$1 Million in Funding from the USAISR Supporting Collaborative Research Project
Pilot Animal Study Successfully Completed; Larger Preclinical Study Underway
NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MicroCures, a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics that harness the body’s innate regenerative mechanisms to accelerate tissue repair, today announced the advancement of its ongoing collaborative research project with the United States Army Institute of Surgical Research (USAISR) in the area of burn wound healing. The collaboration, which is being carried out under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the USAISR and supported by $1 million in funding, is focused on evaluating the therapeutic potential of MicroCures’ lead product candidate, siFi2, in accelerating the healing of burn wounds. siFi2, a small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutic that can be applied topically, is designed to enhance recovery after trauma. Following the successful completion of the collaboration’s initial pilot animal study, MicroCures and the USAISR have initiated a second, larger preclinical burn study of siFi2.
MicroCures’ technology is based on foundational scientific research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine regarding the fundamental role that cell movement plays as a driver of the body’s innate capacity to repair tissue, nerves, and organs. The company has shown that complex and dynamic networks of microtubules within cells crucially control cell migration, and that this cell movement can be reliably modulated to achieve a range of therapeutic benefits. Based on these findings, the company has established a first-of-its-kind proprietary platform to create siRNA-based therapeutics capable of precisely controlling the speed and direction of cell movement by selectively silencing microtubule regulatory proteins (MRPs).
The company has developed a broad pipeline of therapeutic programs with an initial focus in the area of tissue, nerve and organ repair. Unlike regenerative medicine approaches that rely upon engineered materials or systemic growth factor/stem cell therapeutics, MicroCures’ technology directs and enhances the body’s inherent healing processes through local, temporary modulation of cell motility. The company’s lead drug candidate, siFi2, is a topical siRNA-based treatment designed to silence the activity of Fidgetin-Like 2 (FL2), a fundamental MRP, within an area of wounded tissue. In doing so, the therapy temporarily triggers accelerated movement of cells essential for repair into an injury area. Importantly, based on its topical administration, siFi2 can be applied early in the treatment process as a supplement to current standard of care.
“Our ongoing collaboration with the USAISR is progressing well and we greatly value the support that this partnership is providing us as we work to advance siFi2 toward the clinic. To date, our work with the USAISR has resulted in the successful completion of a pilot study of siFi2 in a preclinical burn wound model and the recent initiation of a larger preclinical study in this indication,” said Derek Proudian, chief executive officer of MicroCures. “This project highlights a deliberate strategy by MicroCures to align with trusted military and government organizations, such as the USAISR, other Department of Defense entities, Federal Agencies, and the National Institutes of Health, to collaboratively support the development of our novel therapeutic platform. We look forward to continuing these relationships and ultimately developing innovative treatments that can provide important therapeutic benefits to those in the military, as well as the broader public.”
About MicroCures
MicroCures develops biopharmaceuticals that harness innate cellular mechanisms within the body to accelerate and improve recovery after traumatic injury. MicroCures has developed a first-of-its-kind therapeutic platform that precisely controls the rate and direction of cell migration, offering the potential to deliver powerful therapeutic benefits for a variety of large and underserved medical applications.
MicroCures has developed a broad pipeline of novel therapeutic programs with an initial focus in the area of tissue, nerve and organ repair. The company’s lead therapeutic candidate, siFi2, targets excisional wound healing, a multi-billion dollar market inadequately served by current treatments. Additional applications for the company’s cell migration accelerator technology include dermal burn repair, corneal burn repair, cavernous nerve repair/regeneration, spinal cord repair/regeneration, and cardiac tissue repair. Cell migration decelerator applications include combatting cancer metastases and fibrosis. The company protects its unique platform and proprietary therapeutic programs with a robust intellectual property portfolio including eight issued or allowed patents, as well as eight pending patent applications.
For more information please visit: www.microcures.com