Swiss start-up company Relief Therapeutics has entered an in-licensing agreement from Merck Serono to secure exclusive rights to develop and commercialise atexakin alfa, a human recombinant version of interleukin-6.

In preclinical studies, atexakin alfa has been shown to induce the re-growth of nerves and re-establish normal nerve conduction and sensory perception in various relevant animal models of neuropathies.

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Initially discovered at the Weizmann institute (IL), atexakin alfa was first tested as a potential treatment for thrombocytopenia in chemotherapy-treated cancer patients, allowing the delineation of its safety and pharmacodynamic profiles.

“This agreement constitutes a great opportunity to develop the first disease modifying treatment that has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of neuropathies to patients, care givers and society.”

As part of the deal, Relief Therapeutics will be responsible for development of atexakin alfa to treat neuropathies.

Based on positive preclinical, toxicological and clinical data, Relief will engage in clinical development to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of atexakin alfa in diabetic patients suffering from neuropathy.

The company noted that atexakin alfa has the potential of relieving pain, as well as non-pain symptoms associated with neuropathies by restoring normal innervation in the periphery.

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Relief Therapeutics co-founder Dr Gael Hédou said: “This agreement constitutes a great opportunity to develop the first disease modifying treatment that has the potential to significantly reduce the burden of neuropathies to patients, care givers and society.”

Peripheral neuropathies are a group of conditions characterised by degeneration of peripheral motor, sensory, or autonomic nerves, which causes a wide variety of symptoms and signs ranging from intractable pain, numbness and tingling to potentially impairment of strength, balance and coordination.

Neuropathies develop as a result of toxic, inflammatory, infectious, genetic, neoplastic, and metabolic diseases.