Accurate model, holding the key to unlocking the treatment of autoimmune diseases

Autoimmune diseases are a general term for a group of diseases, including more than 100 common and rare diseases, which can affect many organs of the human body such as brain, heart, nerves, bones, intestines, skin and so on. At present, the medical needs of autoimmune diseases at home and abroad are far from being met. For Chinese market alone, in 2020, the number of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and ulcerative colitis in China reached 5.96 million, 1.04 million and 430,000 respectively.

With the deepening of research, more and more inflammatory factors and their signaling pathways have been discovered, which involve a variety of different diseases and may become the key to unlock the door to cure autoimmune diseases. JAKs (Janus Kinases) have been found to be necessary signal transduction mediators for many downstream inflammatory cytokines.  JAKs are a series of non-receptor tyrosine kinases, including JAK1, JAK2, TYK2 and JAK3. Ligand-induced receptor aggregation activates JAKs, and the activated JAKs can phosphorylate the receptor, which in turn activates another STAT protein. JAKs and STATs are important components of many cytokine receptor systems and are an intracellular signal transduction pathway closely related to inflammatory cytokines.

In many autoimmune diseases, interleukin-6 (IL-6) is closely related to the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, and its signal transduction is mediated through the JAK/STAT pathway. Monoclonal antibodies targeting IL-6 have achieved good results in the clinical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, confirming the importance of JAK-dependent cytokines in immune pathogenesis.

Facing such a large patient group and unmet medical needs, Medicilon, like its medical peers, is also moving forward to overcome various autoimmune diseases, and is committed to developing safer and more effective treatments, bringing hope to millions of disease-afflicted patients. Only in 2021, Medicilon help to develop and successfully advance clinical trials of 11 autoimmune disease drug and therapy projects. Its indications include IBD (intestinal autoimmune disease), rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis disease, atopic dermatitis, etc.

We have constructed a variety of mature animal models of autoimmune diseases, which can comprehensively reflect and evaluate the pathological and pharmacodynamic characteristics of various diseases, especially experienced of the pharmacodynamic evaluation ofcurrent popular JAKs inhibitors.

About Medicilon

Since the founding of our company in 2004, Medicilon (Stock Code: 688202.SH) has grown into one of the professional drug discovery contract research organizations (CRO) in China.  Over the years, Medicilon keeps improving their services in biotechnology and pharmaceutical research.  Their services now span across medicinal chemistry, process chemistry, in vitro and in vivo DMPK, preclinical development and bioanalytical support.  Medicilon grows together with the clients and delivers the new drug research and development services to more than 900 clients globally.  Medicilon is proud to contribute to human health in the globe.