New York-based biotechnology company Celmatix, which specializes in women's health, has announced a new drug development program aimed at treating endometriosis.
The focus is on a novel Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor developed using the DNA-Encoded Chemistry Technology (DEC-Tec) platform at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). The goal is to effectively combat the pain and inflammation associated with endometriosis.
The economic dimension
In the US alone, the disease causes annual costs of $69 billion in the healthcare system and $119 billion in lost productivity. Despite this significant burden, there is currently no first-line drug treatment that affects the progression of the disease.
The new approach
Celmatix's new approach is based on the targeted inhibition of JNK1 and JNK3 kinases, which are involved in both pain signal transmission and inflammatory processes.
Initial studies show that the novel JNK inhibitors can reduce inflammatory markers in cell cultures and reduce endometriosis lesions in animal models.
With this initiative, Celmatix could revolutionize the treatment of endometriosis and make another significant contribution to women's health.