Innovate Biopharmaceuticals Announces Positive Effect of Larazotide Acetate on reducing Intestinal Permeability

Innovate Biopharmaceuticals (Nasdaq:INNT), a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on developing novel therapeutics for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, announced today a potential expanded use for its lead agent, larazotide acetate, with topline preclinical data demonstrating proof-of-concept in an established model of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

As quoted in the press release:

In the study, researchers assessed the effects of larazotide in a preclinical model of NASH that develops from consumption of a specified diet, the DIAMOND^TM mouse model.  The preclinical model recapitulates NAFLD/NASH in response to a high fat, high sugar Western diet, including insulin resistance, obesity, and dyslipidemia, which parallels human disease progression, including histopathology.  Researchers aimed to assess the effects of multiple doses of larazotide on various markers of NASH.  In addition, researchers sought to gauge the effects of larazotide on gut integrity, using a highly specific technique measuring epithelial barrier normalization and intestinal permeability.  This measure demonstrated with statistically high significance that larazotide at the doses tested had a clear benefit in reducing gut barrier permeability, a known pathological abnormality in chronic liver diseases, specifically NASH.  Agents which may prevent this “leaky” barrier to worsen through the progression of NASH are thought to provide a potential advantage in treating this disease.  Innovate plans to submit the complete NASH preclinical results for publication at a major upcoming conference/in 2019.

Click here to read the full press release.