Bridge Medicines and The Rockefeller University has signed an exclusive license agreement to further develop a series of small molecule inhibitors of activated Factor XII (FXIIa) discovered in the laboratory of Jan L. Breslow, M.D.

Breslow and his colleague Manish Ponda, M.D., illuminated a novel role for FXIIa as a key target for HAE and immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. With funding from The Rockefeller University and the Robertson Foundation, Drs. Breslow and Ponda subsequently identified a number of inhibitors of FXIIa.

“Our results indicate that inhibitors of FXIIa may show utility against HAE and potentially a variety of other inflammatory disorders,” Dr. Breslow says. “The possibility of developing new treatments to address such unmet medical needs continues to motivate our research efforts.”

The agreement with The Rockefeller University allows Bridge Medicines to extend these early research efforts and provides a path to create an innovative series of new medicines. The Bridge Medicines operating model seamlessly moves promising early-stage research projects emerging from premier academic institutions from preclinical proof-of-concept to clinical development.

“We are thrilled to be working with Dr. Breslow on this highly innovative, and therapeutically promising project,” states Dr. William Polvino, CEO of Bridge Medicines.  “Drs. Breslow and Ponda have already shown that the lead compounds are efficacious in disease models of immune mediated inflammatory disorders. We see this as an exciting opportunity to revolutionize treatment for these disorders with a new medicine.”
(Source: Bridge Medicines)