CohBar Inc , a preclinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs) to treat age-related diseases, announced that it has completed a study to evaluate the potential efficacy of its lead drug candidates, MOTS-c peptide analogs CB4209 and CB4211, in a well-established preclinical model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). With these positive study results, the Company continues to advance its lead drug candidates through IND enabling activities, with plans to initiate human clinical trials in early 2018.
The recently completed study investigated the therapeutic effects of CB4209 and CB4211 in the widely used STAM™ mouse model for NASH. In this model, treatment with either CB4209 or CB4211 resulted in a significant reduction of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score, or NAS, a composite measure of steatosis (fat accumulation), inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning (cellular injury).
“NASH, as well as obesity and type-2 diabetes, are potential clinical targets for our lead drug candidates. These results clearly support findings from our earlier preclinical studies in diet induced obesity models, where we saw significant decreases in liver fat and favorable reductions in biomarkers associated with NASH,” said Simon Allen, CohBar’s CEO. “We plan to submit our preclinical NASH results during 2017 for presentation at a relevant scientific meeting as we continue to advance our lead drug candidates towards the clinic.”
About NAFLD and NASH
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the buildup of extra fat in liver cells that is not due to alcohol consumption and tends to develop in people who are overweight or obese or have diabetes, high cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a more severe form of NAFLD characterized by swelling of the liver that eventually may lead to scarring (cirrhosis), and over time to liver cancer or liver failure. NAFLD affects as much as 34% of the US population while as many as 12% of US adults may have NASH. Currently, there are no FDA approved treatments for NAFLD or NASH.
About CohBar’s Clinical Development Program
CohBar’s lead clinical development program is based on MOTS-c, a mitochondrial-derived peptide discovered in 2012 by the Company’s founders and their academic collaborators, whose research has shown that MOTS-c plays a significant role in the regulation of metabolism. The Company has developed optimized analogs of the MOTS-c peptide, CB4209 and CB4211, which have demonstrated significant therapeutic potential in preclinical models for the treatment of obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). CohBar is currently advancing these drug candidates through IND-enabling activities with plans to initiate clinical trials of the final candidate in early 2018.
About CohBar
CohBar is a preclinical stage biotechnology company focused on the research and development of mitochondria based therapeutics (MBTs), an emerging class of drugs for the treatment of age-related diseases. MBTs originate from the discovery by CohBar’s founders of a novel group of peptides within the mitochondrial genome, which regulate metabolism and cell death and whose biological activity declines with age. CohBar’s efforts are focused on the development of these mitochondrial-derived peptides (MDPs) into clinically relevant MBTs that offer the potential to address a broad range of age-related diseases, including obesity, fatty liver disease, type-2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disorders. To date, the Company and its founders have discovered more than 50 biologically active mitochondrial peptides.
For additional company information, please visit www.cohbar.com
Investor and Media Contact:
Anna Schram
CohBar, Inc.
(650) 446-7888 Ext. 114
anna.schram@cohbar.com
