CARY, N.C. and BASEL, Switzerland, Oct. 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Altavant Sciences, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on patient-centric drug development in rare respiratory diseases, announced that its scientific team will be presenting preclinical safety, pharmacokinetic and biomarker pharmacodynamic data at the American College of Chest Physicians' annual CHEST 2019 meeting being held October 19 - 23 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The CHEST poster, titled "Once Daily Oral Dosing of Rodatristat Ethyl (RVT-1201) Achieves Reductions in Serotonin Biosynthesis Comparable to those Associated with Reversal of Vascular Remodeling in PAH Animal Models," will provide mechanistic preclinical pharmacodynamic and Phase 1 data that demonstrate administration of either once- or twice-daily rodatristat ethyl resulted in a similar reduction in serotonin biosynthesis, which was consistent with nonclinical efficacy. This abstract was selected by CHEST as a poster to be given as a short oral presentation, which will take place on October 22, 2019 at 1:00pm CDT in Poster Area 5 in the Exhibit Hall of Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.
Rodatristat ethyl is a tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) inhibitor designed to reduce the body's peripheral production of serotonin. A significant body of scientific evidence supports dysregulated peripheral serotonin production as a trigger of aberrant proliferation and constriction of the smooth muscle cells in the wall of the pulmonary arteries, causing them to restrict blood flow in PAH. By lowering peripheral biosynthesis, it is believed that rodatristat ethyl may halt or reverse the pathology of diseases such as PAH, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and sarcoidosis that are driven by aberrant serotonin signaling. Altavant is currently testing this mechanism of action in the ELEVATE 1 proof-of-concept Phase 2a study of rodatristat ethyl in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
About Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, progressive disorder characterized by vasoconstriction, cellular proliferation and remodeling in the small pulmonary arteries. These changes lead to high arterial pressure, right heart strain, and ultimately, right heart failure and death. Although there are approved treatments used for PAH, they mainly help alleviate symptoms, primarily via vasodilation, and none reverse the disease process. Long-term survival rates for PAH are poor, with less than 40 percent survival at five years for high-risk patients.
About Altavant Sciences
Altavant Sciences is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on elevating patient-centric drug development in rare respiratory diseases with an initial focus on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Altavant's lead candidate, rodatristat ethyl, is a tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) Inhibitor that reduces the body's peripheral production of serotonin, thereby lowering circulating serotonin levels in diseases where excessive production of the hormone has been implicated in pathogenesis - including PAH, certain types of cancer, GI disorders, fibrosis and inflammation. Rodatristat ethyl is currently being investigated in the ELEVATE 1 Phase 2a study in patients with PAH. For more information, please visit www.altavant.com.
About Roivant Pharma
Roivant Pharma is the biopharmaceutical business unit of Roivant Sciences. Roivant Pharma is focused on end-to-end biopharmaceutical company creation, launch, and oversight. Roivant Pharma companies include Altavant, Aruvant, Axovant, Dermavant, Enzyvant, Genevant, Immunovant, Metavant, Myovant, Respivant, Urovant, and Arbutus.
About Roivant Sciences
Roivant aims to improve health by rapidly delivering innovative medicines and technologies to patients. Roivant does this by building Vants – nimble, entrepreneurial biotech and healthcare technology companies with a unique approach to sourcing talent, aligning incentives, and deploying technology to drive greater efficiency in R&D and commercialization. For more information, please visit www.roivant.com.
Contact:
Chelcie Lister THRUST Strategic Communications
chelcie@thrustsc.com
SOURCE Altavant Sciences
