The Israeli company RedHill Biopharma Ltd. is sponsoring the Israeli Inflammatory Bowel Disease Society meeting, which is taking place on December 9th at the Dan Hotel in Tel-Aviv, Israel. The company’s role as sponsor for the event is in line with the Israeli IBD Society’s aim to support late clinical-stage drugs for the treatment of inflammatory and gastrointestinal conditions, including gastrointestinal cancers. The meeting is meant to enhance partnerships and research initiatives regarding both the diagnosis and treatment of IBD.
The Israeli Inflammatory Bowel Disease Society meeting will include a presentation from RedHill about its lead program on Crohn’s disease, called RHB-104, which is currently in its first phase III clinical trials. The drug’s MAP US study is being conducted in the U.S., Canada and Israel to evaluate the antibiotic combination therapy in an oral capsule formulation, with potent intracellular, antimycobacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
The development of RHB-104, led by Professor Thomas Borody, is based on previous studies that demonstrated that Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) infection in susceptible patients may be one of the causes of Crohn’s disease. Borody was also responsible for the creation of several innovative therapies for the treatment of conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including the original triple therapy for peptic ulcer disease associated with H. pylori.
In addition to the current trials, RedHill had already conducted previous trials on earlier formulations of the drug, such as an Australian phase III study, as well as supportive studies with the current formulation of RHB-104, including a food effect study and a drug-drug interaction (DDI) study. The company is also conducting a long-term population pharmacokinetic (Pop PK) study on RHB-104, which is covered by several issued and pending patents.
The company, which is dedicated to the treatment of IBD, is also working on RHB-105, a treatment for Helicobacter pylori infection, RHB-102 for acute gastroenteritis and gastritis, RHB-106, a formulation for bowel preparation, as well as MESUPRON, a treatment for gastrointestinal and other solid tumor cancers, RP101 for pancreatic and other gastrointestinal cancers, RIZAPORT™ (RHB-103) for acute migraines, and RHB-101, a formulation of the cardio drug carvedilol.