SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rila Therapeutics, a biotherapeutics company focused on addressing the critical unmet medical needs to treat renal fibrosis, today announced its emergence out of stealth mode. Rila Therapeutics has identified a promising, first-in-class allosteric small molecule targeting HIPK2 to inhibit kidney fibrosis. This breakthrough discovery aiming to advance the treatment of renal disease was developed in collaboration with Mount Sinai Innovation Partners and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (Icahn Mount Sinai), New York, NY. The company was founded by John He, MD, PhD, Chief of Nephrology at Icahn Mount Sinai and key opinion leader at one of the largest medical centers in the US, and ShangPharma Innovation.
Dr. He, in addition to his position at Icahn Mount Sinai, is a professor of medicine and pharmacological sciences whose academic work has shed light on multiple features of kidney disease pathogenesis, leading to the elucidation of complex signaling networks in kidney cells by using systems biology approach and transgenic mouse models, and revealing the novel mechanisms of kidney fibrosis. He is also a member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation, American Association of Physicians, and former President of the Chinese American Society of Nephrology.
"Currently, there are about 750,000 patients in the US suffering from renal fibrosis with no cure as there are no approved antifibrotic treatments targeting the kidney. Our goal is to drastically improve the lives of patients by increasing survival rates and decreasing the high costs of dialysis. I am excited for the potential of Rila to provide a safe and effective anti-fibrotic treatment," said Dr. He.
The founding team also includes Kyung Lee, PhD, Associate Professor at Icahn Mount Sinai and NIH-funded principal investigator with over 12 years of research experience in nephrology; Robert Drakas, PhD, interim CEO of Rila Therapeutics and President of ShangPharma Innovation with 25+ years of pharmaceutical industry experience, and Michael Hui, Chairman of Rila Therapeutics, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Pandect Bioventures, and Chairman and CEO of ShangPharma Holdings.
"I am thrilled Rila Therapeutics will be moving forward with IND enabling studies as this therapy is a novel first-in-class treatment for renal fibrosis," said Dr. Bob Drakas, CEO of Rila Therapeutics and President of ShangPharma Innovation. "We have a fantastic team of industry tenured innovators working to address the burden of chronic fibrotic disease for patients."
Rila Therapeutics has secured patents to all background IP and composition of matter and will enter IND enabling studies in November 2022 with plans to submit IND to the FDA mid-year 2023.
The small molecule targeting HIPK2 is based on technology developed by Mount Sinai faculty and licensed to Rila Therapeutics. Mount Sinai and Mount Sinai faculty, including Dr. He and Kyung (Kim) Lee have a financial interest in Rila Therapeutics. Mount Sinai also has representation on the Rila Therapeutics Board of Directors.
The Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 43,000 employees working across eight hospitals, over 400 outpatient practices, nearly 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it. Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients' medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment.
Rila Therapeutics is a biotherapeutics company focused on addressing the critical unmet medical needs to treat renal fibrosis, founded between John He, MD, PhD Chief of
Nephrology Mount Sinai Health System, Kyung Lee, PhD, Associate Professor at Icahn Mount Sinai, and ShangPharma Innovation with patents licensed through Mount Sinai Health System. Rila Therapeutics mission is to improve the lives of patients suffering from renal fibrosis by providing a safe and effective anti-fibrotic therapy.
Through strategic investments and partnerships, ShangPharma Innovation is focused on filling the critical investment gap that exists for earliest-stage therapeutic breakthroughs. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, ShangPharma Innovation's experienced team of investors and scientists brings knowledge of diverse therapeutic areas, leverages multidimensional relationships across the spectrum of biotech and pharma to identify promising healthcare discoveries and work side-by-side with scientific innovators to rapidly advance ideas through key value-inflection points. ShangPharma Innovation embraces a founder-centric approach that ensures entrepreneurs can remain actively involved in shaping their company's successes, all with the proactive and trusted support of our wide network of experts.
SOURCE Rila Therapeutics
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