GHENT, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Confo Therapeutics, a leader in the discovery of medicines targeting G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), today announced that the first subjects have been dosed in the company’s Phase 1, first-in-human trial of their clinical candidate CFTX-1554, a novel inhibitor of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R). CFTX-1554 is being developed as a non-opioid approach to the treatment of neuropathic pain, a debilitating condition caused by damage to the nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, for which current treatment methods are often insufficiently effective and can lead to serious side effects and addiction. The Phase 1 study will assess the safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics of CFTX-1554 in healthy subjects (NCT05260658).
“The initiation of this Phase 1 study marks an important milestone in Confo’s development into a clinical stage drug development company,” said Cedric Ververken, CEO of Confo Therapeutics. “In addition, the discovery of this new class of AT2R antagonists validates our ability to apply our expertise in structure-based drug discovery to challenging targets.”
AT2R is a recognized target for which clinical benefit has been demonstrated in neuropathic pain trials, but previous compounds addressing this target have failed to progress in the clinic due to issues that were specific to the particular compounds used. Based on its novel chemistry, CFTX-1554 is designed to interact efficiently with the AT2R binding site, thus providing drug-like properties which are expected to improve the chances of success in peripheral neuropathic pain.
“The successful completion of the first-in-human enabling activities for CFTX-1554 is the direct result of the hard work and dedication of our growing development organization and the entire Confo team,” said Paolo Vicini, Chief Development Officer of Confo Therapeutics. “It is also the first step on our path toward providing patients with a safe and efficacious therapy for managing severe peripheral neuropathic pain.”
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled first-in-human study will evaluate the safety, tolerability and systemic exposure (pharmacokinetics) of ascending single and multiple doses of CFTX-1554.
About CFTX-1554
CFTX-1554 is Confo Therapeutics’ first product candidate in clinical development and is a non-opioid approach designed to address peripheral neuropathic pain while avoiding centrally mediated side effects, such as addiction and sedation. The compound is a novel inhibitor of angiotensin II type 2 receptor (AT2R), a clinically precedented target for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Whereas previous compounds targeting AT2R have failed to reach market approval, CFTX-1554 is distinct in that it interacts more efficiently with the AT2R binding site, resulting in improved drug-like properties. CFTX-1554 is currently being examined in a Phase 1 first-in-human clinical study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05260658).
About Confo Therapeutics
Confo Therapeutics’ unparalleled technology stabilizes functional conformations of GPCRs (G protein-coupled receptors) to uncover a wide range of previously inaccessible drug targets. This platform combined with the pharmacologic and biologic insight it provides, allows Confo to build a multi-indication pipeline of drug candidates with the vision of transforming therapeutic outcomes for patients with severe illnesses lacking disease-modifying treatments. Confo Therapeutics was spun out of VIB-VUB (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) in 2015. Supported by international life-science focused investors and led by an experienced team of entrepreneurial professionals and scientists from successful biopharmaceutical companies, Confo Therapeutics benefits from the rich scientific and innovative ecosystem in Belgium.
For more information, visit www.confotherapeutics.com
