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Pieris Pharmaceuticals Announces Inhaled CTGF Inhibitor PRS-220 for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis and 17 Million Dollar Grant From Bavarian Government To Accelerate Program Development for Post-COVID-19 Pulmonary Fibrosis
PRS-220, an oral inhaled Anticalin protein targeting CTGF, a fully proprietary drug candidate for respiratory disease, is being developed as a local treatment
About this update from Palvella Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"PRS-220, an oral inhaled Anticalin protein targeting CTGF, a fully proprietary drug candidate for respiratory disease, is being developed as a local treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosisGrant to enable the evaluation of PRS-220 for the treatment of post-COVID-19-related pulmonary fibrosis for clinical-readiness in general and initial clinical development of PRS-220 in the post-COVID-19 settingClinical development of PRS-220 expected to begin in 2022BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / June 25, 2021 / Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:PIRS), a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel biotherapeutics through its proprietary Anticalin® technology platform for respiratory diseases, cancer, and other indications, today announced the development of PRS-220, an oral inhaled Anticalin protein targeting connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), also known as CCN2, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The Company also announced it has been selected to receive a 14.2 million euro (approximately 17 million USD) grant from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy for the research and development of PRS-220 for post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) pulmonary fibrosis (PASC-PF), also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome pulmonary fibrosis or \"long COVID\". Clinical development of the program for both indications is expected to begin next year.PRS-220 follows Pieris' strategy of deploying its proprietary Anticalin proteins for local interventions on clinically validated targets with the objective of developing superior medicines through more efficient biology. CTGF, a protein localized in the extracellular matrix, is a driver of fibrotic tissue remodeling as a consequence of an aberrant wound healing process. Over-expression of this target in lung tissue is observed in patients suffering from IPF, and clinical data indicate inhibition of CTGF reduces the decline in lung function among these patients. IPF affects over three million patients worldwide and roughly 130,000 patients in the United States. Mean survival is two to five years from the time of diagnosis, with standard of care conferring only modest benefit. The critical function of CTGF in fibrosis, as well as its induced expression upon tissue injury and fibrotic remodeling, render it a compelling intervention for P...