New Mechanism for Asthma and COPD Treatment Revealed

The discovery of the eoxins and their characteristics has paved the way for a new class of pharmaceuticals for treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), states to a new study.

Researchers at Orexo (Uppsala, Sweden) described the scientific rationale behind the development program on eoxin inhibitors (a new group of inflammatory mediators), which add to the understanding of the mechanisms for airway inflammation, including how the eoxins are synthesized, their molecular structure, and their biological effects. The Orexo eoxin inhibitor program (OX-2477) is aiming for an oral, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, with potential to replace or reduce the need for inhaled corticosteroids in asthma and COPD; a first candidate drug is currently undergoing pre-clinical safety studies to enable commencement of clinical phase I studies during 2008. Eoxins were discovered by professors Hans-Erik Claesson and Magnus Björkholm of the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden). The article was published online on January 9, 2008, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) early edition.

"The publishing of our eoxin research is an important acknowledgement of the discovery of eoxins and their role for respiratory diseases,” said Charlotte Edenius, vice president of research and preclinical development and chief scientific officer at Orexo. "We will now initiate discussions regarding strategic research partnerships in this area and thus strengthen the future growth possibilities for Orexo.”

Eoxins are produced from the endogenous fatty acid arachidonic acid, via the initial action of the enzyme 15-lipoxygenase. Inflammatory cells in the respiratory tract are the main producers of eoxins, and the production is initiated by inflammatory mediators released in connection with allergy and asthma. These data, together with the powerful pro-inflammatory effects demonstrated for the eoxins, indicate an important role for eoxins in the inflammation seen in connection with asthma and COPD.


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Karolinska Institutet