Kv1.3 Therapeutics is working with physicians, scientists, and patients to develop our novel platform of drugs for the treatment of rare autoimmune diseases. Our drugs are optimized versions of a peptide originally isolated from the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus. These compounds potently and specifically target the Kv1.3 potassium channel that is critical to the function of autoreactive immune cells, such as effector memory T cells (TEM). These T cells are centrally involved in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.
Inhibition of the Kv1.3 channels on these T cells has become an important strategy for the treatment of autoimmune disorders. Kv1.3 is upregulated and present in diseased tissue from patients with a variety of autoimmune diseases including myositis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. We see that in patients with active autoimmune disease they have increased numbers of TEM cells that express proinflammatory molecules that contribute to the disease. This suggests that by blocking the Kv1.3 channel, we should be able to intervene in the inflammatory process and reverse the underlying disease.
We are attempting to leverage this state of the art science to create novel medicines for serious and sometimes untreatable diseases with an initial focus on Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM). We are focused on developing drugs for rare diseases with poor treatment options. Beyond IBM, our platform of Kv1.3 inhibitors has potential application across a broad number of autoimmune diseases.
