Entrinsic Bioscience Steps Closer to Amino Acid Formulation as Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis
Entrinsic Bioscience and its licensee Nuvara Therapeutics announce they are one step closer to using RxAA formulations as a therapy for patients with Cystic Fibrosis Class I mutations. University of Florida researcher Dr. Sadasivan Vidyasagar, founder and chairman of the company’s scientific advisory board, recently shared an alternative approach to restoring airway anion secretion at the Experimental Biology 2022 conference held in Philadelphia.
Vidyasagar and his team, which included researchers from UF and Entrinsic Bioscience, demonstrated that Nuvara’s VS-009 formula could be beneficial for patients with Cystic Fibrosis Class I mutations as well as Class II and III mutations. The therapy could be used alone or in combination with other therapies to improve chloride secretion.
Stephen J. Gatto, Executive Chairman of Nuvara Therapeutics, congratulated Astrid Grosche and the rest of Dr. Vidyasagar’s team for their continued commitment in driving innovative ways to assess the respiratory epithelial function.
“I want to thank Astrid, Dr. Vidyasagar, and the rest of his team for their tireless commitment to solving for Class I mutations in Cystic Fibrosis, a mutation which can affect up to 18% of CF population,” said Stephen J. Gatto.
“These two abstracts show that ion-channel manipulation is possible in the respiratory epithelium using tailored formulations of amino acids,” Gatto continued. “Ion-channel dysfunction is central to many diseases, such as CF and diseases in which there is increased mucous production, including asthma and COPD. These approaches/treatments will allow us to modulate the influx of ions and water into the airway at a cellular level with minimal side effects.
“There is still work to be done, but the opportunity is truly exciting and could represent a breakthrough in the management of channelopathies and related diseases,” Gatto said.
Vidyasagar also presented a poster on a tool his lab has developed to better measure intestinal peristalsis and the interactions of intraluminal pressure, muscle contraction, and changes in fluid volume.
“These two abstracts are unique in that they show the ability to modulate epithelial transmembrane proteins (eTMPs) with a selective formulation of amino SAA (RxAAs),” said Dr. William Denman, Chief Medical Advisor to Nuvara Therapeutics. “This opens the door for efficacious, non-toxic therapy at a basic cellular level, regardless of etiology.”
Dr. Denman continued, “Future treatments may now be determined and tailored for the individual channel and disease – true personalized medicine. More work is needed, but this may allow treatment alternatives at a cellular level across disease spectrums with minimal side effects.”
Entrinsic Bioscience is a UF startup located in UF Innovate | Accelerate at Sid Martin Biotech in Alachua. The company is developing all-natural, glucose-free formulations for clinical hydration, gut health and wellness, allergies, and skincare.
Nuvara Therapeutics has in-licensed EBS technologies for all therapeutics applications.
Company contact:
Entrinsic Bioscience
Joe Del Regno
jdelregno@entrinsic.com
About Entrinsic Bioscience
Entrinsic Bioscience (EBS) is a pioneering life science company that combines its proprietary IP platform and discovery engine to deliver patented next-generation therapeutic compositions, functional ingredients, and product innovations designed to provide multiple consumer health and wellness benefits. Through proprietary bio-mapping and electrophysiology techniques, the EBS platform harnesses the body’s natural processes to restore, protect, and enhance health and wellness.
About Nuvara Therapeutics
Nuvara Therapeutics is a next-generation, clinical-stage therapeutics company targeting epithelial transmembrane protein (ETP) dysregulation that causes serious gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. The company is the first to discover that novel combinations of prescription amino acids (RxAAs™) can modulate ETPs via cell signaling to treat disease. With its highly customizable platform, Nuvara Therapeutics is leading the way in addressing serious disease states with high unmet needs, including potentially groundbreaking treatments for Cystic Fibrosis—Class 1 Mutation, ARDS, Asthma, COPD, Diarrheal Diseases, and constipation.
Nuvara’s technology originated from a $40M NASA | BARDA grant to study GI toxicity effects during long-duration space travel. The company was created to leverage technology in-licensed from Entrinsic Bioscience to focus on novel drug development.
About UF Innovate:
UF Innovate is the umbrella organization uniting the four entities that drive the innovation ecosystem at UF. Based at one of the nation’s leading research institutions, UF Innovate comprises Tech Licensing, Ventures, Pathways, and an Accelerate program, which includes two business incubators, The Hub and Sid Martin Biotech. Together, those organizations move research discoveries from the laboratory to the market. UF Innovate connects innovators with entrepreneurs, investors and industry, incubates startups and growth companies, and fosters a resilient economy — all in an effort to make the world a better place. In 2020, the George W. Bush Institute and Opus Faveo ranked the University of Florida No. 1 in innovation impact, naming it the most productive large university in the country at leveraging research funding into new companies, new jobs, and new ideas.