IP Group PLC (LSE:IPO) portfolio company Istesso has published early-stage data showing that its new class of experimental medicines can repair damaged tissue in diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and fibrosis, a potential breakthrough in the treatment of chronic and age-related conditions.
The study, published in The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, shows that the company’s oral drugs triggered “adaptive tissue repair” in preclinical models of fibrotic, autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease.
Istesso says this is the first time such an effect has been achieved with an oral treatment.
“These findings could redefine how we think about treating chronic diseases,” said Dr Lisa Patel, Istesso’s chief executive and lead author of the study.
“Eliciting tissue repair has long been a goal of medicine. This is the first time adaptive tissue repair has been demonstrated with oral agents in these settings.”
Chronic illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, sarcopenia (the age-related loss of muscle mass), and pulmonary fibrosis affect millions of people globally, often leading to irreversible damage.
Treatments typically focus on dampening inflammation or suppressing the immune system, but do not repair damaged tissues.
Istesso’s work is still at an early stage, but the company said additional results from its broader research programme would be shared at scientific congresses and in peer-reviewed journals over the coming months.
Separately, Istesso has appointed Dr Mike Owen to its board as a non-executive director.
Owen, a former head of biopharmaceuticals research at GSK, brings more than four decades of experience in drug development, with a particular focus on identifying and advancing experimental drugs across complex disease areas.
“I have been following Istesso’s bold approach to reversing tissue damage with great interest,” he said.
“Its promising scientific research into this currently untapped area has the potential to fundamentally change the treatment paradigm for chronic diseases.”
IP Group, which backs science and technology companies emerging from universities and research institutes, holds a 56.5% stake in Istesso.