MicroDose Therapeutx and Moerae Matrix have agreed to collaborate on development of a dry powder inhaler, using MicroDose DPI technology to deliver Moerae’s MMI-0100 MK2 inhibitor for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There are no treatments for IPF currently approved in the US.
According to the companies, “MMI-0100 is a selective inhibitor of MAPKAP kinase 2 (MK2), a key terminal kinase in the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-)/p38 signaling pathway. By targeting a terminal kinase, MMI-0100 has the potential for greater specificity of action and lower off-target toxicity than other anti-fibrotic agents that address targets higher in this important pathway.”
Development of MM-0100 is partially funded by the Science Moving TowArds Research Translation and Therapy (SMARTT) program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The drug is currently in preclinical development.
MicroDose Senior VP of Sales and Marketing Scott Fleming commented, “Moerae has assembled an impressive team to advance this promising treatment approach for this debilitating disease and we are pleased to be able to contribute to its advancement. This collaboration in IPF expands the utilization of MicroDose’s inhalation technology into yet another extremely important disease area.”
Moerae Matrix Chairman and CEO Cynthia Lander said, “We are pleased to be partnering with a recognized industry leader in pulmonary drug delivery to advance development of MMI-0100 for IPF. MicroDose’s piezo-driven dry powder inhaler platform is the optimal technology for delivering our first-in-class peptide therapeutic for treatment of IPF.”
Read the MicroDose press release.
