Corbus Pharmaceuticals Holdings, a clinical stage drug company developing therapies for rare, life-threatening inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, recently announced it has received a $5 million award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc. (CFFT). The CFFT is an affiliate of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This award will support the company’s clinical trial for a first-in-patient Phase 2 of Resunab™, the Company’s oral anti-inflammatory drug to treat adults with cystic fibrosis (CF).
“We have been working closely with CFFT on the design of our Phase 2 trial protocol and are honored by the decision to help fund this study. The Corbus team has an unwavering commitment to the development of breakthrough therapies to treat individuals with cystic fibrosis. We believe that Resunab has the potential to treat the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis that play such a key role in the disease progression of CF, affecting both the quality of life and life expectancy in people with the disease. Further, Resunab has the potential to address CF in individuals regardless of the specific mutation they have,” noted Yuval Cohen, the Corbus Pharmaceuticals’ CEO.
CF is a chronic genetic disease that affects both the digestive system and lungs. CF is caused by a missing or defective CFTR protein caused by mutations in the CFTR gene. The defective protein causes the build-up of sticky and thick mucus in the lungs, which provokes bacterial infections. Individuals suffering with CF also experience an ineffective immune response, which ultimately causes harmful inflammation, leading to lung failure.
Resunab is an experimental oral, synthetic drug proven to address inflammation and progressive fibrosis in pre-clinical studies; it has a good safety profile and appears to be efficient against fibrosis and inflammation. Resunab binds to the CB2 receptor in activated immune cells and, without causing immunosuppression, it causes the resolution of inflammation and lowers the pro-inflammatory pathways. Resunab can also act directly on fibroblasts, causing the reduction of collagen related to fibrosis.
Alan Holmer, representative of Corbus Pharmaceuticals said: “Addressing inflammation and the lung damage associated with cystic fibrosis has been a very challenging problem for people with the disease. We believe Resunab has the potential to make a difference in the lives of individuals with CF.”
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“As a clinician and researcher focused on cystic fibrosis, I believe Resunab has encouraging potential as a novel, new therapy for CF. This CFFT development award highlights the importance of targeting inflammation in the treatment of CF and marks an important step forward in the advancement of new approaches for treating CF. I am looking forward to the outcome of the upcoming clinical study,” added James Chmiel, who will co-lead the Phase 2 study.