- July 5, 2018
- Posted by: PharmaScroll
- Category:
Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals Inc. (EHP presented preclinical data for its lead drug product candidate, EHP-101, at the 28th Annual Symposium of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS). EHP-101 is based on a patented synthetic cannabidiol (CBD)-derived new chemical entity (NCE) that is initially being developed for multiple sclerosis (MS) and scleroderma (SSc).
Novel data were presented about the mechanism of action of EHP-101 in MS and SSc. A dose dependent signature of EHP-101 was reported in an animal model of MS. In the SSc bleomycin model, novel data showed recovery from vascular damage in fibrotic skin of mice. These results differentiate EHP-101 from other CB2 agonists in development for the treatment of both diseases. Moreover, an update on preclinical development of EHP-101 was presented, for which EHP plans to initiate a Phase I clinical study in 2018.
“The development of novel treatments aimed at axonal repair and remyelination remains a key objective in the treatment of MS,” said Jim DeMesa, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of EHP. “Our scientists have demonstrated EHP-101’s potential to address this significant unmet medical need and possibly transform the treatment of MS, in addition to its potential as a disease-modifying treatment for scleroderma.”
EHP-101 for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Preclinical data for MS demonstrated that EHP-101, a product candidate based on the NCE VCE004.8, can prevent microgliosis, demyelination, and nerve cell damage, as well as potentially enhance remyelination. These findings were presented by Carmen Navarrete, Ph.D., in an oral presentation titled, “Effect of Oral VCE-004.8, A Cannabidiol Quinol Derivative On Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis”, at the 28th Annual ICRS Symposium in Leiden, The Netherlands.
The studies evaluated EHP-101, a product containing a novel synthetic CBD derivative acting as a PPARγ/CB2 dual agonist that improves symptomatology in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and Theiler’s murine encephalitis virus (TMEV) models of MS. EHP-101 was shown to prevent microgliosis, demyelination, and nerve cell damage, and to potentially enhance remyelination, through the induction of the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF)-dependent neuroprotective pathway. In addition, in the EAE model, EHP-101 showed an excellent dosedependent efficacy profile. In the spinal cord, a transcriptomic analysis demonstrated that EHP- 101 downregulated the expression of several genes – including chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules – that are closely associated with MS pathophysiology.
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News Source: Emerald Pharma Website
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