Redx Pharma PLC (AIM:REDX) said it is ready to move its fibrosis drug into a phase IIa clinical trial.
This was after a first-in-human study showed RXC007 to be safe. Researchers were also encouraged by the way it was absorbed, distributed and metabolised by the body.
New pre-clinical data, meanwhile, revealed the drug demonstrated anti-fibrotic effects in a range of models.
The latest update was shared with delegates at the International Colloquium on Lung and Airway Fibrosis on Sunday (Oct 2).
RXC007 is being developed to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a condition where the lungs become scarred and it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe.
Redx believes there may be a broader application for its putative treatment, a ROCK2, or Rho-Associated Protein Kinase 2 inhibitor.
“IPF only accounts for about a third of patients who have significant fibrotic lung pathology, and this new preclinical data supports broader clinical development of RXC007 in lung fibrosis including progressive fibrotic interstitial lung disease, which we intend to explore during our future phase IIb study," said Dr Jane Robertson, the company’s chief medical officer.