Noxopharm Ltd (ASX:NOX)’s collaborator Hudson Institute of Medical Research has landed a $100,000 grant from mRNA Victoria Acceleration Fund to study RNA-based therapeutics.
The company’s subsidiary Pharmorage Pty Ltd, which is registered in Victoria, is collaborating with Hudson Institute and the Australian National University on this project to explore the toll-like receptor TLR7-driven autoimmune disease.
The focus of the research funded by this grant is lupus, an autoimmune disease that causes a range of debilitating conditions, severely impacting quality of life and life expectancy.
Moving forward, Noxopharm will match the funding of this grant by investing $100,000 to progress promising drug candidates into the company’s drug development program.
Novel strategy
Hudson Institute has developed a novel strategy that utilises short RNA-like molecules (known as oligonucleotides) to block TLR7 receptors.
These receptors are overactivated in SLE. The short oligonucleotides have the ability to block TLR7 activation and subsequent inflammation in vitro.
This grant will fund the laboratory work to establish the therapeutic efficacy of these novel oligonucleotide TLR7 inhibitors in several animal models as well as in primary human cells derived from SLE patients.
If this technology is proven, Noxopharm will investigate the development of further oligonucleotide drug candidates with potential indications in other autoimmune diseases.
The project will kick off shortly and will run for 12 months.
Research focus
Autoimmune and auto-inflammatory disorders affect as many as 5% of Australians, with uncontrolled inflammation contributing to many chronic health issues.
There are more than 100 autoimmune diseases, among them SLE, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes
There is no cure for autoimmune diseases to date. Current treatments that manage signs and symptoms include predominately broad-acting immunosuppressants, which tend to have deleterious side effects.
Therefore, new drugs with improved efficacy and fewer side effects are urgently needed.