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FORNY20-FORNY2020

Tankyrase inhibition as a therapeutic principle in idiopathic lung fibrosis

Alternative title: Tankyrasehemming for behandling av lungefibrose

Awarded: NOK 5.0 mill.

Project Number:

337341

Project Period:

2022 - 2023

Funding received from:

Organisation:

Location:

We aim to develop the OUS proprietary tankyrase inhibitor OM-0815 as a new treatment for lung scarring (fibrosis). Interstitial lung disease, is an umbrella term for multiple diseases causing lung fibrosis, and includes idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with an unknown origin. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating and fatal type of lung fibrosis, with a median survival of only ~3 years after diagnosis. There is currently no cure for interstitial lung disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The two marketed drugs, Pirfenidone and Nintedanib, show low efficiency (they decrease but do not stop or reverse the disease) in addition to inducing serious side-effects. Hence, there is a high unmet medical need and substantial commercial interest in developing better therapeutic interventions to slow the progression, or to ideally revert lung fibrosis. Through several recent business presentations to pharmaceutical companies, we have experienced profound interest in the project combined with requests to provide specific additional preclinical proof-of-concept data. Here, we outline a project plan that will include the completion of selected cell culture and mouse fibrosis experiments. When accomplished, our business development team, consisting of Inven2 and Symeres, will present the data package and business plan to an already established industrial network, and also at international business meetings. The main plan for realization is to obtain a license agreement, or alternatively to attract funding for clinical trials through the formation of a joint venture.

ILD and IPF are diseases that can affect people all over the world regardless of education, social status or race. Existing therapies have shown limited success in the treatment of several fibrosis types, and they also show serious side-effects. An efficient TNKS/ WNT /YAP signaling inhibitor will have impact on socio-economic aspects worldwide and will benefit patients, their family and friends, even if the novel drug is efficient only for subsets of fibrosis sub-indications, such as ILD and IPF. TNKS inhibition will increase possibilities for patient treatment, can potentially reduce disease/symptoms and also enhance the prospect for patients to live with a satisfactory higher quality of life. The results gained in this project will build competence in modern drug discovery, clinical research and industrialization in Norway. Ultimately, the planned innovation may enable a pharmaceutical start up in Norway giving rise to substantial value creation/ opportunity for employment

Funding scheme:

FORNY20-FORNY2020