RPL554 is being developed for the treatment of hay fever and asthma, which are among the most prevalent respiratory diseases in the industrialised world.
According to Verona Pharma, the market for the treatment of these diseases is estimated to be some US$20 billion. Many of the available treatments have either unwanted side effects or limited effectiveness, creating a medical need in this market that the company is working to meet.
The results from the preclinical studies will form the central part of the submission documentation to be delivered to regulatory agencies in order to obtain approval to conduct first-into-man clinical phase I and clinical proof-of-concept phase IIa studies.