SPIMA Therapeutics has officially launched, focusing on the development of peptide-based immunotherapies to address diseases with significant unmet medical needs. The company's foundation lies in a collaborative effort between two prominent institutions: IBMM, specializing in peptide chemistry, and IRBM, focusing on inflammation pharmacology, both at the University of Mons-Hainaut in France.
Collaborative Roots and Technology
The collaboration between IBMM and IRBM enabled the design of stable peptide drug candidates by IBMM and their in vitro and in vivo testing by IRBM. This partnership led to the preclinical development and patenting of a lead candidate. According to Ayad, the technology transfer office at the University of Mons-Hainaut facilitated the creation of SPIMA to advance these discoveries into clinical development.
SPIMA's core technology revolves around peptide-based immunotherapies, which offer a unique ability to target intracellular protein-protein interactions. Unlike small molecules, which often lack specificity, or large molecules like antibodies, which struggle to penetrate cells, peptides occupy a middle ground. SPIMA's stable peptides demonstrate both cell permeability and specificity, making them suitable for addressing challenging targets.
Targeting Unmet Medical Needs
The company prioritizes indications with high unmet medical needs. Acute pancreatitis, affecting over 130,000 individuals annually in the U.S. with no FDA-approved treatments, is a primary focus. Other targets include scleroderma, a severe autoimmune disease, and cancers such as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma with MYD88 mutations, where SPIMA's drug candidates have shown promising potential.
Regulatory and Development Strategy
From a regulatory standpoint, SPIMA anticipates minimal hurdles, as peptides are well-established in drug development, similar to small molecules. Recent approvals of peptide-based therapies for conditions like obesity further support this outlook. SPIMA emphasizes patient-centric design, guided by a physician specializing in inflammatory diseases, ensuring patient needs remain central to therapeutic development from the earliest stages.
