Management will host a call to discuss these updates on Tuesday, January 21 at 8:00 am EST. Please register for the event on the Events and Presentations page of Disc’s website (https://ir.discmedicine.com/).
About Bitopertin
Bitopertin is an investigational, clinical-stage, orally administered inhibitor of glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) that is designed to modulate heme biosynthesis. GlyT1 is a membrane transporter expressed on developing red blood cells and is required to supply sufficient glycine for heme biosynthesis and support erythropoiesis. Disc is planning to develop bitopertin as a potential treatment for a range of hematologic diseases including erythropoietic porphyrias, where it has potential to be the first disease-modifying therapy. Bitopertin has been studied in multiple clinical trials in patients with EPP, including the Phase 2 open-label BEACON trial, the Phase 2 double-blind, placebo-controlled AURORA trial, and an open-label extension HELIOS trial.
Bitopertin is an investigational agent and is not approved for use as a therapy in any jurisdiction worldwide. Disc obtained global rights to bitopertin under a license agreement from Roche in May 2021.
About Erythropoietic Protoporphyria (EPP)
Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), including X-linked Protoporphyria (XLP), is a rare, debilitating and potentially life-threatening disease caused by mutations that affect heme biosynthesis, resulting in the accumulation of a toxic, photoactive intermediate called protoporphyrin IX (PPIX). This causes severe reactions when patients are exposed to sunlight, characterized by excruciating pain, edema, burning sensations and potential blistering and disfigurement. PPIX also accumulates in the hepatobiliary system and can result in complications including gallstones, cholestasis, and liver damage in 20-30% of patients and in extreme cases liver failure. Current standard of care involves extreme measures to avoid sunlight, including restricting outdoor activities to nighttime, use of protective clothing and opaque shields, and pain management. This has a significant impact on the psychosocial development, quality of life, and daily activities of patients, particularly in young children and families. There is currently no cure for EPP and only one FDA-approved therapy, a surgically implanted synthetic hormone designed to stimulate melanin production called Scenesse® (afamelanotide).
About Disc Medicine
Disc Medicine is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to discovering, developing, and commercializing novel treatments for patients who suffer from serious hematologic diseases. We are building a portfolio of innovative, potentially first-in-class therapeutic candidates that aim to address a wide spectrum of hematologic diseases by targeting fundamental biological pathways of red blood cell biology, specifically heme biosynthesis and iron homeostasis. For more information, please visit www.discmedicine.com.
Disc Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, but not limited to, express or implied statements regarding Disc’s expectations with respect to its potential APOLLO confirmatory clinical study of bitopertin in EPP and XLP patients, including the proposed study design, the anticipated timeline, and the results thereof; and the possible regulatory path forward for bitopertin in EPP, including whether the FDA will determine that the accelerated approval pathway continues to be appropriate, the treatment of the APOLLO clinical study as a post-marketing confirmatory trial, and the timeline for a potential NDA submission and accelerated approval, if granted, and whether the NDA submission will meet the standards of accelerated approval. The use of words such as, but not limited to, “believe,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend,” “future,”