Date: Aug 05, 2013 Source: Company Data
Orphagen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company, announced today that its partner, Japan Tobacco Inc. (“JT”), has entered Phase I clinical trials with an oral small molecule for treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases. This is a major milestone
of the strategic partnership between Orphagen and JT, who have been collaborating to develop small molecule antagonists for the orphan nuclear receptor RORg since early 2008.
The goal of treatment with the clinical candidate is to inhibit RORγ and consequently suppress Th-17 function. RORg is required for Th-17 cell function and Th-17 cells are recognized to have a major involvement in autoimmune disease.
Orphagen’s partnership with JT was the first partnership established to develop RORγ ligands. Since then, a number of other partnerships for RORg between small to mid-sized biotech companies and global pharma companies have been announced.
Orphagen CEO, Scott Thacher said, “We are very fortunate to be working with the outstanding discovery and development groups at JT for development and commercialization of RORγantagonists. Their commitment to identification of a clinical candidate has been impressive. Not only has the partnership enabled Orphagen to collaborate with JT scientists in the development of first-in-class RORγ antagonists, it has also generated additional resources that we have used, outside of the partnership, for discovery at additional unexplored targets with important therapeutic potential.”
About Orphagen - Orphagen discovers drug candidates for potential drug targets for which small molecule ligands--potential drug-like molecules--have yet to be identified. Its goal is to identify, characterize, and position a new class of drug so that pre-clinical and clinical development can be initiated with partners and/or outside sources of funding. These targets come from the nuclear receptor family of drug targets. On a per target basis, the nuclear receptors are one of the most successful target classes known to the pharmaceutical industry. Targets of interest to Orphagen encompass several of the so-called orphan nuclear receptors—potential therapeutic receptors that
have yet to be exploited by the pharmaceutical industry.
About JT- Japan Tobacco Inc. is a leading international tobacco product company. Its products are sold in over 120 countries and its internationally recognized cigarette brands include Winston, Camel, Mevius and Benson & Hedges. With diversified operations, JT is also actively present in pharmaceuticals, beverages and processed foods. JT entered into the pharmaceutical business in 1987 and is currently engaged in the research and development of new drugs mainly on the fields of glucose and lipid metabolism; anti-virus; and immune disorders and inflammation. The company’s revenue was ¥2,399 trillion (US$23,318 million (*)) in the fiscal year ended March 31,2014.
