New data from the preclinical CS014 program has triggered a milestone payment from Cereno Scientific to Emeriti Bio and led to a new patent application. The announcement represents significant progress for the program, which aims to develop new and better treatments for cardiovascular disease.
At the same time as Cereno Scientific advances towards a Phase II study with the company's lead drug candidate CS1 In the rare cardiovascular disease (CVD) pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the Swedish biotechnology company continues to make progress with its preclinical programs. The preclinical programs also aim to deliver new and better treatments for CVD patients.
Epigenetic modulator
CS1 is an epigenetic modulator based on molecules called histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). Through this mechanism, CS1 has the potential to treat a broad spectrum of CVDs in a completely new way, thereby addressing a significant unmet clinical need in the leading cause of death in the world. Learn more about the potential for epigenetic modulation in CVD and how Cereno is exploiting this here.
Cereno's work on epigenetic modulation is not limited to CS1, however. Through the company's preclinical program CS014, Cereno aims to take a new HDACi candidate to clinical trials.
Preclinical program with CS014
The CS014 program was originally acquired from Emeriti Bio in 2019, after which the two companies have collaborated to explore the therapeutic potential of CS014 in a broad spectrum of CVDs. The following year, Cereno Scientific entered into a collaboration with Dr. Michael Holinstat vid University of Michigan to further advance the preclinical development of the CS014 program.
In 2021, the work bore fruit. Promising results led Cereno Scientific to expand its collaboration with the University of Michigan with the aim of taking a drug candidate to clinical trials, thereby expanding Cereno Scientific's clinical portfolio with epigenetic potential in CVDs. Read more here.
New data led to patent application
Last week, Cereno announced that progress in the CS014 program has triggered a confidential milestone payment to Emeriti Bio and led to the filing of a new patent application. Cereno CEO Sten R Sorensen expressed its joy over the news in a press release:
»When we acquired the CS2019 program from Emeriti Bio in 014, we saw it as a great addition to our cardiovascular disease portfolio, with exciting and innovative properties. As development has continued, our confidence in the program has only grown stronger. It is encouraging to see that the new data we have obtained for CS014 has resulted in a new patent application. We look forward to communicating more about this promising program later this year.«
Continuing to strengthen IP protection
CS014 is one of two preclinical programs that Cereno is running together with Dr. Michael Holinstat. The other program, CS585, consists of small molecule analogues of the endogenous metabolite 12-HETrE. These are selective, potent and long-acting IP (prostacyclin) receptor agonists, which have shown potential to improve mechanisms relevant to the disease picture of a range of CVDs. The goal of both programs is to advance drug candidates to clinical Phase I studies after a 24-month preclinical evaluation period that began in the second quarter of 2021. In other words, Cereno aims for specific drug candidates from these programs to initiate clinical Phase I studies in 2023.
Last September, the company announced that the CS585 program had been granted its first patent, and that the patent was for the strategic US market. Read more hereCereno's continued expansion of its intellectual property (IP) will not only result in increased commercial value for the company and its drug candidates, but also represents an external validation of its project portfolio in the CVD area.