It’s quite common for premature infants to have difficulty breathing – in fact, it’s a leading cause of morbidity in babies born preterm.
Maryland startup Therabron Therapeutics is developing a series of pediatric respiratory drugs, with a primary focus on these preterm babies – and has just closed out a new funding round to wrap up Phase 2 clinical trial enrollment this year for its lead drug.
Therabron has closed out an accelerated second tranche of its Series B financing, bringing in $6.75 million in the round, according to a regulatory filing. The round was led by Brace Pharma Capital.
The company’s lead compound, CG100, is based on recombinant human CC10 secretoglobins – proteins meant to restore the natural immune balance in the lungs of patients. These CC10 proteins are in low supply among premature infants, who haven’t had adequate lung development. Therabron’s drug is meant to be administered intratracheally. Early clinical trials found the drug well-tolerated, showed anti-inflammatory properties and kept infants out of the hospital.
Patients with COPD also have CC10 deficiency, so Therabron is developing a nasal spray for these patients – but also those with persistent sinusitis and nasal polyps. The COPD drug, called CG201, will likely kick off Phase 2 trials soon as well.
The company’s also developing three other preclinical respiratory drugs in pits pipeline – treating acute lung injury, influenza, pneumonia, asthma and bronchiectasis.
