Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals' HBV Drug Demonstrates Anti-Fibrotic Activity
June 24, 2015 08:00 ET | Source: Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc.
SAN DIEGO, June 24, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ciclofilin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ("Ciclofilin" or the "Company"), a hepatitis B virus ("HBV") drug developer, announced today its lead antiviral drug demonstrated anti-fibrotic activity in a liver fibrosis animal model.
Ciclofilin's lead candidate drug, CPI-431-32, is a proprietary cyclophilin antagonist that potently inhibits HBV. CPI-431-32 acts primarily by inhibiting HBV's ability to hijack and utilize the host cell protein, cyclophilin, to propagate infection. In vitro experiments conducted in collaboration with Dr. Philippe Gallay of the Scripps Research Institute in San Diego and with partial support of the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada have demonstrated that CPI-431-32 targets multiple stages of the HBV life cycle, including viral entry into cells, replication, HBsAg production, and generation of cccDNA.
Fibrosis is a serious consequence of chronic HBV infection and contributes significantly to the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Despite the reduction in viral load seen with current nucleos(t)ide drug treatments, patients still remain at a high risk for the development of liver cancer.
The Company's fibrosis study was conducted by Stelic Institute Inc. (Tokyo, Japan). In the model, liver damage and resulting fibrosis was induced by streptozotocin and a high fat diet. CPI-431-32 was administered to mice for 21 days via oral gavage. Fibrosis was assessed histologically. After 3 weeks treatment, fibrosis was reduced by approximately 55% compared to the control group (p<0.01). Importantly, in addition to demonstrating anti-fibrosis efficacy, the drug was safe and well-tolerated.
"We are very encouraged with these results from the mouse model, as the data indicate our drug has an additional mode of action beyond its established antiviral activity," commented Dr. Robert Foster, the Company's CEO. "Indeed, the new finding with CPI-431-32 highlights the drug's potential to alleviate liver disease better than existing hepatitis B drugs. In addition, we believe that many currently proposed antiviral strategies searching for a HBV cure cannot offer an added direct anti-fibrotic benefit similar to that seen with CPI-431-32. While HBV elimination is the most important strategy for treating chronic hepatitis B, the ultimate goal is to restore normal liver function and eliminate the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer."
About Ciclofilin:
Ciclofilin is a life sciences company based in San Diego, California, with R&D facilities in Edmonton, Canada. The company's lead drug, CPI-431-32, is uniquely designed to specifically target the host and not the virus. By targeting the host, CPI-431-32 interferes with the necessary cellular components that allow HBV to persist in the liver and cause disease. CPI-431-32 blocks HBV at multiple stages of the viral life cycle, including virus entry and replication, and also stimulates the immune system to attack the virus. CPI-431-32 may also reduce liver disease through additional mechanisms independent of the antiviral activities (liver inflammation and fibrosis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma).
- See more at: http://globenewswire.com/news-re ... thash.lMqFq0XW.dpuf
作者: StephenW 时间: 2015-6-25 08:17
Ciclofilin制药公司的药品乙肝演示抗纤维化活动
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2015年6月24日08:00 ET |来源：Ciclofilin制药公司
