Genkyotex Drug Reduces Atherosclerosis Development

Genkyotex, the leading developer of NOX inhibitors to treat oxygen-radical mediated diseases, announced that its collaborators at the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne (Australia) and Maastricht University (The Netherlands) have elucidated the role of NOX1 in causing atherosclerosis in diabetic mice. The researchers found that NOX1 produces toxic amounts of oxygen radicals in the wall of blood vessels, which along with other inflammatory chemicals led to atherosclerotic plaque development. The researchers also demonstrated that Genkyotex’s selective NOX1 and 4 inhibitor, GKT137831, was able to dramatically reduce development of atherosclerosis. The research and accompanying editorial from Dr. David G. Harrison from Vanderbilt University was published in May 7^th issue of Circulation.

“Diabetic patients are very susceptible to complications such as atherosclerosis, a condition that involves thickening of the artery walls through a build-up of cholesterol-rich plaques. As a result, people with diabetes are at increased risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and death,” explained lead author Professor Karin Jandeleit-Dahm, Head of Diabetic Complications Research at the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute. “The precise causes of this accelerated development of atherosclerosis in diabetics have remained elusive but we believe oxidative stress in response to high blood sugar appears to play a role. The discovery of the role of NOX1 in atherosclerosis development in this disease is a significant step forward.”

Co-author Prof. Harald Schmidt from Maastricht University states: “I am concerned about the widespread uncritical use of non-specific anti-oxidants which are not only ineffective but can actually cause harm. Scavenging ROS non-specifically cannot work. The better understanding of the precise NOX enzymes implicated in specific diabetic complications and the use of a targeted NOX inhibitor as demonstrated in this paper opens a new approach to therapy in patients.”

Genkyotex is developing first in class, small molecule therapeutics that specifically and selectively inhibit the NOX family of enzymes. Using a unique screening platform, Genkyotex has identified novel NOX inhibitors with the potential to treat disease areas with a high clinical need and large market potential. Genkyotex was founded in 2006 by scientists from Switzerland, the USA and Japan, with backing from Geneva incubator Eclosion. A CHF25 million extension of the Series C investment was closed in July 2012, with existing investors, Eclosion, Edmond de Rothschild Investment Partners, Vesalius BioCapital and MP Healthcare Venture Management all reinvesting.