CymaBay Therapeutics Announces Newly Issued US Patent for the Treatment of NAFLD & NASH
CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. recently announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued US Patent No. 9,381,181. This patent provides coverage to at least 2035 and claims methods of treating NAFLD and NASH comprised of orally administering a therapeutically effective amount of MBX-8025.
“This patent provides CymaBay with important additional intellectual property protection for MBX-8025, expanding it to the treatment of NASH, a disease with increasing prevalence and no currently approved therapies,” said Harold Van Wart, CymaBay’s President and Chief Executive Officer.
MBX-8025 is a potent and selective agonist of PPAR-δ, a nuclear receptor important for lipid transport, storage, and metabolism in liver and muscle. In a Phase II study in subjects with mixed dyslipidemia, MBX-8025 decreased LDL-C, triglycerides and high sensitivity CRP, a biomarker of inflammation. MBX-8025 also decreased alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase, two key markers of cholestasis. In a recently completed Phase II study in subjects with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), MBX-8025 decreased markers of cholestasis and inflammation without appearing to cause pruritus while also lowering LDL-C. CymaBay has also completed a pilot Phase II clinical study showing that MBX-8025 lowers LDL-C in patients with homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HoFH). The US FDA has granted CymaBay orphan drug designation for MBX-8025 as a treatment for HoFH and Fredrickson types I and V hyperlipoproteinemia.
NASH is a severe type of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that is associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and type-2 diabetes and is characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver. NASH occurs when the accumulation of liver fat is accompanied by inflammation and cellular damage. The inflammation can lead to fibrosis (scarring) of the liver and eventually progress to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, liver cancer, and eventual liver failure. Once the disease advances beyond NASH to these life-threatening conditions, liver transplantation is the only alternative.
CymaBay Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapies to treat metabolic diseases with high unmet medical need, including serious rare and orphan disorders. MBX-8025 is a potent, selective, orally active PPAR-δ agonist. A Phase II study of MBX-8025 in patients with mixed dyslipidemia established that it has an anti-atherogenic lipid profile. CymaBay has completed Phase II studies for MBX-8025 in subjects with primary biliary cholangitis and homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, establishing proof-of-concept in both indications. Arhalofenate, CymaBay’s other product candidate, is a potential Urate-Lowering Anti-Flare Therapy that has completed five Phase II studies in subjects with gout. Arhalofenate has been found to reduce painful flares in joints while at the same time lowering serum uric acid by promoting excretion of uric acid by the kidney. This dual action addresses both the signs and symptoms of gout while managing the underlying pathophysiology of hyperuricemia. For more information, visit www.cymabay.com.
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