In a recent press release, biopharmaceutical company Aeterna Zentaris Inc. shared that the company would be developing a new therapy for patients with hypoparathyroidism. The preclinical development program will focus on specially developed parathyroid hormone fusion polypeptides. Overall, the company is licensing proprietary intellectual property from the University of Sheffield. Aeterna Zentaris will pay the University of Sheffield £100,000 (approximately $138,700) for the exclusive rights to develop and sell this treatment across the globe. Additionally, the company will have to pay additional funds to the University of Sheffield as the development program and later drug sales reach specific milestones.
This decision is especially exciting as hypoparathyroidism is still an under-explored condition within endocrinology. However, this offers a potentially beneficial way to fill this unmet need.
But what are the parathyroid hormone fusion polypeptides? The treatment is made up of proprietary fusion proteins which connect PTH1-34 to an altered growth hormone-binding protein. Fusion proteins, as described by ScienceDirect, are:
[proteins] consisting of at least two domains that are encoded by separate genes that have been joined so that they are transcribed and translated as a single unit, producing a single polypeptide.
Once the treatment is administered, using a specialized pen, it provides parathyroid hormones (PTH1-34) into the body. As this occurs, it allows patients to better balance their phosphorus and calcium.
Hypoparathyroidism
Patients develop hypoparathyroidism, characterized by low parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels, when parathyroid glands fail to produce enough of the hormone. Typically, this occurs following cancer or surgery, but it can also result from autoimmune disorders, low blood magnesium levels, or hereditary hypoparathyroidism. Normally, PTH helps balance phosphorus and calcium within the body. But those with hypoparathyroidism have high levels of phosphorus in the blood and low levels of calcium in either the blood or bones. Symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps and weakness
- Brittle nails
- Depression and anxiety
- Patchy hair loss
- Painful menstruation
- Dry, coarse skin
- Seizures
- Short stature
- Cataracts
- Malformed teeth
- Loss of kidney function
- Arrhythmias
Learn more about hypoparathyroidism.
