PV-267: Peptide Mimetic Inhibitor of MHC Class II for the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis
Gary Olson
President & CEO, Provid Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Provid Pharmaceuticals is pursuing peptide therapeutics for autoimmune diseases and has selected PV-267 for development for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. PV-267 is a small molecule peptide mimetic (MW 760) that specifically inhibits the MHC Class II molecule HLA-DRB1*1501, the most important gene target in MS, blocking antigen binding and downstream T cell responses.
The Provid compound has been shown (Dr. Thomas Forsthuber, UTSA) to disrupt the autoimmune process in MS animal models in DR2-transgenic mice and in human cells from DR2+ patients. PV-267 is highly effective in preventing antigen binding to DRB1*1501 but does not affect other MHCs or disrupt other normal immune mechanisms, promising a superior safety profile compared to other MS drug therapies. In collaboration with Enteris Biopharma, a novel formulation of PV-267 has demonstrated oral bioavailability in a rat model. Provid will review the design, preclinical results and plans for IND-enabling studies and clinical POC trials.