Date: Jul 17, 2013 Author: Graham Allaway Source: Yahoo Finance (
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BALTIMORE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cureveda LLC, a company focused on the development of therapeutics targeting the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway, announced today that it has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cureveda will use the funds to further research on a novel small molecule Nrf2 activator called VEDA-1209. In collaboration with scientists at Johns Hopkins University, Temple University and Georgia State University, Cureveda will first examine the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamics of VEDA-1209 when administered to mice. The results generated will form the basis for selecting a dosing regimen to test VEDA-1209's efficacy in an animal model of ulcerative colitis. If successful, this project will provide proof of concept supporting further development of VEDA-1209 towards clinical trials in colitis patients.
Ulcerative colitis is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and affects approximately 500,000 individuals in the United States each year. Current treatments focus mainly on symptom relief and there is a major unmet need for more effective therapies that can target the underlying disease process and prevent disease progression. Inflammation and cellular dysfunction due to oxidative stress appear to play a major role in the etiology of ulcerative colitis. The current project is designed to test the hypothesis that a Nrf2 activator can stimulate antioxidant pathways and counteract disease progression in an animal model of ulcerative colitis.
SBIR grants are funded by the federal government and awarded to companies with fewer than 500 employees to further their technological innovation and commercialization potential. Cureveda's award was granted by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for the amount of $150,000.
"We are excited to receive this SBIR award which will help us advance our program to develop Nrf2 activators to treat ulcerative colitis," said Graham Allaway, Cureveda's COO. "This funding opportunity will also allow Cureveda to progress its studies of the role of oxidative stress in the etiology of inflammatory diseases."
About Cureveda
Cureveda LLC was co-founded in 2010 by Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health faculty members Shyam Biswal and Rajesh Thimmulappa together with Christy Wyskiel. The company is focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of drugs for the treatment of inflammatory, autoimmune and neurogenerative diseases. Cureveda is developing Nrf2 activators for the treatment of a number of disease indications including chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis. The Company is also developing Nrf2 activators as medical countermeasures to treat radiation exposure. For further information, please visit the Cureveda website at www.cureveda.com.
