CinFina Pharma In-Licenses Obesity Portfolio
- Four novel, once-weekly anorectic agents targeting significant weight loss
CINCINNATI, Sept. 22, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CinFina Pharma, LLC. (“CinFina”) announced today that it has signed an agreement with Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company (“Janssen”), one of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to acquire exclusive global rights to GDF-15 and PYY analogs (CIN-109 and CIN-110, respectively) and GLP-1/GDF-15 and GLP/PYY dual agonists (CIN-209 and CIN-210, respectively). All investigational therapeutics will initially be developed for the treatment of obesity. Financial terms of the licensing agreement were not disclosed. In conjunction with the execution of the license agreement, CinFina completed a $20 million Series A financing led by its parent company, CinRx Pharma, LLC.
CinFina will be responsible for all development, manufacturing and commercialization of the therapeutic candidates. In a Phase 1, single ascending dose clinical study, CIN-109 was well tolerated, demonstrating decreases in food intake. CinFina will continue the development of CIN-109 with a multiple ascending dose Phase 1 clinical study, and following dose selection, will commence a Phase 2 study in overweight and obese adults in the US. The first human study for CIN-110 is planned to commence in early 2022. Development of the dual agonist programs will occur in tandem with the CIN-109 and CIN-110 programs.
“The prevalence of obesity in US adults is significantly higher today than it was only 20 years ago. It is increasingly clear that the medical community needs to treat obesity as a serious illness that leads to a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and even premature death,” said Jon Isaacsohn, M.D., FACC, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of CinFina. “CIN-109 and CIN-110 have the potential to decrease caloric intake, with subsequent generations of the drug expected to also address the metabolic issues in many of the obesity associated diseases beyond what can be achieved with lifestyle changes alone.”
About CinFina
CinFina is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company with a mission to advance promising clinical candidates toward marketing approval. CinFina’s focus is on cardio-metabolic diseases with high unmet medical needs.
About CIN-109
CIN-109 is a novel, long-acting first-in-class Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) analog being developed as a treatment for obesity. CIN-109 induces weight loss in animal models by binding to the newly discovered GDF-15 receptor (GFRAL) exclusively expressed in the hindbrain where food intake is regulated. In a first-in-human single dose study in adults who were overweight, but otherwise healthy, single doses of CIN-109 were well tolerated over a broad range of doses and decreases in food intake were observed. CinFina plans to develop CIN-109 for the treatment of obesity and associated comorbid conditions.
About CIN-110
CIN-110 is a novel, long-acting first-in-class peptide YY3-36 (PYY) analog being developed as a treatment for obesity. The endogenous hormone PYY is secreted from the gut in response to food intake, signaling satiety. In animal models, CIN-110 has been shown to reduce food intake and body weight. CinFina plans to develop CIN-110 for the treatment of obesity and associated comorbid conditions. The first studies in humans using CIN-110 are expected to commence in 2022.
About CIN-209 and CIN-210
CIN-209 and CIN-210 are novel, first-in-class GLP-1/GDF-15 and GLP/PYY dual agonists, respectively, being developed as treatments for obesity in single once-weekly injections. Both are thought to deliver weight loss and risk reduction above what GLP-1 therapies can deliver as a monotherapy.
Contacts:
Brittany Karle, 513-579-9911, ext. 12039
bkarle@cinrx.com
