Advantage and Core Benefit
- Systemic administration is possible, avoiding the bladder infusion, which is highly uncomfortable for patients
- Expected to be more effective than the recently approved DMSO infusion therapy
- Inhibitors of targets under development for other diseases can be applied to IC applications
Background and Technology
Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by symptoms such as frequent urination and bladder pain. Multiple factors such as dysfunction of bladder mucosa and immunological mechanisms are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of IC but have not yet been elucidated. Bladder hydraulic distension is one of the treatments for IC, but the response rate is 50%, and the duration of response is less than 6 months. Recently, bladder injection of DMSO has been approved, but there is no curative therapy, and the disease still has a high unmet need.
The inventors conducted a comprehensive genetic analysis of bladder tissue from human interstitial cystitis patients and model animals and found that pathways related to specific immune molecules were activated. Based on these results, the inventors administered a known inhibitor (compound A: Research reagent) to an IC animal model and found that the symptoms of frequent urination were improved. The symptoms of frequent urination were similarly improved when compound B, whose use had been discontinued due to insufficient efficacy in clinical development for other diseases, was used. An effect of Compound A on pain has also been suggested (data not shown).
Data
 |
Patent
Patent pending in Japan (Not published).
Researcher
Dr. Yuji Hotta (Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences)
Expectations
We wish to partner with companies that aim to commercialize drug discovery based on this research. We believe that there is potential for screening of new drugs and in developing the target molecule inhibitors that are being developed for another disease for IC applications. After concluding an NDA and disclosing the details of the target, we would like to discuss the development strategy for commercialization.
Project No: WL-03852