Replies to post #193350 on Biotech Values

[biocqr]

Volution Immuno Pharmaceuticals (VIP) Ltd is a private, Swiss-based, clinical stage biotechnology company. The company is focused on developing anti-complement and anti-inflammatory molecules as treatments for a wide range of rare and orphan conditions in the autoimmune and inflammatory diseases sectors.

https://www.aihitdata.com/company/00E64527/VOLUTION-IMMUNO-PHARMACEUTICALS/overview

VIP's lead drug is coversin...

Coversin is a second-generation complement inhibitor that acts on complement component-C5, preventing release of C5a and formation of C5b-9 (also known as the membrane attack complex or MAC). C5 inhibition is growing in importance in a range of rare autoimmune diseases related to dysregulation of the complement component of the immune system, including paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (aHUS), and Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS).
Coversin successfully completed a Phase Ia fixed dose clinical trial in healthy subjects in 2014, and will be used in a follow-up chronic dosing Phase Ib clinical trial in healthy subjects in the second half of 2015. The combined company plans to initiate a compassionate use program in late 2015 to treat patients resistant to Soliris® (eculizumab), the only currently approved treatment for PNH and aHUS. The combined company will then initiate Phase II clinical trials in several indications during 2016, including PNH, aHUS, and GBS.

Complement C5-inhibitor rEV576 (coversin) ameliorates in-vivo effects of antiphospholipid antibodies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25228739

Abstract
Activation of the complement cascade is an important mechanism for antiphospholipid antibody-mediated thrombosis. We examined the effects of rEV576 (coversin), a recombinant protein inhibitor of complement factor 5 activation, on antiphospholipid antibody-mediated tissue factor up-regulation and thrombosis. Groups of C57BL/6J mice (n=5) received either IgG from a patient with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) or control IgG from normal human serum (NHS). Each of these groups of mice had IgG administration preceded by either rEV576, or phosphate buffer control. For each of the four treatment groups, the size of induced thrombus, tissue factor activity in carotid homogenates, anticardiolipin and anti-ß2glycoprotein I (anti-ß2GPI) levels were measured 72?h after the first injection. Mice treated with IgG-APS had significantly higher titers of anticardiolipin antibodies and anti-ß2GPI at thrombus induction compared with those treated with IgG-NHS. The IgG-APS/phosphate buffer treatment induced significantly larger thrombi and tissue factor activity compared with other groups. Mice treated with IgG-APS/rEV576 had significantly smaller thrombi and reduced tissue factor activity than those treated with IgG-APS/phosphate buffer. The data confirm involvement of complement activation in antiphospholipid antibody-mediated thrombogenesis and suggest that complement inhibition might ameliorate this effect.

[mcbio]

CLTX reverse merges with Volution Immuno Pharmaceuticals

So apparently the combined new entity will be working on a 2nd gen Soliris. I wonder how necessary such a drug is and what the odds are that they will truly be able to differentiate from Soliris.