ReAlta's Pegtarazimod Shows Promise in Reducing Newborn Brain Inflammation

ReAlta Life Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, has made significant strides in addressing hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) with its lead therapeutic candidate, RLS-0071 (pegtarazimod). A recent article in the American Journal of Perinatology showcases pegtarazimod's ability to reduce brain inflammation in a preclinical model of HIE, highlighting its potential to mitigate neuroinflammatory factors and oxidative damage. This breakthrough builds on previous clinical biomarker data from the ongoing Phase 2 STAR trial, which has shown elevated levels of myeloperoxidase (MPO) in newborns with HIE. Dr. Kenji M. Cunnion, ReAlta's Chief Medical Officer, emphasized the drug's dual-targeting peptide platform's capability to interrupt the inflammatory cascade, with an interim clinical data readout expected in the latter half of 2025. The study also revealed that pegtarazimod treatment significantly outperformed controls in reducing microglial recruitment and MPO staining, offering hope for a pharmacological intervention where none currently exists.

The STAR trial, a comprehensive study across 13 NICUs in the United States, is evaluating pegtarazimod's efficacy in newborns with moderate or severe HIE undergoing therapeutic hypothermia. Pegtarazimod's unique mechanism targets both humoral and cellular inflammation, inhibiting complement activation and MPO activity, key contributors to brain damage in HIE. ReAlta Life Sciences, with its EPICC peptide platform, is at the forefront of developing therapies for rare and acute inflammatory diseases, backed by FDA Orphan Drug and Fast Track Designations for HIE and other conditions. This research not only underscores the potential of pegtarazimod to revolutionize HIE treatment but also opens new avenues for addressing neurological diseases with significant unmet medical needs.