Exotect, LLC. -- a Fannin Innovation portfolio company -- is investigating a novel molecular pathway that controls mucus hypersecretion in asthma and other respiratory ailments. The firm is addressing development of small molecule therapeutics targeting Syt2, a protein critical for the stimulated release of mucin from the airway epithelial cells. Focus is on generating derivatives of the company's existing candidates with promise to test for improved solubility, target affinity, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity with the ultimate goal of selecting a potential molecule for clinical development. Asthma is characterized by mucus dysfunction, airway hyper-responsiveness and chronic inflammation with current treatments focusing on the airway hyper-responsiveness and inflammation. Though mucus secretion in part define a severe asthma attack and, though only rarely, can be fatal, to date no effective therapy exists. Mucus dysfunction is also common in the pathophysiology of several other airway diseases including cystic fibrosis, bronchiectasis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Earlier work by Exotect principals had identified components of the molecular mechanism within the mucus secretory cells of the airway lining epithelium as possible targets that could decrease the hypersecretion of mucus with the suggestion that a particular essential molecule in this mechanism may be the key to controlling the secretory pathway for mucus in airway secretory cells.
