Aria Pharmaceuticals Presents Positive In Vivo Data Showing Two Novel Treatment Candidates Demonstrated Positive Efficacy and Tolerability in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Compared to Standard of Care

PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aria Pharmaceuticals, a drug discovery and development company focused on bringing first-in-class small molecules to market, today announced that two novel candidates for the potential treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), TXR-1002 and TXR-1007, demonstrated significant efficacy and excellent tolerability in preclinical studies. TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 represent two different novel mechanisms of actions. The overall timing to complete predictions, select hits, conduct in vivo testing, and produce results was 12 weeks, significantly faster than traditional drug discovery processes.

"The in vivo data for TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 provide a strong rationale for advancing these promising candidates for the potential treatment of IPF," stated Anjali Pandey, Ph.D. Senior Vice President of Nonclinical R&D and Chemistry at Aria. "We were able to achieve this significant milestone in weeks versus the years required with a traditional approach. So far, the data for both novel candidates are very promising, and we're thrilled to present our findings at this year's IPF Summit."

IPF is a chronic, age-associated interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive and irreversible fibrosis. It affects more than three million people worldwide. Though IPF's cause is still unknown, recent data suggest that IPF prevalence is increasing.

"The chronic, progressive nature of IPF presents significant challenges for developing effective therapies," stated Martin Kolb, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Respirology and Jack Gauldie Boehringer Ingelheim Chair in Interstitial Lung Disease, Department of Medicine, McMaster University. "Currently approved therapies slow but do not stop IPF progression and are associated with a high rate of discontinuation due to on-target adverse effects. As the global disease burden grows, IPF patients are in urgent need of new, innovative therapies that can halt or reverse the disease's progression."

In vivo efficacy with TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 was evaluated using a bleomycin-induced IPF mouse model. Data shows that both TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 decrease fibrosis and significantly decrease lung collagen staining, with mean levels slightly lower that that observed with positive control, nintedanib. TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 have also shown good tolerability as measured by body weight. Full studies results can be found at https://ariapharmaceuticals.com/science-and-pipeline/#ipf.

To date, Aria has advanced potential treatments for chronic kidney disease (CKD), lupus, and now IPF through preclinical research and now into lead optimization in preparation for IND-enabling studies. Aria is committed to advancing TXR-1002 and TXR-1007 and is continuing to research both promising therapies as potential novel treatments for IPF. In addition, Aria Pharmaceuticals' approach to R&D has been proven to produce a 30-fold increase in hit rates at in vivo efficacy milestones over traditional methods. For more information, please visit www.ariapharmaceuticals.com

About IPF
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, age-associated interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive fibrosis that leads to dyspnea and low forced vital capacity of the lungs.  Inflammation is an additional feature of IPF, and the chronic, progressive nature of the disease presents challenges for developing effective therapies. Currently, there is no cure for IPF and existing FDA-approved treatments do not stop disease progression.

About Aria Pharmaceuticals
Aria Pharmaceuticals is a preclinical-stage pharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel small molecule therapies for complex and hard-to-treat diseases. Too many patients today are in need of breakthrough treatments across many complicated diseases – they can't wait. That's why at Aria, we have redefined the drug discovery approach, saving years in the process and increasing success rates 30 times higher than traditional methods. At Aria, we've shown promise across a diverse range of therapeutic areas with the ability to address over 1,000 diseases.

Contact
Serena Joshi
[email protected]
(650) 396-9240

SOURCE Aria Pharmaceuticals