Bridge Biotherapeutics aims to help speed new treatments for PF
Company is first from Korea to join PROLIFIC global nonprofit
Bridge Biotherapeutics has joined the Prognostic Lung Fibrosis Consortium, known as PROLIFIC — a global nonprofit working to speed the development of personalized treatment strategies for pulmonary fibrosis (PF),
The long-term goal of PROLIFIC is to develop tests to detect biomarkers of distinct stages of the rare disease. Key among them are those linked to the risk of disease worsening or treatment response in PF, which are particularly important in clinical trials.
Panels of such clinically validated biomarkers would allow scientists to identify the best treatments candidates being tested in clinical trials, which in turn might help speed their development and approval.
“As a member of PROLIFIC, we will be able to tap into a diverse range of expertise, technology, and data that will enable us to accelerate detection of pulmonary fibrosis, and speed the entire industry’s development of new treatments,” Sujin Jung, vice president of clinical development and operations of Bridge Biotherapeutics, said in a press release.
Goal of PROLIFIC to develop personalized treatments
Launched in March 2020 by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF) and Celgene, a subsidiary of Bristol-Myers Squibb, the consortium gathers experts from top research institutions, academic medical centers, and pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
“We are excited to join PROLIFIC and collaborate with other leaders in precision medicine to advance the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis and advance the science of biomarkers to detect this devastating disease,” Jung said.
The consortium was designed so that members can work together, sharing not only their expertise but also technology to improve the therapeutic care now available to those with PF.
Bridge now is one of the consortium’s industry members, which have so far selected 12 biomarkers to be used in PF diagnosis, and also as predictors of treatment response.
We are excited to join PROLIFIC and collaborate with other leaders in precision medicine to advance the understanding of pulmonary fibrosis and advance the science of biomarkers to detect this devastating disease.
Chosen following peer-reviewing of scientific studies, the selected biomarkers include markers of tissue scarring or fibrosis — MMP-7, Tenascin C, and periostin — and inflammation, specifically CCL18, CXCL13, and slCAM1. Other markers are ones for epithelial cell damage, specifically CYFRA 21-1, SP-D, CA-19-9, and KL-6, and thrombosis, namely PAI-1. Epithelial cells are those that line the inner and outer surfaces of tissues and organs in the body, while thrombosis refers to a blood clot in blood vessels that can limit the flow of blood.
To reach their goals, the PROLIFIC members intend to partner with public health authorities to find biomarkers that will help inform and select the best treatment course for each patient.
Bridge Biotherapeutics also is aiming to develop a proprietary pipeline of therapies for fibrotic diseases, inflammatory disorders, and cancer. The company now is testing three therapy candidates across these different indications in clinical trials, with more still in preclinical development.
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