Single administration of BL-7010 was safe and well tolerated at all doses tested
BL-7010 now advancing to repeated administration part of study; results expected mid 2014
The Phase 1/2 study, taking place at
During the first part of the study, six dose levels of BL-7010 were evaluated compared to placebo. The escalation stage reached the highest planned dose, and although the study remains blinded at this point, no serious or dose-limiting adverse events were reported and all planned doses were found to be safe and well-tolerated. Consequently, all patients completed their participation in this part of the study. Based on these encouraging safety and tolerability results, the study will now progress to the repeated administration stage, in which each patient will receive either BL-7010 or placebo for 14 days, three times per day.
“BL-7010 for the treatment of celiac disease is one of our lead
development programs, and we are very happy to see that it is safe and
well tolerated - even at very high doses that are significantly above
the expected clinical efficacious dose,” said Dr.
“Celiac disease is highly prevalent throughout the world, with over 1% of the global population suffering from this disease. Nevertheless, there are currently no approved celiac therapies aside from a strict and lifelong gluten-free diet, which is exceptionally difficult and costly to maintain. Despite the significant need for new treatments, there are only a handful of clinical-stage projects under development worldwide for this disease, which we view as a significant opportunity for our product,” concluded Dr. Savitsky.
About BL-7010
BL-7010 is a novel, non-absorbable, orally
available polymer intended for the treatment of celiac disease. It has a
high affinity for gliadins, the immunogenic proteins present in gluten
that cause celiac disease. By sequestering gliadins, BL-7010 effectively
masks them from enzymatic degradation and prevents the formation of
immunogenic peptides that trigger the immune system. This significantly
reduces the immune response triggered by gluten. BL-7010 is excreted
with gliadin from the digestive tract, preventing the absorption of
gliadin into the blood. The safety and efficacy of BL-7010 were
demonstrated in pre-clinical studies. BL-7010 was invented by Prof.
About Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is a chronic,
autoimmune, inflammatory disease of the small intestine characterized by
damage to the lining of the small intestine and typically leads to
dyspepsia, malabsorption and a variety of other symptoms. It occurs in
genetically predisposed individuals and is caused by an immunological
reaction to gluten, found in wheat, barley and rye. Estimates suggest
that 1% of the world’s population is affected by celiac disease, and
prevalence is expected to increase dramatically with improved diagnosis
and awareness of the disease. The celiac market is projected to reach
About BioLineRx
BioLineRx is a publicly-traded,
clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to identifying,
in-licensing and developing promising therapeutic candidates. The
Company in-licenses novel compounds primarily from academic institutions
and biotech companies based in
BioLineRx’s current portfolio consists of a variety of clinical and
pre-clinical projects, including: BL-1040 for prevention of pathological
cardiac remodeling following a myocardial infarction, which has been
out-licensed to Bellerophon BCM (f/k/a
For more information on BioLineRx, please visit www.biolinerx.com
or download the investor relations mobile device app, which allows users
access to the Company’s
Various statements in this release concerning BioLineRx’s future
expectations, including specifically those related to the development
and commercialization of BL-7010, constitute “forward-looking
statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements include words such as “may,”
“expects,” “anticipates,” “believes,” and “intends,” and describe
opinions about future events. These forward-looking statements involve
known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual
results, performance or achievements of BioLineRx to be materially
different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed
or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these risks are:
changes in relationships with collaborators; the impact of competitive
products and technological changes; risks relating to the development of
new products; and the ability to implement technological improvements.
These and other factors are more fully discussed in the “Risk Factors”
section of BioLineRx’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F filed with
the
Source: BioLineRx
Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc.
Joshua Drumm, Ph.D., 212-375-2664
jdrumm@tiberend.com
or
Andrew
Mielach, 212-375-2694
amielach@tiberend.com
or
Tsipi
Haitovsky, Public Relations
+972-3-6240871
tsipih@netvision.net.il