AstraZeneca licenses preclinical drug candidate RXC006 for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
AstraZeneca has licensed Redx Pharma's preclinical porcupine inhibitor, RXC006, which will advance into the company's clinical development for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
AstraZeneca has entered into a licensing agreement with Redx Pharma for RXC006, a preclinical porcupine inhibitor intended for oral administration. The company plans to advance the small molecule into clinical development, targeting fibrotic diseases including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease with limited treatment options. Targeting porcupine inhibition is considered a novel approach to address fibrotic pathways earlier than some other mechanisms currently in development for IPF.
The company anticipates initiating clinical development for RXC006 in 2021. AstraZeneca believes the drug candidate has the potential to slow or prevent the progression of fibrosis in IPF and potentially other fibrotic diseases. Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D at AstraZeneca, highlighted the urgent need for new therapies for patients affected by fibrotic diseases.
RXC006 has demonstrated anti-fibrotic effects in animal models of lung, kidney, and liver fibrosis by inhibiting the porcupine enzyme. This mechanism suppresses Wnt ligand secretion from profibrotic cells, which are highly expressed in diseases like IPF.