Sprifermin

Current osteoarthritis treatment manages symptoms rather than addressing the underlying disease, but a new study has shown the condition may be treatable and reversible. Current osteoarthritis treatment manages symptoms rather than addressing the underlying disease, but a new University of Adelaide study has shown the condition may be treatable and reversible. Osteoarthritis is the degeneration of cartilage and other tissues in joints and is the most common form of arthritis in Australia, with one in five people over the age of 45 having the condition. It is a long-term and progressive condition which affects people's mobility and has historically had no cure. Its treatment cost the Australian health system an estimated $3.9 billion in 2019-20. Often described as a 'wear and tear' condition, factors such as ageing, obesity, injury and family history contribute to the progression of osteoarthritis. University of Adelaide researchers discovered a novel population of stem cells -- marked by the Gremlin 1 gene -- responsible for the progression of osteoarthritis. Treatment with fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) stimulated the proliferation of Gremlin 1 cells in joint cartilage in mice, leading to significant recovery of cartilage thickness and reduced osteoarthritis. Gremlin 1 cells present opportunities for cartilage regeneration and their discovery will have relevance to other forms of cartilage injury and disease, which are notoriously challenging to repair and treat. It challenges the categorisation of osteoarthritis as wear and tear. "The findings of our study reimagine osteoarthritis not as a 'wear and tear' condition but as an active, and pharmaceutically reversible loss of critical articular cartilage stem cells," said the University of Adelaide's Dr Jia Ng from the Adelaide Medical School, who co-led the study. "With this new information, we are now able to explore pharmaceutical options to directly target the stem cell population that is responsible for the development of articular cartilage and progression of osteoarthritis." While Dr Ng describes current treatments for osteoarthritis as a "Band-Aid approach," this new understanding could lead to a pharmaceutical treatment that reverses osteoarthritis and helps to address health outcomes associated with the disease. "Known comorbidities of osteoarthritis include heart, pulmonary, and kidney disease, mental and behavioural conditions, diabetes, and cancer," said Dr Ng. "Our study suggests that there may be new ways to treat the disease rather than just the symptoms, leading to better health outcomes and quality of life for people who suffer from osteoarthritis." Though this discovery is limited to animal models, Dr Ng said there are genetic similarities to human samples, and human trials are ongoing. "We look forward to the outcome of these trials and to contribute to the better understanding of a pharmaceutical mechanism to treat osteoarthritis," she said. Results of a five-year clinical trial study using FGF18, known clinically as Sprifermin, were published in 2021 with potential long-term clinical benefit and no safety concerns. Phase 3 of the Sprifermin trial is ongoing, and researchers envision public access to this treatment soon.

NEW YORK, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- TrialSpark, Inc. announced today that the first patient has been dosed in its Phase 2 clinical trial for ASN008-201, a topical sodium channel blocker in development for pruritus associated with atopic dermatitis (AD). This clinical trial is a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, Phase 2 trial to evaluate the anti-pruritic efficacy, safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of ASN008 in adults with mild to moderate AD (NCT05870865). Topline data for this trial is expected in 2024. Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, and pruritus is the most burdensome and prevalent symptom in patients suffering from AD. Treating atopic itch, which impacts more than 16.5 million patients in the US, has historically been a challenge due to an incomplete understanding of the multiple mechanisms underlying its pathogenesis. "We are thrilled to have dosed our first patient in this clinical trial," said Gavin Corcoran, Chief Development Officer at TrialSpark. "Dermatology is a core focus area for our company, and there is enormous unmet patient need, so we're looking forward to progressing this clinical trial as efficiently as possible." This clinical trial will enroll approximately 120 participants at around 28 study sites across the United States. Eligible participants will be randomized in a 1:1:1:1 ratio to receive ASN008 gel 1.25%, ASN008 gel 2.5%, ASN008 gel 5%, or matching vehicle twice a day for 4 weeks (28 days), followed by a 4-week (28-day) follow-up period. "We are grateful to the patients who are participating in this clinical trial and to the healthcare professionals who are working with us to advance our research," said Benjamine Liu, TrialSpark CEO and Co-Founder. "Our company's mission is to bring new treatments to patients faster than ever before, and the contributions of patients, doctors, and sites are essential to achieving that goal." For more information about the clinical trial, please visit . About TrialSpark Founded in 2016, TrialSpark is a tech-driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. TrialSpark has built a technology platform that optimizes all aspects of clinical drug development, enabling more efficient trial design, faster trial completion, and higher quality trial data. The company acquires clinical-stage drugs from pharmaceutical and biotech companies and develops them faster, unlocking greater value per program and accelerating access to new treatments for patients. TrialSpark's current therapeutic areas of focus include rheumatology, dermatology, and cardiometabolic diseases. TrialSpark is actively growing its development pipeline. In November 2022, the company announced the formation of Libertas Bio following the acquisition of a majority position in a portfolio of immunodermatology assets from Asana BioSciences. The Libertas Bio pipeline includes ASN008, as well as global rights to gusacitinib, an oral Phase 3-ready dual JAK/SYK inhibitor in development for chronic hand eczema. TrialSpark also announced the formation of Highline Bio following the acquisition of worldwide rights to sprifermin - a potential first-in-class disease modifying treatment for osteoarthritis - from Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Media Contact: [email protected] BD/Partnerships Contact: [email protected] SOURCE TrialSpark