Investor Centre

FRENCHS FOREST, Australia and INGELHEIM, Germany – May 18, 2015 – Boehringer Ingelheim and pharmaceutical company Pharmaxis (ASX: PXS) announce that Boehringer Ingelheim has exercised its option and acquired  the investigational drug PXS4728A, to develop it for the treatment of the liver-related condition NASH and to prevent its consequences. PXS4728A is a Semicarbazide-Sensitive Amine Oxidase/Vascular Adhesion Protein-1 (SSAO/VAP-1) Inhibitor discovered by Pharmaxis that works by blocking leucocyte adhesion and tissue infiltration in inflammatory processes. Pharmaxis has developed it through to phase 1 clinical studies, demonstrating oral bioavailability, long-lasting target inhibition and good tolerability and safety. 

NASH is the progressive form of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common liver disorder in Western industrialized nations.  It is regarded as a major cause of fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver and is an area of high unmet clinical need. The high prevalence of type 2 diabetes and obesity, which can lead to NASH and its long term consequences, is considered to make NASH one of the most common causes of advanced liver disorders in coming decades.