Biotechnology

Beyond Biotech Podcast 41: Sarcoidosis


This week, on World Sarcoidosis Day, we spoke about sarcoidosis with Marcin Szumowski, CEO and president of the management board of Molecure.

World Sarcoidosis Day

As part of Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, which is observed every April, World Sarcoidosis Day was held on April 13. But what is sarcoidosis?

Sarcoidosis Research Foundation explains that it is an inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas — or small clumps of inflammatory cells — in one or more organs of the body.

When the immune system is overworked and too many of these clots form, they can interfere with organ structure and function. Left unchecked, chronic inflammation can lead to fibrosis, or permanent scarring of organ tissue.

Sarcoidosis affects the lungs in about 90% of cases, but can affect almost any organ in the body. Despite advances in research, sarcoidosis is difficult to diagnose, and has limited treatment options. There is no known cure.

In the US alone, there are between 150,000 and 200,000 people with the condition, with about 1.2 million people with sarcoidosis worldwide.

Molecule

Molecure is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that uses its medicinal chemistry and biology capabilities to discover and develop first-in-class small molecule drug candidates that directly modulate unexplored target functions of proteins and RNA to treat a variety of incurable diseases.

Molecure has produced a series of seven diverse programs with the support of academic life sciences institutions globally, including Yale University, Rutgers University, the Flemish Institute for Biotechnology (VIB) in Ghent, Belgium, University of Michigan and the International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IIMCB) in Warsaw. , Poland.

Molecure’s most advanced internal drug candidate is OATD-01, a class one CHIT1 inhibitor for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases, such as sarcoidosis and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, which is ready for phase II. Phase II trials in patients with sarcoidosis are expected to start in the second half of 2023.

Its second proprietary candidate is OATD-02, a class one selective, potent, oral dual arginase inhibitor (ARG1 and ARG2) for cancer treatment, which advanced to phase I clinical development in March 2023.

Molecure’s headquarters and laboratory are located in Warsaw, Poland, with additional laboratory facilities in Łódź.



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