Australian biotech company Noxopharm Limited unveiled today its new preclinical product candidate from its Sofra technology platform that has shown effectiveness against inflammatory skin disease in preclinical models.
In research presented at the 15th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (LUPUS 2023) currently being held in Seoul, Noxopharm reported its novel drug, known as SOF-XX, represents a “promising new class of therapeutics for the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis and lupus.”
The ASX-listed company said these results also act as preclinical proof of concept for the firm’s recently announced SOF-VAC mRNA vaccine enhancer, which shares the same underlying Sofra technology.
Noxopharm CEO Dr Gisela Mautner expressed her delight at the recent announcement.
“This research demonstrates the effectiveness of the Sofra platform at reducing inflammation, which means we can target various diseases as well as use the same underlying technology to enhance mRNA vaccines,” Dr Mautner said.
She added, “Being selected to present this research to an international audience helps us gain more attention as interest in the technology grows.”
Meanwhile, Hudson Institute Associate Professor Michael Gantier stated that research is mainly focused on treating autoimmune disorders at their source, and studies like this show that Noxopharm is on the right route.
“The ability of the oligonucleotides to reduce inflammation in this way opens up new possibilities for the treatment of many diseases,” Gantier added.
Noxopharm’s Pharmorage subsidiary is developing the Sofra technology platform in collaboration with Melbourne’s Hudson Institute of Medical Research.
The method has the potential to treat excessive inflammatory reactions, such as those found during infections and autoimmune illnesses.
Noxopharm is also looking at the possibility of using its Sofra oligonucleotides to reduce the inflammatory adverse effects associated with mRNA therapies and vaccines via the company’s proprietary SOFVAC vaccine enhancer.
