Redx Pharma reveals promising data on 'ROCK2' compound

Drug discovery and development company Redx Pharma announced promising preclinical efficacy data for its lead selective ‘ROCK2’ compound on Tuesday.

The AIM-traded firm said new data from three independent preclinical animal models of lung, kidney and liver fibrosis, which showed that its lead ROCK2 compound - dosed therapeutically once fibrosis was initiated - was able to suppress collagen deposition and pathways associated with fibrosis, indicating that selective ROCK2 inhibition could have an impact on established fibrosis.

It said the data from separate studies suggested that the compound possessed a suitable pharmacokinetic profile for an orally bioavailable drug, and had a low propensity to inhibit key drug metabolising Cytochrome P450 enzymes, making it less likely to interact with other drugs.

The data from the studies would be presented later in 2019 at a scientific meeting, Redx said.

Following final safety evaluations, the company said it planned to nominate a drug candidate for the ROCK2 programme by mid-2019.

If nominated for development, the novel selective ROCK2 inhibitor would be developed as an orally-administered, first-in-class treatment for the non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with first-in-man studies commencing in 2020.

NASH was described by Redx as a progressive disease of the liver, caused by a buildup of fatty deposits leading to inflammation, tissue damage, tissue remodelling and fibrosis, reducing the metabolic function of the liver.

There were currently no approved treatments for NASH, and there was a clear need for new therapies, according to the company’s board.

“ROCK2 plays a central role in metabolic and fibrotic disease,” said Redx chief scientific officer Dr Richard Armer.

“Generating highly selective ROCK2 inhibitors, without the significantly limiting hypotension observed with systemic use of existing non-selective ROCK1/2 inhibitors, has been a key research challenge.

“We are very encouraged to generate a highly selective ROCK2 inhibitor series where the lead compound has demonstrated anti-fibrotic effects pre-clinically in a broad range of organ models without any observed toxicity.”

Lisa Anson, Redx Pharma’s chief executive officer, agreed that the firm was “encouraged” by the preclinical data.

“Liver fibrosis associated with NASH remains a condition with a clear unmet medical need and we hope that Redx's research into ROCK2 inhibition progresses into the clinic, potentially producing further data which could lead to a new treatment option for liver fibrosis patients,” Anson said.