Alkeus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to preserving the sight of individuals impacted by retinal diseases, today announced that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan has granted Orphan Drug Designation for oral gildeuretinol for the treatment of Stargardt disease. Stargardt disease is an inherited retinal disease that often begins in childhood or adolescence, and progressively and irreversibly damages the central vision patients rely on to read, recognize faces, drive and live independently. Gildeuretinol currently is being evaluated in the global Phase 3 NORTHSTAR Study.