NephRx has gained rights to a U.S. patent related to the company's novel peptide NX002, which is being developed for the treatment of oral mucositis and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Rights to U.S. patent No. 8,017,576, "Methods and compositions to treat mucositis" -- which protects NX002 and related compounds -- have been exclusively licensed to NephRx by the University of Chicago, where the drug was discovered in the laboratory of Dr. F. Gary Toback.
Previously, NephRx reported that NX002 had demonstrated significant efficacy when tested in well-validated animal models of oral mucositis. Animals treated with NX002 had reduced levels of oral ulceration and a more rapid recovery, with no evidence of toxicity. The company is preparing to conduct detailed toxicity studies necessary to move forward with the NX002 clinical program, according to NephRx President and CEO James Koziarz
NX002 is a peptide derived from the naturally occurring growth factor AMP-18, which has been shown to stimulate the growth of epithelial cells and promote mucosal wound healing after injury.
