Immunology

Rheumatoid Arthritis, Inflammation, Arthritis, Autoimmune Disease, Asthma
According to the National Institute of Health, autoimmune diseases are a family of more than 80 chronic, and often disabling, illnesses that develop when underlying defects in the immune system lead the body to attack its own organs, tissue and cells. While many of these diseases are rare, collectively they affect 14.7 to 23.5 million people in the United States. An estimated 43 million Americans have arthritis or other rheumatic conditions. About 20 million people have asthma in the United States, including nearly 5 million children.

LX2931 for Rheumatoid Arthritis
LX2931 is an orally-delivered small molecule compound for the potential treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. We have commenced formal preclinical development for LX2931 in preparation for the expected filing of an IND application in 2007. In preclinical studies, LX2931 reduced inflammatory response in mice and decreased lymphocyte counts in multiple species. LX2931 was internally generated by our medicinal chemists, and its target was identified as part of our Genome5000 program as a potent inhibitor of T and B cell levels in the peripheral blood.