Noveome Biotherapeutics has announced the publication of promising data from a preclinical study of its ST266 intranasal secretome showing anti-inflammatory activity and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) retention in the optic nerve in a mouse multiple sclerosis model. The article, titled, “Intranasal Delivery of a Novel Amnion Cell Secretome Prevents Neuronal Damage and Preserves Function in a Mouse Multiple Sclerosis Model” appears in Nature Scientific Reports.
When administered intranasally, ST266 was detected in the central nervous system by 30 minutes after dosing and successfully targeted the vitreous and optic nerve, where it was found in higher concentrations than in the brain. In a model of optic neuritis, the loss of RGCs was reduced significantly, which reduced demyelination caused by optic neuritis. Mice treated with ST266 had better visual function than untreated mice.
The company noted that “Intranasal drug delivery is not currently used to treat any ophthalmic conditions, including optic nerve diseases, and the current results support further exploration of this novel treatment strategy.”
Lead author Kenneth S. Shindler, Professor of Ophthalmology in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, commented, “Current therapies reduce inflammation but fail to prevent RGC loss; thus, there is a need for combination treatment options that are able to prevent RGC axon loss for patients with optic neuritis. The unique and diverse biologic molecules present in ST266 were seen to help promote anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective activity in this preclinical model and suggest that ST266 has the potential to mediate neuroprotection through activation of multiple intracellular signaling pathways. These results are particularly important as the preservation of RGCs has been recognized as a significant factor when treating optic neuritis due to potential permanent visual dysfunction.”
Noveome Chief Scientific Officer Larry Brown said, “We believe this is the first demonstration of a potentially successful therapeutic treatment of the optic nerve using intranasal delivery of large molecular weight biomolecules. These promising results reinforce the multifaceted potential of ST266 in multiple disease areas, including disorders in the back of the eye. The study also reconfirmed the safety profile and potent nature of ST266 in a preclinical model, which provides encouragement and support for continued research.”
Read the Noveome Biotherapeutics press release.
Read the Scientific Reports article.
