NORFOLK, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. (“ReAlta” or the “Company”), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to saving lives by rebalancing the inflammatory response to address rare and acute inflammatory diseases, today announced a poster presentation of its lead asset, RLS-0071 (pegtarazimod), will be presented at the 66th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, being held December 7-10, 2024, in San Diego, California.
ReAlta is developing pegtarazimod, a synthetic peptide derived from human astrovirus serotype 1, as a potential treatment for acute Graft-versus-Host Disease (aGVHD), a serious complication of allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, as well as pulmonary and neurological conditions. Pegtarazimod is a dual-action anti-inflammatory agent that inhibits both the complement cascade and neutrophil-mediated inflammation.
Pegtarazimod has previously demonstrated an excellent safety profile and target engagement in a Phase 1 study of healthy volunteers, with no treatment-related or serious adverse events reported. A Phase 2, open-label clinical trial of pegtarazimod for hospitalized patients with steroid-refractory aGVHD (NCT06343792) is currently enrolling at clinical sites located within the United States, Germany and Spain.
The data to be presented at the upcoming ASH meeting explores the underlying mechanisms of pegtarazimod in a preclinical model of aGVHD using different investigational methods. This data was generated from experiments conducted within the laboratory of Dr. Robert Zeiser at the University of Freiburg – one of the leading laboratories investigating the underlying pathogenesis and potential treatments for aGVHD.
Poster presentation details:
Title: Exploring a Novel Anti-Inflammatory Peptide as Potential Treatment for Acute Graft-Versus-Host Disease (aGVHD)
Presenter: Verena Holzmüller, PhD candidate in the laboratory of Robert Zeiser, M.D., at the Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine (SGBM), University of Freiburg
Presentation: Poster #194793; Location San Diego Convention Center, Halls G-H
Session: 701. Experimental Transplantation: Basic and Translational: Poster II
Date/Time: Sunday, December 8, 2024, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
The abstract can be accessed on the ASH website at https://www.hematology.org/meetings/annual-meeting/abstracts.
About ReAlta Life Sciences
ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. is a clinical mid-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to saving lives by rebalancing the inflammatory response to address life threatening rare and acute inflammatory diseases. The Company’s EPICC peptide platform is based on discoveries related to the human astrovirus, HAstV-1, which causes a non-inflammatory, self-limiting gastroenteritis by inhibiting components of the innate immune system – a trait unique among viruses. By inhibiting activation of the complement cascade and two key neutrophil-driven mechanisms of inflammation and host tissue destruction – myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), ReAlta’s therapeutic peptides leverage the dual-targeting mechanisms of this human enteric virus – and its millions of years of evolutionary adaptations – to modulate both complement and innate inflammatory pathways. The Company’s pipeline is led by RLS-0071 (pegtarazimod), which has received both Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Orphan Drug Designation by the European Medicines Agency, for the treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a devastating disease that causes brain damage in oxygen-deprived newborns and is a leading cause of cerebral palsy; Orphan Drug Designation and Fast Track Designation by the FDA for the treatment of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), a disease associated with bone marrow and stem cell transplants whereby transplanted white blood cells attack the new host in an inflammatory response; and IND clearance by the FDA for the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disease characterized by progressive airflow limitations and tissue destruction that makes it challenging for patients to breathe. The company launched in 2018 and is located in Norfolk, Virginia and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.realtalifesciences.com.
