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Biocopea
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Biocopea
Biocopea is a privately owned drug discovery company with a novel coherent approach to the development of treatments for respiratory disease. The company is focused upon the role of the neutrophil and its inflammatory degranulation products in the pathogenesis of these conditions, and also on the treatment of related respiratory complications.
The company identifies novel biology within the existing pharmacopeia and exploits this by using the original drug molecule as a “privileged drug template”. Each programme within Biocopea’s portfolio leads to a rapid development opportunity and backed up by a pipeline of further enhanced developments based upon using the lead drug as a template for further chemical and biological development.
Respiratory inflammation
The neutrophil, and its degranulation products including cytokines, proteases and reactive oxygen species represent an attractive therapeutic target in a wide range of respiratory conditions. These include the lung destruction processes involved in exacerbations of COPD, Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome, cystic fibrosis and bronchiectasis. Historically steroids have been used to treat many of these diseases but they may have limited utility, unacceptable side effects or in certain cases simply do not work. To date the neutrophil itself has not been specifically targeted by pharmacologic therapy.
Biocopea is focussing on two
complement
ary approaches to neutrophil biology. The first of these are programmes which inhibit the influx of neutrophils into the diseased lung. This prevents neutrophil degranulation in the lung and results in reduced pulmonary destruction and inflammation. The second are programmes which seek to inhibit the function of key cytokines after they have been produced in the lung. These are synergistic approaches to the treatment of inflammatory lung diseases. The validation of cytokine targets and the recent emergence of volunteer challenge models ensure that these programmes will readily achieve proof of principle in early clinical studies either in a healthy human study or patient volunteer setting.
Biocopea’s lead compound in this area is BC1025 which has been shown to inhibit neutrophil migration into the lung after a Toll like receptor driven inflammatory stimulation. Based upon a known pharmaceutical used in a different clinical indication, Biocopea has demonstrated that BC1025 has effects equivalent to high dose corticosteroids, and can also enhance the anti-neutrophilia activities of a number of well known respiratory medicines.
Respiratory complications
Respiratory complications often emerge as comorbidities with underlying pathologies. Here Biocopea has two areas of interest, post viral infection and persistent cough.
Biocopea is focusing upon the process of lung inflammation and oedema that occurs as a consequence of post viral infection. This is known to be fatal in susceptible individuals and is of particular concern in the pandemic situation in which the innate immune system plays a major role. Biocopea has two leads in this area, BC1006 and BC1048, and has established that these agents are excellent inhibitors of relevant cytokines. This has translated into impressive protection of organ destruction post viral infection. Both molecules are based upon known pharmaceuticals with utility in other clinical indications.
Persistent cough represents a universal comorbidity presenting in, for example, asthma, post viral infection and lung cancer. Current therapies are essentially restricted to the partially effective treatment with guafenasin preparations or with more effective but sedating codeine therapies which also induce constipation. Biocopea’s lead product BC1036 suffers from neither of these draw backs having the efficacy of codeine and an extremely benign safety profile.
Commercial
Biocopea is seeking codevelopment and licensing partners for its programmes to assist in taking its products to the market. The company is flexible with respect to the type and structure of such agreements and would be prepared to enter into collaborations on both a therapeutic area and individual project basis.