Patients with excess/high amounts of Aldosterone in the past have been observed to be susceptible to premature vascular disease, cardiac fibrosis and vessel wall inflammation.
Aldosterone has also been found to play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypertension, heart failure and renal disease. Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) inhibition has emerged as a new option for these above mentioned conditions.
Seven years ago, Elexopharm, a biopharmaceutical company signed a deal with Merck which granted the latter rights to the biopharma’s aldosterone synthase inhibitor drug.
Subsequently, Merck filed for patents and published papers with ElexoPharm; and while it has continued to do so, the flow of news about its collaboration with ElexoPharm has dried up.
Presently, ElexoPharm has unveiled a new deal covering the same target. It has licensed the aldosterone synthase inhibitor enzyme to Angion Biomedica.
“The novel ElexoPharm portfolio of compounds provides for a valuable source of new chemical entities in order to help Angion advance its programs in chronic kidney disease”, says Itzhak Goldberg, CEO, Angion.
Merck has, according to the terms of the deal paid €1.5 million upfront and committed to up to €32.3 million in milestones. Whereas, Angion has not disclosed the terms of the agreement with ElexoPharm
.Rolf Hartmann, Ph.D., the founder of ElexoPharm, has hopes of Angion getting the compounds into the clinic. Professor Hartmann’s lab was originally the source of the inhibitor compound and he had also worked with Merck on its program after the 2010 deal.
