BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

Dual attack in IPF

How Galecto expects galectin-3 inhibitor to improve efficacy, safety in IPF

October 13, 2014 7:00 AM UTC

Galecto Biotech AB is betting that the dual effect of galectin-3 inhibition on both the fibroblast and macrophage pathologies of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can provide greater efficacy, and potentially better safety, than therapies that target fibroblasts alone. Galecto now has to show that its promising mechanistic data translate into efficacy in a Phase I/IIa trial that started last week.

IPF is a progressive disease that manifests in irreversible scarring of the lungs, with a median survival of three to five years. The primary disease-causing cells, fibroblasts and myofibroblasts, are activated by growth factors, such as transforming growth factor (TGF) beta 1, following inflammatory damage to the lungs that is mediated by macrophages. ...