About Us
NephRx: background and product development
NephRx is a biotechnology company dedicated to the discovery and development of therapeutic products for the treatment of kidney failure/disease, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including mucositis, Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis.
Our portfolio of kidney and gastric growth factors is well covered by patents and patent disclosures in the USA and key countries throughout the world. The University of Chicago owns these patents and NephRx has negotiated an exclusive license agreement with the University for rights to these factors.
Renal Peptide (WGF): fulfilling an unmet medical need
The kidney is one of the few human organs that can repair itself after injury. Dr. F. Gary Toback, the founding scientist of NephRx discovered several kidney specific growth factors that hold high promise for the repair and regeneration of kidney cells. Growth factors are protein messengers that can stimulate dormant cells to initiate DNA synthesis and subsequently start the division and multiplication process (mitosis).
In the United States there are 115,000 hospitalized patients that develop acute renal failure, at a cost of over $10,000 per patient, which translates to a total cost to the U.S. Healthcare System of over $1 billion per year. Mortality rate is very high and ranges from 42% to 88%. No cure exists and patients are put on dialysis to "rest" the kidney, correct metabolic imbalances and wait for kidney function to return spontaneously. Currently, there is no treatment for acute renal failure other than dialysis and resting the kidney, therefore, no competitive data is available.
NephRx has identified a well-defined patient population for initial clinical trials, which will avoid problems complicating previous trials of potential ARF therapeutics, thus increasing chances for success.
Gastric Peptide (AMP): focusing on mucositis
NephRx’s second lead product involves the discovery and development of a naturally occurring growth factor, AMP-18, that can serve as a novel therapeutic agent for patients with acute and chronic diseases of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Specifically, AMP-18 is currently being tested as a treatment for mucositis, a common and extremely painful side effect of chemo- and radiation therapy in cancer patients.
Mucositis is an inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the mouth, throat or gastrointestinal tract most commonly associated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer. In severe cases, Mucositis can be extremely painful, preventing the patient from eating and requiring hospitalization for hydration, narcotic pain medication, and/or total parenteral nutrition. In fact, the pain resulting from mucositis is so severe that it is cited by patients as being the number one reason for discontinuing treatment. Mucositis is caused as a result of a chemotherapy and or radiation insult that disrupts the basal mucosa of the mouth, not just affecting the epithelial layer, but creating damage to the underlying connective tissue as well.
This insult opens channels for bacteria to enter into the bloodstream creating complications to patients who are typically immunocompromised as a result of their treatment. Overall, mucositis affects approximately 15-40 percent of patients receiving standard-dose chemotherapy and 76-100 percent of patients receiving higher doses of chemotherapy in bone marrow transplant. Mucositis also affects virtually all patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer as well as patients receiving radiation along the gastrointestinal tract. Accordingly, mucositis affects over 400,000 patients a year in the US and the incidence is growing as radiation and chemotherapy treatments grow.
Partnership and Licensing Opportunities
NephRx is in preclinical development with both of its lead peptides, the renal growth factor and the gastric growth factor. The company will consider development partnerships for one or both peptides. For more information, please contact Philip Long, President and CEO, NephRx Corporation — philip_long@sbcglobal.net.