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Imara Announces First Patient Dosed in Forte Phase 2b Clinical Trial of IMR-687 in Beta-Thalassemia
Forte is the first clinical trial of IMR-687 in patients with beta-thalassemia and follows the initiation of Ardent Phase 2b clinical trial of IMR-687 in
About this update from Enliven Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Forte is the first clinical trial of IMR-687 in patients with beta-thalassemia and follows the initiation of Ardent Phase 2b clinical trial of IMR-687 in sickle cell disease\nBOSTON, Oct. 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imara Inc. (Nasdaq: IMRA), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing and commercializing novel therapeutics to treat patients suffering from rare inherited genetic disorders of hemoglobin, today announced dosing of the first patient in the company’s Forte Phase 2b clinical trial of IMR-687 for patients with beta-thalassemia.\n “There are currently no approved oral therapies to increase fetal hemoglobin in beta-thalassemia, a rare inherited red blood cell disorder which if left untreated, causes severe anemia, enlarged spleen, skeletal abnormalities, organ failure and early death,” said Perla Eleftheriou, Consultant Hematologist in the Red Cell Hematology department at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at University College London and national lead investigator in the United Kingdom on the Forte trial. “We believe there is a clear rationale to expand development of IMR-687 to include beta-thalassemia and we look forward to working alongside multiple clinical centers globally to advance IMR-687 in the Forte clinical trial.” “Dosing of the first patient in the Forte Phase 2b clinical trial marks an important milestone for Imara as we begin clinical evaluation of IMR-687 for the first time in patients with beta-thalassemia,” said Rahul Ballal, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Imara. “Multiple preclinical studies show that treatment with IMR-687 enhances both the maturation and production of red blood cells in beta-thalassemia and we are looking forward to advancing this potentially transformative oral therapy for patients.” Dr. Ballal continued, “Patient dosing in the Forte 2b clinical trial follows initiation of dosing this August in our Ardent Phase 2b clinical trial in patients with sickle cell disease. These advancements transform Imara into a company with a drug candidate in multiple indications across global, multi-center clinical trials. Managing the various clinical manifestations of beta-thalassemia and sickle cell disease is complex and patients around the world have few accessible treatment options. At Imara, ...