The Austin biotech firm of Lung Therapeutics has revealed its plan to complete clinical work on how to treat lung disease and conditions linked to fibrosis through the use of orphan drugs, including LTI-01. This peptide drug is expected by Lung Therapeutics’ researchers to slow disease progressions, as well as restore health lung function. Medical experts view the drug as being able to treat other conditions related to fibrosis in multiple organs, including fibrosis and scleroderma. If successful, the treatment could eventually lead to a viable option for people with lung disorders like mesothelioma. The Phase II trial will be conducted on patients who have loculated pleural effusions. The company is also backing the first-in-human study for the program’s idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis therapy.
Background on the Clinical Trial Program for LTI-01
The founder of Lung Therapeutics began work on an LTI-01 at UT Health Science Center to help with the treatment of loculated pleural effusions, which are a serious complication associated with pneumonia. This fluid buildup in the lungs’ pleural cavity causes scarring within the pleura and prevents proper fluid draining. These conditions often cause many complications and increased mortality. It often requires surgery. Physicians have used plasminogen activators to treat it, but these carry significant side effects, such as excessive bleeding.
Clinical trials will evaluate LTI-01 and its role in treating patients with this condition. The Lung Therapeutics researchers have found that LTI-01 slowly activates in the lungs, which helps to clear scar tissue and promote fluid drainage when patients take it as prescribed. This treatment is expected to save patients on hospital costs and help more than 100,000 Americans who suffer from these complications. LTI-01 completed a phase 1b clinical trial in Australia and New Zealand
Background Information on the LTI-03 Study
The firm has also developed LTI-03, a drug that helps reduce anti-fibrotic activity and the capability of resolving lung injury caused by the cancer drug bleomycin. This transformative drug is being assessed for treating patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Specifically, it is being applied to patients with a chronic lung disease called IPF, characterized by progressive tissue scarring and a short mortality like mesothelioma. The condition is believed to be caused partially by dysregulation of biological signaling pathways that lead to a loss of healthy lung cells and the development of undesired fibrotic cells Current drug treatments are only able to slow the scarring process.
LTI-03 is a seven amino acid peptide that replaces the missing protein that contributes to IPF, which allows the cells to form new proteins and eliminate unnecessary ones. The drug may be able to help patients experience restored healthy functions. It has been used in animal studies and was shown impressive results. It has also been shown as effective in ten different fibrosis models. It has shown promise in treating other fibrotic diseases, such as scleroderma and cardiac fibrosis.
LTI-03 is still in the preclinical model stage. The company plans on launching phase 1 trials in humans in early 2019 Lung Therapeutics is seeking to find alternative treatment options for people with life-threatening lung and fibrosis conditions whose only existing options are limited and expensive
About Lung Therapeutics
Board-certified internist and pulmonologist Steven Idell co-founded Lung Therapeutics in 2013. He serves as the company’s current CSO. He is also the temple chair of pulmonary fibrosis at UT Health Science Center. The co-founding partner was formerly a director at Northwestern University’s Center for Developmental Therapeutics. The company is currently led by Brian Windsor, who has more than 18 years of experience in heading and managing life-science-based technology ventures. The company has been able to secure more than $36 million Series C funding to advance the latest clinical trial. This round of funding was made by existing and new investors, most of which remain anonymous. It leveraged $27 million in research and development grants and more than $17 million in outside funding. The company had previously announced its ability to raise $14.3 million in Series B funding to support the ongoing clinical trials in Australia and New Zealand to assess the LTI-01 and LTI-03 drugs.
