Marburg, Germany, May 29, 2018
- Further insights and data from Phase 2a trial in ulcerative colitis
Sterna biologicals GmbH & Co. KG (sterna), an innovative clinical-stage immunology company developing novel treatments for chronic inflammatory diseases, announced today that further insights and data from a Phase 2a trial in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis treated with its DNAzyme candidate SB012 will be presented at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) in Washington, DC, June 2-5, 2018.
Presentation Title: Topical administration of a GATA-3 specific DNAzyme suppresses mucosal inflammation in a randomized trial with moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis patients
Date & Time: June 5, 2018, 9:00-9:15 AM
Session: 4145, Controlled clinical trials in humans, part I
Location: Washington Convention Center, Ballroom A
The oral presentation will be given by Professor Dr. Raja Atreya. Professor Atreya heads the Clinical Center for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and the working group for Patient-Oriented Research and Innovative Therapeutic Strategies in IBD, which is part of Prof. Markus F. Neurath´s Department of Medicine 1 at the University of Erlangen-Nürnberg. Prof. Neurath was the principal investigator of the clinical phase 2a trial with SB012.
ABOUT DIGESTIVE DISEASE WEEK®
Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) is the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery. Jointly sponsored by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) Institute, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract (SSAT), DDW takes place June 2-5, 2018, at Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The meeting showcases more than 5,000 abstracts and hundreds of lectures on the latest advances in GI research, medicine and technology. More information can be found at www.ddw.org.
ABOUT ULCERATIVE COLITIS
Ulcerative colitis is characterized by a continuous mucosal inflammation which predominantly affects the large intestine. Clinical symptoms include persistent diarrhea with severe fecal urgency and often incontinence, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramping, weight loss, and general malaise. It is estimated that the disease affects approximately 2 million people in the US, Europe, and Japan.
ABOUT SB012
Sterna biologicals' drug candidate SB012 is a DNAzyme and first-in-class GATA-3 antagonist.
GATA-3 is the master transcription factor regulating Th2-driven inflammatory diseases such as ulcerative colitis, atopic dermatitis, eCOPD and asthma. By inhibiting GATA-3, the expression of downstream cytokines, interleukin IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13, which cause inflammation, is down regulated. In pre-clinical and clinical development, SB012 was found to be safe and well tolerated with first signs of efficacy. DNAzymes are single-stranded DNA molecules comprising a central catalytic domain flanked by two binding domains. The binding domains attach to a specific sequence of targeted mRNA, such as GATA-3 mRNA in case of SB012. After binding to the target, the catalytic domain then cleaves the mRNA, thereby inhibiting relevant downstream cytokine expression.