The option agreement with GW adds potential proprietary protection to the company’s pipeline, which includes treatments for chronic kidney disease, hepatorenal syndrome, chronic iron overload, and rare diseases.
La Jolla president and CEO George Tidmarsh said the company seeks to working with the George Washington University to develop their technology related to LJPC-501.
"As we continue to expand our product portfolio, we remain committed to helping patients with severe diseases for which no treatment is available," Tidmarsh said.
LJPC-501 is a peptide agonist of the renin-angiotensin system that acts to help the kidneys balance body fluids and electrolytes.
Earlier studies have demonstrated that LJPC-501 may improve renal function in patients with hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), a life-threatening form of progressive renal failure in patients with liver cirrhosis or fulminant liver failure.
The company is mainly focused in the discovery, development and commercialization of new therapeutics for chronic organ failure and cancer.