Liver Treatment Drug Also Usable for Lungs? Hanmi's 'Labstreeple' Attempts to Expand to Pulmonary Fibrosis

Hanmi Pharmaceutical has officially begun reviewing the expansion of indications for its triple agonist 'LAPSTriple agonist (epocipaglutide)', which is being developed as a treatment for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), to include pulmonary disease treatment.

[Photo by Hanmi Pharmaceutical]

Hanmi Pharmaceutical announced on the 24th that it presented research results on the potential development of LAPSTriple agonist as a treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in a poster session at the American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference 2023, held from the 19th to 24th (local time) in Washington DC, USA.

The LAPSTriple agonist is a triple-action biopharmaceutical that simultaneously activates glucagon, which increases energy metabolism in the body; glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, which helps insulin secretion and appetite suppression; and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which promote insulin secretion and have anti-inflammatory effects. Currently, the NASH treatment is undergoing global Phase 2 clinical trials, and in addition, the company is exploring the possibility of expanding indications to include IPF as well as primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Previously, these indications were granted orphan drug designation (ODD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

IPF is a rare disease characterized by progressive fibrosis that causes lung tissue to gradually harden, leading to decreased lung function. To date, no clear cause of onset has been definitively proven, and existing treatments have limited efficacy, mainly alleviating symptoms, making it a disease with high unmet medical needs similar to NASH.

The research results presented at ATS evaluated the efficacy of LAPSTriple agonist in an IPF model. It was confirmed that repeated administration increased blood oxygen saturation and significantly improved fibrosis markers. Additionally, it was reported that this inhibition of fibrosis progression and improvement in lung function reduced mortality associated with disease progression in animal models. Dr. Jung-A Kim, who presented this research, stated, “It is meaningful that we have secured data supporting the potential to develop this drug not only as a NASH treatment but also as a treatment for IPF.”

A Hanmi Pharmaceutical official said, “LAPSTriple agonist continues to expand its meaningful potential across various indications,” adding, “We will do our best to develop and commercialize LAPSTriple agonist to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from rare diseases.”