The drug was evaluated in a TNBS-induced ulcerative colitis mouse model, which is an animal model widely used to evaluate drug candidates for treatment of human inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). SP304 demonstrated a significant reduction in histopathological indicators of inflammation.
SP304, an orally deliverable and highly stable peptide, is an analog of the native human peptide uroguanylin, a guanylate cyclase receptor agonist (GCRA) normally produced in the intestinal tract. SP304, unlike the parent peptide uroguanylin, exists in a single active conformer, and is an excellent candidate for drug development.
“The histopathology data demonstrating the anti-inflammatory properties of SP304 are particularly impressive because the peptide was administered once a day at very small doses of 0.01-0.02 mg,” remarked Dr Kunwar Shailubhai, senior vice president of discovery research at Synergy Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Callisto Pharmaceuticals.