EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals pushes COPD candidate
EpiEndo Pharmaceuticals ehf got the green light for a Phase IIa COPD trial with its non-anbibiotic macrolide EP395
The Icelandic inflammation specialist received regulatory approval for its Phase IIa trial of Barriolide (EP395) in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The study is conducted at the University of Manchester for the Icelandic company. Its lead molecule EP395 is an oral non-antibiotic macrolide with reduced antibiotic resistance risk.
With COPD being the third leading cause of death, EpiEndo takes a new approach to drug development to mitigate the symptoms of chronic respiratory diseases since Barriolide seems to restore the epithelial barrier insufficiency that is believed to be a key driver of COPD-induced inflammation.
Today, COPD management relies mainly on inhaled drugs that mitigate COPD symptoms, including long-acting adrenoceptor agonists (LABA), long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMA), and corticosteroids (ICS).
