Relief Therapeutics
TypePublic
IndustryBiopharmaceutical
Founded2013
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Key people
Raghuram Selvaraju
(Chairman)
Jack Weinstein
(Chief Financial Officer)
ProductsRLF-100
ACER-001
PKU GOLIKE
Sentinox
Nexodyn
Websiterelieftherapeutics.com

Relief Therapeutics is a Swiss biopharmaceutical company based in Geneva.[1] The company focuses on developing drugs for serious diseases with few or no existing treatment options. Its lead compound, RLF-100, is a synthetic form of a natural peptide that protects the lung. The company was incorporated as Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG (RFLB.S) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in 2016.[2]

History

Relief Therapeutics was founded in 2013 by Gael Hédou with the aim of developing new treatments for diseases with high unmet needs.[3] The company today considers itself the successor to Mondobiotech, which was founded in 2000 by Fabio Cavalli and Dorian Bevec.[4] Mondobiotech began research into Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a naturally occurring substance in humans that was first identified in the 1970s. They were granted US and European patents for a synthetic version of VIP known as aviptadil in 2006.[5]

On June 23, 2013, Mondobiotech merged with Italian pharmaceutical company Pierrel Research International to form a new Contract research organization known as Therametrics. On July 14, 2016, Therametrics merged with Relief Therapeutics to form Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG, which inherited all patents related to aviptadil.[6]

COVID-19 research

Aviptadil

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists at Relief conducted initial studies into the efficacy of RLF-100 in treating severe COVID-19 patients. In June 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast-track designation to RLF-100 for treatment of respiratory distress in COVID-19.[7][8] In September 2020, Relief partnered with US-Israeli firm NRX Pharmaceuticals (formerly NeuroRx Inc) for the co-development of the drug and the co-ordination of US trials.[9] In April 2021, a reformulated version of aviptadil, known as Zyesami, was included in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Phase 3 trial with the aim of testing aviptadil against remdesivir.[10] In May 2021, NRX submitted a request for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the US FDA for aviptadil's use in patients in intensive care.[11][12] On 7 October 2021 Relief Therapeutics filed a lawsuit against NRX Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Dr. Jonathan Javitt in the Supreme Court of the State of New York,[13] citing multiple alleged breaches of the collaboration agreement signed by the two companies for the co-development of aviptadil.[14]

On 4 November 2021 the FDA declined EUA for the drug, but committed to working with NRX to further develop it.[15] On 29 November 2021, NRX announced that data analysis from the NIH-sponsored Phase 3 trial showed a fourfold increase in survival at 60 days for patients administered with Zyesami (Aviptadil) vs those who received placebo.[16]

Sentinox

On 27 October 2021, Applied Pharma Research (APR), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Relief, announced positive interim data from its clinical trial of Sentinox, a nasal spray aimed at reducing the viral load of patients with COVID-19, in-turn reducing the transmissibility of the virus.[17]

Other research

In October 2021, Relief announced that its collaboration partner, Texas-based Acer Therapeutics, had successfully filed for a New Drug Application with US FDA for their drug ACER-001, for the treatment of Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs) and Maple syrup urine disease.[18]

In September 2021, APR launched a chewable tablet for the treatment of Phenylketonuria, called PKU GOLIKE KRUNCH, in Germany and Italy.[19] APR are also developing Nexodyn, a drug which aids in the management of hard-to-heal ulcers requiring long periods of treatment.[20]

Relief is actively developing RLF-100 for non-COVID-19 related acute and chronic lung diseases, such as Pulmonary sarcoidosis.[21]

Acquisitions

  • In July 2016, Relief acquired FirstString Research, a clinical-stage biotech firm based in Charleston, South Carolina, US.[22]
  • In January 2021, Relief acquired German-based firm AdVita in a €25 million agreement to further their research into inhaled treatments for Acute respiratory distress syndrome.[23]
  • In May 2021, Relief acquired Swiss biotech firm Applied Pharma Research (APR), including its existing portfolio and all pipeline products, for CHF 72 million ($79 million).[24]

References

  1. ↑ "Company, About Us". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Share Details - Relief Therapeutics". SIX Swiss Exchange. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics Announces In-Licensing Agreement to Develop and Commercialize Atexakin Alfa For the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathies". businesswire.com. September 7, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Mondobiotech". Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-02-29.
  5. ↑ "655857/2021 - New York County Supreme Court". New York Supreme Court. October 7, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  6. ↑ "THERAMetrics holding AG announces today that it expects its business combination with Relief Therapeutics SA (Relief) to be completed by mid-July 2016". Relief Therapeutics. June 28, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Critically ill COVID-19 patients make quick recovery with treatment RLF-100". New York Post. 2 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2020.
  8. ↑ "Intravenous Aviptadil for Critical COVID-19 With Respiratory Failure (COVID-AIV)". US National Library of Medicine. March 17, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  9. ↑ Grundlehner, Werner (22 September 2020). "Schweiz: Relief Therapeutics ist wertvollstes Biotech-Unternehmen". Neue Zürcher Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ↑ "Clinical trial of therapeutics for severely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients begins". National Institutes of Health. April 22, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  11. ↑ NeuroRx. "NeuroRx submits request for Emergency Use Authorization for RLF-100™ (aviptadil) in the treatment of patients with Critical COVID-19 and Respiratory Failure who have exhausted approved therapy". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-09-24.
  12. ↑ "Inhaled Aviptadil for the Prevention of COVID-19 Related ARDS". US National Library of Medicine. September 2, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  13. ↑ Boyadjian, Rupen (12 October 2021). "Reliefs Streit wird schmutzig". Finanz und Wirtschaft (in German). Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  14. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)". Yahoo Finance. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  15. ↑ "US Food and Drug Administration Declines Emergency Use Authorization for ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) for Patients with Critical COVID-19 with Respiratory Failure". presswire.com. November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  16. ↑ "NRx Pharmaceuticals Identifies Significantly Higher Likelihood of Surviving and Recovering from Critical COVID-19 in ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) Treated Patients Previously Administered Remdesivir". Yahoo Finance. November 29, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  17. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)". Yahoo Finance. October 7, 2021. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Acer Therapeutics and Relief Therapeutics Announce FDA Acceptance For Filing of New Drug Application For ACER-001 To Treat Urea Cycle Disorders". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Launches PKU GOLIKE® KRUNCH in Germany and Italy". Relief Therapeutics. September 9, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Reports Positive Interim Data from Its Clinical Trial of Novel Nasal Spray Sentinox in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients". Relief Therapeutics. October 27, 2021. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics - Pipeline". Relief Therapeutics. Retrieved October 13, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics to acquire FirstString Research". thepharmaletter.com. July 29, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  23. ↑ "Relief Therapeutics takes over AdVita". Finanz und Wirtschaft. January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Relief and Applied Pharma Research (APR) Sign Binding Term Sheet for Relief to Acquire All Outstanding Shares of APR". Biospace. May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
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