Relief Therapeutics

Relief Therapeutics is a Swiss biopharmaceutical company based in Geneva.[1] The company focuses on developing drugs for serious diseases with few or no existing treatment options. Its lead compound, RLF-100, is a synthetic form of a natural peptide that protects the lung. The company was incorporated as Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG (RFLB.S) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in 2016.[2]

Relief Therapeutics
TypePublic
IndustryBiopharmaceutical
Founded2013
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Key people
Raghuram Selvaraju
(Chairman)
Jack Weinstein
(Chief Financial Officer)
ProductsRLF-100
ACER-001
PKU GOLIKE
Sentinox
Nexodyn
Websiterelieftherapeutics.com

History

Relief Therapeutics was founded in 2013 by Gael Hédou with the aim of developing new treatments for diseases with high unmet needs.[3] The company today considers itself the successor to Mondobiotech, which was founded in 2000 by Fabio Cavalli and Dorian Bevec.[4] Mondobiotech began research into Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a naturally occurring substance in humans that was first identified in the 1970s. They were granted US and European patents for a synthetic version of VIP known as aviptadil in 2006.[5]

On June 23, 2013, Mondobiotech merged with Italian pharmaceutical company Pierrel Research International to form a new Contract research organization known as Therametrics. On July 14, 2016, Therametrics merged with Relief Therapeutics to form Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG, which inherited all patents related to aviptadil.[6]

COVID-19 research

Aviptadil

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists at Relief conducted initial studies into the efficacy of RLF-100 in treating severe COVID-19 patients. In June 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast-track designation to RLF-100 for treatment of respiratory distress in COVID-19.[7][8] In September 2020, Relief partnered with US-Israeli firm NRX Pharmaceuticals (formerly NeuroRx Inc) for the co-development of the drug and the co-ordination of US trials.[9] In April 2021, a reformulated version of aviptadil, known as Zyesami, was included in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Phase 3 trial with the aim of testing aviptadil against remdesivir.[10] In May 2021, NRX submitted a request for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the US FDA for aviptadil's use in patients in intensive care.[11][12] On 7 October 2021 Relief Therapeutics filed a lawsuit against NRX Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Dr. Jonathan Javitt in the Supreme Court of the State of New York,[13] citing multiple alleged breaches of the collaboration agreement signed by the two companies for the co-development of aviptadil.[14]

On 4 November 2021 the FDA declined EUA for the drug, but committed to working with NRX to further develop it.[15] On 29 November 2021, NRX announced that data analysis from the NIH-sponsored Phase 3 trial showed a fourfold increase in survival at 60 days for patients administered with Zyesami (Aviptadil) vs those who received placebo.[16]

Sentinox

On 27 October 2021, Applied Pharma Research (APR), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Relief, announced positive interim data from its clinical trial of Sentinox, a nasal spray aimed at reducing the viral load of patients with COVID-19, in-turn reducing the transmissibility of the virus.[17]

Other research

In October 2021, Relief announced that its collaboration partner, Texas-based Acer Therapeutics, had successfully filed for a New Drug Application with US FDA for their drug ACER-001, for the treatment of Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs) and Maple syrup urine disease.[18]

In September 2021, APR launched a chewable tablet for the treatment of Phenylketonuria, called PKU GOLIKE KRUNCH, in Germany and Italy.[19] APR are also developing Nexodyn, a drug which aids in the management of hard-to-heal ulcers requiring long periods of treatment.[20]

Relief is actively developing RLF-100 for non-COVID-19 related acute and chronic lung diseases, such as Pulmonary sarcoidosis.[21]

Acquisitions
  • In July 2016, Relief acquired FirstString Research, a clinical-stage biotech firm based in Charleston, South Carolina, US.[22]
  • In January 2021, Relief acquired German-based firm AdVita in a €25 million agreement to further their research into inhaled treatments for Acute respiratory distress syndrome.[23]
  • In May 2021, Relief acquired Swiss biotech firm Applied Pharma Research (APR), including its existing portfolio and all pipeline products, for CHF 72 million ($79 million).[24]

References
  1. "Company, About Us". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. "Share Details - Relief Therapeutics". SIX Swiss Exchange. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. "Relief Therapeutics Announces In-Licensing Agreement to Develop and Commercialize Atexakin Alfa For the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathies". businesswire.com. September 7, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  4. "Mondobiotech". Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  5. "655857/2021 - New York County Supreme Court". New York Supreme Court. October 7, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  6. "THERAMetrics holding AG announces today that it expects its business combination with Relief Therapeutics SA (Relief) to be completed by mid-July 2016". Relief Therapeutics. June 28, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  7. "Critically ill COVID-19 patients make quick recovery with treatment RLF-100". New York Post. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  8. "Intravenous Aviptadil for Critical COVID-19 With Respiratory Failure (COVID-AIV)". US National Library of Medicine. March 17, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  9. Grundlehner, Werner (22 September 2020). "Schweiz: Relief Therapeutics ist wertvollstes Biotech-Unternehmen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. "Clinical trial of therapeutics for severely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients begins". National Institutes of Health. April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  11. NeuroRx. "NeuroRx submits request for Emergency Use Authorization for RLF-100™ (aviptadil) in the treatment of patients with Critical COVID-19 and Respiratory Failure who have exhausted approved therapy". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  12. "Inhaled Aviptadil for the Prevention of COVID-19 Related ARDS". US National Library of Medicine. September 2, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  13. Boyadjian, Rupen (12 October 2021). "Reliefs Streit wird schmutzig". Finanz und Wirtschaft (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  14. "Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)". Yahoo Finance. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  15. "US Food and Drug Administration Declines Emergency Use Authorization for ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) for Patients with Critical COVID-19 with Respiratory Failure". presswire.com. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  16. "NRx Pharmaceuticals Identifies Significantly Higher Likelihood of Surviving and Recovering from Critical COVID-19 in ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) Treated Patients Previously Administered Remdesivir". Yahoo Finance. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  17. "Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)". Yahoo Finance. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  18. "Acer Therapeutics and Relief Therapeutics Announce FDA Acceptance For Filing of New Drug Application For ACER-001 To Treat Urea Cycle Disorders". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  19. "Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Launches PKU GOLIKE® KRUNCH in Germany and Italy". Relief Therapeutics. September 9, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  20. "Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Reports Positive Interim Data from Its Clinical Trial of Novel Nasal Spray Sentinox in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients". Relief Therapeutics. October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  21. "Relief Therapeutics - Pipeline". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  22. "Relief Therapeutics to acquire FirstString Research". thepharmaletter.com. July 29, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  23. "Relief Therapeutics takes over AdVita". Finanz und Wirtschaft. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  24. "Relief and Applied Pharma Research (APR) Sign Binding Term Sheet for Relief to Acquire All Outstanding Shares of APR". Biospace. May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
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