MedImmune acquires AlphaCore Pharma
AstraZeneca boosts its pipeline of early stage investigative heart drugs
AstraZeneca’s global biologics research and development unit MedImmune has acquired AlphaCore Pharma, a US-based biotechnology company focused on the development of a new type of cholesterol medicine.
No financial details have been released.
AlphaCore Pharma, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, is developing ACP-501, a recombinant human lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) enzyme.
LCAT, an enzyme in the bloodstream, is a key component in the reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) system, which is thought to play a major role in driving the removal of cholesterol from the body and may be critical in the management of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. The LCAT enzyme could also play a role in a rare, hereditary disorder called familial LCAT deficiency (FLD) in which the LCAT enzyme is absent.
Cardiovascular and metabolic disease is a core therapy area, along with oncology and respiratory/inflammation for AstraZeneca’s small and large molecule research.
‘As the science in this area continues to evolve, we are committed to exploring unique pathways that could lead to new combination or standalone therapies for patients living with chronic and acute cardiovascular diseases,’ said Bahija Jallal, Executive Vice President, MedImmune.
‘Cardiovascular disease is projected to remain the single leading cause of death worldwide over the next decade and beyond. Through novel approaches like LCAT, we hope to shift the treatment paradigms in this area to help prevent and treat these conditions.’
Last year results from a Phase I clinical trial of ACP-501 met the primary safety and tolerability endpoints. No serious adverse events were reported. ACP-501 also met the study’s secondary endpoints by rapidly and substantially elevating HDL cholesterol.
