US-based biopharmaceutical company ReAlta Life Sciences has dosed the first subject in its Phase II clinical trial of RLS-0071 for treating steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD).

The open-label, dose-escalation study will assess the tolerability, safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, dosing and efficacy of RLS-0071 as a secondary treatment for aGvHD in patients who do not respond to steroid therapy.

Participants in the trial will receive RLS-0071 for seven or 14 days, either as a standalone therapy or in combination with the standard treatment ruxolitinib.

The study’s primary goals are to evaluate the safety and overall response rate in patients given RLS-0071.

RLS-0071 is an investigational therapeutic candidate based on ReAlta’s EPICC peptide platform, designed with a dual-targeting mechanism to modulate both complement and innate inflammatory pathways.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted orphan drug and fast track designations to RLS-0071 for treating steroid-refractory aGvHD.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

ReAlta Life Sciences chief medical officer Kenji Cunnion said: “Haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is one of the most impactful treatments available for people with cancer, autoimmune disease, sickle cell disease and other life-threatening disorders.

“However, the procedure can quickly turn into a severe and life-threatening condition for those who are affected by acute graft-versus-host disease in which the transplanted immune cells attack the patient, leading to severe inflammation and tissue damage.

“We believe that RLS-0071 has the potential to be a powerful new tool to improve outcomes for individuals with this serious complication of transplantation.

“We aim to leverage RLS-0071’s unique dual mechanism-of-action to inhibit unwanted inflammatory side-effects from the donor cells.”

ReAlta is also carrying out Phase II trials of RLS-0071 for newborns with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy and for patients hospitalised with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

The company was founded in 2018 and has operations in Norfolk, Virginia; and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.