iLeadBMS, a new drug R&D company under Ildong Pharmaceutical Group, announced on the 10th that it presented in vivo study results on its liver fibrosis treatment candidate 'IL1512' at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 2024, held in Milan, Italy, from June 5th to the 8th.

IL1512 is an oral CXCR7 agonist and is classified as a first-in-class drug, a type of drug that has never been developed for the same therapeutic indication previously. Last month, iLeadBMS presented the efficacy results of this drug for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) at the American Thoracic Society (ATS 2024), and this time around it announced the anti-fibrotic effects of the drug in the liver. CXCR7 is a G protein-coupled receptor that binds to chemokine ligands CXCL11 and CXCL12, targeting various pathways related to fibrosis such as fibroblast activation, inflammation, tissue repair, and angiogenesis. This makes it an ideal therapeutic target for treating fibrotic diseases. Given that CXCR7 agonists exerts their anti-fibrotic properties through a novel mechanism, iLeadBMS plans to develop anti-fibrotic drugs to treat fibrosis in various organs including but not limited to the lungs, liver, heart, kidneys, and skin, and is also considering utilizing the expedited review and Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) pathways offered by the FDA.

Based on the presentation at the conference, iLeadBMS has confirmed the anti-fibrotic effects of IL1512 in the well-established CCl4 (carbon tetrachloride) liver fibrosis model with oral administration of the test article. Significant improvements in various anti-fibrotic indicators (col 1a1, hydroxyproline content, TGF-beta) were observed compared to the placebo.

The presentation emphasized that IL1512, with its novel mechanism targeting CXCR7, demonstrated direct anti-inflammatory effects on the liver and improvement in fibrosis. Additionally, it highlighted that IL1512 showed either superior or at minimum, comparable efficacy and safety profiles compared to Elafibranor, the comparator drug.

Based on these research results, iLeadBMS has identified preclinical candidate molecules with even greater improvements over IL1512 and, plans to start GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) toxicology studies in the second half of this year.

About iLeadBMS
Established in 2020, iLeadBMS specializes in the discovery and development of novel drugs, with an R&D pipeline targeting fibrotic diseases, protease inhibitors, solid tumors, and neurodegenerative diseases. For more information on iLeadBMS, please visit: www.ileadbms.com.