PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Novel Oral Aldosterone Synthase Inhibitor to Develop for Treatment-Resistant Hypertension
January 13, 2020 at 09:01 pm
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PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that it has signed an agreement with Viamet Pharmaceuticals Holdings, LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Selenity Pharmaceuticals (Bermuda) Ltd., to acquire all of the assets and intellectual property rights related to certain novel aldosterone synthase inhibitors, including the company’s lead development compound formerly known as SE-6440 or VT-6440. PhaseBio will designate the lead development compound as PB6440, which PhaseBio plans to develop for treatment-resistant hypertension. Terms of the agreement include an upfront payment by PhaseBio, development, approval, and net sales milestones and tiered royalties on global net sales. PhaseBio will be responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization of PB6440. In preclinical studies completed to date, PB6440 was observed to be a highly potent and selective inhibitor of aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) versus the closely-related steroid 11ß-hydroxylase enzyme (CYP11B1). PB6440 demonstrated dose-dependent aldosterone reduction without a significant increase in 11-deoxycorticosterone or deoxycortisol in both rodent and primate models. The oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic profiles appear suitable for once-daily dosing in humans. To date, no evidence of toxicity has been observed in either in vitro toxicity studies or in animal models, including primates. PhaseBio is planning to initiate clinical development of PB6440 pending the completion of nonclinical Investigational New Drug Application (“IND”)-enabling studies planned for 2020, which are expected to be followed by an IND filing and a first-in-human study in early 2021.
PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company. The Company is focused on the development and commercialization of novel therapies for cardiovascular diseases. Its lead product candidate, bentracimab (also known as PB2452), is a novel reversal agent for the antiplatelet drug ticagrelor. Ticagrelor is an antiplatelet therapy widely prescribed to reduce the rates of death, heart attack and stroke in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), or who have previously experienced a heart attack. Ticagrelor binds to platelets to prevent them from forming blood clots that could restrict blood flow. The Company is also developing its preclinical product candidate, PB6440, an oral selective aldosterone synthase inhibitor for treatment-resistant hypertension. The Company is leveraging ELP biopolymer technology to evaluate additional preclinical and discovery-stage candidates. Its focus is on proteins and peptides that are scientifically or clinically validated.