Company will develop the compound in bowel diseases like Crohn’s and colitis.
Yissum and BioLineRx signed a worldwide, exclusive license agreement covering a new antihormone for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Rights to the compound were also obtained from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center.
BioLineRx will be developing BL-5040 to treat inflammatory bowel diseases such as colitis and Crohn’s disease. The compound utilizes a mutated version of leptin acting as an antagonist with anti-inflammatory properties. It binds tightly to the leptin receptor and thus blocks the binding of leptin.
“The treatment of IBD has not advanced significantly in the last few decades, and current therapies suffer from limited efficiency or significant side effects,” according to Morris C. Laster, M.D., CEO of BioLineRx. “BL-5040 is part of the new and exciting biological approach for treating these debilitating diseases, and preclinical trials look very promising.”
