ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE Anaconda Pharma www.anacondaphar ma.com Opportunity in treating HPV infections Targets for the most common sexually transmitted viral disease, human papilloma virus, have eluded the pharmaceutical industry. Innovation stemming from cutting-edge research exposed a protein-protein interaction target, and Anaconda’s phase 2 candidate takes aim. biopharmadealmakers W ith Anaconda Pharma, a phase 2 clinical trial candidate for the treatment of genital warts or condyloma is the tip of the iceberg. The company’s lead candidate, AP611074, is the product of its discovery approach, which can successfully disclose targets once considered undruggable by the pharmaceutical industry. A spin-out of the Pasteur Institute, Anaconda’s robust intellectual property position is related to a cadre of unprecedented research discoveries relevant to replication mechanisms of certain human papilloma viruses (HPVs). Three academic experts, together with a proven biotech management executive, founded the company in 2003 on the basis of groundbreaking research on HPV expression of genes and proteins. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, epidemiological evidence clearly established a causal relationship between HPV and cervical cancer. The international academic research community delved in to uncover the mechanisms of HPV viral infection and their link to cell immortality. At the time, the company’s three academic founders, Moshe Yaniv, Françoise Thierry and Michael Botchan, were undertaking efforts at two leading research institutions to understand aspects of HPV’s ability to promote infection and disease. Yaniv and Botchan each ran prestigious labs in viral research (at the Pasteur Institute and the University of California, Berkeley, respectively), and Thierry was investigating the role of HPV E2 proteins in tumor progression at the Pasteur Institute. The market opportunity associated with treating infections related to HPV rests with the diversity of HPV subtypes and the frequency with which the virus is transmitted sexually. Of more than 100 subtypes of HPV, roughly 40 can infect the skin and mucosa of the anogenital area. HPV infection prompts viral replication that can give rise to anogenital warts, cervical cancer and also common warts, when other mucosal or skin areas are affected. Approximately 50–80% of sexually active adults acquire one or more types of HPV during their lifetimes, making HPV infection the most common sexually transmitted disease. Despite the high incidence rates for clinically relevant HPV-related conditions, targeting HPV proved too challenging for the pharmaceutical industry beyond the development of prophylactic vaccine programs that protect from the initial infection by some HPV types. Anaconda has broken away from the industry by focusing on protein-protein interactions. Accordingly, Anaconda’s team is advancing AP611074, a phase 2 compound that inhibits the E1-E2 interaction essential for B12 Anaconda Pharma.indd 12 the pathogenesis of HPV 6 and HPV 11, the two subtypes that give rise to anogenital warts or condyloma. Anaconda’s antiviral was discovered through a combination of in silico screening with biological and cellular proprietary assays designed to identify protein interactions Anaconda Pharma's structural models showing the HPV E1:E2 proteinbroadly relevant to these protein interaction-nucleation (left) and the E2 pocket binding (right). viral infections. AP611074 is the first compound in clinical programs that overlap in covering HPV 6 and development that directly tackles HPV and pre11, these programs are relatively young, and vents its replication in infected cells. “Condyloma coverage of the world’s sexually active population is one of the world’s most frequent sexually is limited. transmitted diseases. Condyloma is mostly perCondyloma still affects about 1% of the global ceived by affected individuals as a disfiguring and sexually active population, with several million new cases reported each year. According shameful condition, causing anxiety and severe to Marta Blumenfeld, cofounder and CEO of social and psychological stress. Unfortunately, Anaconda, AP611074’s favorable efficacy and there is no satisfactory treatment available so safety results stand out, as other therapies far. AP611074 has the potential to meet the substantial medical need of patients impacted (immunomodulator drugs) take up to 16 weeks to by condyloma,” said Silvio Tatti, president of the clear condyloma lesions or they have compliance International Federation of Cervical Pathology issues, owing mostly to the high rate of local reacand Colposcopy and principal investigator of tions resulting from their mechanism of action. Anaconda’s phase 2a clinical study. “The presentation of our phase 2a results at recent scientific meetings has drawn significant AP611074 phase 2 success interest from fellow scientists and clinicians in our company,” said Blumenfeld. “Scientists In a double-blind, randomized phase 2a clinical trial, patients with condyloma applied AP611074 were close to abandoning the idea of developing gel twice daily for six weeks. Compliance with antiviral treatments specific for HPV. AP611074 the treatment protocol was high in the trial, and clinical results are an excellent surprise for the no patients terminated treatment before the end medical community.” of the six-week period. Response to treatment To build on the success of these clinical results, was observed in 57% of the participants, with the company is currently seeking partnerships to 13% showing complete clearance of the lesions further the clinical development of AP611074. and 44% showing partial clearance. The lesions “The company’s greatest challenge lies in continued to clear during the weeks following placing the treatment of condyloma back on the the end of the treatment, suggesting that extenstrategic map of the pharmaceutical industry,” sion of the AP611074 treatment period could said Blumenfeld. potentially clear the lesions in a large proportion of the patients. In addition, AP611074 was well References tolerated; in particular, local tolerance was excel1. Fouéré, S. et al. Abstract no. SS 15-5, lent, and no adverse events were reported1. “The EUROGIN conference (2013). safety profile of AP611074 looks excellent. No relevant side effects, and a very low incidence of local skin reactions, occurred during the phase 2a trial or in the two phase 1 studies, which is a great potential advantage compared to existCONTACT DETAILS ing therapies,” said Olivier Chosidow, chairman Marta Blumenfeld, President Anaconda Pharma, of the department of dermatology at Henri Villejuif, France. Mondor Hospital and investigator coordinator of Tel: + 33 (0)1 8228 7302 Anaconda’s clinical studies. Email: [email protected] Even though there are prophylactic vaccine ADVERTISER RETAINS SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTENT 15/05/2014 09:38
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