EspeRare starts two research collaborations to demonstrate preclinical efficacy of Rimeporide in Duchenne.
Geneva, Switzerland, August 19, 2013 - The foundation announces that it has started two collaborations with the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and the Children National Medical Center in Washington DC (USA) to develop Rimeporide, its lead programme in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). The objective of these collaborations is to assess the therapeutic utility of Rimeporide for Duchenne patients. Rimeporide is a safe and specific Na+/H+ exchanger type 1 (NHE 1) inhibitor previously developed by Merck Serono for cardiac failure.
Rimeporide preclinical efficacy will be tested in DMD mice models. The assessment will be conducted under the leadership of Dr. Kanneboyina Nagaraju specialized in DMD at Prof. Eric Hoffman's research center for genetic medicine, Children National Medical Center, Washington DC.
In parallel, Dr Olivier Dorchies, a recognised DMD preclinical expert at the Pharmaceutical biochemistry lab of Prof. Leonardo Scappozza, University of Geneva, will also investigate the dose / efficacy relationship of Rimeporide in a mice model and evaluate the efficacy in various cell lines.
Preliminary data from both collaborations are expected by second quarter 2014.
This preclinical work together with the already available data will support further development of this compound in DMD patients. This program has ultimately the potential to address muscle degeneration and cardiomyopathy in a broad segment of DMD children.
