Clinical stage pharmaceutical development company, Incannex Healthcare Limited (ASX: IHL) has received positive results from another in vivo (animal) study that has further assessed the anti-inflammatory capability of its proprietary IHL-675A. The drug combines cannabidiol (CBD) and hydroxychloroquine (HCQ).
The results have triggered the launch of a sixth clinical program to target Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA); a new indication for Incannex with a global yearly addressable market size of more than US$57 billion.
Incannex has demonstrated the potent anti-inflammatory activity of IHL-675A in both in vivoand in vitrostudies; making it an excellent candidate for prevention and treatment of inflammatory conditions, including lung inflammatory conditions, such as sepsis associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (SAARD), COPD, asthma and bronchitis.
The company recently outlined more pre- clinical results from the IHL-675A research programme which demonstrated that IHL-675A was more effective at treating colitis, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, than CBD alone.
Incannex’s discovery that CBD and HCQ display strong synergistic anti-inflammatory activity increased the potential for IHL-675A beyond these conditions and into other inflammatory indications. To further assess the therapeutic potential of IHL-675A in inflammatory diseases, a rat model of arthritis was employed.
CEO and Managing Director, Joel Latham, said that by taking a global approach to its IP strategy, IHL intends to pursue patent protection in key global markets, including the US, Europe, Japan and Israel. To this end, IHL has filed an International Patent Application (PCT application) to pursue aspects of the therapeutic use of IHL-675A products. This approach aligns with IHLs regulatory strategy, including the submission of a pre-IND meeting request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for IHL-675A products.
Incannex is delighted with the results from this study. Hydroxychloroquine is an established medication for rheumatoid arthritis and IHL-675A has been demonstrated to outperform it at reducing disease severity in an animal model,” Mr Latham said.
“The benefit of the CBD and hydroxychloroquine combination in IHL-675A is potent. The observation that IHL-675A was as effective or better than a standard dose of hydroxychloroquine, even though it contained 90% less drug, is an exciting result for the company.
“It indicates that IHL-675A has the potential to be a breakthrough in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in humans. Therefore, the company is rigorously working with its scientific team and advisors to arrange the next steps to advance IHL-675A for use in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. We will advise ASX of these plans once they are formalised.”