Serpin Pharma completes Phase 1b/2a SPIRIT Clinical Trial

Serpin Pharma, a clinical-stage biotech company developing first in class drugs to treat human diseases caused by inflammation, reported data from its Phase 1b/2a clinical trial. The results, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, report the effects of a single subcutaneous administration of SERPIN drug (SP16), a synthetic, selective LRP1 agonist, in ten patients with ST-segment elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI). The clinical trial appraised the safety and tolerability of SP16, as well as explored its effects on the acute inflammatory response, infarct size, and cardiac function.

The single-center, single-arm, open-label study was led by Dr. Antonio Abbate and Dr. Benjamin Van Tassell at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Patients with STEMI were enrolled within twelve hours of symptom onset and six hours of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Serial clinical biomarkers and echocardiography data were collected up to 12 months. All ten patients with STEMI received subcutaneous administration of SP16 without any treatment-related serious adverse events. A trend toward reduction in the inflammatory response and infarct size was noted. According to Dr. Abbate and Dr. Van Tassell, “SP16’s modulation of the inflammatory response is a promising therapeutic strategy in AMI.”

A recently published editorial in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology echoes the enthusiasm for SP16 as a potential paradigm shift in acute coronary syndromes.

“We are very encouraged by these data results, which provide additional validation of SP16 therapeutic potential through its unique mechanism of action,” remarked Dr. Cohava Gelber, CEO and Executive Chairperson of Serpin Pharma. “This data clearly demonstrates the safety and tolerability of SP16 and its promise in treating inflammatory diseases. Our mission is to deliver this treatment to patients and this data brings us an important step closer.”

Danville organization invests in Blacksburg’s CytoRecovery medical cell sorting company

Danville’s investment might mean a CytoRecovery presence in Danville, such as office operations or an internship at Danville Community College. CytoRecovery’s cell sorting could improve understanding of disease and development of drugs. CytoRecovery, an early-stage company that invented and patented less invasive cell sorting, will be able to bring its cell research platform to market …

12/01/2022

Ceres Nanosciences Receives $1.4M From NIH RADx Initiative to Add Five Additional Wastewater-Based Epidemiology Centers of Excellence

MANASSAS, Virginia – Ceres Nanosciences (Ceres), a privately held company that makes innovative products to improve life science research and diagnostic testing, is announcing today that it is expanding the network of wastewater-based epidemiology centers of excellence that was established with support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) RADx® initiative. With a new $1.4 …

11/16/2022

Alliance for Building Better Medicine Names Joy Polefrone as Executive Director

Joy Polefrone, Ph.D. will Lead the Organization in Its Mission to Create a Reliable Supply of Safe, High-Quality, and Affordable Medicines in the U.S. Richmond/Petersburg– Alliance for Building Better Medicine, a coalition of public and private sector stakeholders in the Richmond-Petersburg region, today announced that it has appointed Joy Marie Polefrone, Ph.D., as the organization’s executive director. …

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