LONDON (Alliance News) - Redx Pharma PLC said Tuesday that preclinical efficacy data for its ROCK2 compound showed the product was able to have an impact on established fibrosis.
Shares in Redx Pharma were up 11% in morning trading at 7.50 pence each.
The "promising" data from three preclinical animal models of lung, kidney and liver fibrosis showed ROCK2 suppressing collagen deposition and pathways associated with fibrosis. Human studies are planned for 2020.
According to Redx, the data suggest ROCK2 possesses a "suitable pharmacokinetic profile for an orally bioavailable drug". The data also shows the compound has a "low propensity" to inhibit drug enzymes, meaning it is less likely to interact with other drugs.
Redx plans to nominate a drug candidate for ROCK2 by mid-2019. It will be developed as an orally-administered treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH. The disease is a progressive disease of the liver caused by a build-up of fatty deposits. There are currently no approved treatments for the NASH.
"We are encouraged by the pre-clinical data announced today by Redx. Liver fibrosis associated with NASH remains a condition with a clear unmet medical need and we hope that Redx's research into ROCK2 inhibition progresses into the clinic, potentially producing further data which could lead to a new treatment option for liver fibrosis patients," said Chief Executive Officer Lisa Anson.