Inflammatory Diseases

Diseases characterised by the presence of undesirable inflammation contribute significant loss of life expectancy and well-being to a vast number of humans. These diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, asthma, colitis, multiple sclerosis, and systemic lupus erythematosus. Even diseases such as juvenile diabetes, atherosclerosis, and hypothyroidism have an inflammatory basis. 

Treatment of inflammatory diseases in the past has been non-specific, based on broad-spectrum immunosuppressant drugs such as corticosteroids. Though beneficial, these drugs have universal side effects, which limit their use. 

Recently, advances in science have identified ways to specifically block molecular targets in inflammation. The most successful of these approaches has been to block the molecule TNF alpha, a hormone-like molecule that signals information from one cell to other cells in the body. Such molecules are collectively known as cytokines. Cytokines like TNF play an essential role in normal immunity, but in some disease situations their levels are elevated and they exert deleterious effects on cell function and hence the well being of the individual. In disease situations such as colitis and rheumatoid arthritis, blockade of TNF has been associated with considerable benefit in patients. This approach has validated the potential of specific anti-cytokine targeted therapies.  

Despite these successes, currently available anti-TNF treatments are ineffective in approximately half of the patients and in most cases are administered with other drugs. They must be given by injection, and are often associated with adverse injection site reactions as well as inconvenience, and can be very costly, potentially limiting their availability to many patients.  

There is a need, therefore, for therapies which can block the effects of other cytokines, and which can be given orally rather than injection. Cortical's mission is to develop therapies to meet this need, by developing small molecule antagonists of the cytokine MIF.