GRI Bio, Inc. announced the publication of positive preclinical data demonstrating its lead program GRI-0621 reduces the important inflammatory and fibrotic drivers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). The manuscript titled, "Type 1 invariant natural killer T cells drive lung fibrosis, has been published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. IPF is a rare chronic progressive pulmonary disease with abnormal scarring of the lung blocking the movement of oxygen into the bloodstream.

The architectural destruction of the lung results in breathlessness, significant decline in quality of life and an average untreated survival of 3.5 years from diagnosis. Currently available treatments for IPF are limited with only two approved drugs that come with significant side-effects, limited compliance and no impact on survival. GRI Bio is currently advancing its lead program GRI-0621, a small molecule RAR-ß?

dual agonist candidate that inhibits the activity of human iNKT cells, in a Phase 2a, randomized, double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled, parallel-design, 2-arm study for the treatment of IPF. Interim data from the Phase 2a biomarker study is expected in the third quarter of 2024 and topline results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2024.