PNQ 201 from Advinus for for potential treatment of IBD.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD), is a multifactorial disease of an etiology not fully understood. It includes chronic inflammation of the gut, characterized by dysfunction of mucosal immunity. Current oral therapies are ineffective, non-specific, and have significant adverse effects. As such, there is a large unmet medical need for the development of new and specific therapies for IBD.

Adenosine is a stimulator of pro-inflammatory effects in the gastro-intestinal tract. Adenosine regulates tissue function by activating its receptors: A₁AdoR and A_2AAdoR are high affinity receptors and A_2BAdoR and A₃AdoR are low affinity receptors. A_2BAdoR is highly expressed in cecum and colon, with expression increased even further in epithelial cells in human and murine colitis. A_2BAdoR, agonized by adenosine induces cytokine secretion at the mucosal surface, inflammatory cell infiltration into intestinal wall, focal crypt damage and ulceration. Therefore, A_2BAdoR antagonists are expected to be beneficial in IBD patients.

PNQ-201 is a proprietary orally active A_2BAdoR antagonist, currently in pre-clinical development for the potential treatment of IBD. PNQ-201 is a potent and selective A2B antagonist. It is selected for development on the basis of poor systemic bioavailability and high exposure in colon/cecum. Negligible systemic bioavailability and maximum exposure at the sites of action in the lower gastrointestinal tract is expected to offer maximum therapeutic benefits while minimizing potential side effects. PNQ-201 has shown a robust efficacy profile in standard models of IBD, namely, the mouse DSS-induced colitis model and the rat TNBS-induced colitis model. PNQ-201 was found to be safe in exploratory safety studies including a Drug Matrix Screen, mini-AMES test, and a 14- day repeat dose toxicology study in rats.

DETAILS COMING……