TREX1

Company is evaluating IMSB301 in a Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers and plans to move rapidly into Phase 1b/2 clinical studies in patients with AGS, lupus and other cGAS-driven diseases Receiving RPDD is the initial step in obtaining a priority review voucher Nov. 20, 2024 -- ImmuneSensor Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development of first- and best-in-class cGAS inhibitors to address diverse peripheral and CNS indications in inflammation and autoimmunity, announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted both Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) and Rare Pediatric Disease Designation (RPDD) for the company’s lead anti-inflammatory and autoimmunity drug candidate, IMSB301 for the treatment of cGAS-driven Type I interferonopathy, Aicardi Goutières Syndrome (AGS). IMSB301, a novel, orally available small molecule cGAS inhibitor is also being developed for the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). “Receiving both Orphan Drug and Rare Pediatric Disease designations for IMSB301 represents a significant milestone for ImmuneSensor and highlights the potential of this potent cGAS inhibitor to improve the lives of patients with AGS, a disease which is driven by chronic activation of the cGAS pathway,” said Tom Dubensky, Ph.D., ImmuneSensor’s president and chief executive officer. “We currently have an ongoing Phase 1 trial of IMSB301 in healthy volunteers that will provide important early safety and target engagement data and inform rapid advancement to Phase 1b/2 clinical studies in patients with AGS and other severe inflammatory diseases, including lupus.” The FDA's Orphan Drug Designation program provides orphan status to therapies intended for the treatment, diagnosis, or prevention of rare diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. This designation provides certain benefits, including tax credits for qualified clinical testing, waiver or partial payment of FDA application fees and seven years of market exclusivity, if approved. The FDA defines a rare pediatric disease (RPD) as a serious or life-threatening disease primarily affecting individuals aged 18 years or younger that impacts fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. The program is intended to facilitate development of new drugs and biologics for the prevention and treatment of RPDs. A substantial benefit of the RPDD is the potential for the sponsoring company to receive a priority review voucher (PRV) which is granted once the FDA approves the new drug application (NDA) for the product and indication having received the RPDD. A PRV can be redeemed by the sponsor to receive a priority review for any subsequent marketing application, or may be sold or transferred to another sponsor. About Type I interferonopathies: Aicardi Goutières Syndrome (AGS) and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) AGS is a rare genetic severe inflammatory disease in pediatric and adult populations, affecting the brain (demyelination) and peripheral tissues (lungs, liver, heart, skin) caused by germline mutations in upstream cytosolic nuclease genes, including TREX-1, that trigger chronic production of Type I interferon (IFN-I) and pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting from chronic activation of cGAS and the production of downstream signaling molecules. The disease has no cure and is currently treated with drugs designed to manage symptoms. SLE is a complex autoimmune disorder that can be associated with the dysregulated production of IFN-I and other pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting from chronic activation of cGAS, which is thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The disease is characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations, involving the skin, blood vessels, kidneys and central nervous system that can result in serious organ damage and appears to develop when individuals with a genetic predisposition for the disease come into contact with an environmental “trigger.” The CDC estimates that approximately 204,000 people in the United States have SLE, the most common type of lupus, with nine times as many women as men likely to develop the disease. Current standard of care involves treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants. CLE is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune system to attack healthy skin cells, resulting in a red, scaly rash. There are several types of CLE that are often triggered by sunlight, it can also arise as a complication of SLE. While it can affect people of any age or gender, it is most common among women 20 to 50 years old. There is no cure for CLE, and its symptoms are currently managed with anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants and lifestyle changes. The cGAS-STING pathway works to detect (“sense”) both host-derived and foreign cytoplasmic DNA produced as a result of infection or cell damage due to inflammation or malignancy. In autoimmune diseases, the innate immune response is chronically activated, directly promoting inflammation and the development of autoimmunity, both in the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS). IMSB301 is a novel, orally available small molecule designed to specifically inhibit the cGAS enzyme to prevent production of the cGAMP signaling molecule and halt pathologic inflammation. In preclinical studies, IMSB301 has been demonstrated to be a potent and specific inhibitor of cGAS enzymatic activity that results in a profound suppression of cytokine production and rescue of the disease phenotype and premature death in a model of AGS. ImmuneSensor is developing IMSB301 initially in cGAS-driven Type I interferonopathies including AGS, as well as CLE and selected patient populations with SLE. IMSB301 has the potential to address other diverse therapeutic areas that are characterized by cGAS-driven inflammation including diabetic kidney diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and other autoimmune disorders. ImmuneSensor is a privately held, clinical stage company founded on the groundbreaking discovery of cGAS and cGAMP along with their combined role in regulating immunity, by Dr. Zhijian “James” Chen’s laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. This breakthrough has profoundly impacted both the scientific and pharmaceutical fields and earned Dr. Chen the 2024 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. ImmuneSensor is dedicated to developing best-in-class small molecule inhibitors of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway to potentially address therapeutic areas with significant unmet medical need in autoimmunity and inflammation. For more information about ImmuneSensor, visit: www.immunesensor.com The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- Exo Therapeutics, Inc. , a pre-clinical company developing a pipeline of drug candidates that target exosites, unique small-molecule binding pockets that are distinct from traditional active and allosteric sites, to reprogram target enzyme activity for precise and robust therapeutic effects, today presented a late-breaking poster on its preclinical program targeting the TBK1/STING interaction of the cGAS-STING pathway at the American College of Rheumatology’s Convergence Conference (ACR) in Washington, D.C. Aberrant activation of the cGAS/TBK1-/STING pathway has been shown to be linked to autoimmune diseases like SLE, CLE, SSc and Sjögren’s. Historically, inhibiting this pathway has proven to be difficult for active-site inhibitors due to their inadequate selectivity, which can lead to off-target effects and narrow therapeutic indices. Exo’s approach seeks to overcome these challenges with its novel exosite inhibitors that disrupt STING-mediated TBK1 activation while avoiding the beneficial functions of the kinase on viral suppression and maintenance of autophagy. Data presented show that EXO-TBKis, novel TBK1 inhibitors that selectively and potently inhibit the TBK1/STING pathway, demonstrated efficacy in multiple cellular and mouse models as well as patient-derived samples. These findings support the company’s nomination of a lead development candidate for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as Systemic and Cutaneous Lupus (SLE and CLE), Systemic Sclerosis (scleroderma, SSc) and Sjögren’s Syndrome. “Exo’s TBK1 selective exosite inhibitors have demonstrated their ability to potently and selectively inhibit pathogenic effects of TBK1/STING, while sparing beneficial antiviral and cellular functions,” said Dr. Jörg Distler, University of Erlangen. “This approach has the potential to deliver therapeutic benefit to individuals living with autoimmune diseases like SSc and I’m looking forward to the nomination of their lead development candidate based on these promising data.” Data show that an EXO-TBK1i displayed exceptional exosite binding affinity on the target (IC50 -9nM), that translates into double-digit nanomolar potencies in human monocytes, THP1 cells, monocytes and mouse macrophages. EXO-TBK1i were also shown to demonstrate enhanced selectivity when compared to a TBK1 active-site, cGAS and STING inhibitors. Additionally, EXO-TBK1is were shown to preserve autophagy, while sparing RIG-I activity with 100-fold selectivity, two activities that are linked to effective immune responses to infection. Dose dependent suppression of p-TBK1, p-STING and inflammatory cytokines were observed in a STING activated DMXAA mouse model. In a disease model, TREX-1 null mouse, EXO-TBK1i was shown to suppress heart inflammation with a dramatic reduction of proinflammatory cytokines including IFNβ, CXCL-10, CXCL-9 and IFIT1. The TBK1i also displayed dose-dependent inhibition of p-TBK1, p-STING, p-IRF3 and p-P65 in the TREX-1 model. Most notably, EXO-TBK1i demonstrated robust effects in SLE and SSc patient samples. When assessed for activity in SLE patient-derived human whole blood and PBMC, EXO-TBK1i robustly suppressed pathway activation. Similarly, EXO-TBK1i significantly suppressed pathway activation and expression of SMA and stress fibers in SSc patient-derived fibroblasts. Details of the poster presentations are as follows: Abstract Title: Targeted Exosite Inhibition of STING Activation of TBK1 Selectively Blocks Type I Interferon and NFκB Responses for Treatment of Autoimmune Diseases Presenting Author: Bhavatarini Vangamudi, Ph.D. Presentation Type: Poster Session: Late-Breaking Posters (L01 - L14) Date: Monday, November 18 Presentation Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM Abstract ID: 1943848 Final Number: L01 About Exo Therapeutics Exo Therapeutics is a small molecule drug discovery and development company co-founded by Professors David R. Liu, Alan Saghatelian and Juan Pablo Maianti with a pioneering technology to address intractable pharmaceutical targets. By leveraging the company’s ExoSight TM platform, Exo is developing a deep pipeline of potent drug candidates that bind exosites, distal and unique binding pockets that have the potential to reprogram enzyme activity for precise and robust therapeutic effect. Through this specific and selective approach to challenging targets, the company's team of world-class researchers is unlocking breakthrough therapeutics in inflammation, oncology and a broad range of other diseases. For more information, visit www.exo-therapeutics.com .

Safety, pharmacokinetics and target engagement data from first-in-human Phase 1 clinical trial in healthy volunteers will potentially enable rapid advancement of IMSB301 into Phase 1b/2 clinical studies in Type I interferonopathies Oct. 08, 2024 -- ImmuneSensor Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development of first- and best-in-class inhibitors and agonists targeting the cGAS-STING pathway to address diverse peripheral and CNS indications in inflammation, autoimmunity and oncology, announced today that the first dose level cohort of healthy volunteers has been dosed in a Phase 1 randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial of its lead oral cGAS inhibitor drug candidate, IMSB301, which is being developed for the treatment of a range of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The company’s approach and technology are based on the discoveries of Dr. Zhijian “James” Chen, whose groundbreaking work was recognized with the 2024 Albert Lasker Basic Medical Research Award. “The cGAS-STING pathway is a central mediator of inflammation, and inhibiting the cGAS enzyme provides a therapeutic approach that has the potential to address diverse unmet medical needs across diverse inflammatory diseases,” said Tom Dubensky, Ph.D., ImmuneSensor’s president and chief executive officer. “We anticipate having safety, pharmacokinetic, and target engagement data from our Phase 1 trial in healthy volunteers by the end of 2024, positioning us to efficiently transition into Phase 1b/2 clinical studies for patients with severe inflammatory conditions, specifically Type 1 interferonopathies. Our clinical strategy is to first evaluate IMSB301 in patients with Aicardi-Goutières syndrome (AGS), a rare inflammatory disease driven by chronic activation of the cGAS pathway. We will then assess IMSB301 in defined patient populations with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).” ImmuneSensor’s Phase 1 randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded clinical trial of IMSB301 is being conducted in healthy volunteers in Australia. The primary endpoint of the clinical study is safety and tolerability, along with pharmacokinetics (PK) and engagement (inhibition) of the cGAS target. The study will enroll cohorts of eight subjects each (two subjects receive placebo and six subjects receive IMSB301 at each dose) with up to five single ascending dose (SAD) levels, and subsequently up to three multiple ascending dose (MAD) levels. PK will be assessed in both SAD and MAD arms and cGAS target engagement will be evaluated in the MAD arm using an ex vivo whole blood DNA stimulation assay. The first dose cohort of the SAD arm has been completed with the observed exposure levels and PK as predicted from nonclinical IND-enabling studies. The cGAS-STING pathway works to detect (“sense”) both host-derived and foreign cytoplasmic DNA produced as a result of infection or cell damage due to inflammation or malignancy. In autoimmune diseases, the innate immune response is chronically activated, directly promoting inflammation and the development of autoimmunity, both in the periphery and the central nervous system (CNS). IMSB301 is a novel, orally available small molecule designed to specifically inhibit the cGAS enzyme to prevent production of the cGAMP signaling molecule and halt pathologic inflammation. In preclinical studies, IMSB301 has been demonstrated to be a potent and specific inhibitor of cGAS enzymatic activity that results in a profound suppression of cytokine production and rescue of the disease phenotype and premature death in a model of AGS. ImmuneSensor is developing IMSB301 initially in cGAS-driven Type I interferonopathies including AGS, as well as CLE and selected patient populations with SLE. IMSB301 has the potential to address other diverse therapeutic areas that are characterized by cGAS-driven inflammation including diabetic kidney diseases, age-related macular degeneration, and other autoimmune disorders. About Type I interferonopathies: Aicardi Goutières Syndrome (AGS), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (CLE) AGS is a rare genetic severe inflammatory disease in pediatric and adult populations, affecting the brain (demyelination) and peripheral tissues (lungs, liver, heart, skin) caused by germline mutations in upstream cytosolic nuclease genes, including TREX-1, that triggers chronic production of Type I interferon (IFN-I) and pro-inflammatory cytokines resulting from chronic activation of cGAS and the production of downstream signaling molecules. The disease has no cure and is currently treated with drugs designed to manage symptoms. SLE is a complex autoimmune disorder that can be associated with the dysregulated production of IFN-I and other pro-inflammatory cytokines, which is thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The disease is characterized by heterogeneous clinical manifestations, involving the skin, blood vessels, kidneys and central nervous system, which can result in serious organ damage and appears to develop when individuals with a genetic predisposition for the disease come into contact with an environmental “trigger.” The CDC estimates that approximately 204,000 people in the United States have SLE, the most common type of lupus, with nine times as many women as men likely to develop the disease. Current standard of care involves treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants. CLE is an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune system to attack healthy skin cells, resulting in a red, scaly rash. There are several types of CLE that are often triggered by sunlight, it can also arise as a complication of SLE. While it can affect people of any age or gender, it is most common among women 20 to 50 years old. There is no cure for CLE, and its symptoms are currently managed with anti-inflammatory drugs, immunosuppressants and lifestyle changes. ImmuneSensor is a privately held, clinical stage company founded on the groundbreaking discovery of cGAS and cGAMP along with their combined role in regulating immunity, by Dr. Zhijian Chen’s laboratory at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, a breakthrough that has profoundly impacted both the scientific and pharmaceutical fields. ImmuneSensor is dedicated to developing best-in-class small molecule inhibitors and agonists of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway to potentially address therapeutic areas with significant unmet medical need in autoimmunity, inflammation and oncology. For more information about ImmuneSensor, visit: www.immunesensor.com The content above comes from the network. if any infringement, please contact us to modify.