GR inflammation
Thanks to its powerful anti-inflammatory effects, glucocorticoids, which include cortisone-like drugs, have many uses. Adverse side effects, on for example metabolism and bone, have restricted their use. The separation of the beneficial effects from the other side effects of glucocorticoids has long been regarded as medically important but at the same time hard to achieve. To achieve this would be a real breakthrough in the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
The project aims to design novel compounds that affect glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in a selective manner, in order to create new drugs with equally powerful anti-inflammatory properties as conventional glucocorticoid steroids, but with significantly reduced side effects and thereby the potential for broader use.
Karo Bio has a new unique approach which makes it is possible to develop a completely new type of selective glucocorticoids with potential for a much better side effect profile than existing compounds. Preclinical evaluation is underway to identify the substances which are most suitable for further development as drug candidates.
For four years up until 2012, the project was conducted in collaboration with the Indian pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila. Both parties stood for their own costs of the project and share any profits.
