platelets.
Individuals who are homozygous for HPA-1b, meaning that they have
two copies of the HPA-1b allele and no copies of the HPA-1a allele,
are also known as HPA-1a negative. Upon exposure to the HPA-1a
antigen, these individuals can develop antibodies to that antigen
in a process known as alloimmunization. In HPA-1a-negative
expectant mothers bearing a HPA-1a-positive fetus, alloimmunization
can occur upon mixing of fetal blood with maternal blood. When
alloimmunization occurs in an expectant mother, the anti-HPA-1a
antibodies that develop in the mother can cross the placenta and
destroy platelets in the fetus. The destruction of platelets in the
fetus can result in severely low platelet counts, or
thrombocytopenia, and potentially lead to devastating consequences
including miscarriage, stillbirth, death of the newborn, or severe
lifelong neurological disability in those babies who survive. There
is currently no approved therapy for the prevention or prenatal
treatment of FNAIT.
About Rallybio
Rallybio (NASDAQ: RLYB) is a clinical-stage biotechnology
company with a mission to develop and commercialize
life-transforming therapies for patients with severe and rare
diseases. Rallybio has built a broad pipeline of promising product
candidates aimed at addressing diseases with unmet medical need in
areas of maternal fetal health, complement dysregulation,
hematology, and metabolic disorders. The Company has two clinical
stage programs: RLYB212, an anti-HPA-1a antibody for the prevention
of fetal and neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (FNAIT) and
RLYB116, an inhibitor of complement component 5 (C5), with the
potential to treat several diseases of complement dysregulation, as
well as additional programs in preclinical development. Rallybio is
headquartered in New Haven, Connecticut. For more information,
please visit www.rallybio.com and follow us on LinkedIn and
Twitter.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are
based on our management’s beliefs and assumptions and on currently
available information. All statements, other than statements of
historical facts contained in this press release are
forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking
statements can be identified by terms such as “may,” “will,”
“should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “could,” “intend,”
“target,” “project,” “contemplate,” “believe,” “estimate,”
“predict,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms
or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking
statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements in this
press release include, but are not limited to, statements
concerning the diversity of ancestries that carry the genetic
markers for FNAIT, the increase in the number of pregnancies
estimated to be at high risk of FNAIT each year based on the
epidemiological analysis and our estimates of the number of
pregnancies at higher risk of FNAIT, our ability to identify the
number of pregnant women at higher risk of FNAIT based on the
results of the analysis, our ability to ensure routine prenatal
screening, our estimates of the market opportunity for RLYB212, the
timing of initiation of the Phase 2 dose confirmation study for
RLYB212, our expectations regarding the usefulness of data from our
clinical studies, and the timing of publications relating to FNAIT
and RLYB212, . The forward-looking statements in this press release
are only predictions and are based largely on management’s current
expectations and projections about future events and financial
trends that management believes may affect Rallybio’s business,
financial condition and results of operations. These
forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press
release and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and assumptions, including, but not limited to, our
ability to successfully initiate and conduct our planned clinical
trials, including the FNAIT natural history study, and the Phase 2
clinical trial for RLYB212, and complete such clinical trials and
obtain results on our expected timelines, or at all, whether our
cash resources will be sufficient to fund our operating expenses
and capital expenditure requirements and whether we will be
successful raising additional capital, our ability to enter into
strategic partnerships or other arrangements, competition from
other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, and those risks
and uncertainties described in Rallybio’s filings with the U.S.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including Rallybio’s
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2024,
and subsequent filings with the SEC. The events and circumstances
reflected in our forward-looking statements may not be achieved or
occur and actual future results, levels of activity, performance
and events and circumstances could differ materially from those
projected in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by
applicable law, we are not obligated to publicly update or revise
any forward-looking statements contained in this press release,
whether as a result of any new information, future events, changed
circumstances or otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240614587031/en/
Investor Contacts Samantha Tracy Rallybio Corporation
(475) 47-RALLY (Ext. 282) investors@rallybio.com
Kevin Lui Precision AQ (212) 698-8691
kevin.lui@precisionaq.com
Media Contact Victoria Reynolds Mission North (760)
579-2134 rallybio@missionnorth.com
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