June 07, 2019
Synspire Pharmaceuticals Presents Data at 42nd Annual European Cystic Fibrosis Society Conference on Effect of SNSP113 on nontuberculosis Mycobacteria and Burkholderia Pulmonary Infections
Synspire Pharmaceuticals Presents Data at 42nd Annual European Cystic Fibrosis Society Conference on Effect of SNSP113 on nontuberculosis Mycobacteria and Burkholderia Pulmonary Infections
SNSP113 Effective Against Life Threatening Pulmonary Infections and Biofilms in
Cystic Fibrosis
FRAMINGHAM, Mass., June 7, 2019 — Synspire Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the lives of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and other rare diseases, today announced that data from the Company’s CF clinical development program for SNSP113 will be presented at the 42nd European Cystic Fibrosis Society (ECFS) Conference on June 5-8, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. The company is presenting data demonstrating SNSP113’s potential to treat life-threatening pulmonary infections in people with CF.
Certain life-threatening bacteria, such as nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM), Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa), form biofilms which reduce the penetration of antibiotics, thereby limiting their therapeutic effects and leading to chronic debilitating pulmonary infections. SNSP113 has a novel mechanism of action that has been shown to both permeabilize the cell wall of bacteria and enhance the activity of standard antibiotics. SNSP113 is also designed to change the structural integrity of recalcitrant biofilms formed by clinically relevant life-threatening pathogens, normalize CF mucus viscosity and transport, and also reduce inflammation.
• Presentation and poster titled “A polycationic glycopolymer (SNSP113) disrupts Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium abscessus biofilms and potentiates antibiotics against them” will highlight study results from the use of SNSP113 with nontuberculosis Mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary infections in CF. NTM is a chronic, debilitating and life-threatening pulmonary condition that has a significant impact on quality of life including severe cough, extreme fatigue and shortness of breath. The authors demonstrated that SNSP113 was effective against NTM bacteria and NTM biofilms when used alone or in combination with other antibiotics. SNSP113 permeabilizes the cell wall of NTM bacteria and overcomes recalcitrance of biofilm formation, providing a novel therapeutic strategy against NTM pulmonary infections. This data will be presented by Dr. Shenda Baker, chief scientific officer of Synspira, during the “Problematic pathogens and novel therapeutics” session from 2:00-3:00 PM on Friday, June 7, 2019. Currently, there are few antibiotics effective against NTM and these antibiotics tend to have a poor side-effect profile. In addition, antibiotics are ineffective against biofilms, leading to chronic infections and a worsening of clinical outcomes that can seriously affect patient morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of NTM pulmonary infections in CF patients continues to increase (12.7% US Registry 2017) leading to significant treatment challenges.
• A second poster, titled “Anti-biofilm activity of a polycationic glycopolymer (SNSP113) against clinically-derived Burkholderia cepacia complex,” will highlight study results from the use of SNSP113 with Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) infections. In a subset of CF patients, Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) infections can cause a rapid life-threatening decline in lung function, cepacia syndrome, or death. Bcc organisms are difficult to eradicate due to their resistance to antibiotics and ability to form biofilms making them extremely difficult to treat once they infect the lungs. SNSP113 was shown to disrupt Bcc bacteria cell walls increasing their permeability. SNSP113 also acted synergistically with commonly used antibiotics, reducing the concentrations needed to kill the bacteria and increasing their effectiveness for Bcc treatment. This data further confirms the ability of SNSP113 to disrupt treatment-resistant biofilms formed by Burkholderia cepacia complex bacteria in CF lung infections, supporting a recent publication, “In Vitro Activity of a Novel Glycopolymer against Biofilms of Burkholderia cepacia Complex Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Isolates,” in the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (May 2019).
“The data presented at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society annual meeting highlights the potential of SNSP113 to improve life-threatening pulmonary infections in patients battling CF or other pulmonary diseases,” said Robert Gallotto, chief executive officer of Synspira. “Our presence at the European Cystic Fibrosis Society annual meeting illustrates Synspira’s ongoing commitment to developing therapeutic options that address significant unmet medical needs for people with CF.”
About SNSP113
The company’s lead product, SNSP113, is a first-in-class inhaled glycochemistry-based therapeutic with a novel mechanism of action intended to target the underlying cascade of events that lead to progressive pulmonary disease or other life-threatening pulmonary conditions, such as pulmonary infections with nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM), Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC), Pseudomonas aeruginosa or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). SNSP113 is designed to normalize mucin viscosity and improve mucus transport to increase airway clearance. SNSP113 disrupts the cohesion of bacterial biofilms and interacts with the cell walls of invading bacteria to increase their permeability, reduce their viability and potentiate the efficacy of antibiotics. These actions of SNSP113 lead to a reduction in the inflammatory cascade and neutrophil infiltration that can lead to pulmonary damage and fibrosis. Progressive pulmonary disease leads to overwhelming symptoms, impacts quality of life (QoL) and results in debilitating progressive lung decline. Synspira is planning to initiate a study in cystic fibrosis patients with SNSP113 in 2019, a trial that is supported in part by a development award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Therapeutics, Inc.
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Company Contact:
info@synspirepharmaceuticals.com