Cardiac sarcoidosis

CHICAGO, Dec. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) announces $100,000 in funding for support of research aimed at improving diagnosis, management, and treatment of cardiac sarcoidosis. FSR awarded two grants, each in the amount of $50,000, to Senthil Selvaraj, MD, MS, MA, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant at Duke University Medical Center and faculty member at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute and for his innovative project, “Diagnostic Utility of SGLT2 Inhibition to Facilitate Myocardial Glucose Suppression During Evaluation of Cardiac Inflammation on FDG-PET,” and to Daniela Čiháková, MD, PhD, D (ABMLI), Professor of Immunology in the Department of Pathology at the Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine and Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Bloomberg School of Public Health at the JHU (an FSR Global Sarcoidosis Clinic Alliance Founding Member)for her project, “3D Morphological and Spatial Transcriptomic Analysis of Cardiac Sarcoidosis.” “We are absolutely delighted to receive this funding support from the FSR. With this grant, we aim to improve the specificity of cardiac sarcoidosis diagnosis with FDG-PET using a novel strategy incorporating combined SGLT1/2 inhibition with sotagliflozin. Further, we leverage a strong academic collaboration between Duke University and University of Pennsylvania with co-PI Dr. Paco Bravo,” says Dr. Selvaraj. “The 2023 FSR Sarcoidosis Cardiac Grant award will allow us to use the novel 3D multi-omic pathology to determine unique properties of vasculature surrounding cardiac sarcoidosis granulomas and find new potential biomarker targets and histological criteria for cardiac sarcoidosis diagnosis. I am proud to bring my expertise in cardiovascular immunology to work in partnership with my extraordinary collaborators of Dr. Ashley Kiemen, who focuses on computational pathology, and Dr. Nisha Gilotra, who brings clinical sarcoidosis expertise to this project. The project in my lab will be spearheaded by computer analyst Abdel Daoud. The funding from FSR will allow us to complete the ambitious project and to show if there is a potential link between vascularization and the immune composition of cardiac sarcoidosis granulomas,” says Dr. Čiháková. "FSR is thrilled to support this extraordinary project through our cardiac sarcoidosis-specific grant," says Mary McGowan, FSR's CEO. "The learnings from this research could be groundbreaking in improving diagnosis, prognosis assessment, and treatment management of not only those living with cardiac sarcoidosis, but for many other inflammatory diseases." FSR is dedicated to accelerating sarcoidosis research through fellowships, small grants, large grants, and disease specific grants to advance sarcoidosis research and advance care for those living with sarcoidosis. FSR has provided a total of over $6.5 million dollars in funding in support of sarcoidosis research. To learn more about FSR's Research and Grant Programs, please visit: www.stopsarcoidosis.org/fsr-grants/. About SarcoidosisSarcoidosis is a rare inflammatory disease characterized by the formation of granulomas—tiny clumps of inflammatory cells—in one or more organs of the body. Despite increasing advances in research, sarcoidosis remains difficult to diagnose with limited treatment options and no known cure. Approximately 175,000 people live with sarcoidosis in the United States. About the Foundation for Sarcoidosis ResearchThe Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) is the leading international organization dedicated to finding a cure for sarcoidosis and to improving care for sarcoidosis patients through research, education, and support. For more information about FSR and to join our community, visit: stopsarcoidosis.org. Contact: Cathi DavisFSR Sr. Manager of Marketing and CommunicationsCathi@stopsarcoidosis.org A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b8880905-7260-43d0-8425-79cd042a06d5

Mice with a conditional deletion of the Tsc2 gene in CD11c+ cells leading to chronic activation of mTORC1 signaling in myeloid cells, caused spontaneous cardiac sarcoid-like granulomas. Inhibiting MMP-12 with FP-020 attenuated macrophage infiltration, macrophage clustering, decreased fibrotic replacement, and reduced the number of activated fibroblasts. MMP-12 might therefore be required for granuloma formation and persistence, and further implicates a role of MMP-12 in cardiac fibrosis. The role of MMP-12 and its therapeutic implications may extend to other aspects of sarcoidosis and interstitial lung diseases. TAIPEI, June 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foresee Pharmaceuticals (6576.TWO), ("Foresee") announced today that the company and its collaborators presented a poster at the WASOG 2023 International Conference on Sarcoidosis and Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs), taking place June 19-21, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. The poster entitled: "THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A NOVEL MMP-12 INHIBITOR IN A CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS MOUSE MODEL" is the result of a collaboration between Foresee, the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Weichhart at the Center for Pathobiochemistry and Genetics, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and Dr. Daniel Culver, the President of WASOG and the Chair of Department of Pulmonary Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States. "We are very enthusiastic about the data in this poster, as it strongly validates MMP-12 as a potential target for cardiac sarcoidosis and strongly corroborates the evidence amassed to date, both by our group and collaborators, supporting a potentially pivotal role of MMP-12 biology in the pathophysiology of sarcoidosis and other diseases with immune-fibrotic and granulomatous components". "FP-020 is one of the most efficacious drugs we have tested in our sarcoidosis disease models", said Dr. Weichhart. Additionally, Dr. Culver stated: "When putting in perspective this new exciting data where we observe a therapeutic benefit from FP-020 across multiple underlying components of the disease, both immune and fibrotic, and combining it with the existing body of non-clinical data as well as human expression data showing that MMP-12 is one of the most overexpressed protein in sarcoidosis patients, we remain very enthusiastic about the promise of Foresee's MMP-12 inhibitors as a potential unique treatment approach for sarcoidosis and ILDs. Key Highlights from the Poster Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory, granulomatous disease of unknown etiology affecting multiple organs including the heart. Matrix Metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) degrades extracellular matrix and enables granuloma persistence and integrity. Here we assessed the effects of the selective MMP-12-inhibitor FP-020 in a cardiac sarcoidosis mouse model, where chronic activation of mTORC1 signaling in myeloid cells causes spontaneous cardiac sarcoid-like granulomas. Mice with the conditional deletion of the tuberous sclerosis 2 gene in CD11c+cells (Tsc2fl/flCD11ccre/+) were treated with the MMP-12-inhibitor FP-020 (30mg/kg/d) or with vehicle. Phenotypic changes in the heart between groups were evaluated by histological and immunological stains for markers of myeloid infiltration and fibrosis. The FP-020 treated groups showed significant histological improvements. Inhibition of MMP-12 led to a reduction of macrophage infiltrations, granuloma numbers, and cell clustering. Fibrotic collagen deposition was significantly reduced, as well as the total number of activated fibroblasts in the whole heart. Poster Talk Session: Session 2, Tuesday June 20 Time: 15:32 CET Location: Aula Medica, Stockholm, Floor 2 Poster number: 4998-A-2326 () The poster is available at Foresee's corporate website: About Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Foresee is a Taiwan and US-based biopharmaceutical company listed on the Taipei Exchange (6576.TWO). Foresee's R&D efforts are focused in two key areas, namely its unique stabilized injectable formulation (SIF) long-acting injectable technology with derived drug products targeting specialty markets and secondly, its transformative preclinical and clinical first-in-class NCE programs targeting rare and severe disease areas with high unmet needs. Foresee's product portfolio includes late and early-stage programs. CAMCEVI® 42 mg, for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, is now approved in the U.S., Canada, and EU, and launched in the U.S. in April, 2022. Additionally, U.S. and EU regulatory submissions are under preparation for CAMCEVI® 21 mg, the U.S. regulatory submission is anticipated in 2024. The second indication of CAMCEVI® 42 mg– central precocious puberty (CPP), the phase 3 clinical study is currently being initiated. FP-025 – a highly selective oral MMP-12 inhibitor targeting inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study in allergic asthmatic patients, the study has been completed with positive outcome. FP-045 – a highly selective oral small molecule allosteric activator of ALDH2, a mitochondrial enzyme, for which a Phase 1b/2 Fanconi Anemia study is currently being initiated, and a P2 study in pulmonary hypertension group 3 patients is in planning. SOURCE Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Poster on FP-020, a follow-on, best-in-class, oral MMP-12 inhibitor in a genetic model of sarcoidosis includes efficacy, biomarkers and complete translational cellular profiling supporting novel anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic mechanism TAIPEI, June 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Foresee Pharmaceuticals (6576.TWO), ("Foresee") announced today that the company will be participating and presenting a poster at the WASOG 2023 International Conference on Sarcoidosis and Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILDs), taking place June 19-21, 2023 in Stockholm, Sweden. The poster entitled: "THERAPEUTIC EFFECT OF A NOVEL MMP-12 INHIBITOR IN A CARDIAC SARCOIDOSIS MOUSE MODEL" is the result of a collaboration with academic clinical experts in the area of sarcoidosis and focuses on FP-020, a follow-on oral MMP-12 inhibitor which has completed IND-enabling development and poised for Phase 1 studies in 2023 and Phase 2 studies in 2024. Poster Talk Session: Session 2, Tuesday June 20 Time: 15:32 CET Location: Aula Medica, Stockholm, Floor 2 Poster number: 4998-A-2326 () "We are very excited to have the opportunity to present such compelling data related to FP-020 in this sarcoidosis model. The data strongly supports the role of MMP-12 in sarcoidosis disease biology and further strengthens our view on the promise of our MMP-12 inhibitors for sarcoidosis and ILDs" said Dr. Wenjin Yang, Chief Scientific Officer at Foresee. "With the recent positive Aderamastat Phase 2 study in allergic asthma patients, we are working diligently to build a broad franchise leveraging our multiple MMP-12 inhibitors across several therapeutic areas." The poster will be available to view during the WASOG conference, Tuesday June 20, 2023 and available after the conference. About Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Foresee is a Taiwan and US-based biopharmaceutical company listed on the Taipei Exchange (6576.TWO). Foresee's R&D efforts are focused in two key areas, namely its unique stabilized injectable formulation (SIF) long-acting injectable technology with derived drug products targeting specialty markets and secondly, its transformative preclinical and clinical first-in-class NCE programs targeting rare and severe disease areas with high unmet needs. Foresee's product portfolio includes late and early-stage programs. CAMCEVI® 42 mg, for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer, is now approved in the U.S., Canada, and EU, and launched in the U.S. in April, 2022. Additionally, U.S. and EU regulatory submissions are under preparation for CAMCEVI® 21 mg, the U.S. regulatory submission is anticipated in 2024. The second indication of CAMCEVI® 42 mg– central precocious puberty (CPP), the phase 3 clinical study is currently being initiated. FP-025 – a highly selective oral MMP-12 inhibitor targeting inflammatory and fibrotic diseases, a Phase 2 proof-of-concept study in allergic asthmatic patients, the study has been completed with positive outcome. FP-045 – a highly selective oral small molecule allosteric activator of ALDH2, a mitochondrial enzyme, for which a Phase 1b/2 Fanconi Anemia study is currently being initiated, and a P2 study in pulmonary hypertension group 3 patients is in planning. SOURCE Foresee Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.