ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. (“ReAlta”) a clinical stage, rare disease company addressing life-threatening diseases through harnessing the power of the immune system, announces its support of Hope for HIE, a global patient advocacy organization, as a platinum-level Partner in Hope, during April’s HIE Awareness month.
HIE, or hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, is a type of brain injury that impacts babies around the time of birth and can lead to lifelong disabilities and even death. HIE impacts roughly 2-3 per 1,000 live births, primarily full-term babies, and can lead to devastating diagnoses such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and learning and attention difficulties for those who survive. The therapeutic gap for HIE is significant, with only one current standard treatment available, therapeutic hypothermia. There are several adjunctive therapies in development.
ReAlta Life Sciences has been developing a novel therapeutic that is expected to begin Phase 2 human clinical trials in 2022 with their lead compound, RLS-0071, which has been designated an Orphan Drug for the treatment of HIE by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. Partnering with Hope for HIE enables ReAlta to include the patient and family perspective in the study design and core outcome measures in the process. A continuum of patient and family-centered care and involvement is expected to lead to more meaningful engagement and, potentially, improved outcomes.
“We are grateful to have ReAlta’s support through this partnership, for not only the support of our organization and families, but for ensuring the study design and core outcome measures aligned with what are most important to the HIE community,” stated Betsy Pilon, Executive Director of Hope for HIE. “Their commitment through this development is one we can only hope others take on, as therapeutic options continue to be limited.”.
Ulrich Thienel, Chief Executive Officer of ReAlta stated, “Hope for HIE’s mission captures why we are working to fill the therapeutic gaps that exist for the HIE community. We are excited and hopeful that our work together will be transformative for those that are impacted most by HIE and look forward to continuing this partnership.”
The Partner in Hope program is a way for corporate philanthropy and sponsorships to make meaningful contributions to programming at Hope for HIE. As a platinum level partner, ReAlta is sponsoring the development of educational resources that will help Hope for HIE’s community better understand the impacts of HIE in childhood development. In addition, it provides an opportunity for patient and family voices to help guide the development of ReAlta’s novel therapeutic for the treatment of neonatal Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy in order to provide the most meaningful benefit to these children and families.
As a part of HIE Awareness Month, ReAlta will be sharing more details about their strategy and plans for the trials during an online Q&A Thursday, April 28 at 4:30 pm that will be livestreamed on LinkedIn.
About ReAlta
ReAlta Life Sciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage, rare disease biotech company dedicated to harnessing the power of the immune system to address life threatening diseases. The Company’s EPICC peptides are based on research into the human astrovirus HAstV-1, which causes a non-inflammatory, self-limiting gastroenteritis unique among viruses by inhibiting components of the innate immune system. ReAlta’s therapeutic peptides leverage these virus-derived mechanisms to rebalance complement and inflammatory processes in the body. The company’s pipeline is led by RLS-0071, which has received IND clearance, and Orphan Drug Designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency for the treatment of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) in neonates. The company launched in 2018 and is located in Norfolk, Virginia.
For more information, please visit www.realtalifesciences.com.
To learn more about the Partners in Hope program, contact David Ford.
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