SRI And Nobelpharma Collaborate On Endometriosis Drug

Independent nonprofit research institute SRI International announced that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Japanese pharmaceutical firm NobelPharma for the development of SR16234, a drug candidate for the treatment of endometriosis.

SR16234 belongs to the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) class of drugs, known to regulate the effects of estrogen and potentially address endometriosis. Unlike other existing treatments which only target endometriosis symptoms, such as pain or infertility, SR16234 has the potential to address the disease’s underlying cause, stated SRI.

Jin Shiomura, President and CEO of Nobelpharma, said, “After upcoming preliminary studies are completed, we hope to advance SR16234 into clinical trials in Japan for the treatment of endometriosis.”

Endometriosis is a chronic disease caused when misplaced cells from the uterus’ lining grow elsewhere in the patient’s body. The cells are affected by hormonal changes and causes internal bleeding and inflammation. This in turn can lead to infertility, pain, and scar tissue formation. According to the National Institutes of Health, 6 to 10 percent of women of reproductive age have endometriosis, which translates to about 5 million women in the U.S. Approximately 17 million women around the world have endometriosis.

There is no cure for the disease, but there are treatments that target symptoms such as pain and infertility. Standard therapies for endometriosis include pain medication, surgery, and hormonal treatments. There are also several ongoing trials to investigate further treatment options for the disease. For one, this year, the National Institute for Health Research together with Endometriosis UK announced the launch of a pilot clinical trial labeled PRE-EMPT (Preventing Recurrence of Endometriosis by Means of Long Acting Protestogen Therapy). The study will investigate whether progesterone therapy with contraceptives reduces the pain recurrence following surgery. The clinical trial is currently recruiting patients. AbbVie is also in the midst of conducting a global Phase III trial of its drug elagolix in patients with moderate to severe endometriosis-related pain.

Commenting on the partnership with Nobelpharma, Dr. Walter H. Moos, VP of SRI Biosciences said, “This important collaboration is addressing a critical, unmet medical need, and we are doing so via a novel therapeutic approach targeting the underlying biological mechanisms of endometriosis.”