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Entera Bio Announces Collaboration with OPKO Biologics to Develop Oral Peptide Tablet Formulations for Obesity and Intestinal Malabsorption Syndromes
JERUSALEM, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entera Bio Ltd. (NASDAQ: ENTX, “Entera”) and OPKO Biologics, Inc., a subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:
About this update from Entera Bio Ltd.
[{"type":"text","content":"JERUSALEM, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Entera Bio Ltd. (NASDAQ: ENTX, “Entera”) and OPKO Biologics, Inc., a subsidiary of OPKO Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: OPK, “OPKO”) have entered into a Research Collaboration Agreement. Under the terms of the Agreement, OPKO will supply its proprietary long-acting GLP-2 peptide and certain Oxyntomodulin (OXM) analogs for the development of oral tablet formulations using Entera’s proprietary oral delivery technology. It is challenging to administer peptides orally due to their rapid degradation in the gastrointestinal tract and negligible permeability. Treatment with Glucagon-Like Peptide-2 (GLP-2) analogs has been shown to improve the absorption of nutrients in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS) and reduce parenteral support requirements. Teduglutide, the only approved GLP-2 analog, requires daily subcutaneous injections. In SBS patients, oral drug delivery is particularly challenging because the site of absorption, the intestine, is short and less functional. Entera recently published pre-clinical data demonstrating that its oral peptide delivery platform enables gastric absorption of teduglutide, as a convenient potential tablet alternative to daily injections. Oxyntomodulin is a naturally occurring peptide hormone found in the colon, with glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucagon dual agonist activity which suppresses appetite and induces weight loss. OPKO has developed several proprietary, modified OXM analogs as potential candidates for treating obesity, including an injectable pegylated peptide which demonstrated significant reductions in weight loss and decreased plasma triglyceride levels in a 420 patient phase 2B study. Under the terms of the agreement, Entera and OPKO will each be responsible for specific phases of development of the two oral peptides to the point of demonstrated in vivo feasibility. Further details of the agreement were not made public. \"This collaboration with OPKO is important for Entera as it enables us to expand our oral delivery technology across additional high value peptides,” said Miranda Toledano, Chief Executive Officer of Entera. \"OPKO is a leader in the development and commercialization of highly differentiated, long-acting peptides. Most important, we share a common vision to create first in class peptide treatments to help patients better m...