The idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an abnormality of the lungs. These gradually stiffen and no longer manage to properly perform their breathing function. This form of fibrosis is called “idiopathic” because the cause of the disease is unknown.
There is currently no very effective treatment for IPF: there is no medication that can cure diseaseor reduce fibrosis. Nevertheless, the bbc has just reported that researchers at the University of Melbourne (Australia) believe they have found a new treatment path inspired by an antibody present in the blood of sharks.
An orphan drug tested on patients in 2018
These researchers have developed a drug (so far called AD-114) in collaboration with the biotechnology company AdAlta. This molecule would be able to kill the cells that cause fibrosis in the lungs. The American Food and Drug Administration has just granted the status of “orphan drug” to this new molecule in order to grant tax relief to the company which aims to launch a therapeutic trial by 2018.
The first laboratory tests showed that the drug AD-114 could also treat other types of fibrosis such as AMDor certain liver diseases.
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