Both drugs have the potential to provide disease-modifying approaches to lung disease.
Vicore Pharma and Endeavor BioMedicines shared new data from two mid-stage clinical trials of two therapies that show promise in treating patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Vicore’s broxibutide and Endeavor’s ENV-101 may offer new ways to treat this chronic progressive lung disease.
IPF, which affects up to 20 in every 100,000 people worldwide, is a rare lung disease that causes the lungs to thicken and harden, causing permanent fibrosis and difficulty breathing.
Both treatments are being studied to improve on the current standard of care for IPF and have the potential to slow the decline in lung function without reversing or stopping it.
In the Phase 2a AIR study, twice-daily oral administration of broxibutide, an angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonist, showed significant improvements in lung function over 36 weeks, with a forced vital capacity (FVC) of 216% from baseline. ml increase, reversing a 1-year decline of 180 ml. This is the same period typically observed in her untreated IPF patients.
Additionally, the drug was safe and well-tolerated over the 26-week treatment period, with no new drug-related adverse events.
Meanwhile, Endeavor’s Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway inhibitor presents data from a separate Phase 2a study showing ENV-101 achieves statistically significant increase in total vital capacity over baseline over 12 weeks showed that an average improvement of 200 ml was achieved compared to a decrease of 56 ml. IPF group treated with placebo.
The Hh pathway, which is normally involved in wound healing, is activated in IPF and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) and is thought to cause scar tissue accumulation in the lungs.
Both companies aim to proceed with further trials. Vicore’s Phase 2b study will examine changes in FVC over 52 weeks, while Endeavor will begin the WHISTLE-PF study, which will include a Phase 2b cohort of IPF patients and a Phase 2 PPF group.
If successful, both drugs could offer a disease-modifying approach to IPF.
