BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Therapeutics

Gastrointestinal

August 16, 2018 4:05 PM UTC

Mouse studies suggest inhibiting JAK-1 and JAK-2, RAG2 or IL-6 could help treat Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, which involves the formation of benign gastrointestinal polyps. In a mouse model of the disease, systemic knockout of RAG2 or IL-6 decreased GI polyp size compared with normal RAG2 and IL-6 expression. Also in the model, a dual JAK-1/JAK-2 inhibitor tool compound decreased polyp size compared with vehicle. Next steps could include testing other dual JAK-1/JAK-2 inhibitors or IL-6 inhibitors in mouse models of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome.

Incyte Corp. markets the JAK-1/JAK-2 inhibitor Jakavi ruxolitinib for myeloproliferative disorder and has the compound in Phase III testing for graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Incyte also markets the JAK-1/JAK-2 inhibitor Olumiant baricitinib for rheumatoid arthritis and has the compound in Phase III testing for dermatitis...