SAN JOSE, Calif., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Edison Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held biotechnology company located in San Jose, CA, announced today that EPI-A0001 (A0001) has entered clinical development, triggering a milestone payment from Penwest Pharmaceuticals, Edison’s development partner. Penwest has begun dosing in a Phase 1a clinical trial of A0001, a 2nd generation coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) analog. It differs from CoQ10 in that it possesses more favorable oral absorption and electron transfer properties.
CoQ10 is a first-line therapy for many rare diseases of energy metabolism. Efforts to improve CoQ10 have centered on improving its oral absorption properties. Edison’s focus is on building next-generation CoQ10 analogs through improving its electron transfer, otherwise known as redox, properties. Edison is a leader in the design and development of redox drugs.
Edison’s initial therapeutic focus is on rare inherited mitochondrial diseases. Today, there are no FDA- approved treatments for these diseases. CoQ10, and closely related analogs, have been deployed with real, but limited clinical results. Edison’s strategy is to improve upon CoQ10’s biological activity by optimizing its redox properties. A0001 is the first redox-optimized CoQ10 analog in Edison’s clinical development pipeline.
Edison’s technical focus is on redox drugs targeting metabolic control and energy metabolism. Children with inherited mitochondrial defects clinically present with many conditions commonly associated with aging. Edison believes that inherited mitochondrial diseases may be genetic roadmaps to deciphering the biochemical basis of metabolic control and aging. Given CoQ10’s known role in mitochondrial disease and aging, as well as its redox activity, Edison’s initial investigations are focusing on the development of CoQ10 based drugs.
“Today we have reached a key milestone in transforming Edison from a discovery to development-stage company,” stated Guy Miller, M.D., Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Edison. “A0001’s entry into Phase 1 is the first step in validating Edison’s platform and providing needed therapies for patients suffering from rare mitochondrial diseases. As we look toward the future, we expect to focus our energies on refining our approach to treating rare mitochondrial diseases, and expanding our investigation of redox drugs for the treatment of diseases of aging.”
About Edison Pharmaceuticals
Edison Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company based in Silicon Valley California at the San Jose Biocenter with a specialized knowledge in redox biochemistry and drug design. The company is focused on developing drugs for rare mitochondrial diseases that impair energy metabolism, for which there are no FDA-approved treatments. Edison is leveraging its skills in redox biology and chemistry, and data obtained in its inherited mitochondrial disease programs, to discover new therapeutics for diseases commonly associated with aging.
CONTACT: Edison Pharmaceuticals, Inc., +1-408-960-2910,
info@edisonpharma.com
Web site: http://www.edisonpharma.com/
