The Potential of SGX942 in OM
Dr. Sonis pointed out it appears that the most effective interventions for OM will be those that mitigate/prevent the activation of the initiation phase of mucositis. Once the damage occurs, it is very difficult to stop or reverse. Strategies aimed at accelerating the resolution of existing mucosal damage have fallen short.
SGX942 belongs to a new class of compounds called Innate Defense Regulators (IDRs), to treat infections and tissue damages. The SGX942 IDR platform represents a novel and innovative approach to therapeutically modulating the immune system by targeting the innate immune system and has the potential to target multiple indications.
SGX942 is the first drug to address innate immunity directly to treat OM. Innate immune responses occur immediately after radiation or chemotherapy treatment and throughout the OM cycle. SGX942 therefore has the potential to impact the important initiation phase as well as maintaining an impact throughout the disease process. SGX942 has demonstrated significant efficacy in preclinical models mimicking fractionated radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
SGX942 functions immediately downstream of key innate defense receptors, and responds to damage (including chemo-radiation) or pathogen associated triggers in the innate immune system. Since oral mucositis results from an exaggerated response of the innate immune system to radiation or chemotherapy induced damage, SGX942 mitigates this response.
SGX94 is a fully synthetic, 5-amino acid peptide with high aqueous solubility and stability. Extensive in vivo preclinical studies have shown that SGX94 reduces tissue damage associated with chemotherapy, radiation, trauma and inflammation. Although SGX94 is not directly antimicrobial, it accelerates pathogen clearance and increases host survival in a broad spectrum of bacterial infections including Gram positive and negative bacteria, and both drug sensitive and resistant strains, by directly targeting the host innate immune system.
SGX94 ameliorates tissue damage in models of chemotherapy- or radiation-induced mucositis as well as DSS-induced colitis and has shown accelerated healing in a murine model of skin infection and injury. SGX94 is not a growth factor and does not promote tumor growth or protect tumors against treatment in a breast cancer xenograft model using the MCF-7 cell line.