NovImmune SA announced that the European Commission has awarded a 6 million Euros FP7 grant to the "FIGHT HLH" consortium of institutions to support clinical testing of NovImmune's anti-interferon gamma drug candidate, NI-0501.
“We are thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with NovImmune to advance NI-0501 into clinical development as the evidence is compelling that interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is a primary driver of the disease and dramatic results in preclinical models have been demonstrated.”
Lead by NovImmune, the FIGHT HLH Consortium includes leading institutions working to combat the impact of HLH, an orphan disease, on patients and their families. It includes Meyer University Children Hospital in Florence, Pediatric Hospital Bambino Gesù in Rome and Lonza Biologics Plc.
Cristina de Min, NovImmune Chief Medical Officer, noted, "Thanks to the excellent collaborative work of the FIGHT HLH Consortium members and support from the European Commission, we are poised to commence clinical study of NI-0501 in HLH patients. The program is designed to give a clear readout on the ability of the drug to affect disease course and benefit these high-need patients."
The Principal Investigator of the first clinical trial of the FIGHT HLH program, Prof. Maurizio Aricò, commented, "We are thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with NovImmune to advance NI-0501 into clinical development as the evidence is compelling that interferon-gamma (IFNγ) is a primary driver of the disease and dramatic results in preclinical models have been demonstrated." The development program for NI-0501 in HLH has been designed with the participation of key experts in both Europe and the USA.
"NovImmune is delighted to have been selected by the European Commission for such a prestigious grant, as NI-0501 holds the potential to become the first approved and targeted therapy to fight HLH," noted Jack Barbut, CEO of NovImmune.
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