Compelling new lung disease treatment pioneered in Victoria gains global attention alongside top researchers and drug developers

A novel drug treatment emerging from Victoria for the serious lung condition idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis will be spotlighted among world-leading researchers and scientists at the global IPF Summit in Boston (August 20-21).

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare fibrotic lung condition that causes persistent and progressive scarring of the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs, with symptoms including shortness of breath and coughing[1]. Lung Foundation Australia estimate that there are around 2,300 new cases diagnosed in in Australia every year[2]. The prognosis of IPF is very poor, with a median survival of only three to five years after diagnosis.[3]

There are just two treatments on the market and the disease continues to progress in the majority of patients despite treatment.[4]
The new drug, AD-114, is being developed by the Australian biotech AdAlta (ASX:1AD), using AdAlta’s proprietary ‘i-body’ technology. A phase 1 clinical trial will start next year.

AD-114 differs from existing treatment options and others currently in clinical development due to its unique mode of action that targets the GPCR chemokine receptor CXCR4. AD-114 has been demonstrated to have both anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic activity, hitting a sweet spot for a potential therapy for IPF.

The effects of AD-114 have been described by world-leading lung disease researcher Professor Cory Hogaboam (Cedars Sinai Medical Centre) as “impressive” and “providing a compelling case” for treating IPF.

AdAlta CEO, Sam Cobb, has been invited to speak at the inaugural summit to showcase the novel therapeutic approach to this largely under-treated area. Ms Cobb will represent the only Australian company in the line-up of academics, international biotech and pharma speakers that include Prof Hogaboam as well as speakers from Genentech, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene and Medimmune.

“IPF is a disease with high unmet clinical need and we do believe AD-114 will provide the clinical community and patients with a much-needed new treatment option,” Ms Cobb said.

“Although our focus with AD-114 is IPF, AD-114 has the potential to treat a wide-range of fibrotic conditions including wet age-related macular degeneration, of which there are 21,000 new cases diagnosed in Australia each year[5] and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects around 5.5 million Australians and is a precursor to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)[6].
“That we’ve been invited to speak alongside world experts at the inaugural IPF Summit is immensely validating of the critical nature of our work.”

AD-114 has received orphan drug status by the FDA, and if approved would be a first-in-class treatment. ‘Orphan’ drugs are those developed to treat a rare medical condition, and they are usually granted accelerated development and regulatory timelines.

More about the IPF Summit: http://ipf-summit.com/
More about AdAlta: http://adalta.com.au/ More about AdAlta and its i-body technology:
AdAlta is an ASX listed Aussie biotech developing a new class of drugs to treat conditions with a high unmet clinical need.
AdAlta is pioneering antibody technology that it calls an ‘i-body’. The size and shape of an i-body gives it an advantage over typical and existing antibody therapies, because it can penetrate and bind to a diverse range of therapeutically-relevant targets. An i-body can also survive extreme conditions.  It can be boiled, dropped in acid, (other examples) and yet it remains stable and usable.
An i-body, with its long binding loop, is able to target the GPCR chemokine receptor CXCR4, making it applicable to treat a range of clinical conditions including fibrosis. AD-114 is AdAlta’s lead i-body candidate for the treatment of fibrosis.




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