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Aria Pharmaceuticals Presents Positive In Vivo Data on Lead Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment Candidate

BOSTON, Nov. 14, 2022.Aria Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company focused on bringing first-in-class small molecules to market, today announced that its lead candidate for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), TXR-1002, demonstrated significant efficacy in new preclinical research. TXR-1002 represents a completely new novel mechanism of action for the potential treatment of IPF. Data was presented at the 6th Annual Antifibrotic Drug Development Summit on November 10 in Boston.

This is the third preclinical study to validate the efficacy and safety of TXR-1002. Two previous studies evaluated TXR-1002 using a bleomycin-induced (BLM) IPF mouse model, the current best practice for IPF preclinical research, and demonstrated a significant decrease in fibrosis and lung collagen staining compared nintedanib, a standard of care. Aria completed a third study in therapeutic treatment mode utilizing a BLM-induced model in male Sprague Dawley rats, which have more complex airway anatomy than that of a traditional mouse, helping to further support the efficacy of TXR-1002's novel mechanism of action.

"We continue to see promising data for our IPF candidate TXR-1002, validating our efforts to advance this program toward IND-enabling studies," said Anjali Pandey, Ph.D. Senior Vice President of Nonclinical R&D and Chemistry at Aria. "This is our third robust preclinical study for TXR-1002 that showed positive results and by utilizing a more advanced rat model. We are confident in the promise of this treatment as a viable candidate for clinical research."

IPF is a chronic, age-associated interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive and irreversible fibrosis. It affects more than three million people worldwide. Though IPF's cause is still unknown, recent data suggest that IPF prevalence is increasing.

"People suffering from IPF need new and novel treatments because while today's treatments slow disease progression, they do not stop it and are associated with a high rate of discontinuation," said Martin Kolb, M.D., Ph.D., Director, Division of Respirology and Jack Gauldie Boehringer Ingelheim Chair in Interstitial Lung Disease, Department of Medicine, McMaster University. "The incidence and burden of IPF are increasing globally, so discovering and developing new treatments needs to be a priority."

To date, Aria has advanced potential treatments for chronic kidney disease (CKD), lupus, and IPF through preclinical research and now into lead optimization in preparation for IND-enabling studies. Aria is committed to advancing TXR-1002 and is continuing to research this promising therapy as a potential novel treatment for IPF. For more information, please visit www.ariapharmaceuticals.com

About the study

The efficacy of TXR-1002 was assessed in a dose response curve mode at 3, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg once a day dosing in BLM-induced IPF in male Sprague Dawley rats. The study design included a placebo group, a BLM-induced IPF disease control group, four groups of a TXR-1002 treatment arm and a ninteanib treatment group. Following bleomycin administration, the absolute lung weight and hydroxyproline levels were significantly increased and histopathology data showed both Ashcroft score (measure of lung fibrosis) and collagen significantly increased in the BLM-induced IPF disease control group.

TXR-1002 at 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg once a day administered orally significantly decreased absolute lung weight and hydroxyproline levels as compared to the disease control group. Treatment with TXR-1002 at 10, 30, 100 mg/kg in lung histopathology demonstrated significantly decreased fibrosis score and collagen similar to the nintedanib treatment group at 60 mg/kg. Full study results can be found at www.ariapharmaceuticals.com.

About IPF
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, age-associated interstitial lung disease characterized by progressive fibrosis that leads to dyspnea and low forced vital capacity of the lungs. Inflammation is an additional feature of IPF, and the chronic, progressive nature of the disease presents challenges for developing effective therapies. Currently, there is no cure for IPF and existing FDA-approved treatments do not stop disease progression.

About Aria Pharmaceuticals
Aria Pharmaceuticals is a preclinical-stage pharmaceutical company discovering and developing novel small molecule therapies for complex and hard-to-treat diseases. Too many patients today are in need of breakthrough treatments across many complicated diseases – they can't wait. That's why at Aria, we have redefined the drug discovery approach, saving years in the process and increasing success rates 30 times higher than traditional methods. At Aria, we've shown promise across a diverse range of therapeutic areas with the ability to address over 1,000 diseases.

SOURCE Aria Pharmaceuticals

Posted: November 2022

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