Synairgen licenses IL-4/IL-13 suppressor peptide

Southampton, UK-based drug discovery firm Synairgen has obtained an exclusive licence to intellectual property relating to a novel peptide with potential to treat asthma. The discovery was made at the University of Southampton as part of research funded by Asthma UK and, in preliminary in vitro studies, the peptide has been shown to suppress the effects of both interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, which are both inflammatory proteins considered central to the development of allergic asthma.

Current research strongly suggests that IL-4 and IL-13 are responsible not only for inflammation, but also for the increase in smooth muscle and mucus production, which are the hallmarks of chronic asthma, Synairgen noted, adding that while therapies targeting these proteins are being progressed by a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, the licensed peptide suppresses interleukins via a unique mechanism.