CalciMedica Doses First Patients in Acute Pancreatitis Clinical Study

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Aug 01, 2018, 19:27 ET

LA JOLLA, Calif., Aug. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CalciMedica announced that the first patients in a Phase 2a clinical study for acute pancreatitis have been dosed with its proprietary calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC) channel inhibitor CM4620. The study is intended to provide safety and tolerability data on CM4620 in acute pancreatitis patients with accompanying systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), as well as provide potential indications of beneficial effects. In some acute pancreatitis patients, including those with SIRS, this can be a very serious disease with significant morbidity and mortality; there is no available therapy other than supportive care.

The study is open-label in design, and is being conducted in the US at several sites. It will evaluate two dose levels of CM4620 versus supportive care alone. Sudarshan Hebbar, MD, Chief Medical Officer at CalciMedica, said "We are very excited to test this compound in patients after our successful Phase 1 studies. CM4620 offers a novel mechanistic approach to an illness with high medical need, especially in those patients with moderate and severe disease. We feel it has the potential to address many of the key features of acute pancreatitis in these types of patients, including pancreatic necrosis, systemic inflammation and organ failure, and potentially pain." Dr Hebbar added, "An important aspect of the study is early treatment of patients, similar to what is done in heart attack or stroke. We believe that by interrupting the disease process before it has advanced too far, we will see stronger effects of the compound. This should be reflected in reduced severity, quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays. We are looking forward to the results."

About CM4620

CM4620 is a potent and selective small molecule calcium release-activated calcium (CRAC). CRAC channels are found on many cell types, including immune cells and pancreatic acinar cells, where aberrant activation of these channels is thought to play a key role in the pathobiology of acute pancreatitis. CM4620 is patent protected, resulted from CalciMedica's internal R&D, and in Phase 1 safety studies has been shown to be safe and well tolerated.

About CalciMedica, Inc.

CalciMedica is a privately-held, clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on CRAC channel drug discovery and development for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. CRAC channels control the entry of calcium into immune and other cell types, and calcium is an important intracellular signaling molecule that modulates cytokine production and the immune response. For example, CRAC channels in T cells have been clinically validated as important drug targets through human mutations and the use of calcineurin inhibitors that act downstream from CRAC channels. CalciMedica is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit the company website at www.calcimedica.com.

SOURCE CalciMedica, Inc.