Business
The NIH Awards Sun BioPharma, Inc. Grant to Study SBP-101 for the Treatment of Pancreatitis
The NIH Awards Sun BioPharma, Inc. Grant to Study SBP-101 for the Treatment of Pancreatitis.
About this update from Panbela Therapeutics, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 01, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sun BioPharma, Inc., (OTCQB:SNBP), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing disruptive therapeutics for the treatment of pancreatic diseases, today announced the Company has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), one of the National Institutes of Health, to study the effect of their flagship product, SBP-101, as a potential treatment for pancreatitis. SBP-101 is a first-in-class, proprietary, polyamine compound designed to exert therapeutic effects in a mechanism specific to the pancreas.\n The studies funded by the grant will be performed in collaboration with researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA under the direction of the Chief of the Department of Gastroenterology, Dr. Stephen Pandol. Dr. Pandol, a former President of the American Pancreatic Association, is a world-renowned researcher and clinician who has published extensively on pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer and diabetes. Dr. Michael Walker, recipient of the grant and Director of Pancreatic Research at Sun BioPharma, will lead the effort, working with researchers in The Pandol Laboratory, which is dedicated to establishing and maintaining leading international research at Cedars-Sinai for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic diseases. “We are excited to be able to study SBP-101 in pancreatitis with such a highly respected research team,” said Dr. Walker. “Pancreatitis represents a significant unmet medical need with very limited treatment options.” Dr. Pandol added, “Treatment for pancreatitis consists mainly of pain management and supportive care. Development of a direct treatment would represent a major advance in the management of this disease, and we are pleased to work with Sun BioPharma to further elucidate the effects of SBP-101 on the basic pathophysiology of pancreatitis.” Pancreatitis, or inflammation of the pancreas, is responsible for approximately 300,000 in-patient hospital admissions annually in the United States and is the leading reason for hospitalization of patients with gastrointestinal diseases. It is estimated that over $2 billion per year is spent on the direct medical costs of treating these patie...