GENERAL PARTNERING STRATEGY
NEURORX INC. COLLABORATION
Our talented team of scientists, determined to do their part to contribute to the fight against the worst healthcare disaster in 100 years, had a brilliant idea to repurpose a legacy compound, RLF-100™ (aviptadil), a synthetic form of a naturally occurring peptide predominantly found in the lung - Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) - to protect the lung from injury due to COVID-19. Taking advantage of the extraordinary measures implemented in the U.S. to speed up clinical research for COVID-19 therapeutics, Relief partnered with NeuroRx Inc., a U.S.-based biotech with strong experience in innovative novel therapeutic development. Ten weeks from concept to clinic, we began our journey to providing this potentially life-saving drug to critical COVID-19 patients.
On September 21, 2020, Relief and NeuroRx announced the completion of their partnership agreement for the commercialization of RLF-100™ worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, NeuroRx will lead commercialization in the United States, Canada, and Israel, while Relief will lead commercialization in Europe and the rest of the world.
Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs) and Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD) are rare genetic metabolic disorders for which current treatment options are limited, or non-existent in the case of MSUD. Both diseases greatly affect patients’ quality of life. True to our mission to provide patients with therapeutic RELIEF from serious illnesses with high unmet medical needs, we partnered with Acer Therapeutics, a U.S.-based biotech company with strong capabilities in accelerated development of therapies for rare disease, for the worldwide development and commercialization of ACER-001.
ACER-001, a proprietary powder formulation of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB), is designed to be both taste-masked and immediate release. These characteristics could make it a compelling alternative to existing NaPB-based treatments for UCD, as the unpleasant taste associated with NaPB is cited as a major impediment to patient compliance with those treatments.
On March 22, 2021, Relief and Acer Therapeutics announced the signing of a collaboration and license agreement for the worldwide development and commercialization of ACER-001 for the treatment of UCDs and MSUD.