Cary, N.C. and Basel, Switzerland, Feb. 18, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Altavant Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on patient-centric drug development in rare respiratory diseases, announced today that the company has partnered with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to execute an initial in vivo proof-of-concept pilot study of ALTA-2530, a novel inhaled formulation of a recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), for the treatment of acute and chronic lung injuries caused by the inhalation of sulfur mustard.
“Exposure to chemical agents, such as sulfur mustard, is commonly associated with the development of a severe and prolonged inflammatory response in the lungs driven by over-activation of the innate immune response,” explained Howard M. Lazarus, M.D., chief medical officer of Altavant. “Research suggests that treatment with a compound such as ALTA-2530 could be a promising approach to mitigate the inflammatory cascade that can yield chronic destructive pulmonary sequelae. By so doing, we may be able to avoid the long-term disability or loss of life that too often occurs after exposure.”
ALTA-2530 has shown promise in the treatment of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, a common manifestation of chronic lung allograft dysfunction, in a small investigator-led human study. The NIAID-BARDA collaboration will support a nonclinical research study of ALTA-2530 under the Chemical Countermeasures Research Program (CCRP), an initiative of the National Institutes of Health’s biodefense research program executed and led by the NIAID. The study is designed to establish proof-of-concept that would support further development of ALTA-2530, including pivotal nonclinical studies to establish efficacy and human clinical studies to assess tolerability.
“We share the NIAID and BARDA’s focus on finding treatments for acute and chronic lung injuries resulting from both accidental and intentional exposure to chemical agents,” added William T. Symonds, Pharm.D., chief executive officer of Altavant. “This research collaboration provides an important opportunity to study ALTA-2530 as a treatment for injuries after inhalation of a range of chemicals, pollutants and other toxicants. Findings will guide development of an Altavant program dedicated to bringing forward a treatment for chemical lung injuries, repurposing the asset and broadening our original clinical indication to enhance the care of patients struggling with a variety of respiratory diseases.”
This project has been funded in part with federal funds from BARDA and the NIAID under an Interagency Agreement (IAA AOD20007-001-00000) and Contract No. HHSO100201500004I.
About Altavant Sciences
Altavant Sciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on elevating patient-centric drug development in rare respiratory diseases. Altavant is currently advancing two pipeline candidates: rodatristat ethyl and ALTA-2530. Rodatristat ethyl is in Phase 2 development for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. A tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) inhibitor, rodatristat ethyl may play a role in halting or reversing the vascular remodeling associated with PAH, offering a novel treatment option for patients living with this disease. ALTA-2530 is an inhaled formulation of an interleukin-1 receptor antagonist under development for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), a life-threatening form of chronic lung allograft dysfunction (CLAD) that may present following lung transplantation. ALTA-2530's mechanism of action may offer a novel treatment option for patients who suffer from BOS, a disease where there are currently no approved therapies.
Altavant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. For more information, please visit https://altavant.com.
About Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd.
Sumitovant is a global biopharmaceutical company with offices in New York City and London. Sumitovant is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Sumitovant is the majority shareholder of Myovant and Urovant, and wholly owns Enzyvant, Spirovant and Altavant. Sumitovant's pipeline is comprised of early- through late-stage investigational medicines across a range of disease areas targeting high unmet need. Sumitovant Biopharma Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. For further information about Sumitovant please visit https://www.sumitovant.com/.
About Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd.
Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is among the top-ten listed pharmaceutical companies in Japan, operating globally in major pharmaceutical markets, including Japan, the U.S., China and the European Union. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma has more than 6,000 employees worldwide. Additional information about Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma is available through its corporate website at https://www.ds-pharma.com/.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" concerning the development and commercialization of Altavant's products, the company's business development efforts and its expectations regarding its prospects. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that could cause actual future events or results to differ materially from such statements. These statements are made as of the date of this press release. Actual results may vary. Altavant undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements for any reason.