LONDON (Alliance News) - Drug developer Redx Pharma PLC said Friday its RXC006 drug candidate was able to suppress lung fibrosis in living organisms and will be developed as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Shares in Redx were up 12% at 8.00 pence on Friday.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an incurable and fatal disease that progressively scars the lungs makes it harder to absorb oxygen.
The build up of this scar tissue is called fibrosis, and it is caused by the uncontrolled activation of a type of cell called a fibroblast. Fibroblasts produce collagen, the key component of scars.
RXC006 suppresses the release of a certain protein by human lung fibroblasts which reduces their activation.
In its first public disclosure of RXC006, Redx Head of Fibrosis Peter Bunyard presented data showing the drug candidate was able to suppress lung fibrosis in vivo. That is, in living organisms.
In two mouse models, RXC006 reduced the deposition of collagen and had an impact on Ashcroft scores, a scale for estimating the severity of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
"The data suggests that RXC006 has great potential to treat fibrosis in human patients. Redx are progressing RXC006 towards the clinic for the treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and plan to initiate first-in-man clinical trials during 2020," said Redx Chief Scientific Officer Richard Armer.