OUR TEAM
23 Aug 2023
Macrolides and their potential use in therapy for asthma and COPD chapter published in latest edition of key textbook
REYKJAVIK, ICELAND - 23 August 2023 – EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals (‘EpiEndo’ or the ‘Company’), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing a new class of oral, barrier-enhancing, anti-inflammatory therapeutic addressing chronic airway diseases, has contributed to a chapter in a key medical textbook, published this month.
Prof Michael Parnham of Goethe University, Prof Thorarinn Gudjonsson of the University of Iceland and Prof Clive Page of Kings College London, all EpiEndo Scientific Advisory Board members, together with EpiEndo’s CMO Dr Ginny Norris and Head of Research Dr Jennifer Kricker, have written the chapter Prospects for Macrolide Therapy of Asthma and COPD for the latest edition of Pulmonary Pharmacology, edited by W.S. Fred Wong of Singapore University and published by Elsevier on 1 August 2023.
The chapter is focused on macrolides - chemicals with a ring-based chemical structure that are derived predominantly from naturally occurring compounds. They have a very broad range of biological activities and various members have been investigated for immunosuppressive, antiparasitic and antibacterial activities. Macrolide antibiotics have been available for the treatment of bacterial infections for over 50 years and more recently have been found to inhibit inflammation in respiratory disorders.
The authors discuss the pharmacology of macrolides, the basic pathological processes in asthma and COPD and how various actions of these drugs may benefit these patients. It describes how analysis of the pharmacological actions of the most prominent macrolide antibiotic, azithromycin, has extended the understanding of its inhibitory effects on the inflammatory response to encompass also beneficial actions on the epithelial lining cells of the lung.
The recognition of this pharmacological activity has resulted in the development by EpiEndo of a new class of macrolides, Barriolides™, which have been optimised away from antibiotics towards epithelial protection so that they act to strengthen this epithelial barrier in chronic respiratory disorders such as COPD.
An abstract of the book chapter can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1054358923000170
Contact
EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals:
Maria Bech, CEO
+354 454 0090
Instinctif Partners (media relations):
Rozi Morris / Batoul Ali
+44 20 7457 2020
About EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals (www.epiendo.com)
EpiEndo is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a unique approach to inflammatory disorders that focuses on the enhancement of epithelial barrier integrity to reduce disease-causing inflammation.
Epithelial cells are a key part of the barrier that makes up human lung tissue and other organs such as the gut and skin. A breakdown of this barrier is implicated in several chronic inflammatory diseases.
EpiEndo’s new class of orally available macrolide, with reduced AMR effect, known as a ‘Barriolide™’, shows promise as a first-in-class therapeutic for chronic respiratory diseases as well as other inflammatory indications. EpiEndo’s lead asset, EP395, is the first Barriolide™ to enter into Phase 2 clinical trials, for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
EP395, aims to be the first on-market oral, barrier-enhancing and anti-inflammatory drug, which has the potential to be a unique and impactful treatment option for COPD patients. According to the WHO, COPD is the third leading cause of death globally, and the global economic burden of COPD projected to cost $4.8 trillion by 2030.
