DONGTAN, KOREA, November 21, 2024 - iLeadBMS, a spin-off biotech from Ildong Pharmaceutical Group, announced on the 21st that it presented in vivo study results on its novel drug candidate for the treatment of heart failure, IL21120038, at the Antifibrotic Drug Development Summit (AFDD). The summit is scheduled to take place from November 19 to 21 in Boston, USA.
IL21120038 is a CXCR7 (C-X-C chemokine receptor 7) agonist, a novel drug candidate that shows high selectivity for CXCR7, a receptor that is highly expressed in cardiomyocytes. CXCR7 is known to play a crucial role in preventing cardiomyocyte death during ischemic conditions or when there is damage to the heart.
From the rat myocardial infarction model, it was observed that IL21120038 significantly reduced the infarct area in the left ventricle of the rats and markedly lowered the level of markers associated with heart damage such as CK-MB and cTnI.
In addition, the compound demonstrated increased cardiac output and reduced both inflammation and fibrosis. Notably, IL21120038 showed superior therapeutic effects compared to Entresto®, one of the most widely used commercially available drug for heart failure.
Based on these results, iLeadBMS anticipates that IL21120038 could offer breakthrough therapeutic potential for various diseases involving cardiac fibrosis such as ischemic heart disease, arrhythmia, and heart attack. The company plans to conduct GLP toxicity studies and apply for the Investigational New Drug (IND) soon.
“IL21120038 is a novel small-molecule compound with a unique mechanism of action, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to Entresto®, which is currently one of the top-selling drugs for heart failure. We expect it to become the optimal treatment option in the heart disease market,” said Dr. Yoon-seok Lee, CSO of iLeadBMS.
About IL21120038
IL21120038 is a first-in-class therapeutic as CXCR7 agonist that activates CXCR7 receptor which binds and reduces CXCL12, a key pro-inflammatory factor under pathological conditions such as chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. CXCR7 agonist also indirectly inhibits CXCR4-CXCL12 signaling to prevent fibrosis and inflammation. Additionally, CXCR7 agonist blocks migration of CXCR4+ T cells from lymph nodes to the inflamed tissues with high CXCL12 level in autoimmune diseases, thereby preventing excessive immune response. iLeadBMS is developing IL21120038 for various fibrotic and autoimmune diseases where standard therapies are lacking or suboptimal.
About iLeadBMS
Established in 2020 as a spin-off from Ildong Pharmaceuticals, iLeadBMS specializes in the discovery and development of novel drugs with therapeutic focus in fibrosis, oncology, and neurodegenerative diseases. For more information, please visit https://www.ileadbms.com/.
