MedImmune buys AlphaCore
pharmafile | April 9, 2013 | News story | Research and Development | AlphaCore, AstraZeneca, MedImmune
AstraZeneca’s biologics R&D arm MedImmune has bought private US biotech firm AlphaCore Pharma for an undisclosed sum.
The acquisition is part of the manufacturer’s new focus on pushing its Phase II biologics pipeline more quickly into late-stage programmes.
AlphaCore’s main asset is ACP-501, a recombinant human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme, although so far it has only been put through a Phase I study.
LCAT is thought to be a major influence in driving the removal of cholesterol from the body.
The potential jewel in the crown for MedImmune is that this means it could be important in managing HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol: cardiovascular and metabolic disease will be a core therapy area for AstraZeneca as part of its global R&D restructure announced last month.
“As the science in this area continues to evolve, we are committed to exploring unique pathways that could lead to new combination or standalone therapies for patients living with chronic and acute cardiovascular diseases,” said Bahija Jallal, MedImmune’s executive vice president.
“Cardiovascular disease is projected to remain the single leading cause of death worldwide over the next decade and beyond,” Jallal added.
A Phase I trial of ACP-501 last year met its primary safety and tolerability endpoints, with no serious adverse events reported.
Secondary endpoints were also achieved, with the compound “rapidly and substantially” elevating HDL cholesterol.
The LCAT enzyme could also play a role in a rare disorder called familial LCAT deficiency (FLD) in which the LCAT enzyme is absent and which can lead to kidney failure.
Both the European Medicines Agency and FDA have given ACP-501 orphan drug designation for the treatment of FLD, moves which are intended to highlight that this is an area of significant unmet medical need.
The inherited condition causes lipid accumulation in the eyes, red blood cells and kidneys and symptoms include corneal opacity (clouding of the cornea), hemolytic anemia and kidney disease.
While a novel treatment for cardiovascular disease is clearly a far more lucrative proposition, having the orphan designation would give the product years of exclusivity if it ever reached the market.
AlphaCore is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and was set up six years ago as a vehicle for developing ACP-501 as a novel treatment for high risk atherosclerosis and serious lipid metabolism disorders.
In addition to cardiovascular & metabolic disease, AstraZeneca says its R&D efforts will focus in future on two other areas: respiratory, inflammation & autoimmunity and oncology.
Adam Hill
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