Diseases in which fibrosis plays a major role account for an estimated 45% of deaths in the western world

Fibrosis can affect virtually all organs and tissues. In the case of physical or vascular trauma, repairative fibrosis such as wound healing is critical for survival. However, when the fibrotic response becomes dysregulated either as an extended response to injury (e.g. cardiac fibrosis) or as a secondary response to proinflammaory cytokines/growth factors (e.g. cancer stroma) it will result in diseases with devastating pathologies.

NovoMedix’s lead drug candidates have novel biological response profiles

NovoMedix has developed novel orally available small molecules with wide therapeutic windows to treat fibrotic disorders. While these molecules have shown remarkable efficacy in animal models of fibrosis, some of them have unique properties for the treatment of cancer. These first-in-class small molecules co-target pathways that provide cardioprotective and synergistic anti-tumor effects with standard-of-care chemotherapies for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). There is a dose-dependent delayed and progressive cardiomyopathy often observed years after cessation of treatment of breast cancer patients anthracyclines such as doxorubicin (Adriamycin). As a result, the leading cause of death in breast cancer survivors is cardiovascular disease, often caused by the same treatments that once saved their lives. NovoMedix compounds have synergistic effects with chemotherapies on cancer cells, potentially enhancing patient response while significantly minimizing cardiotoxicity, ultimately improving long-term survival by reducing mortality due to heart failure. The goal is to initiate IND enabling studies with the lead candidate and to deliver this novel and safe therapy to TNBC patients as soon as possible.

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August 12, 2018
Publication in American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology Titled "A novel fibroblast activation inhibitor attenuates left ventricular remodeling and preserves cardiac function in heart failure” highlights NovoMedix’s novel antifibrotic small molecule program that effectively prevents fibroblast activation. A lead compound reduced the formation of cardiac fibrosis and preserved cardiac function in a murine model of transaortic constriction induced heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The unique combination of biological activities of these compounds should have significant impact not only in heart failure but in malignant tumors that are highly dependent on the stroma such as pancreatic and breast cancer; as well as fibrotic disease that affect other major organs such as liver, lung, and kidney.