MAX BioPharma Announces Publication of Proof of Principle Regarding its Oxysterol Lead Drug Candidate, Oxy210 that Inhibits Fatty Liver and Fibrosis in a Humanized Mouse Model

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Sep 13, 2021, 07:00 ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Max BioPharma, Inc. (www.maxbiopharma.com) recently published an article that reported the efficacy of its anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory oxysterol lead compound, Oxy210, in the peer-reviewed journal, Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism. (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/edm2.296)

In a 16 week study conducted at UCLA, oral administration of Oxy210 ameliorated many manifestations of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), an advanced inflammatory form of fatty liver disease, in a humanized hyperlipidemic mouse model. These include significant reductions in fibrosis, lipid deposition, inflammatory and fibrotic gene expression, and liver cell death that were correlated with lowered cholesterol and inflammatory cytokine levels in circulation. Mice that received Oxy210 showed no signs of toxicity, suggesting favorable drug safety prospects. The company continues to examine Oxy210 as a drug candidate for therapeutic development to treat NASH, a large global unmet medical need, currently with no FDA approved drugs. "We are excited to continue our efforts to develop a much needed treatment for NASH that is becoming the leading cause of liver failure leading to the need for liver transplantation" says Dr. Farhad Parhami, President and CEO of MAX BioPharma. He further states that targeting multiple pathways that drive the initiation and progression of NASH and the associated fibrosis using a single agent that inhibits Hedgehog and transforming growth factor-beta signaling, while also having anti-inflammatory effects, is a novel strategy. Oxy210, a first-in-class drug candidate, exerts direct anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages in part through inhibition of Toll-Like Receptor signaling. Currently, the company is pursuing potential partnerships with pharmaceutical companies for the therapeutic development of Oxy210 as a promising drug candidate for the treatment of NASH.

About MAX BioPharma, Inc.

MAX BioPharma is a privately-held preclinical stage California-based biopharmaceutical company developing novel small molecule lipids as drug candidates for intervention in debilitating and fatal human diseases. The company will be a leader in a new field of Oxysterol Therapeutics® by leveraging a robust and growing intellectual property portfolio that will lead to treatments for numerous indications. MAX BioPharma's first success based on small molecule lipids has contributed to the discovery of novel osteogenic oxysterol compounds that target multipotent mesenchymal cells, including mesenchymal stem cells, to induce the formation of bone-forming osteoblasts and bone. The company is translating this technology into the next generation of therapeutic agents for stimulation of bone formation, locally and systemically, in indications such as spinal fusion, non-union fractures, and osteoporosis. MAX BioPharma is also pursuing the development of small molecule oxysterols that function as anti-tumorigenic Hedgehog and transforming growth factor-beta pathway inhibitors that may be more effective than currently known antagonists in treating a variety of cancers, including lung and pancreatic cancer, and hematologic malignancies, as well as fibrotic diseases of liver, lung, and kidney among others. In addition, the company has identified oxysterol molecules with host-directed anti-viral activities that have been shown to inhibit replication of multiple variants of the Covid-19 SARS-CoV-2 virus. For more information please visit us at www.maxbiopharma.com

Media Contact: Farhad Parhami
[email protected]

SOURCE MAX BioPharma