OrPro Therapeutics Inc, San Diego, has received a National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to advance development of the inhaled formulation of ORP-100, for the treatment of cystic fibrosis (CF).

ORP-100 is a recombinant engineered variant of thioredoxin, a human lung protein that has demonstrated in laboratory studies a potent ability to increase the fluidity of mucus. ORP-100 will be administered through an advanced aerosol delivery system and, in contrast to DNA-degrading mucolytics, targets the adhesive protein gel network that is common to all patients with obstructive mucus.

The mucolytic properties of thioredoxin were discovered at National Jewish Health (NJH) in Denver by pediatric pulmonologist Carl White, MD. In 2011, OrPro licensed from NJH an intellectual property portfolio claiming compositions and uses of the thioredoxin active site for the treatment of pulmonary disease. White—now at University of Colorado Denver/Children’s Hospital Colorado—and his NJH colleague David Nichols, MD, are medical advisors to the company, and will collaborate on the NIH-funded project.

Source: OrPro Therapeutics Inc