NPS Pharmaceuticals Receives Orphan Drug Designation for Natpara by EC

NPS Pharmaceuticals NPSP today announced that the European Commission has granted orphan drug designation to Natpara® (recombinant human parathyroid hormone (rhPTH[1-84]) for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism. Natpara is a bioengineered replacement for endogenous parathyroid hormone (PTH) that NPS has developed for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism, a rare endocrine disorder in which the body produces insufficient levels of parathyroid hormone, a principal regulatory of the body's mineral homeostasis. Orphan drug designation in the European Union (EU) is given to products that are designed for the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of rare diseases that are life-threatening or chronically debilitating. See full press release