2022-11-012 - PROTAIS - PROTECTION OF HEART AND BRAIN AGAINST ISCHEMIA

PROTAIS

2022-11-012

DJ1-F as pharmaceutical compound and its use in treatment and/or prevention of ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Protection of the heart and brain against oxidative injuries produced by the changes of blood flow supply and organ ischemia

The project is aligned with the ESG values

As the number of stroke cases is rising from one year to another, policymakers require data on the amount spent on stroke to enforce better financing policies for prevention, hospital care, outpatient rehabilitation services and social services. Per patient per year costs are larger in high income countries and in studies conducted from the payer perspective. The highest average per patient per year cost by country was reported in the United States (€55,000), followed by Sweden (€48,500) and Spain (€38,500). The highest per patient lifetime costs were reported in Australia (€213,300) for all identified definitions of stroke. The impact that a molecule like DJ1 can have is, therefore, considerable not only for patients (lower mortality risk) but also for the National Health System (economical).

Ischemia can occur in different organs (heart, brain, liver, kidney, etc). As a case study, Ischemic Heart Disease affects around 126 million individuals (1,655 per 100,000), which is approximately 1.72% of the world’s population. The processes associated with ischemia in target organs are the biggest cause of mortality in the world. The size of the infarcted area due to the absence of perfusion is known to be one of the main predictors of future clinical events and the development of failure in affected organs. However, therapeutic strategies aimed at mitigating ischemic damage, either during the absence of blood perfusion (ischemia itself) or subsequent flow restoration (reperfusion), have proven to be ineffective. Therefore, therapeutic organ protection against ischemia is currently an unmet clinical need. At FIRHSCSP we have identified a molecule able to reduce the ischemic heart damage. The asset, is a truncated form DJ1∆12 of the DJ-1 protein (PARK7; Parkinson's disease protein 7). Experiments demonstrate the peptide’s ability to protect against organ damage caused by ischemia and subsequent reperfusion of the occluded artery by 20% of injury reduction in mice models. Moreover, the molecule has multiple mechanisms of action, meaning that it doesn’t have a single target. Those include the reduction of oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, cell death and chaperone activity.

Licence to a pharmaceutical company developing new drugs for ischemic injury

Ischemia can occur in different organs (heart, brain, liver, kidney, etc). As a case study, Ischemic Heart Disease affects around 126 million individuals (1,655 per 100,000), which is approximately 1.72% of the world’s population. The processes associated with ischemia in target organs are the biggest cause of mortality in the world. The size of the infarcted area due to the absence of perfusion is known to be one of the main predictors of future clinical events and the development of failure in affected organs.

Heart ischemia is an uncontrolled lethal event. It is difficult to predict, but preventive actions can be taken. As an application example, there is a high risk of ischemic events during surgery, in those cases, with the administration of our asset prior surgery, the risk of this event would be significally reduced.

The patent mainenance fees will have to be maintained in order to ensure a transfer to a license.

Licensing out the technology

First-in-class peptide (trunkaded DJ1) for reduction of heart ischemia

Regulatory, funding, competition

Preclinical regulatory, Clinical trials and GMP peptide production.

US (US11052136 (B2), granted JP (JP7277356 (B2), granted.

Patents: EP3429610A1 - EP3219326A1