This technology is a class of imidazobenzodiazepine compounds that can treat asthma and other bronchoconstrictive diseases while avoiding the centrally-mediated sedative effects of conventional benzodiazepines.
\r\rAsthma and related bronchoconstrictive diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affect hundreds of millions of people, yet the only drug classes available to reverse acute airway smooth muscle constriction remain β-adrenoceptor agonists and anticholinergics. These agents can lose effectiveness with chronic use and do not address the underlying airway inflammation, while add-on biologics and oral corticosteroids carry high costs or systemic side effects. A therapy that relaxes airway smooth muscle through an independent mechanism and simultaneously reduces inflammation would benefit the large population of patients whose disease is inadequately controlled by current options.
\r\rThis technology selectively controls smooth muscle contraction and inflammation as a method to treat asthma and other bronchoconstrictive airway diseases. By using imidazobenzodiazepine compounds that are specific to a subtype of GABA(A) receptors predominantly expressed on airway smooth muscle cells, this technology can potentiate GABA-induced relaxation of contracted airway smooth muscle to treat inflammation. Chemical modifications limit blood-brain barrier penetration, so the compounds act on peripheral airway receptors while minimizing associated CNS sedation. In preclinical studies, this technology has been shown to reduce airway hyperresponsiveness and lung inflammation in a mouse model of asthma.
\r\rPatent Pending (US20260125388)
\r\rIR CU18058, CU24261
Licensing Contact: Maria Rahmany