Relief Therapeutics
{{Short description|Swiss biopharmaceutical company}}
{{COI|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox company |
| name = Relief Therapeutics
| logo = Relief Therapeutics Logo.png
| type = Public
| former_name =
| foundation = 2013
| location = Geneva, Switzerland
| key_people = Raghuram Selvaraju
(Chairman)
Jack Weinstein
(Chief Financial Officer)
| industry = Biopharmaceutical
| products = RLF-100
ACER-001
PKU GOLIKE
Sentinox
Nexodyn
| num_employees =
| homepage = [https://relieftherapeutics.com/ relieftherapeutics.com]
}}
Relief Therapeutics is a Swiss biopharmaceutical company based in Geneva.{{cite web | url = https://relieftherapeutics.com/company| publisher = Relief Therapeutics | date = | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title = Company, About Us}} The company focuses on developing drugs for serious diseases with few or no existing treatment options. Its lead compound, RLF-100, is a synthetic form of a natural peptide that protects the lung. The company was incorporated as Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG (RFLB.S) and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange in 2016.{{cite web | url = https://www.six-group.com/en/products-services/the-swiss-stock-exchange/market-data/shares/share-explorer/share-details.html?valorId=CH0100191136CHF4#/| publisher = SIX Swiss Exchange | date = | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title = Share Details - Relief Therapeutics}}
History
Relief Therapeutics was founded in 2013 by Gael Hédou with the aim of developing new treatments for diseases with high unmet needs.{{cite web | url = https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150907005042/en/Relief-Therapeutics-Announces-In-Licensing-Agreement-to-Develop-and-Commercialize-Atexakin-Alfa-For-the-Treatment-of-Peripheral-Neuropathies| publisher = businesswire.com| date = September 7, 2015 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title =Relief Therapeutics Announces In-Licensing Agreement to Develop and Commercialize Atexakin Alfa For the Treatment of Peripheral Neuropathies}} The company today considers itself the successor to Mondobiotech, which was founded in 2000 by Fabio Cavalli and Dorian Bevec.{{cite web |url=http://www.mondobiotech.com/media/newsarchive/item/15351 |title=Mondobiotech |accessdate=2012-02-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120720214623/http://www.mondobiotech.com/media/newsarchive/item/15351 |archivedate=2012-07-20 }} Mondobiotech began research into Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), a naturally occurring substance in humans that was first identified in the 1970s. They were granted US and European patents for a synthetic version of VIP known as aviptadil in 2006.{{cite web | url = https://iapps.courts.state.ny.us/nyscef/DocumentList?docketId=pgGwqeBmpZCRBLxrnghRIA==&display=all&courtType=New%20York%20County%20Supreme%20Court&resultsPageNum=1| publisher = New York Supreme Court| date = October 7, 2021 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title = 655857/2021 - New York County Supreme Court}}
On June 23, 2013, Mondobiotech merged with Italian pharmaceutical company Pierrel Research International to form a new Contract research organization known as Therametrics. On July 14, 2016, Therametrics merged with Relief Therapeutics to form Relief Therapeutics Holdings AG, which inherited all patents related to aviptadil.{{cite web | url = https://www.relieftherapeutics.com/newsblog/therametrics-holding-ag-six-tmx-announces-today-that-it-expects-to-conclude-its-business-combination-with-relief-therapeutics-sa-by-mid-july-2016| publisher = Relief Therapeutics| date = June 28, 2016 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title =THERAMetrics holding AG announces today that it expects its business combination with Relief Therapeutics SA (Relief) to be completed by mid-July 2016}}
COVID-19 research
=Aviptadil=
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists at Relief conducted initial studies into the efficacy of RLF-100 in treating severe COVID-19 patients. In June 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted fast-track designation to RLF-100 for treatment of respiratory distress in COVID-19.{{cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2020/08/02/relief-neurorx-rlf-100-helps-critical-covid-19-patients/|title=Critically ill COVID-19 patients make quick recovery with treatment RLF-100|newspaper=New York Post|date=2 August 2020|access-date=3 August 2020}}{{cite web | url = https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04311697| publisher = US National Library of Medicine| date = March 17, 2020 | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title =Intravenous Aviptadil for Critical COVID-19 With Respiratory Failure (COVID-AIV)}} In September 2020, Relief partnered with US-Israeli firm NRX Pharmaceuticals (formerly NeuroRx Inc) for the co-development of the drug and the co-ordination of US trials.{{cite news |last1=Grundlehner |first1=Werner |title=Schweiz: Relief Therapeutics ist wertvollstes Biotech-Unternehmen |url=https://www.nzz.ch/wirtschaft/schweiz-relief-therapeutics-ist-wertvollstes-biotech-unternehmen-ld.1577819?reduced=true |website=Neue Zürcher Zeitung |access-date=21 October 2021 |language=de |date=22 September 2020}} In April 2021, a reformulated version of aviptadil, known as Zyesami, was included in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Phase 3 trial with the aim of testing aviptadil against remdesivir.{{cite web | url = https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/clinical-trial-therapeutics-severely-ill-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-begins| publisher = National Institutes of Health| date = April 22, 2021 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title =Clinical trial of therapeutics for severely ill hospitalized COVID-19 patients begins}} In May 2021, NRX submitted a request for an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to the US FDA for aviptadil's use in patients in intensive care.{{Cite press release|last=NeuroRx|title=NeuroRx submits request for Emergency Use Authorization for RLF-100™ (aviptadil) in the treatment of patients with Critical COVID-19 and Respiratory Failure who have exhausted approved therapy|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neurorx-submits-request-for-emergency-use-authorization-for-rlf-100-aviptadil-in-the-treatment-of-patients-with-critical-covid-19-and-respiratory-failure-who-have-exhausted-approved-therapy-301136257.html|access-date=2020-09-24|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}{{cite web | url = https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04536350| publisher = US National Library of Medicine| date = September 2, 2020 | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title =Inhaled Aviptadil for the Prevention of COVID-19 Related ARDS}} On 7 October 2021 Relief Therapeutics filed a lawsuit against NRX Pharmaceuticals and its CEO Dr. Jonathan Javitt in the Supreme Court of the State of New York,{{cite web |last1=Boyadjian |first1=Rupen |title=Reliefs Streit wird schmutzig |url=https://www.fuw.ch/article/reliefs-streit-wird-schmutzig/ |website=Finanz und Wirtschaft |access-date=21 October 2021 |language=de |date=12 October 2021}} citing multiple alleged breaches of the collaboration agreement signed by the two companies for the co-development of aviptadil.{{cite web | url = https://finance.yahoo.com/news/relief-therapeutics-announces-filing-lawsuit-235000405.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFDKLmNsoV7uHxL5dlW-pwB3v65HkW9RMoDrGLbfxH9HT4LaQuyuM4vMPnkHBe3E4wOWbN_sc9Hgmi4eSLtoG0v8Krad8M7jaTWa-H0gpswZmGzSbkrjRe40mq91sKstgIc59sAxJqqRF8sTycDWX3bOcQBf6SX0mjFWpJY29HjS| publisher = Yahoo Finance | date = October 7, 2021| accessdate=October 13, 2021 |title = Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)}}
On 4 November 2021 the FDA declined EUA for the drug, but committed to working with NRX to further develop it.{{cite web | url = https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/us-food-and-drug-administration-declines-emergency-use-authorization-for-zyesami-aviptadil-for-patients-with-critical-covid-19-with-respiratory-failure-301417228.html| publisher = presswire.com| date = November 4, 2021 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title =US Food and Drug Administration Declines Emergency Use Authorization for ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) for Patients with Critical COVID-19 with Respiratory Failure}} On 29 November 2021, NRX announced that data analysis from the NIH-sponsored Phase 3 trial showed a fourfold increase in survival at 60 days for patients administered with Zyesami (Aviptadil) vs those who received placebo.{{cite web | url = https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nrx-pharmaceuticals-identifies-significantly-higher-113100540.html| publisher = Yahoo Finance| date = November 29, 2021 | accessdate=December 2, 2021 |title =NRx Pharmaceuticals Identifies Significantly Higher Likelihood of Surviving and Recovering from Critical COVID-19 in ZYESAMI® (aviptadil) Treated Patients Previously Administered Remdesivir}}
=Sentinox=
On 27 October 2021, Applied Pharma Research (APR), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Relief, announced positive interim data from its clinical trial of Sentinox, a nasal spray aimed at reducing the viral load of patients with COVID-19, in-turn reducing the transmissibility of the virus.{{cite web | url = https://finance.yahoo.com/news/relief-therapeutics-announces-filing-lawsuit-235000405.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFDKLmNsoV7uHxL5dlW-pwB3v65HkW9RMoDrGLbfxH9HT4LaQuyuM4vMPnkHBe3E4wOWbN_sc9Hgmi4eSLtoG0v8Krad8M7jaTWa-H0gpswZmGzSbkrjRe40mq91sKstgIc59sAxJqqRF8sTycDWX3bOcQBf6SX0mjFWpJY29HjS| publisher = Yahoo Finance | date = October 7, 2021| accessdate=October 13, 2021 |title = Relief Therapeutics Announces Filing of Lawsuit Against its U.S. Collaboration Partner, NeuroRx, Inc. and its CEO, Dr. Jonathan Javitt, for RLF-100(TM) (Aviptadil)}}
Other research
In October 2021, Relief announced that its collaboration partner, Texas-based Acer Therapeutics, had successfully filed for a New Drug Application with US FDA for their drug ACER-001, for the treatment of Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs) and Maple syrup urine disease.{{cite web | url = https://relieftherapeutics.com/newsblog/acer-therapeutics-and-relief-therapeutics-announce-fda-acceptance-for-filing-of-new-drug-application-for-acer-001-to-treat-urea-cycle-disorders | publisher = Relief Therapeutics | date = | accessdate=October 13, 2021 |title = Acer Therapeutics and Relief Therapeutics Announce FDA Acceptance For Filing of New Drug Application For ACER-001 To Treat Urea Cycle Disorders}}
In September 2021, APR launched a chewable tablet for the treatment of Phenylketonuria, called PKU GOLIKE KRUNCH, in Germany and Italy.{{cite web | url = https://www.relieftherapeutics.com/newsblog/relief-therapeutics-wholly-owned-subsidiary-apr-applied-pharma-research-launches-pku-golike-krunch-in-germany-and-italy| publisher = Relief Therapeutics| date = September 9, 2021 | accessdate=November 5, 2021 |title =Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Launches PKU GOLIKE® KRUNCH in Germany and Italy}} APR are also developing Nexodyn, a drug which aids in the management of hard-to-heal ulcers requiring long periods of treatment.{{cite web | url = https://www.relieftherapeutics.com/newsblog/relief-therapeutics-wholly-owned-subsidiary-apr-applied-pharma-research-reports-positive-interim-data-from-its-clinical-trial-of-novel-nasal-spray-sentinox-in-sars-cov-2-infected-patients| publisher = Relief Therapeutics| date = October 27, 2021 | accessdate=December 2, 2021 |title =Relief Therapeutics' Wholly Owned Subsidiary, APR Applied Pharma Research, Reports Positive Interim Data from Its Clinical Trial of Novel Nasal Spray Sentinox in SARS-CoV-2 Infected Patients}}
Relief is actively developing RLF-100 for non-COVID-19 related acute and chronic lung diseases, such as Pulmonary sarcoidosis.{{cite web | url = https://relieftherapeutics.com/pipeline| publisher = Relief Therapeutics | date = | accessdate=October 13, 2021 |title = Relief Therapeutics - Pipeline}}
Acquisitions
- In July 2016, Relief acquired FirstString Research, a clinical-stage biotech firm based in Charleston, South Carolina, US.{{cite web | url = https://www.thepharmaletter.com/article/relief-therapeutics-to-acquire-firststring-research| publisher = thepharmaletter.com| date = July 29, 2016 | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title =Relief Therapeutics to acquire FirstString Research}}
- In January 2021, Relief acquired German-based firm AdVita in a €25 million agreement to further their research into inhaled treatments for Acute respiratory distress syndrome.{{cite web | url = https://www.fuw.ch/article/relief-therapeutics-uebernimmt-deutsche-advita/| publisher = Finanz und Wirtschaft| date = January 20, 2021 | accessdate=January 21, 2021 |title =Relief Therapeutics takes over AdVita}}
- In May 2021, Relief acquired Swiss biotech firm Applied Pharma Research (APR), including its existing portfolio and all pipeline products, for CHF 72 million ($79 million).{{cite web | url = https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/relief-and-applied-pharma-research-apr-sign-binding-term-sheet-for-relief-to-acquire-all-outstanding-shares-of-apr/| publisher = Biospace| date = May 4, 2021 | accessdate=May 4, 2021 |title =Relief and Applied Pharma Research (APR) Sign Binding Term Sheet for Relief to Acquire All Outstanding Shares of APR}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Pharmaceutical companies of Switzerland}}
Category:2016 initial public offerings
Category:Biotechnology companies established in 2013
Category:Pharmaceutical companies established in 2013
Category:Swiss companies established in 2013
Category:Biotechnology companies of Switzerland
Category:Companies listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange
Category:Companies based in Geneva
Category:Pharmaceutical companies