Benzinga | Aug 19, 2021 08:14AM EDT

Galmed Pharmaceuticals Announces Publication In "The Journal of Autoimmunity" For Its IND Ready, Amilo-5MER

Galmed Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (NASDAQ:GLMD) ("Galmed" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company for liver, metabolic and inflammatory diseases announced today the publication in The Journal of Autoimmunity for its IND ready compound, Amilo-5MER entitled: "MTADV 5-MER peptide suppresses chronic inflammations as well as autoimmune pathologies and unveils a new potential target-Serum Amyloid A."

Amilo-5MER, is a five amino acid in a specific sequence that was originally isolated from synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. This human peptide displays an efficient anti-inflammatory effect to ameliorate pathology and clinical symptoms in mouse models of RA, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). The presumed MoA by which Amilo-5MER affects chronic inflammation is binding to SAA and preventing its ability to activate immune cells for pro inflammatory cytokine secretion.

Studies have demonstrated that Amilo-5MER significantly inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-1? from SAA activated human fibroblasts, THP-1 monocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Amilo-5MER suppresses the pro-inflammatory IL-6 release from SAA-activated cells, but not from non-activated cells providing selective anti inflammatory properties.

Prof. David Naor, a winner of 2021 Kaye Prize for scientific innovation and affiliated with the Lautenberg Center of Immunology and Cancer Research, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and the inventor of Amilo-5MER commented "Serum Amyloid A (SAA) initiates and activates the cascade of events leading to chronic inflammation by stimulating release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6,IL-1? and TNF?, generating a "cytokine storm" and subsequently damage to the body tissues. Amilo-5MER, specifically binds to subunits of SAA, thereby neutralizing its pathological structure and consequently its ability to stimulate "cytokine storm", thus interfering with the inflammatory process. Challenged by the unmet needs of treating inflammatory diseases and preserving the immune surveillance of these patients, Amilo-5MER attenuates inflammation as a specific immune modulator while not interfering with acute immune response."

Allen Baharaff, Galmed co-founder and CEO commented: "I congratulate Prof. Naor for the publication of his pioneering research work on Amilo-5MER, unveiling its unique mechanism of action. Amilo-5MER demonstrated interference with SAA polymerization and aggregation which is essential for the activity of SAA. Aggregated SAA is the main cause and a bio - marker of chronic inflammation. Amilo-5MER has a unique mode of action up stream to all pro inflammatory cytokine and can potentially be a therapeutic agent in numerous SAA-associated pathologies."