According to a story from pm360online.com, the biopharmaceutical company Principia Biopharma recently announced that they had achieved $10 million in milestones that are related to the development of its experimental product PRN2246. This drug is being developed in collaboration with Sanofi. Principia specializes in the development orally delivered treatments for significant unmet medical needs. Sanofi is committed to the development of new treatment options for multiple sclerosis. PRN2246 will be developed as a treatment for multiple sclerosis and other central nervous system diseases.
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disease which is characterized by damage to the myelin sheath, an fatty, insulating, protective covering that surrounds nerve cells and allows the to communicate effectively. Although a precise cause has not been determined, multiple sclerosis is considered an autoimmune disease, in which a certain trigger, such as an infection, may cause the immune system to mistakenly attack healthy tissue. Smoking and certain genetic variants are also considered risk factors for the disease. Symptoms include blurred vision, double vision, blindness in one eye, numbness, abnormal sensations, pain, muscle weakness, muscle spasms, difficulty speaking and swallowing, mood instability, depression, loss of coordination, and fatigue. There are a number of treatments available for the disease, but no cure. Life expectancy for patients is slightly reduced. To learn more about multiple sclerosis, click here.
Research so Far
The $10 million is just the latest in a total of $25 million that Principia has committed towards the development of PRN2246. This investigational drug, classified as a Bruton’s tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is still in the early stages of testing. In a Phase I clinical trial of healthy participants, the administration of PRN2246 did not cause any serious adverse reactions and was generally considered safe. In the course of this trial, cerebral spinal fluid collected from participants also confirmed that the drug was present and active, suggesting the potential of PRN2246 to intervene with inflammation in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.
There is generally little to be said about this experimental treatment in regards to effectiveness since it is still so early in the testing stage, but hopefully it will be an effective therapy for multiple sclerosis and other neurological illnesses.
