Biotica announces the Sangamides

A new class of compounds with potential to provide a key component of combination therapy in Hepatitis C

Sangamide class published in Medicinal Chemistry Communications and at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Biotica Technology Limited (Biotica), a privately-held biotechnology company that discovers and develops polyketide therapeutics, today announces the publication of a peer-reviewed article in Medicinal Chemistry Communications [Moss et al. 2012 Advance Article] (pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/journalissues/md) and of patent application WO2011/098809, describing  Sangamides, a new class of cyclophilin-inhibiting host-targeted antivirals for treatment of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Sangamides offer the potential of treating Hepatitis C, without the use of interferon, as a key component of combination therapy.

Sangamides are derivatives of Sanglifehrin A, a naturally-occurring polyketide, which bind and inhibit the activity of cyclophilins. HCV recruits cyclophilins from its host cell at several stages in its replication cycle; hence cyclophilin inhibition prevents viral replication with a high barrier to selection of resistance, and is a viable, host-targeted, mechanism of action (MoA) to treat HCV infection.

The current standard of care (SoC) treatment for HCV is the well-established combination therapy of interferon-alpha (a protein therapeutic immune stimulant) and ribavirin (a broad spectrum anti-viral). This protocol has serious side effects and shortfalls in efficacy. SoC only achieves a sustained clearance and virological response (SVR) rate of 45% in HCV genotype 1 (the predominant genotype of the virus in the United   States). In addition, the chronic side effects derived from the interferon-alpha dose (fatigue, influenza-like symptoms, etc.), present compliance issues for patients over the 48-week course.

Phillipe Gallay, Professor of Immunology at Scripps Research Institute and co-author of the peer review article, commented, “Similar to the evolution of HIV treatment; it is clear that combination therapy will become the solution for the treatment of HCV. Biotica’s compounds have the desired characteristics to provide a key component of an interferon-alpha free combination treatment.”

Edward Hodgkin, CEO of Biotica said: “Recent years have seen growing interest in compounds with new mechanisms of action that may treat HCV as part of an interferon-free regime. The Sangamides provide a new class of chemistry for the relatively under-exploited mechanism of cyclophilin inhibition, with clear advantages over cyclosporine-based cyclophilin inhibitors. The published patent application indicates that we’re operating in clear commercial space, and we plan to announce our drug candidate in the near future.”