TIDMPRTC
PureTech Health PLC
11 April 2019
11 April 2019
PureTech Health plc
PureTech Health Affiliate Gelesis Presents Preclinical Data
Showing Pipeline Candidate Prevents Harmful Effects of a High-Fat
Diet
Mice fed high-fat diet and treated with developmental hydrogel
were protected against development of fatty liver and associated
metabolic disorders
Preclinical data suggest Gel-B (GS300 prototype) targets
gut-related pathophysiologies that drive insulin resistance, NAFLD
and NASH
PureTech Health plc (LSE: PRTC) ("PureTech Health"), an advanced
biopharmaceutical company developing novel medicines for
dysfunctions of the Brain-Immune-Gut (BIG) axis, is pleased to note
that its affiliate Gelesis today presented preclinical data at The
International Liver Congress 2019, the Annual Meeting of the
European Association for the Study of Liver (EASL), suggesting that
the Company's proprietary hydrogel candidate, Gel-B (GS300
prototype), prevents harmful effects of a high-fat diet on the
liver and associated metabolic disorders.
The study demonstrated that mice fed a high-fat diet with Gel-B
supplementation were protected against the development of
non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), weight gain and elevated
insulin resistance. Gel-B administration was also associated with a
favourable shift in microbiota consistent with changes associated
with improved gut health and metabolic homeostasis, and an increase
in GLP-1, a gut hormone known to affect liver health.
Preclinical data recently presented in March atO 2019, the
Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, also indicated that Gel-B has a
protective effect on the gut barrier, dysfunction of which has been
implicated in multiple inflammatory disorders including
inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic
steatohepatitis (NASH) and NAFLD.
"We continue to see evidence of the Gelesis hydrogel platform's
beneficial properties on multiple parameters that indicate a
positive potential product profile in the area of GI-mediated
inflammatory disease," said Eric Elenko, PhD, chief innovation
officer at PureTech Health. "The large and growing patient
populations suffering from these diseases combined with the
relative dearth of options for effective treatment make it an area
of significant need for innovative approaches."
The full text announcement from Gelesis is as follows:
Gelesis Presents Preclinical Data Showing Proprietary Hydrogel
Prevents Harmful Effects of a High-Fat Diet
Mice fed high-fat diet and treated with Gel-B (GS300 prototype)
hydrogel were protected against the development of fatty liver and
associated metabolic disorders
Preclinical data suggest Gel-B targets gut-related
pathophysiologies that drive insulin resistance, NAFLD and NASH
BOSTON, April 11, 2019 - Gelesis, a biotechnology company at the
forefront of developing mechanobiology-based therapies to treat
chronic diseases related to the gastrointestinal (GI) system, today
announced compelling preclinical data suggesting that the Company's
proprietary hydrogel, Gel-B (GS300 prototype), prevents the harmful
effects of a high-fat diet on the liver and associated metabolic
disorders. The late-breaking poster was presented at the
International Liver Congress 2019, held this week in Vienna,
Austria.
Preclinical data presented by Gelesis last month atO, The
Endocrine Society Annual Meeting, demonstrated that Gel-B
treatment, designed with specific mechanical properties, restored
gut barrier function in mice after severe intestinal wall injury
and prevented unwanted substances from reaching the circulatory
system. Those findings suggested potential therapeutic utility for
Gel-B in minimising the low-grade systemic inflammation and
diseases associated with gut barrier dysfunction.
The latest data presented today suggest that Gel-B not only has
a protective effect on the gut barrier but may also work to prevent
liver and metabolic disorders associated with high-fat diets. In
the study, mice fed a high-fat diet and treated with Gel-B were
protected from developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
(NAFLD), insulin resistance and excessive weight gain.
"There is a rising epidemic of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
worldwide and a desperate need for therapeutic agents. These data
suggest a unique approach to treat fatty liver diseases by
restoring the normal function of the gut barrier and warrant
further investigation," said Arun Sanyal, M.D., a
gastroenterologist at the Virginia Commonwealth University School
of Medicine and advisor to the Company. "This research demonstrates
an improvement in GLP-1 levels, change in gut flora and
upregulation of tight junctions, all of which could improve the
integrity of the gut wall and prevent fat accumulation and other
harmful substances from reaching and inflaming the liver."
In the study presented at EASL, mice were divided into four
groups: low-fat diet, high-fat diet and high-fat diet enhanced with
either low or high doses of Gel-B, a proprietary non-systemic
hydrogel previously shown to restore gut barrier function in a
preclinical model. Gel-B prevented the development of fatty liver
in all mice in the high dose group and most of the mice on the low
dose, despite being fed with a high fat diet (45% lard) for 18
weeks. Those treated with Gel-B along with the high-fat diet also
showed significant improvements across multiple measures of
metabolic function as compared with the high-fat control (mice on
the same diet without Gel-B). Among the observed changes: mice on
Gel-B treatment had a significant reduction of insulin resistance
as measured by homeostatic model assessment - insulin resistance
(HOMA-IR), decreased insulin levels and higher levels of GLP-1, a
gut hormone known to affect liver health.
"We're excited to share new insights into the effects of this
new investigational approach on the gut barrier. Preclinical
studies indicate that Gel-B protects against the negative effects
of a high-fat diet by enhancing the intestinal barrier properties
through a mechanical action leading to closing the gaps between
intestinal epithelial cells, which make up the first layer of
defense in the gut," said Elaine Chiquette, Pharm.D., Chief
Scientific Officer at Gelesis. "We continue to collaborate with key
researchers to understand additional mechanisms of action, such as
changes in microbiome and gut hormones, to advance our
understanding of Gel-B effects on gut and liver health."
Gelesis' proprietary hydrogels are orally administered and made
from two naturally derived building blocks - modified cellulose
cross-linked with citric acid - that create a three-dimensional
matrix to achieve specific mechanical properties through the
GI.
About Gelesis
Gelesis is developing a novel hydrogel platform technology to
treat overweight, obesity and chronic diseases related to the GI
pathway. Gelesis' proprietary approach is designed to act
mechanically in the GI pathway to potentially alter the course of
chronic diseases. The company's lead product candidate, Gelesis100,
has been submitted to the FDA for review as an aid to weight
management. Additionally, Gelesis is developing its second
candidate, Gelesis200, a hydrogel optimised for weight loss and
glycaemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes and prediabetes.
Novel hydrogel mechanotherapeutics based on the Gelesis platform
technology are also being advanced through a pipeline in other GI
inflammatory conditions where gut barrier and gut permeability
potentially play a role, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
(NASH) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The Gelesis executive and advisory team includes some of the
world's leading experts in obesity, materials science, chronic
disease research and commercialisation. Gelesis was co-founded by
PureTech Health (LSE: PRTC), a biopharmaceutical company focused on
the Brain-Immune-Gut (BIG) Axis. For more information, visit
gelesis.com or connect with us on Twitter @GelesisInc.
About PureTech Health
PureTech Health (LSE: PRTC) is an advanced biopharmaceutical
company developing BIG medicines for dysfunctions of the
Brain-Immune-Gut axis. The Company has gained deep insights into
the connection between these systems and the resulting role in
diseases that have proven resistant to established therapeutic
approaches. By harnessing this emerging field of human biology,
PureTech Health is developing new categories of medicines with the
potential to have great impact on people with serious diseases.
PureTech Health is advancing a rich pipeline of innovative
therapies with an unbiased, non-binary, and capital efficient
R&D model across its affiliates and its internal labs.
PureTech's affiliates include seven clinical-stage platforms, two
products that have been filed with the FDA for review, and several
other novel preclinical programmes. The PureTech Health pipeline
includes ground-breaking platforms and therapeutic candidates that
were developed in collaboration with some of the world's leading
experts.
PureTech's internal research and development is centred on
tissue-selective immunomodulation for the treatment of oncology,
autoimmune, and CNS-related disorders, with a near-term focus on
targeting newly-discovered, foundational immunosuppressive
mechanisms in oncology and novel approaches that harness the
lymphatic infrastructure.
For more information, visit www.puretechhealth.com or connect
with us on Twitter @puretechh.
Forward Looking Statement
This press release contains statements that are or may be
forward-looking statements, including statements that relate to the
company's future prospects, developments and strategies. The
forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and
are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could
cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ
materially from current expectations, including, but not limited
to, those risks and uncertainties described in the risk factors
included in the regulatory filings for PureTech Health plc. These
forward-looking statements are based on assumptions regarding the
present and future business strategies of the company and the
environment in which it will operate in the future. Each
forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date of this press
release. Except as required by law and regulatory requirements,
neither the company nor any other party intends to update or revise
these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new
information, future events or otherwise.
Contact:
Investors EU media US media
Allison Mead Talbot Ben Atwell, Rob Winder Tom Donovan
+1 617 651 3156 +44 (0) 20 3727 1000 +1 857 559 3397
amt@puretechhealth.com ben.atwell@FTIconsulting.com tom@tenbridgecommunications.com
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END
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