Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a life-threatening disease characterized by lung scarring that worsens over time and makes it increasingly difficult for patients to breathe. According to DelveInsight’s report on “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – Market Insight, Epidemiology And Market Forecast – 2032” approximately 195,000 people have been diagnosed with IPF in the 7MM, i.e., the United States, EU4 countries (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain) the UK, and Japan. It is estimated that about 505 of these cases are in the United States.

While there are currently two approved drugs in the market to slow the progression of the disease, their use is restricted due to side effects and interactions with other medications. There is a pressing priority to find new treatments. Oxcia presented its poster on OXC-201, a potential breakthrough in the treatment of IPF, at the ERS in Milan on September 10, 2023. The poster was titled “Inhibition of OGG1, a new strategy in the treatment of IPF, suppressing inflammatory cascades and fibrosis” and was presented in the session “New Insights and Biomarkers in Pulmonary Fibrosis and Lung Cancer.” Amidst the many presentations on IPF, the discussion around OXC-201 is pivotal.

Oxcia’s OXC-201 is a small molecule inhibitor of OGG1, a potential breakthrough for treating IPF (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis), other fibrotic conditions, and inflammatory diseases while providing a unique mechanism of action that affects multiple signaling pathways and pathological processes associated with IPF, potentially preventing further lung damage. By targeting the DNA repair enzyme OGG1 (8-oxo guanine DNA glycosylase-1), OXC-201 inhibits OGG1 binding to DNA, thereby regulating gene transcription. OGG1 plays an important role in regulating inflammation and fibrosis. Genetic regulation or chemical inhibition of OGG1 is protective against inflammation and fibrosis in several experimental disease models. OXC-201 is patent protected, and Oxcia AB holds exclusive rights under the patent to develop and commercialize OXC-201.

The European Innovation Council (EIC) awarded Oxcia a prestigious grant for OXC-201’s continuing preclinical development during the first quarter of 2023. Additional cutting-edge tests using OXC-201 were carried out in samples of human IPF lung throughout the second quarter, enhancing its potential as a brand-new, efficient IPF treatment.

At present, it is too nascent to comment on the full-blown potential of Oxcia’s OXC-201, but with the expectations in the market, OXC-201 will prove to be a valuable addition to the existing treatment paradigm.

According to the DelveInsight report titled Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis – Market Insight, Epidemiology, and Market Forecast – 2032, the estimated market size for IPF in the United States was nearly USD 2.5 billion in 2022. The figures are expected to undergo significant changes once OXC-201 gets approved alongside the other pipeline assets for IPF.