Ember Therapeutics Announce Initial Positive Results From a Phase 2 Trial of BMP-7 in Patients with Moderate Osteoarthritis of the Knee
NEW YORK, Oct. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Ember Therapeutics, Inc., a privately held, New York-based biopharmaceutical company that is developing targeted therapies for osteoarthritis, kidney fibrosis, and other indications using Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP)-7, announced today initial results from the Phase II(a) trial of local BMP-7 administration in patients with moderate osteoarthritis of the knee. The company said that an initial analysis of 78 of the 320 total patients enrolled in the Phase 2 trial provided evidence that even a single local dose of BMP-7 could prevent cartilage loss and had potential anabolic effects.
Joseph Hernandez, the Company’s Executive Chairman, said, “The initial results are very encouraging. We expect to observe a similar trend when analyzing the remainder of the Phase 2 data. Importantly, these clinical results represent a potential major advance for the entire osteoarthritis community. BMP-7 is expected to have a profound impact in the osteoarthritis field, where the only treatment options are pain relievers or knee replacement therapy. This therapy is expected to alter the course of the disease. Something that does not exist today.”
The company is currently raising money and seeking partners for a Phase 3 pivotal trial.
About Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 (BMP-7)
BMPs are a group of growth factors also known as cytokines and as metabologens. Originally discovered by their ability to induce the formation of bone and cartilage, BMPs are now considered to constitute a group of pivotal morphogenetic signals, orchestrating tissue architecture throughout the body. For example, previous studies have demonstrated that BMP-7 can facilitate effective joint cartilage formation, inhibit and reverse organ fibrosis in the kidney, heart, and lung due to injury or disease, and diabetic diseases related to glucose metabolism.
About Ember Therapeutics, Inc.
Ember Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company whose primary focus is on utilizing Bone Morphogenetic Protein-7 to catalyze cartilage regeneration for disease modification of Osteoarthritis (OA) and the inhibition and reversal of organ fibrosis in diseases such as Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Alport Syndrome. In particular, Ember has acquired over 450 patents covering BMP-7 and its related family of BMPs, variants, novel formulations, delivery technologies, associated clinical data, and cGMP manufactured material from Stryker Corporation. For more information, please visit www.embertx.com.
