Oak Hill Bio Sponsors Industry Symposium at International Conference on Clinical Neonatology
The presentation highlights the potential of OHB-607 to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia in extremely preterm neonates
OXFORD, UK and CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 25, 2022 — Oak Hill Bio (“Oak Hill”), a clinical-stage neonatology and rare disease therapeutics company developing life-changing medicines for extremely preterm infants and patients suffering from rare autoimmune diseases, today announced that the Company sponsored a symposium at the 10th Annual International Conference on Clinical Neonatology that took place from May 21-23, 2022 in Turin, Italy. The conference session highlighted potential indications for OHB-607, the Company’s proprietary, recombinant human version of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and its main binding protein, IGFBP-3.
The symposium was moderated by Victoria Niklas, M.A., M.D., Chief Medical Officer of Oak Hill, and her colleague, Paolo Manzoni, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Neonatology and Pediatrics and Head of the Department of Maternal-Infant Medicine at the University of Turin School of Medicine in Turin, Italy, and the conference organizer.
The session titled “Fetal Growth, Metabolism, and Angiogenesis: Exploring the Critical Impact on Pulmonary and Neurological Outcomes after Extremely Preterm Birth” was presented by guest speakers Steven H. Abman, M.D., Director of the Pediatric Heart Lung Center at the University of Colorado, Denver and Boris W. Kramer, M.D., Ph.D., from Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Professor Kramer discussed the pathophysiology of dysmaturational organ development after preterm birth and its impact on stem cell populations in extremely premature infants' short and long-term health. He explored IGF-1 and its role across multiple organs, including the lung and brain. The biology of IGF-1 and its importance in diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and poor long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes were highlighted.
“After birth, the preterm baby is no longer supplied by the placenta with IGF-1. We believe that this contributes to the development of multiple complications of prematurity. OHB-607 allows us to test whether replacing this missing IGF-1 in extremely preterm infants helps to reduce these complications,” summarized Dr. Kramer.
Professor Abman examined the growing body of evidence demonstrating the critical role of perinatal events with subsequent risks for chronic lung disease and pulmonary vascular disease in preterm infants with a history of BPD. He presented evidence of the modulatory role of restoring IGF-1 signaling and the reduction in the severity of BPD, highlighting the potential role of IGF-1 therapy in improving cardiorespiratory outcomes in these infants.
“Clinical data with Oak Hill’s compound and further pilot studies support that early treatment with IGF-1 in extremely preterm babies may reduce the severity of BPD and the longer-term respiratory outcomes these infants suffer,” noted Dr. Abman.
“We were delighted to host this important session on the potential of IGF-1 replacement therapy to improve the cardiorespiratory and neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely premature babies before an audience of the world’s leading neonatologists,” stated Dr. Niklas. “Mothers are the primary source of IGF-1 for the developing fetus, with the fetus producing very little of its own until reaching 30 weeks of gestational age. At birth, extremely premature infants born at less than 28 weeks of gestational age have low levels of IGF-1, which are associated with greater complication rates. A replacement strategy of IGF-1 in these infants is a standard approach to factor deficiencies.”
“We are excited to advance plans for our Phase 2b study of OHB-607 later this year. We believe OHB-607 has the potential to be the first breakthrough in 30 years for preventing complications of prematurity in extremely premature babies,” concluded Dr. Niklas.
“Dr. Niklas’ session highlighted that drug development to replace placental function is sorely needed. Every year, hundreds of thousands of infants worldwide are born extremely premature and, as a result, suffer from severe lung, brain, and eye complications that hinder their long-term development and quality of life. While prenatal steroids, surfactants, ventilators, and improved resuscitation protocols have increased the survival rate of premature infants, there has been little progress in protecting their immature organs from the trauma of life-saving measures at birth, including supplemental oxygen and breathing machines. My colleagues and I are committed to bringing therapeutic innovation to this area of high unmet medical need for infants born extremely premature,” commented Tauhid Ali, Ph.D., Oak Hill Bio’s Chief Executive Officer.
About Oak Hill Bio
Oak Hill Bio is a clinical-stage neonatology and rare disease therapeutics company developing life-changing medicines for extremely preterm infants and patients suffering from rare autoimmune diseases. The company, which has operations in the United States and the United Kingdom, was launched to develop a pipeline of six promising clinical-stage and preclinical investigational therapeutics acquired and licensed from Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (“Takeda”). For more information on Oak Hill Bio, visit the company’s website at www.oakhillbio.com.
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