TES Pharma presents new treatment approach towards AKI and NALFD

Italian TES Pharma s.r.l. (Perugia) has presented preclinical results of TES-991 and a backup compound, both enhancers of mitochondrial function that have been filed for patent by Johan Auwerx' lab at EFPL, a R&D collaboration partner of TES Pharma since 2015.

Given prophylacticly to mice with NALFD (nonalcoholic fatty liver disease) or AKI (acute kidney injury), the small molecules reduced the activity of ACMSD (α-amino-β-carboxymuconate-ε-semialdehyde decarboxylase), an enzyme largely restricted to kidney and liver regulating NAD⁺ de novo synthesis. Specifically, the drug candidate boosted  NAD+ and, subsequently, sirtuin1 levels in mice with NALFD and AKI and reduced hepatic steatosis or limited kidney damage.

The NAD⁺-activated protein deacylases Sirtuin1 and Sirtuin3 deacetylate key metabolic transcriptional regulators which trigger amelioration of metabolic disease. According to the patent application potential indications range from age-related mitochondrial disorders to neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Huntington's Disease, and chronic inflammatory diseases.