On January 8, 2024 KeifeRx, an emerging clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company specializing in the discovery and development of new treatment options for neurodegenerative and immune diseases, reported entry into an amended exclusive licensing agreement with Georgetown University to advance the development of novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) chemical entities (NCE) for the treatment of multiple disease indications (Press release, Georgetown University, JAN 8, 2024, View Source [SID1234639122]). The amendment provides an extension of the exclusively licensed rights to these four novel chemical entities for the treatment of new disease conditions including inflammatory, mast-cell associated diseases, and oncology, in addition to existing rights in neurodegenerative diseases. KeifeRx is currently conducting optimizing and IND-enabling studies involving four separate formulations of the TKI (renamed KFRX03, KFRX04, KFRX05, and KFRX06) with patent life through 2037.
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Early-stage clinical trials conducted at Georgetown University, along with compelling preclinical research conducted at the university led by KeifeRx’s co-founder, Charbel Moussa, MBBS, Ph.D., and colleagues, demonstrated the ability of TKIs to penetrate the brain, induce autophagy, and enable the bulk disposal of disease-causing toxic proteins to treat neurodegenerative diseases, as well as the ability to target mast cells and simultaneously modulate peripheral and central immunity, providing therapeutic potential for an array of immune diseases. These properties offer the potential to significantly improve upon current neurodegenerative and immune disease treatments, which are primarily palliative and offer minimal and temporary benefits due to their inability to adequately eliminate toxic proteins and mitigate inflammation.
"Entry into this expanded exclusive licensing agreement with Georgetown is a pivotal milestone for the growth of KeifeRx as we have significantly increased the range of indications we can pursue with our portfolio of new chemical entity TKIs, including the treatment of neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory, and mast cell-related diseases," said Chris Hoyt, Chief Executive Officer of KeifeRx. "We look forward to working with the research team at Georgetown University to spearhead the development of KFRX03, KFRX04, KFRX05, and KFRX06 for the treatment of multiple, underserved disease indications. The IP covering these assets extends through 2037, making the portfolio a high-value drug opportunity given its numerous potential disease indications, including Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and urticaria."