Enterprise Therapeutics appoints Dr Renu Gupta as Chief Medical Officer and Dr Janet Hammond as Non-Executive Director

/in /by

Appointments bring additional respiratory and late clinical-stage drug development experience as Company commences Phase 2a clinical trial of its lead asset

Brighton, UK, 17 June 2024:Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering from respiratory disease, today announced the appointment of Dr Renu Gupta as CMO (Chief Medical Officer) and Dr Janet Hammond as a Non-Executive Director.

Dr Gupta is a physician-scientist and industry leader, with more than 20 years of experience as a CMO, most recently at Promedior, Inc., a member of the Roche Group. During a career spanning over 30 years in the biopharmaceutical industry, she has held various roles within research and development, executive management, and as a Board member, including at Global Bio-Pharma, Corbus Pharmaceuticals, Breath Therapeutics, Insmed, Inc. (NASDAQ: INSM), Novartis, and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS). Dr Gupta has been instrumental in implementing innovative clinical and regulatory strategies and development pathways to advance targets, including for rare disease indications, forming productive private-public sector partnerships, raising capital, and ultimately advancing molecules from drug discovery through approvals in the major global markets. She received her bachelor and medical degrees from the University of Zambia and completed her medical and post-doctoral training at Albert Einstein Medical Center, the Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr Hammond has over 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical industry, during which time she has overseen the development and successful approval of several drugs. She is currently Chief Development Officer at Atea Pharmaceuticals, a Boston-based biotech focused on the development of antiviral drugs for life-threatening infectious diseases. Prior to joining Atea, Janet was Vice President and Head of Infectious Diseases and General Medicine at AbbVie, Inc., and Senior Vice President and Global Head of Infectious Diseases at Hoffmann-la Roche. She obtained her MD and PhD from the University of Cape Town where she specialised in Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, holds a Masters in Clinical Investigation from Johns Hopkins University, and carried out training in Infectious Diseases at Duke and Johns Hopkins Universities.

 Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “We are delighted to welcome Renu as CMO and Janet to the Board. Renu’s successful track record in developing innovative respiratory medicines will be a great asset to the team, while Janet’s extensive experience in driving late-stage clinical development programmes will be an invaluable addition to the Board. Both appointments substantially strengthen our team as we work towards delivering clinical proof of concept for our lead asset ETD001, taking us a step closer to providing an effective therapy for people with cystic fibrosis not benefitting from CFTR modulators.”

Dr Renu Gupta, CMO, Enterprise Therapeutics, added: “Enterprise Therapeutics’ development programme shows impressive dedication and great promise for the treatment of those people with cystic fibrosis not currently served by existing therapies. I am excited to join the Company, and look forward to working with John, Janet, and the rest of the team as we progress through Phase 2 trials.”

Dr Janet Hammond, Non-Executive Director, Enterprise Therapeutics, commented: “The work that Enterprise Therapeutics is doing has the potential to significantly improve the lives of patients living with respiratory diseases. I look forward to supporting the Company in this goal by working alongside the management team to help drive the success of its clinical programmes.”

For more information about Enterprise Therapeutics, visit www.enterprisetherapeutics.com

Enterprise Therapeutics publishes preclinical profile of ETD001, a novel inhaled ENaC blocker

/in /by
  • Low doses of ETD001 demonstrate exceptionally long duration of action in sheep model of airway mucus clearance
  • Report in Journal of Cystic Fibrosis discloses best-in-class profile of ETD001
  • ETD001 scheduled to commence Phase 2 clinical study in people with cystic fibrosis in summer 2024

Brighton, UK, 12 June 2024: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of people with respiratory diseases, today announced the publication of a peer reviewed study in the Journal of Cystic Fibrosis1. The paper describes low doses of the ENaC blocker ETD001, Enterprise’s lead asset, enhancing airway mucus clearance with an exceptionally long duration of action in a sheep model.

This study indicates that ETD001, at a dose level that was well tolerated in healthy volunteer studies, provides an opportunity to test whether a long-acting ENaC blocker can deliver benefit to people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). ETD001 is scheduled to commence a Phase 2 clinical study in pwCF in summer 2024, to understand whether 28 days of treatment will improve lung function.

Blocking ENaC in the airways offers a novel approach to improve mucus clearance in pwCF, including in the ≥10% of individuals who are either intolerant of or genetically unsuited to CFTR modulators. Recently, several other ENaC blocking drugs (VX-371, AZD5634, BI 1265162, QBW276) failed to show any benefit in clinical trials. This study provides a potential explanation for these failures as data from the sheep model indicate that each may have been dosed in clinical trials at a dose too low to observe an extended duration of action on mucus clearance.

Dr Henry Danahay, Head of Biology, Enterprise Therapeutics, and lead author of the paper, said: “This data provides strong evidence that ETD001 has a superior profile compared to other inhaled ENaC blockers. Along with the results from the Phase 1 trials where ETD001 was well-tolerated, this study supports our high level of confidence going into the Phase 2 clinical trial. We remain passionate in our drive to discovery novel therapies that have the potential to transform the lives of all people with cystic fibrosis.”

  1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S156919932400081X

For more information about Enterprise Therapeutics, visit www.enterprisetherapeutics.com

Enterprise Therapeutics Closes £26 million ($33.1 million) Series B Follow-on Financing

/in /by
  • Round led by new investor Panakes, with participation from all existing investors
  • Funding will support Phase 2a clinical proof of concept trial in cystic fibrosis for a novel first in class ENaC blocker (ETD001) and pipeline expansion
  • Dr Rob Woodman, Partner at Panakes, appointed to the Board of Directors

Brighton, UK, 30 January 2024: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering from respiratory disease, today announced that it has closed a £26 million ($33.1 million USD) Series B follow-on financing round, led by Panakes Partners. Existing investors Versant Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, Forbion, Epidarex Capital and IP Group also participated. Alongside the financing, Dr Rob Woodman, Partner at Panakes, joins Enterprise’s Board of Directors.

The investment will fund the Phase 2a clinical trial of the Company’s lead programme, ETD001, to deliver clinical proof of concept to treat cystic fibrosis. ETD001, a novel low molecular weight compound with first-in-class potential, targets the ENaC ion channel in the airway epithelium, increasing the hydration and clearance of mucus. ETD001 has been designed to be long acting, delivering durable target engagement, which is expected to drive substantial improvements in lung function. The trial will involve a cross-over design study assessing FEV1 lung function in people with cystic fibrosis who are either ineligible for or are not receiving CFTR modulators.

Enterprise’s pipeline of disease-modifying therapies targets the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, to enhance the clearance of mucus from the airways, restore lung function, and ultimately to reduce morbidity and mortality in chronic respiratory diseases of high unmet medical need, such as cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and severe asthma. Enterprise has established an Italian subsidiary to support R&D activities. This funding will enable the expansion of the Company’s clinical activities into Italy via addition of clinical investigator sites and progression of its other preclinical programmes targeting mucus congestion.

 Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “We have made tremendous progress to date in developing novel therapeutics for patients suffering from chronic respiratory diseases. Such medicines are essential to reduce the frequency of lung infections and improve patient quality of life. On behalf of Enterprise’s leadership team, I would like to thank all our investors, both historical and new, for their recognition of the strength of Enterprise’s pipeline, and welcome Rob as a valuable addition to the Board.”

Dr Rob Woodman, Partner, Panakes, commented: “Knowing the quality and track record of the Enterprise team, I am delighted to now be part of the next stage of its development. We strongly believe that Enterprise’s approach offers the potential to impact the future of therapeutics for a range of respiratory diseases, including cystic fibrosis, and that the Company is well positioned to be a leader in the field.”

For more information about Enterprise Therapeutics, visit www.enterprisetherapeutics.com

Enterprise Therapeutics appoints Dr Niyati Prasad as Chief Medical Officer

/in /by

Dr Prasad will lead Enterprise’s development strategy to support the continued advancement of the Company’s respiratory programmes through the clinic

Brighton, UK, 8 February 2022: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering from respiratory disease, today announced it has appointed Dr Niyati Prasad as Chief Medical Officer. With her extensive experience in respiratory drug development, Dr Prasad will offer full-time, UK-based support to lead the continued advancement of the Company’s clinical programmes.

Enterprise is developing novel disease-modifying therapies which target the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, to enhance the clearance of mucus from the airways, restore lung function, and ultimately to reduce morbidity and mortality in chronic respiratory diseases like cystic fibrosis (CF). ETD001, a novel ENaC inhibitor with chemical properties aimed at delivering best-in-class potential, will be evaluated in a CF Phase 2 clinical trial later this year.

Dr Prasad joins Enterprise with over 20 years’ experience at the forefront of global clinical programmes focusing on immunology, respiratory, and rare diseases, having most recently been Senior Director of Clinical Development at GSK. Prior to this she held various leadership roles at leading biopharmaceutical organisations, including Galapagos, Vertex, Takeda and Novartis, where she oversaw drug development teams and programmes for respiratory diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), successfully progressing several therapeutics through regulatory approvals.

Dr Prasad received her Medical Degree from Gauhati Medical College, India, and her Diploma in Pharmaceutical Medicine from Universite Libre De Bruxelles. She also completed a Masters in Drug Development Science at Kings College London.

Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “Niyati’s long-standing expertise in respiratory drug development and impressive track record in directing clinical programmes will be an invaluable asset to Enterprise. We are confident that Dr Prasad will play a key role in progressing our novel respiratory therapies through the clinic.”

Dr Niyati Prasad, CMO, Enterprise Therapeutics, commented: “Enterprise is a dynamic and exciting company, with its programmes offering huge potential, especially in the treatment of cystic fibrosis regardless of underlying mutations. I look forward to working closely with the team to bring these novel therapies for respiratory disease to patients.”

For further information about Enterprise’s team, please visit: https://enterprisetherapeutics.com/about-us/leadership-team/.

Enterprise Therapeutics doses first subjects in Phase I trial for novel cystic fibrosis therapy ETD001

/in /by
  • ETD001 is a novel inhaled, long-acting ENaC inhibitor
  • Therapy applicable to all cystic fibrosis patients, independent of genotype

Brighton, UK, 14 June 2021: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering from respiratory disease, today announced it has successfully dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1 trial for its novel inhaled cystic fibrosis (CF) therapy, ETD001. The first-in-man safety study is being conducted in healthy participants. ETD001 is an ENaC ion channel inhibitor with best-in-class potential aimed at treating all people with CF.

ETD001 has previously been shown to have long duration of action in the lung and is therefore expected to provide a superior efficacy and safety profile compared to other ENaC drug candidates.

CF is estimated to affect 83,000 people globally. One of the main causes of difficulty in breathing and increased risk of infection in CF is mucus congestion in the lungs. ETD001 targets the epithelial sodium ion channel ENaC, which controls fluid volume and mucus clearance from the airways. By increasing the amount of airway fluid available to hydrate mucus, ETD001 addresses the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, and is expected to restore lung function, reduce the frequency of lung infections and improve patient quality of life.

CF is caused by loss of function mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel highly expressed by the airway epithelium. Increasing anion conductance via CFTR modulation is a clinically validated approach for treating CF, however, it is not currently available or effective for all people with CF. As ENaC inhibition is independent of the mutational status of CFTR, this makes the approach applicable to all people with CF, and potentially patients with non-CF lung disease. Additionally, ETD001 is expected to deliver benefit as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies, including CFTR repair.

Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “We are excited to be entering the clinic with ETD001. This ENaC blocker has best-in-class potential due to its long duration of action in the lung and favourable pre-clinical safety profile. ETD001 could significantly improve quality of life for people living with cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases linked to mucus obstruction.”

Dr David Morris, CMO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “ENaC inhibition via ETD001 shows great promise in providing a therapeutic option for the many people with cystic fibrosis who are not genetically suited to or fail to benefit from CFTR modulators. We look forward to generating our first data in human volunteers under this program.”

Enterprise Therapeutics’ First-in-Class TMEM16A potentiator program for treatment of cystic fibrosis and other respiratory diseases acquired by Roche

/in /by
  • Enterprise’s novel TMEM16A potentiator portfolio includes ETD002, a first in class compound which is currently in Phase 1
  • TMEM16A potentiation is a novel therapeutic approach applicable to all cystic fibrosis patients, independent of CFTR genotype, and may provide benefit in other respiratory diseases
  • Enterprise’s shareholders received an upfront payment of £75 million

Brighton, UK, 07 October 2020: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced its novel TMEM16A potentiator portfolio has been fully acquired by Roche and will be developed by Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. The portfolio includes ETD002 which recently entered Phase 1 trials.

Enterprise’s shareholders received an upfront payment of £75 million and are eligible to receive additional contingent payments, to be made based on the achievement of certain predetermined milestones.

The TMEM16A portfolio is focused toward treating all people with cystic fibrosis (CF), with potential to benefit people with other severe respiratory diseases characterised by excessive mucus congestion.

 Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “Roche and Genentech have a proven track record of bringing new medicines to people with respiratory diseases, and have recognised the opportunity that our TMEM16A potentiator portfolio presents. I am very proud of the team at Enterprise for identifying and developing this innovative approach to treat patients, with ETD002 the first of our compounds to reach clinical stage. TMEM16A potentiation has the potential to significantly increase the quality of life for people living with cystic fibrosis, for many of whom existing therapies are not effective.”

 Dr James Sabry, MD, PhD, Global Head of Pharma Partnering, Roche, commented: “We are excited to add Enterprise’s TMEM16A potentiator program to our existing respiratory portfolio. We have deep capabilities in this area and look forward to a robust program focused on helping cystic fibrosis patients and patients suffering from other muco-obstructive disorders as quickly as possible.”

CF is estimated to affect 75,000 people globally. One of the main causes of difficulty in breathing and increased risk of infection is mucus congestion in the lungs. The ETD002 compound targets the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, and is expected to restore lung function, reduce the frequency of lung infections and improve patient quality of life. CF is caused by loss of function mutations in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR) gene, that normally produces an anion channel highly expressed by the airway epithelium. Increasing anion conductance via CFTR modulation is a clinically validated approach for treating CF, however it is not currently available or effective for all people with CF.

In pre-clinical models, Enterprise has demonstrated that ETD002 enhances the activity of TMEM16A, an alternative anion channel present in airway epithelial cells, and by doing so increases anion and fluid flow into the airways, thinning the mucus and increasing its clearance. As TMEM16A potentiation is independent of the mutational status of CFTR, this makes the approach potentially applicable to all people with CF, and perhaps patients with non-CF muco-obstructive lung disease.

Moelis acted as financial advisor and Goodwin Procter acted as legal counsel to Enterprise Therapeutics.

Enterprise Therapeutics doses first subjects in Phase 1 trial for First-in-Class cystic fibrosis therapy ETD002

/in /by
  • ETD002 is a novel TMEM16A chloride channel potentiator
  • Therapy applicable to all cystic fibrosis patients, independent of genotype

Brighton, UK, 17 August 2020: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced it has successfully dosed the first subjects in a Phase 1 trial for its novel inhaled cystic fibrosis therapy, ETD002. The first-in-man safety study is being conducted in healthy participants with ETD002, a TMEM16A potentiator aimed at treating all people with cystic fibrosis (CF).

CF is estimated to affect 75,000 people globally. One of the main causes of difficulty in breathing and increased risk of infection in CF is mucus congestion in the lungs. Enterprise’s proprietary compound ETD002 targets the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, and is expected to restore lung function, reduce the frequency of lung infections and improve patient quality of life. CF is caused by loss of function mutations in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), an anion channel highly expressed by the airway epithelium. Increasing anion conductance via CFTR modulation is a clinically validated approach for treating CF, however it is not currently available or effective for all people with CF.

In pre-clinical models, Enterprise has demonstrated that ETD002 enhances the activity of TMEM16A, an alternative anion channel present in airway epithelial cells, and by doing so increases anion and fluid flow into the airways, thinning the mucus and increasing its clearance. As TMEM16A potentiation is independent of the mutational status of CFTR, this makes the approach applicable to all people with CF, and potentially patients with non-CF lung disease. Additionally, ETD002 is expected to deliver benefit as a monotherapy and in combination with other therapies, including CFTR repair.

Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “Considerable efforts to identify and develop this innovative compound have resulted in a TMEM16A potentiator that has the potential to significantly increase the quality of life for people living with CF, for many of whom existing therapies are not effective. We are excited to have begun the clinical stage of development for ETD002.”

 Dr David Morris, CMO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “Although CFTR modulators have successfully demonstrated improved clinical outcomes in those genetically suited to these therapies, we are hopeful that TMEM16A potentiation via ETD002 will provide clinical benefit to the many people with CF who do not share these CFTR mutations. We look forward to generating our first data in human volunteers over the next few months and are grateful to the subjects and investigators who are helping us to advance this novel treatment for individuals with CF.”

This work is in part funded by a Therapeutics Development Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to Enterprise Therapeutics.

Enterprise Therapeutics appoints Dr David Morris MD as Chief Medical Officer

/in /by

Dr Morris will lead Enterprise’s therapeutics development strategy and drive the Company’s two lead respiratory programmes through the clinic

Brighton, UK, 10 February 2020: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced it has appointed Dr David Morris MD as Chief Medical Officer to lead the Company’s respiratory programmes. These programmes include clinical development for ETD002, a first-in-class TMEM16A potentiator and ETD001, a novel ENaC blocker, therapies aimed at treating all cystic fibrosis patients.

Enterprise Therapeutics is developing novel disease-modifying therapies which target the underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, to enhance the clearance of mucus from the airways, restore lung function, and ultimately to reduce morbidity and mortality in chronic respiratory diseases including cystic fibrosis (CF).

Dr Morris joins Enterprise from the Novartis Venture Fund, an investor in Enterprise, where he is currently a Managing Director, and where he will maintain an appointment as an Operating Partner. Prior to his career in venture capital David held various leadership roles in the Novartis Pharmaceuticals development organisation, including Development Franchise Head of Respiratory, Development Franchise Head of Primary Care, and Global Head of Clinical Operations, Analytics and Regions, where he was responsible for all aspects of global clinical trials operations, monitoring, and reporting. In addition, David has also held Director level roles in respiratory discovery research and translational medicine at Roche.

Dr Morris received his Bachelors and Medical Degrees with distinction from the University of Rochester.  His clinical training in internal medicine and pulmonary and critical care medicine were at Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco.  Before joining industry, he held faculty appointments and led basic and translational research programs at University of California, San Francisco and Yale University School of Medicine.

Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “The knowledge and experience David has gained through his successful career in biopharmaceutical discovery and development, as well as his stellar sector expertise in respiratory biology, will be an invaluable asset as we work to define our strategy to progress our respiratory programmes which will initially focus on CF.”

Dr David Morris, CMO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said: “Enterprise’s programmes show great potential to deliver disease-modifying, clinically effective candidates for a significant number of patients with respiratory diseases, including all CF patients regardless of underlying mutations. I am excited to become more closely involved with the team moving forward, at this exciting point in the Company’s development.”

Enterprise Therapeutics publishes paper on novel therapeutic approach for treatment of all cystic fibrosis patients

/in /by
  • “TMEM16A Potentiation: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis” published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
  • Paper demonstrates first in class TMEM16A chloride channel potentiators, to accelerate mucociliary clearance
  • Co-authored by researchers from University of Sussex, University of North Carolina and University of Miami

Brighton, UK, 08 January 2020: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced the publication of its first peer-reviewed paper. The open access paper, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine1, describes TMEM16A potentiation via ETX001 as a novel approach for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF). The research was conducted in collaboration with University of Sussex, University of North Carolina and University of Miami.

The paper, entitled “TMEM16A Potentiation: A Novel Therapeutic Approach for the Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis”, demonstrates the ability of Enterprise’s proprietary compound, ETX001, to enhance the activity of TMEM16A in human bronchial epithelial cells from CF patients, increasing epithelial fluid secretion and mucus clearance providing the first pre-clinical proof of principle for this approach.

CF is estimated to affect 75,000 patients globally and is caused by loss of function mutations in the anion channel, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Increasing anion conductance via CFTR modulation is a clinically validated approach for treating CF, however it does not treat ≥10% of patients with a combination of nonsense and other rare mutations. In addition, many patients eligible for CFTR repair therapy do not benefit from these therapies. TMEM16A potentiation offers a non-CFTR mediated approach for the treatment of CF and can be delivered as a monotherapy or in combination with other therapies such as CFTR repair.

Dr Henry Danahay, Head of Biology, Enterprise Therapeutics, and lead author of the paper, said:

“We have successfully demonstrated the positive effects of ETX001 on both airway fluid secretion and mucus clearance in cells from CF patients. Given the percentage of the population of CF patients who are not genetically matched to existing CFTR repair therapies, this paper builds a strong case for testing TMEM16A potentiation in the clinic.”

Authors on the paper include Henry L Danahay (Enterprise Therapeutics), Sarah Lilley (Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, University of Sussex), Roy Fox (Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, University of Sussex), Holly Charlton (Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, University of Sussex), Juan Sabater (Mount Sinai Medical Centre, University of Miami), Brian Button (Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, UNC Chapel Hill, North Carolina), Clive McCarthy (Enterprise Therapeutics), Stephen P Collingwood (Enterprise Therapeutics), and Martin Gosling (Enterprise Therapeutics, and Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, University of Sussex).

This work was in part funded by a Therapeutics Development Award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to Enterprise Therapeutics.

1https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/abs/10.1164/rccm.201908-1641OC

Enterprise Therapeutics awarded up to £5.7M ($7M) from Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to Support Clinical Development of Novel Chloride Channel Modulator

/in /by
  • Support for clinical development up to end of Phase 2 for ETD002, first-in-class TMEM16A potentiator for the treatment of cystic fibrosis
  • Milestone Funding through Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Therapeutics Development Award programme

Brighton, UK, 15 October 2019: Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd (Enterprise), a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to the discovery and development of novel therapies to improve the lives of patients suffering with respiratory disease, today announced it has been awarded up to £5.7M ($7M) funding under the Therapeutics Development Award programme from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The milestone-related funding will support clinical development up to the end of Phase 2 for ETD002 – a first-in-class TMEM16A potentiator that has the potential to treat all persons with cystic fibrosis (CF), independent of their cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genotype.

Enterprise Therapeutics is developing novel disease-modifying therapies which target underlying mechanisms of mucus congestion, enhancing the clearance of mucus from the airways, thereby restoring lung function and to reduce morbidity and mortality in CF. The Company’s first-in-class ETD002 programme is targeting the calcium-activated chloride ion channel TMEM16A. By enhancing the activity of TMEM16A, there is increased anion and fluid flow into the airways, thinning the mucus and increasing its clearance from the airways.

CF is a devastating and life-limiting genetic disease. CF patients have a significant reduction in the hydration of their airway mucus, leading to failed clearance, a high incidence of infections, and rapid decline in lung function.

Dr John Ford, CEO, Enterprise Therapeutics, said:

“We are delighted to receive such a significant award from the CF Foundation. This funding will enable critical clinical research to be undertaken on our novel TMEM16A programme, and highlights the potential of chloride channel modulation via alternative channels to deliver innovative and effective treatments for all CF patients.”