Dive Brief:
- Gene therapy biotech Renova Therapeutics has struck a deal with Janssen Pharmaceuticals to transfer an investigational new drug (IND) file for the hormone stresscopin to Renova in an effort to accelerate its own work with the peptide.
- Renova is developing its stresscopin program under the name RT-400 as a potential infusion treatment for acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF).
- No financial details tied to the transfer of the IND file were disclosed.
Dive Insight:
Adding the IND from Janssen should speed Renova's development of RT-400 and strengthens its position in heart failure. Three of its five programs are aimed at congestive heart failure although only one other, RT-100, is in clinical testing.
According to Renova, ADHF leads to roughly half of all heart failure-related hospitalizations.
"Obtaining this stresscopin program IND helps propel forward the development of our peptide infusion product candidate, RT-400," said Jack Reich, CEO at Renova Therapeutics. "With this data, we hope to see promising results as we initiate pivotal trials."
Stresscopin is a naturally occurring peptide that could help the body recover from physiological stress. Over the past year, Renova has struck two deals with the Research Development Foundation to secure exclusive rights to the non-profit's portfolio of patents on both the stresscopin and urocortin genes.
Renova's lead project, RT-100, is a gene therapy that delivers the gene for adenyl cyclase type 6 to the heart muscle in patients with congestive heart failure. A Phase 3 trial is planned for the second half of 2017.