SP011: A First Non-Hormonal Peptide Drug Candidate For Endometriosis
Vinay Singh
Founder & CEO, SYNG Pharmaceuticals Inc
Endometriosis is estimated to affect 5-10% of women of reproductive age and causes infertility in about 50% of cases; affecting over 200 million women and girls globally. Currently, there are over 15 million surgically confirmed patients of Endometriosis in North America with an overall impact of approximately $22 Billion dollar on economy. Endometriosis, for which there is no absolute cure, is a painful female reproductive disease in which tissue from the uterine lining (endometrium) migrates outside the womb and implants in other areas of the body. Endometrium in ectopic sites must establish its own blood supply to supports its growth and development into an endometriosis lesion. SYNG Pharma’s novel target is an intrinsically disordered protein that functions in its physiologically unfolded form, has elevated expression in endothelial cells of endometriosis lesions compared to eutopic endometrium. SYNG Pharma has developed a specific peptide inhibitor, SP011, a potential first non-hormonal therapy of endometriosis. In vitro binding studies demonstrate that SP011 specifically binds to the target. Localization of SP011-FITC was shown using intra-vital fluorescence microscopy, which also confirmed inhibition of neovascularization in presence of peptide inhibitor using an animal model of endometriosis. Data from pre-clinical efficacy studies using animal model shows inhibition of human endometrial lesion growth and reduction of neovascularization. Treated group also had reduced blood vessel growth when given daily intraperitoneal injections of SP011 compared to phosphate buffered saline control.