Qureight Ltd, a Core Imaging Laboratory developing deep-learning image analytics, and Vicore Pharma, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of angiotensin II type 2 receptor agonists (ATRAGs), today announce the implementation of Qureight’s Core Imaging Platform within the global Phase 2b ASPIRE trial investigating buloxibutid in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
- Extension of existing partnership between Qureight and Vicore following the results from the Phase 2a AIR trial.
- Qureight technology selected as a key secondary clinical outcome measure using multiple imaging models.
- Core Imaging Platform will further quantify buloxibutid’s potentially disease-modifying mechanism, consistent with data from the AIR trial which demonstrated improvement in forced vital capacity (FVC) over 36 weeks.
ASPIRE is an ongoing global 52-week Phase 2b, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial designed to assess the efficacy and safety of buloxibutid in IPF patients. The primary endpoint is change from baseline in FVC, the registrational endpoint for IPF. ASPIRE also features a secondary outcome measure that seeks to quantify image-based changes in lung fibrosis through analysis of chest CT scans. The trial will enroll 270 patients from over 90 sites across 14 countries, including the United States.
Buloxibutid is a first-in-class angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor agonist that activates an upstream mechanism to drive alveolar repair, resolve fibrosis, and promote vascular function in the lungs. Accurate measurement of change in volume of fibrotic lung tissue is valuable in the demonstration of buloxibutid’s mechanism alongside changes in lung function. By promoting epithelial repair as well as reducing and resolving fibrotic tissue, buloxibutid has the potential to improve lung function, consistent with the effect seen in the Phase 2a AIR trial.
Dr Muhunthan Thillai, CEO of Qureight, said: “The lung function improvements seen in the Phase 2a AIR trial were unprecedented in IPF, evidencing the potential utility of Vicore’s novel ATRAG approach. We are delighted that in the Phase 2b ASPIRE study, we will now have the opportunity t o quantify longitudinal changes across a variety of lung related measures. It is an exciting moment for us to deploy our platform and support the delivery of effective and tolerable treatments for IPF patients and collaborate with Vicore to redefine what’s possible in precision medicine.”
Bertil Lindmark, MD PhD, Chief Medical Officer of Vicore, said: “We believe that buloxibutid has the potential to improve lung function and quality of life for patients suffering from IPF. As we look ahead, we are excited to continue our partnership with Qureight and integrate this advanced imaging technology into our ongoing Phase 2b ASPIRE trial. This collaboration will allow us to measure changes in fibrotic volume and enable deeper insights into treatment response.”
About Qureight
Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Cambridge, UK, Qureight is a Core Imaging Laboratory; a rapidly-scaling techbio company deploying its technology on a global scale. The cloud-based, vendor agnostic Core Imaging Platform is GDPR, HIPPA and NHS Digital compliant. The platform has ISO13485 and ISO27001 accreditation to interrogate clinical trial data. The team is led by co-founder & CEO Dr Muhunthan Thillai, a consultant pulmonologist at Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge who trained in lung fibrosis.
About Vicore Pharma
Vicore Pharma Holding AB is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company unlocking the potential of a new class of drugs with disease-modifying potential in respiratory and fibrotic diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The company’s lead program, buloxibutid (C21), is a first-in-class oral small molecule angiotensin II type 2 (AT2) receptor agonist, which has received Orphan Drug and Fast Track designation from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is currently being investigated in the global 52-week Phase 2b ASPIRE trial in IPF.
The company is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm exchange (VICO). www.vicorepharma.com