Hollis-Eden reports positive data for ulcerative colitis drug

Data for HE3286 has showed significant benefit in the wistar rat model of dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS) induced colitis, a preclinical model widely used in industry and academia to test agents as potential treatments for ulcerative colitis. DNBS challenged rats with induced colitis were treated orally for approximately seven days with either HE3286 or placebo group.

At the end of the treatment period, HE3286-treated animals had significantly reduced disease, as judged by reduced colon weight and reduced area of necrosis, compared to the placebo-treated animals.

Ferdinando Nicoletti, professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Catania School of Medicine, Catania, Italy, said: “We were impressed that in our animal model of ulcerative colitis, HE3286, even at relatively low doses, performed as well or better than Sulfasalazine, which is the standard of care and the positive control in this model. The therapeutic potential of HE3286 is particularly exciting because of the consistent demonstration of anti-inflammatory activity without the immune suppressive side effects associated with the corticosteroids.”