RENSSELAER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc. announced today that it has initiated a series of toxicology studies for CSTI-300, its drug candidate for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). Successful completion and regulatory filings should allow the planned clinical studies to proceed immediately.
IBS is a bowel disorder that is often associated with severe abdominal pain. It is estimated that 10-12% of all adults are affected resulting in $25 billion of annual economic burden. There is currently no adequate treatment for IBS-D. Drugs targeting a serotonin receptor have been the most clinically studied for IBS-D. While there is evidence of strong clinical efficacy, existing drugs have unacceptable adverse effects such as severe constipation and a low incidence of ischemic colitis, which have significantly restricted their use.
To remedy these limitations, ConSynance's CSTI-300 targets the serotonin receptor (5-HT3) as a partial agonist, which reduces activation of the receptor by endogenous serotonin but does not completely block receptor activity. Orally dosed CSTI-300 has displayed high levels of efficacy in translational preclinical models of IBS-D and excellent pharmaceutical properties.
Concurrent with these toxicology studies, additional pharmacology models are being conducted to explore the potential of CSTI-300 to treat IBS with alternating constipation and diarrhea (IBS-M), an additional subtype of IBS for which there are no therapeutic options indicated.
"We are delighted to launch these toxicology studies to enable clinical studies on CSTI-300,” said Peter Guzzo, PhD, CEO of ConSynance. “We believe CSTI-300's novel mechanism of action has the potential to be a blockbuster drug for IBS patients.”
About ConSynance Therapeutics, Inc.
ConSynance Therapeutics is a clinical-stage drug development company based in Rensselaer, New York. The company’s pipeline includes innovative treatments for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the orphan disease Prader-Willi syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome. ConSynance are collaborating with Chengdu SciMount Pharmatech Co., Ltd., a drug discovery company based in China, on the preclinical studies for the IBS project. ConSynance is seeking corporate partners to help accelerate the development of its programs to market. www.consynance.com