Synairgen plc Additional Positive Data in Lung Fibrosis (1286Z)
March 10 2017 - 3:34AM
UK Regulatory
TIDMSNG
RNS Number : 1286Z
Synairgen plc
10 March 2017
Press release
Synairgen plc
('Synairgen' or the 'Company')
Additional Positive Data in Lung Fibrosis
- Phase I clinical trial scheduled to start in H2 2017
Southampton, UK - 10 March 2017: Synairgen plc (LSE: SNG), the
respiratory drug discovery and development company, today announces
further positive data from its LOXL2 (lysyl oxidase-like 2 enzyme)
inhibitor programme against the lung disease idiopathic pulmonary
fibrosis (IPF), being conducted in collaboration with Pharmaxis
(ASX: PXS). Successful completion of toxicology studies will enable
commencement of Phase I clinical trials in H2 this year as
planned.
Using cells from IPF patients, Synairgen has previously reported
that these inhibitors can reduce cross-linking of collagen fibres
in an in vitro model of IPF developed in collaboration with the
University of Southampton and the Company has now demonstrated that
this results in a reduction in tissue stiffness of around 50%.
Today Synairgen also reports that oral administration of one of
these compounds significantly inhibited cross-link formation,
reduced fibrosis score and improved lung function (elastance) in a
preclinical model of lung fibrosis (note 1). Together these results
suggest that inhibition of LOXL2 using these novel inhibitors has
the potential to improve lung function in patients with lung
fibrosis by reducing tissue stiffness.
IPF is a fatal lung disease which, with a median survival of 2
to 3 years(1) , carries a worse prognosis than many cancers. It
affects up to 132,000 people in the US and approximately 50,000 new
cases are diagnosed each year(2) . The current products for IPF
have generated global revenues in excess of $1 billion in 2016(3) .
Whilst the underlying cause of the disease is not fully understood,
IPF results from the relentless build-up of scar tissue which, in
turn, damages the structure of the lung affecting normal uptake of
oxygen into the blood. The resultant stiffening of the lungs makes
it increasingly difficult to breathe. Scar tissue is formed largely
of collagen. LOXL2 is a member of a family of enzymes that stiffen
scar tissue by forming cross-links between the collagen
molecules.
Synairgen and Pharmaxis are collaborating to develop small
molecule inhibitors of LOXL2 for the treatment of IPF and other
fibrotic conditions including non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH),
kidney fibrosis and cardiac fibrosis.
Commenting on the results, Richard Marsden, CEO of Synairgen,
said: "The effect of these inhibitors across different model types
is very exciting, suggesting that inhibition of LOXL2 has the
potential to improve lung function in severely ill patients with
lung fibrosis by reducing tissue stiffness.
"2017 will be an important year for Synairgen. Subject to the
successful completion of on-going pre-clinical work, we expect to
commence Phase I clinical trials of the LOXL2 inhibitor during the
second half of 2017. The window for licensing the LOXL2 programme
to a pharmaceutical partner will open at the end of Phase I. We
also expect to hear the outcome of the AstraZeneca Phase II trial
of interferon beta during the first half of 2017."
Note 1: The inhibitor was profiled in a model of progressive
lung fibrosis initiated by local expression of the pro-fibrotic
mediator TGF-<BETA> in the lungs using a non-replicating
adenoviral vector. The study was conducted at McMaster University
(Hamilton, Canada).
References
1. Ley B et al. Clinical course and prediction of survival in
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011 Feb
15;183(4):431-40
2. Boehringer Ingelheim - www.BreathlessIPF.com. Accessed 9 March 2017.
3. Sourced from Roche Finance Report 2016 and Boehringer Ingelheim press release 3 August 2016.
-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
Synairgen plc Tel: +44 (0) 23 8051 2800
Richard Marsden, Chief Executive Officer
John Ward, Finance Director
FinnCap (NOMAD) Tel: +44 (0) 20 7220 0500
Geoff Nash, James Thompson (Corporate Finance)
Stephen Norcross, Simon Johnson (Corporate Broking)
Consilium Strategic Communications (Financial Media and Investor
Relations)
Mary-Jane Elliott / Sue Stuart / Jessica Hodgson / Laura
Thornton
synairgen@consilium-comms.com Tel: +44 (0) 20 3709 5701
Notes for Editors
About Synairgen
Synairgen is a respiratory drug discovery and development
company founded by University of Southampton Professors Stephen
Holgate, Donna Davies and Ratko Djukanovic. The business, focused
primarily on asthma and COPD, uses its differentiating human
biology BioBank platform and world-renowned international academic
KOL network to discover and develop novel therapies for respiratory
disease. Leveraging its scientific and clinical facilities at
Southampton General Hospital, the Company uses in vitro and ex vivo
models to progress opportunities into clinical development. The
BioBank of human samples is used in these models to increase
confidence in the likelihood of successful drug development. Core
to Synairgen's business strategy is the realisation of value via
licensing transactions. This approach has been validated by the
licensing agreement formed with AstraZeneca in June 2014 for
Synairgen's SNG001 (AZD9412) programme in asthma/COPD. In August
2015 the Company entered into a collaboration with Pharmaxis to
develop an oral LOXL2 inhibitor to reduce fibrosis in patients with
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Synairgen is quoted on AIM
(LSE: SNG). For more information about Synairgen, please see
www.synairgen.com
About Pharmaxis
Pharmaxis is an Australian research pharmaceutical company with
a portfolio of products at various stages of development and
approval. The company's development pipeline is centred on its
expertise in amine oxidase chemistry and includes
Semicarbazide--Sensitive Amine Oxidase Inhibitors (SSAO) for
Non--alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and inflammatory diseases
including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and Lysyl
Oxidase Inhibitors (LOX) targeting fibrotic diseases including
pulmonary fibrosis and some cancers. Pharmaxis is listed on the
Australian Securities Exchange (symbol PXS). For more information
about Pharmaxis, please see www.pharmaxis.com.au.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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