Ore Pharmaceuticals acquired the exclusive rights for one of Roche’s abandoned clinical-stage compounds to develop the candidate in metabolic diseases. Romazarit was being investigated by Roche as an anti-inflammatory and had reached Phase II trials for rheumatoid arthritis.
Repositioning efforts at Ore Pharmaceuticals discovered that romazarit modulates a key pathway related to metabolic function. The firm then identified potentially novel therapeutic uses for romazarit in metabolic diseases and subsequently observed a lowering of lipids, weight, and glucose levels through in vivo testing.
Ore Pharmaceuticals will now select the most appropriate of the potential indications and prepare for Phase II trials. It will also engage in out-licensing efforts.
Ore Pharmaceuticals recently took over the rights to cardiovascular treatment candidate tiapamil from Roche for development in central nervous system diseases.