HemoGenyx Pharmaceuticals PLC’s (LON:HEMO) Immugenyx subsidiary is teaming up with US pharma giant Johnson & Johnson to find a new treatment for lupus.
Under the terms of the collaboration agreement with J&J’s Janssen division, Immugenyx will use its advanced hematopoietic chimeras (AHC) to develop a lupus disease model in a humanised mouse with a functional human immune system.
IN-DEPTH: Hemogenyx optimistic on CDX antibodies prospects
Because it is based on the make-up of the human body, researchers should be able to more accurately develop a treatment than if they were using just a standard model.
“As a company committed to the development of novel therapeutic products for patients suffering from blood and severe autoimmune diseases, we are pleased to partner with Janssen, a world leader in the discovery and development of therapeutics for autoimmune diseases,” said chief executive and co-founder Vladislav Sandler.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks healthy tissue in the body instead of primarily targeting viruses or other foreign invaders.
It can cause a range of symptoms, including pain, rashes, fatigue, swelling in joints and fevers.
Developing a drug to treat the disease is notoriously difficult, with only one new treatment being approved in the last 60 years.