Indazole compounds acting as microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) inhibitors have been described in a recent Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. patent as potentially useful for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, psoriasis, arthritis, bacterial infection, systemic lupus erythematosus, pancreatitis, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among others.
With a potentially pivotal trial of its Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) candidate CAP-1002 starting up, Capricor Therapeutics Inc. has tapped Nippon Shinyaku Co. Ltd. subsidiary NS Pharma Inc. to sell and distribute the cell therapy, pending U.S. FDA approval. The deal brings Capricor $30 million up front to fund the phase III trial, while also lining it up for as much as $705 million in milestone payments from its Japanese partner, which launched its own DMD therapy, Viltepso (viltolarsen), in the U.S. in 2020. Capricor shares (NASADQ:CAPR) rose 21.6% to $3.44 Jan. 25.
