Co-Founders Receive Award to Develop Aerosolized ThyrOxy
Minneapolis, MN - David Ingbar, MD, has received a two-year, $350,000 Catalyst Research Award from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust. The award supports pre-clinical research on an aerosolized form of ThyrOxy™.
Lungs of ARDS patients have very low thyroid hormone (T3) levels. T3 improves three key abnormalities of ARDS: pulmonary edema; lung inflammation and injury; and fibrosis. ThyrOxy is a novel, patented T3 formulation that can be safely administered directly to the lung. A Phase 1/2A clinical trial of ThyrOxy liquid instillation directly into lungs of mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS has early signs of efficacy, with no treatment-related adverse events. However, this approach is limited to severely affected, ventilated ARDS patients.
The Catalyst Research Award will support our development of an aerosolized form of ThyrOxy to treat patients at earlier or milder stages, known as Acute Lung Injury (ALI). The Catalyst phase will include preclinical pharmacokinetic, biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicology studies required to secure FDA approval of aerosolized T3 trials in non-intubated ALI patients. This formulation will expand treatment to patients with ALI and with other chronic lung and heart diseases with pulmonary edema, including congestive heart failure.
About Falk Catalyst Awards
Through the Falk Catalyst Awards, the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust supports "high-risk, high-reward translational research that addresses critical scientific and therapeutic roadblocks and can be transferred to clinical practice in the near term."
About ThyrOxy
ThyrOxy™ is Herald Therapeutics’ proprietary thyroid hormone–based therapeutic platform, designed to address the fundamental biology of acute lung injury. In addition to its lead indication in ARDS, ThyrOxy is being advanced in Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS) and Acute Heart Failure. ThyrOxy was originally developed at the University of Minnesota and is exclusively licensed to Herald Therapeutics.
About Herald Therapeutics
Herald Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, developing ThyrOxy, a thyroid hormone–based therapeutic platform targeting life-threatening lung and cardiac diseases. The company’s lead programs are in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), Infant Respiratory Distress Syndrome (IRDS), and Acute Heart Failure. For more information, please visit heraldtx.com.
Investor & Media Contact
Wade A. Smith, CEO
Herald Therapeutics, Inc.
wsmith@heraldtx.com | 412-216-9988