CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Idera Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: IDRA) presented data on the evaluation of a Toll-like receptor (TLR) antagonist in a preclinical hyperlipidemia model today at the Keystone Symposia conference “Advances in Molecular Mechanisms of Atherosclerosis” being held in Banff, Alberta, Canada. Idera’s proprietary TLR antagonists have dual activity for both TLR7 and TLR9, and present a potentially innovative approach for the treatment of certain autoimmune diseases. The presentation, entitled “Control of atherogenic lipids by a novel antagonist of TLR7 and 9 in mouse models of hyperlipidemic disease” (abstract #208), was made by Idera scientists. In the studies presented, a dual antagonist of TLR7 and TLR9 was evaluated in mice fed a high-fat diet to induce hyperlipidemia. Treatment with the antagonist resulted in reduced serum total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, leptin, hepatic and kidney steatosis, and body weight gain compared to control mice on high-fat diet.
