Collaboration yields promising Barriolide therapy Enterothelin
EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and AlveoliX, an innovator in organ-on-chip technology, have announced significant advancements in their joint project, the EpicoliX Project, to develop a novel treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC).
Supported by Eurostars, the Icelandic Technology Development Fund, and Innosuisse, the project has identified Enterothelin, a Barriolide compound, as a lead candidate for a first-in-class therapy.
UC is a debilitating inflammatory bowel disease affecting a significant portion of the global population. The EpicoliX Project, which began in May 2021, leverages AlveoliX’s organ-on-chip technology and EpiEndo’s expertise in chronic inflammatory diseases to meet the urgent need for effective UC treatments.
The project’s key achievements include the development of a new gut-on-chip model that simulates the colon epithelium of UC patients. This model has been crucial in screening EpiEndo’s drug libraries and selecting Enterothelin as the lead candidate.
The compound has undergone extensive preclinical testing, including in vivo studies, to validate its efficacy in enhancing the colon epithelium.
Jennifer Kricker, Head of Research at EpiEndo, reflected: “Partnering with AlveoliX has allowed us the opportunity to investigate and advance the development of our proprietary Barriolides as potential therapeutics for UC.
“Testing our new candidates using the gut-on-chip model offered significant advantages compared to a preclinical in vivo model only approach. Our two companies share a commitment to using innovative approaches to deliver therapies that address the root causes of chronic diseases.”
Maria Bech, CEO at EpiEndo, added: “We are proud of what we’ve achieved so far in our quest to find novel UC therapeutics, and we thank Eureka Eurostars, the Icelandic Technology Development Fund, and Innosuisse for supporting our programme. We intend to find a partner to support continuation of this exciting early preclinical project.”
The collaboration between EpiEndo and AlveoliX marks a promising step towards addressing the unmet needs of UC patients and improving their quality of life.
