Oscotec announced on the 23rd that it will present animal-model proof-of-concept (PoC) results for a new drug candidate series, the OCT-648 program, at the World Congress of Nephrology (WCN). The conference is scheduled to begin on the 28th in Yokohama, Japan. The OCT-648 program is specifically designed to suppress renal fibrosis, a key driver of chronic kidney disease.
OCT-648 targets NUAK1, an enzyme closely implicated in the development of renal fibrosis. The drug is intended to suppress early fibrotic responses by blocking pro-fibrotic gene signaling. By inhibiting NUAK1, the treatment is expected to modulate renal-fibrosis signaling pathways, effectively limiting the progression of the condition.
In preclinical studies, the NUAK1 inhibitor demonstrated consistent anti-fibrotic effects, including a reduction in fibrotic areas, the suppression of fibroblast activation, and decreased collagen accumulation. Furthermore, fibrosis markers decreased in a dose-dependent manner, indicating a stable pharmacological effect. These findings suggest that a NUAK1 inhibitor could potentially be developed as a broadly applicable therapy across the diverse etiologies of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
"Oscotec’s NUAK1 inhibitor has a mechanistic advantage in that, by blocking early fibrosis pathways, it could be applicable to patients with renal failure regardless of the stage or cause of their kidney disease," said Dr. Taeyoung Yoon, CEO of Oscotec. "It is a candidate compound with a safety profile suitable for the long-term development of chronic disease therapies."
